Washingtonville Teens Having Good Clean Fun & Showing Impressive Skills But They Should Have A Better Place for The "Wheelies" & Learn More Bike Skills

Washingtonville's Best "Biking Wheelie Team"

Editorial

After picking up some groceries at Stop 'N Shop and walking across the parking lot, 3 incredible teens whizzed by, one of them exclaiming "We're the best bikers in Town." I would have to 100% agree at how talented they were, with each doing 2 or three Wheelies across the open space appearing very safe and fortunately at a time when the big lot was nearly empty, so there was no danger to shoppers. They stopped to chat, friendly and smart, and I laughed and half-joked, "I'm an editor... I should take a couple of pictures for the newspaper.

"Really???", one of them said with wide eyes and a grin from ear to ear that looked like he was about to get a gold trophy. I said "Sure!", and all 3 of them rode off, turned around and showed their "Wheelie Skills" while I got an image of each of them.

In perspective, this has been a tough week for Washingtonville students and their parents Social media was full of worried and angry comments about a student with apparent mental health issue who had returned to school after making threats a few years ago. Some children were frightened. It was so delightful to see the other side of teen life in Washingtonville..... some great teens, done with the school workday, letting off a little steam in the most creative and positive way possible. It could not have been a better contrast.

Admittedly, I don't know the particular biking in a parking lot rules, and I'm guessing "Wheelies" are at best frowned on..(but is certainly better than along a sidewalk or in the road).. So here is what I suggest. It appears that other then football, baseball, basketball and wrestling, biking is currently 'right up there' on the most popular everyday teen sport list. It is relatively safe from serious injuries, relatively inexpensive, not as time consuming as some of the other sports, and provides lots of health benefits. And so, with the other teen sports having new and top quality facilities, maybe the next round of grants for athletics could go toward an awesome biking park, where these young and talented bikers can practice and continue to grow their "already impressive" skills. While we're at it, some of the young and hard-working 18-22 year old staff at Stop 'N Shop are more into Skateboarding. I know there was talk about renovating an earlier Skate Park in the area. But if it has not yet been done it would be wonderful to have adjacent areas for a short bike trail, a bike challenge area, and a skate park. When the Schunnemunk Rail Trail is finished, it will be great both for hikers, walkers, people with movement disabilities and bike enthusiasts. But let's have a different place for bike racing and cool wheelies on what could become a crowded nature path.

I also read that a "No Bullying Bike Group" has also started.... The more the merrier!

One more thing.....Not having children of my own I have to say that I've been very pleasantly shocked at the friendliness of Washingtonville's teenagers. Both the young (and hard-working) staff at Stop 'n Shop who occasionally take a quick ride on the back of a grocery cart lamenting that they don't have a skate park any more, these teen bikers, and the young at parades and events in Town, and it is always eye to eye, and not giving a short chat to an 'old' person. I thank them for the few minutes here and there that I get to feel like a real Auntie (since my nephews are far off in Alaska and Hawaii.). The good nature of our young people has given me a refreshing hope for the future!