[DB!-Announce] US Bicycling Hall of Fame coming to Davis!

Fri Apr 10 08:46:21 PDT 2009

 http://www.sacbee.com/latest/story/1770763.html

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Davis will be new home of Bicycling Hall of Fame blindelof at sacbee.com Published
Friday, Apr. 10, 2009

Davis has snagged its own sports hall of fame and will become the new home
of the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame.

Davis, the self-proclaimed "bicycle capital of the United States," beat out
Greensboro, N.C., to capture the hall that for the past two decades has been
in Somerville, N.J.

One city official, Councilman Stephen Souza, said the hall could be in
temporary quarters in a downtown city-owned building by the end of the year.

Bill Brunner, who chaired the hall of fame search committee, said it was a
close call between the two cities but Davis was given the nod because of its
many bike trails and because so many residents bike to work and school.

The hall asked communities to submit proposals to host the hall because the
current Somerville location is slated for redevelopment. About 50
communities were interested and 11 submitted proposals.

The finalists turned out to be Greensboro and Davis. Both cities were
visited by selection team members.

"The distinguishing difference between Greensboro and Davis was that Davis
was so bicycling friendly," said Brunner. "All those bike lanes and the
sheer number of people who use the bicycle as a method of transportation or
recreation or sport."

The hall's museum is filled with artifacts such as trophies, jerseys and
bicycles from greats such as Major Taylor and Greg Lemond. The museum also
inducts bicycling greats every year into the hall.

"When we started this home search process, our intent was to be the
Cooperstown of Cycling," said Brunner. Cooperstown hosts baseball's hall of
fame.

Bicycling is being embraced by people during a time of high gas prices,
concern about health and the green movement, he said.
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*Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.*
         News Release

*Date:     *            April 10, 2009

*Contact:*           Susan Wilcox, CTTC (916) 319-5412

                        Bob Bowen, City of Davis, (530) 681-0112, (530)
757-5691

                        Dawn C. Wylong, US Bicycling Hall of Fame. (908)
268-6771

Dan Kehew, California Bicycle Museum, (530) 848-9613

*For Immediate Release*

*CITY OF DAVIS LURES **bicycling hall of fame TO CALIFORNIA***

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) – After fierce competition that rivaled the state’s
famous Amgen Tour of California (ATOC) cycling race, the City of Davis
nudged ahead of the pack of 11 cities across the nation to win the US
Bicycling Hall of Fame Headquarters relocation from Somerville, New Jersey.

 “No other state embraces the fitness and environmentally responsible
lifestyle of cycling more than the Golden State, which is why we host one of
the most prominent cycling competitions every year - the Amgen Tour of
California,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “Having the Hall of Fame here in
California is yet another testament to why our beautiful state is the best
place in the nation and the world to live, work and play.”

The US Bicycling Hall of Fame Board of Directors narrowed the field down to
Greensboro, North Carolina and City of Davis before voting April 8 to begin
exclusive negotiations with the Davis-based California Bicycle Museum.

“We’re very excited that the Bicycling Hall of Fame will move to Davis,
which hosted the first ATOC stage earlier this year” said Caroline Beteta,
president & CEO of the California Travel & Tourism Commission and the U.S.
Travel Association. “We believe it will be a wonderful new incentive for
visitors to explore the Sacramento region, which has great museums,
historical sites, sophisticated arts and entertainment, as well as access to
outdoor recreation such as winery hopping, horseback riding, boating, and of
course, biking our scenic roads.”

In a brief statement by President Dan Kehew, the California Bicycle Museum
Board of Directors thanked the Davis community, the City of Davis, and the
University of California, Davis for supporting the relocation proposal,
which will involve integration with the California Bicycle Museum and thus a
relocation to a larger facility in Davis.  City of Davis officials are still
in negotiations with several local facilities and will announce the new
location for the museums within the next several weeks.

Dawn Wylong, president of the Hall of Fame, said that overwhelming Davis
support for cycling tipped the scales.  “The Davis community is passionate
about bicycles, at every level, in every aspect of cycling,” Wylong said.
“In Davis, the Hall of Fame will be celebrated and appreciated for what it
represents.”

Wylong added that Davis will enable the US Bicycling Hall of Fame to develop
into a destination that represents the history, development and
accomplishments of the sport of cycling, as a national organization.

The Davis community has over 100 miles of bike paths and bike lanes and a
vibrant downtown commercial area. The Davis Downtown Business Association
praised the relocation announcement as another gem for downtown. Association
co-president Rosalie Paine noted that along with unique retail, diverse
restaurants, art galleries, the farmer’s market and the Davis train station,
the future bike museum and hall of fame will be a great attraction for
tourism and a perfect example of a green industry generating jobs and income
in the downtown area.

Davis Mayor Ruth Asmundson believes that having the US Bicycling Hall of
Fame relocate to Davis is a logical step for the town recognized as the very
first platinum level “Bicycle Friendly” city by the League of American
Bicyclists. "We have been a model for city planning that encourages
bicycling for sustainability, clean air, transportation and fitness.  There
is not another city in the U.S. where bicycling is a more important part of
the community than Davis."

An essential part of Davis' cycling community are the students, faculty and
staff of UC Davis, many of whom pedal to campus every day.

"One knows in the first minutes here that bicycles have got to be the symbol
of this community.  There seem to be more of them than there are people,"
said UC Davis Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef. "The Hall of Fame is a natural
for Davis and UC Davis -- we are bikes!"

The California Bicycle Museum is a non-profit organization headquartered in
Davis with the purpose of establishing a permanent museum and learning
center to promote the history and future of cycling. The museum expects to
finalize the relocation agreement with the Hall of Fame and, in doing so,
secure the long-term use of a city-owned building.  Kehew and Wylong
described the partnership of both organizations as a logical future step and
the eventual outcome could be a major visitor attraction and learning center
in Northern California.

The US Bicycling Hall of Fame, founded in 1986 and considered the official
industry Hall of Fame by the USA Cycling Association, is an active
organization, annually inducting athletes and industry achievers for their
accomplishments in the sport of cycling.  The mission of the US Bicycling
Hall of Fame is to promote and preserve the history of cycling, recognize
competitors and contributors, and advocate for the safety and fitness
aspects of cycling. Part museum, membership organization and advocate for
all aspects of cycling – the Hall of Fame celebrates and preserves cycling’s
history, promotes safety and fitness, and encourages participation in all
cycling activities.

The California Travel and Tourism Commission (CTTC) is a non-profit
organization with a mission to develop and maintain marketing programs - in
partnership with the state's travel industry - that keep California
top-of-mind as a premier travel destination. According to the CTTC, travel
and tourism expenditures total $96.7 billion annually in California, support
jobs for 924,100 Californians and generate $5.8 billion in state and local
tax revenues. For more information about the CTTC and for a free *California
Visitor’s Guide*, go to
*www.VisitCalifornia.com<http://www.visitcalifornia.com/>
*.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

For a jpg photos of Davis, antique bikes, or bicycle racing please email
Matt Dulcich: medulcich at ucdavis.edu

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