Bicycle Board Members,
Jack Watson, Matt's dad called me tonight to say that Suncrest Middle School principal Napolillo agreed to install a bike rack at the school once the City erects appropriate School Zone signs around the school. A few weeks ago, Damien informed me that the City will do that. Napolillo agreed to put the rack in front of the school but not until the School Zone signs are up. Until then, the rack must be stored in back of the school. Jack will pick up the rack from Positive Spin in a couple weeks.
Recently, the principal invited Matt to present his proposal to the school's LSIC (Local School Improvement Council, http://wvde.state.wv.us/lsic/ ). Matt won them over. Next, Napolillo took the proposal to Mon County Schools Superintendent, Frank Devono. Devono took it to a lawyer. The lawyer is drafting a waiver for parents to sign if they allow their kids to ride to school. (Jack will send me the waiver when he gets it. Since this is coming from Devono, it should work for all the schools!)
Also, Napolillo will require that each bike parked in the rack have a permit to park in it. The details on this still need to be worked out.
Thanks to the initiative, diligence, persuasiveness and perseverance of eighth grader Matt Watson, barriers to kids riding to school that apparently have been up since Jonathan Rosenbaum was a boy are being relentlessly broken down. A cause for celebration, I'd say!
Frank