'Get out the vote!' ride recap
[Ed note: Special thanks to October's ride leader and special guest blog contributor Bambo Francis!] It was a beautiful fall day in October and cyclists were about to enjoy a most incredible day on their bikes. We'd be listening to an Upper Arlington City Council member, various electoral volunteers and the Director of the Franklin County Board of Elections.
Before going any further I must say that, the events of this particular day will not have been possible with the army of selfless volunteers, staff and board members of Yay bikes! they come up with theme ideas for these monthly rides.
We rolled through some of the most picturesque autumn streets, the arch of golden fall color trees formed a corridor on our way towards the Upper Arlington Municipal Services Center to hear Mike Schadek talk about the importance of all local elections, how all elections are important but the local ones are the ones that have direct impact on our day-to-day lives.
Onto our second stop we wound through the streets of Upper Arlington toward the outskirts of the University mingling with the game day (OSU football fans) traffic then an uphill climb on Arcadia Ave. It was fun to see 40+ cyclists smile as they got the top of the hill knowing the most challenging part of the ride was done. By the time we got to the Franklin County Board of Elections, we had been on a few of the very busiest roads in Columbus (Indianola and Morse).
Sherry Girves and Carole DePaola spoke about the importance of early voting and voting in general. Franklin County Board of Elections Executive Director, Bill Anthony Jr wanted everyone to make voting a family affair and absentee voting was one of the many ways we could achieve this goal.
Our third and final stop was the Bosco Center, it was the farthest part of the ride. We ventured mostly on Cleveland Ave. I believed riding on Cleveland Avenue would be unfriendly and frightening, but all together it was a pleasant interesting segment as we made our way to the Bosco Center. Yay Bikes! will be co-hosting a mayoral debate in days to come. Catherine Girves talked about the upcoming debate to be hosted in the Bosco Center. It provides a good venue to see some of the local candidates.
It was good day in the Saddle and I will like to mention a few of the volunteers who helped vet the route. Here's a shout out to Kathleen, Shyra, Catherine, Cassie, Deanne and Rahel. I appreciated your efforts for making this a wonderful ride.