The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

( 8 - Orono Weekly Times, Wednesday, February 26, 2003 ) The bicycle has done more to emancipate women than anything in the world. Susan B. Anthony A woman needs, a man like a fish needs a bicycle. Gloria Steinem It's been a long and somewhat bumpy ride for the familiar two-wheeler. Baron Von Drais started started it all. Away back in 1817 the eccentric German hammered together a contraption that became known as the Draisienne. It was made of wood, with a seat and handle bars, but no pedals. pedals. In order to ride the Draisienne, you had to shuffle your feet along the ground. The Draisienne did not go platinum. A couple of decades later a Scotsman by the name of Macmillan clapped a pair of wheels onto Von Drais's hobby horse. They were connected connected by swinging cranks on the front wheel which were connected to rods and levers to the back wheel. The whole thing was made of iron and weighed about 60 pounds. It, too, was something less than a best-seller. In 1870 the first real bicycle, the Penny Farthing, was invented. It got its name from the difference difference in size between the wheels - the front wheel looked like a big English penny, the back wheel like a tiny farthing. It took a lot of skill to stay upright on the Penny Farthing and even if you did the ride was bone- ,crushing, thanks to the solid tires. By the time I came along, which is to say firmly nestled in the glut Basic Black Cycle Psychology of post World War Two baby boomers, the bicycle bicycle makers pretty much had it right. Their new improved product was light, the tires were filled with air, the seats were soft and the pedaling, thanks to a chain-drive, was easy. I still remember my veiy first bike. It was a blue and white, CCM one-speed with a leather seat and a push bell screwed to the handlebars. handlebars. Why, I cut my teeth (my shins and knuckles, actually) on that piece of technological wizardry. State of the art. Yep, by the middle of the 20th century, bicycles had gone about as far as they could go. Not. No one was aware of it, but the winds of change were already licking licking at kick stands of the bicycle world as we knew it. One day, Tommy Farmer rode into the schoolground pedaling pedaling what might as well have been a UFO. It was a racing bike with drop handle bars and brakes mounted on the handlebars handlebars right next to a little gizmo none of us had seen before. It was a chrome-plated chrome-plated Sturmey-Archer gearshift with a tiny lever you could move with your thumb. Imagine! A bicycle with three speeds - first, second and third! Suddenly the rest of us felt like we were riding Draisiennes. But of course it was only the beginning. Europeans invented dérailleurs which led to the creation of five-speed bikes and then ten-speed bikes. m The concept of getting off and walking a bike up a steep hill became almost unthinkable. And even that was the Dark Ages. In the 1980's, some bike boffin came up with the idea of adding cogs to the rear gear cluster. Suddenly bikes appeared with 15, 18 even 21 and 24 gears. Mountain bikes appeared - ungainly hulks with great nubbly tires and complicated suspension systems. Serious cyclists debated the relative merits merits of brakes from Japan, sprockets from Italy and featherweight magnesium-alloy magnesium-alloy toe baskets from Czechoslovakia. My first bike, mint-fresh from the CCM factory, set my dad back a whopping whopping $29:95. Today, you can pay more than that for a pair of cycling gloves - and they won't even have fingers. Or, if you really want to wow your cycling friends the way Tommy Farmer wowed us 'way back in the '50's - buy yourself an Urbanite. You can order one from Urbane Cyclist, a shop in Toronto. Urbanites sell for $750 per and they are cutting edge trendy, with great colours,happening handlebars, handlebars, a 'way cool imitation-leather imitation-leather saddle... And, oh yes - no gears. The Urbanite is a single-speed bike, just like the ones the kamikaze bike couriers ride in the big city. Just like the old CCM I learned to ride on half a century ago, as a matter of fact. No difference, really. Aside from the $720.05. Request for Tender for Various Projects SEALED TENDERS clearly marked as to contents, addressed to Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, c/o Controller of Facilities Services, will be received from Contractors at Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board,' Education Centre, Reception Desk, 1994 Fisher Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 7A1 until 2:00:00 pm local time, as noted below KAWARTHA PINE RIDGE DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD MANDATORY SITE INSPECTIONS will be held and contractors wishing to bid must attend the Site Inspections. BOND AND INSURANCE requirements will be noted in the specifications. specifications. TENDER DOCUMENTS must be obtained as indicated below. TENDER DEPOSIT in the form of a Certified Cheque or Money Order (cash not accepted) in the amount of $100.00 per Tender Package made payable to Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board is required to obtain tender documents. Tender Deposit is refundable, upon return of documents in good order within two weeks of tender closing. Roofing Replacement at Various Schools: TENDER DOCUMENTS must be obtained at the Site Inspection, upon receipt of a tender deposit as above. Mandatory Site Inspections will take place on Wednesday 12 March 2003, starting at 9:30 am, at: Queen Elizabeth P.S., 830 Barnardo Avenue, Peterborough; and then proceeding to R.F. Downey PS., T.A. Stewart S.S., Ridpath P.S., Warsaw P.S., Campbellford D.H.S. and East Northumberland S.S. Anyone interested in information regarding this project should contact Tom Marshall at Technology Support Services Inc,, at 4164590-9270. Tender Closing time is 2:00:00 pm, 27 March 2003 Window Replacement at Various Schools: TENDER DOCUMENTS must be obtained at the Site Inspection, upon receipt of a tender deposit as above. Mandatory Site Inspections will take place on Thursday 13 March 2003, starting at 10:00 am, at: Burnham PS., 614 Burnham Street, Cobourg; and proceeding to Edmison Heights P.S., and Armour Heights PS. Anyone interested in information regarding this project should contact Tom Marshall at Technology Support Services Inc., at 416-590-9270. Tender Closing time is 2:00:00 pm, 27 March 2003 Painting at Various Schools: TENDER DOCUMENTS can be obtained at the Education Centre, Reception Desk, 1994 Fisher Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, Monday 3 March to Friday 7 March 2003, between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, OR at the Site Inspection. Mandatory Site Inspections will take place on Tuesday 11 March 2003, starting at 9:00 am, at: Courtice North P.S., 1675 Nash Road, Courtice; and then proceeding to Courtice S.S., Bowmanville H.S., Clarke H.S., George Hamilton P.S., Port Hope H.S., Cobourg D.C.I. West, Cobourg D.C.I. East, East Northumberland S.S., and Campbellford D.H.S. Mandatory Site Inspections will take place on Monday 10 March 2003, starting at 9:00 am, at: Lakefield District Secondary School, 71 Bridge Street, Lakefield; and then proceeding to: R.F. Downey P.S., Adam Scott C.V.I., Thomas A. Stewart S.S., Peterborough C.V.S., Westmount P.S., and Crestwood S.S. Tender Closing time is 2:00:00 pm, 27 March 2003 . '.A , .... ,. t , iW , .. . \ * ' Life Safety Upgrade at East Northumberland S.S.: TENDER DOCUMENTS must be obtained at the Education Centre, Reception Desk, 1994 Fisher Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, after Thursday 24 April 2003. Mandatory Site Inspection will take place at 9:00 am, Thursday 1 May 2003 at East Northumberland S.'S., 71 Dundas Street, Brighton, ON Tender Closing time is 2:00:00 pm, 15 May 2003 Boiler Replacement at Highland Heights P.S. and Roseneath Centennial P.S.: and Heating System Upgrade at North Shore P.S.: TENDER DOCUMENTS must be obtained at the Education Centre, Reception Desk, 1994 Fisher Drive, Peterborough, Ontario; after Thursday 27 March 2003. Mandatory Site Inspection will take place at 9:00 am, Thursday 3 April 2003 at Highland Heights P.S., 430 Highland Road, Peterborough, ON, and proceeding to North Shore P.S., and Roseneath Centennial P.S. Tender Closing time is 2:00:00 pm, 17 April 2003 Electrical Upgrade at Adam Scott Collegiate Vocational Institute: TENDER DOCUMENTS DOCUMENTS must be obtained at the Education Centre, Reception Desk, 1994 Fisher Drivé, Peterborough, Ontario, after 20 March 2003, Mandatory Site Inspection will take place at 9:00 am, Thursday 3 April 2003 at Adam Scott Collegiate Vocational Institute, 175 Langton Street, Peterborough, ON. Tender Closing time is 2:00:00 pm, 17 April 2003 Lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted. This advertisement may also be accessed on the Internet at www.vaxxine.com/opba/. Angela Lloyd Chairperson of the Board Avis E. Glaze Director of Education KAWARTHA PINE RIDGE DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD NEWCASTLE FUNERAL HOME Family owned and operated by Carl Good, Funeral Director, and Joyce Kufta 386 Mill St. S., Newcastle 987-3964 www.ncwcastlcfuncralhomc.com "Caring for our Community" Leading the Way CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON PUBLIC NOTICE www.municipality.clarington.on.ca WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS - MARCH 1 TO APRIL 30, 2003 Weight Restriction Regulations will be in force on all roads under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Clarington from.Monday, March 3, to approximately Wednesday, April 30, 2003. The actual end date will be determined, following reviews of road and weather conditions periodically toward the end of the weight restriction season. Vehicle loads are restricted to FIVE (5) TONNES PER AXLE, in accordance with the provisions of the Highway Traffic Act R.S.0.1990, cH8, s122. Frederick H. Horvath, B.A., R.D.M.R., R.R.F.A. Director of Operations Municipality of Clarington 40 Temperance Street Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3A6