Spoke Folk hits the brakes
The people at Spoke Folk on Central Avenue in Dunkirk are letting down their kickstands one last time, as they prepare to close its doors for good on March 1.
The community bicycle project, as part of the State University of New York Research Foundation Program and the SUNY Fredonia — Dunkirk Community Partnership, has provided over 1,000 bicycles to community members, distributed more than 1,100 bicycle helmets to area children, started Meals on Two Wheels, and more. Now, however, program director Richard Goodman is ready to hand over the handlebars to someone else — except there’s no one willing to take his place.
In order for the college to keep supporting the program, a member of it must be willing to take over the inner-business workings at Spoke Folk. Since no one can be found to step up to the plate, however, the college has no choice but to shut it down.
“About two years ago, I asked (the college) to find someone to replace me so there’s that continuity, because this program is so important to the community,” said Goodman. “And I got a letter saying, ‘We couldn’t find anybody to replace you,’ so basically the program is closed.”
The project started as a way to provide bicycle services to an underserved community. The website says, “In response to a perceived need for the development of a neighborhood bicycle repair facility and skills development center, it was built on the assumption that a volunteer staff could be recruited and trained to make a number of bicycle related programs and services available to area residents.”
Spoke Folk has grown over the past nine years to include a number of services to the community. On Tuesdays there is a Bike Lab, a workshop where people all of ages can learn about all levels of bike maintenance and repair. Community members are also able to volunteer in order to earn a bike. The organization can also “Recycle a Bicycle,” where volunteers restore donated or discarded bicycles and redistribute them out into the community. Additionally, the “Every Kid Deserves a Bike” project puts a bicycle in the hands of any child who wants one, regardless of family or financial circumstances.
Since the opening of Spoke Folk, back in the day when it was running out of the temporary Fredonia Technology Incubator, it has accomplished the following:
¯ Recruited and trained a team of adult volunteers who contribute approximately 75 hours of service each week, fifty-two weeks per year
¯ Restored and returned more than 800 bicycles to the community, including several modified bikes for use by special needs classes within the Dunkirk School District and by members of the community with developmental disabilities
¯ Provided children’s bicycles to the Rural Ministry and Salvation Army for Christmas distribution (approximately forty per year)
¯ Served as a repair center for clients of the Dunkirk Resource Center, The Chautauqua County Office of Mental Health and residents of area group home facilities
¯ Provided walk-in assistance to scores of community members in need of bicycle related help
¯ Saved numerous unwanted bicycles from burial in local landfills
¯ Served as a stopping off point and information center for long distance bicycle tourists traveling through the area
¯ The Meals on Two Wheels Project, which uses bicycles and bicycle trailers to deliver hot and nutritious meals to the homes of Dunkirk residents unable to cook for themselves.
Goodman states that the loss of the program will be detrimental to the Dunkirk/Fredonia community, especially since there is no comparable organization around.
“One of the things Dunkirk and Fredonia don’t have … is a bicycle shop. So if you ride your bicycle, and this wasn’t here, and you had a problem, you’d have to take it to Jamestown, Buffalo, North East, Hamburg. A lot of people don’t have the facilities to do that, and the prices are very, very expensive,” Goodman said.
He also believes that the closing of Spoke Folk will hurt local tourism in the area, as bikers can be seen during the spring and summer months along the waterfront and all over the city and town of Dunkirk, and the village of Fredonia.
“When we first started, there was that spread in the paper about the desire to build up tourism on the lake. How are you going to have tourism unless you have tourist services? We provide help to tourists,” Goodman said. “People have to know it wasn’t our decision. …There’s going to be a major hole in the community, especially at a time when everyone is saying they’re trying to rebuild downtown.”
Goodman said that he and the other volunteers involved would be glad to help out whoever might want to take over the not-for-profit, but stresses the importance of needing someone to take over this service to the community. He even suggested the city of Dunkirk get involved, and keep open a business that adds so much to the area.
“We would be glad to help any other entity in the community interested. …We believe that the city developmental groups ought to put the pedal to the metal to find or create a commercial bike shop or sports shop. … We believe that the importance to community and lakefront development depends on tourist services,” Goodman stated. “Also, with the community, many, many people here depend on a bicycle for transportation.
“It’s been a great ride, but I think if the story is told, that we are closing, that maybe someone will step up,” Goodman said hopefully.
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