Trinity Park Neighborhood Bike Tune-Up

Trinity Park neighbors can have their bikes tuned-up this Sunday, September 4^th from 11am to 1pm at Trinity Park, at the corner of Trinity Ave. & Watts St.  Your neighbor and Bicycle Transportation Trainer, Matthew Carter, will be there to assist you and get your bike back on the road.

But wait there’s more…you’ll also have the chance to pedal up your very own bike blended smoothie while Matthew works on your bike!

Hope to see you at Trinity Park this Sunday!

Ninna

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Trinity Park Bike Clinic

Ninna Gagnon

Sun, bikes, neighbors, oil, tools and smoothies–there you have the ingredients for a successful bike clinic. The neighbors of Trinity Park gathered together on a recent Saturday to get their bikes fixed and tuned up. There you found Matthew Carter, one of Clean Energy Durham’s Bicycle Transportation Trainers, willing and able to assist his neighbors. And even those who didn’t bring a bike to get fixed simply went to make a smoothie–a bike powered one at that. I believe we all agreed that the taste is so much better once you’ve had to put in a little effort.

The sun was smiling upon us, which was welcomed considering some recent bike clinics highlighted North Carolina’s weather diversity with rain, hail and tornado watch. Besides the fixed bikes now fit for the streets of Durham, my favorite part of the day was the smiling and curious children with their smoothie stained mouths playing with the bicycle tools. The day was a great scene to get them excited about cycling at an early age.

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Matthew Carter: A Welcome New Addition

Trinity Park

Delaware, Maryland, New Mexico, California, North Carolina…Matthew has lived in a few different places to say the least, but now that Durham is fortunate enough to have him, we will try our hardest to keep him.  Matthew became one of Clean Energy Durham’s Bicycle Transportation Trainers because he believes biking “is a very powerful alternative to car transportation” and he enjoys “meeting people in the neighborhood and helping to create a stronger community.”  We could not have said it better ourselves.

Matthew’s use of the bicycle really blossomed in California where he found himself living five miles from school without a car.  It turns out that riding a bike for 20-30 minutes is a lot more convenient than a two-hour walk.  Living on the cheap, Matthew worked at a bike co-op in Santa Fe to earn a bicycle, and in the process he discovered that he really enjoys fixing up cast off old bikes.

Durham has no shortage of old bikes that need fixing up, and Matthew is putting his skills to work by volunteering at the Durham Bike Coop, where he once again has assembled a bike that now takes him on his commute down the American Tobacco Trail to work.

It is clear that Matthew has integrated well into the Durham culture, because he and his Trinity Park neighbors have included a food truck round-up in their neighborhood bike clinic planning.

To be connected with Matthew, contact robin@cleanenergydurham.org

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Neighborhood Energy Retrofit Program Increasing Home’s Market Value

Thinking about putting your home on the market?  Don’t hesitate to use your participation in the Neighborhood Energy Retrofit Program as a major selling point!  One home in Trinity Park has already done it!

The realtor advertising a home in Trinity Park writes,

This home is in the Neighborhood Energy Retrofit Program and has a programmable thermostat, low-flow shower head and energy-efficient crawl space that is sealed, which keeps floors warm in the winter & lowers the utility costs. Additional upgrades scheduled through the retrofit program will include: additional attic insulation and the sealing of any air leaks.

Jenny

Trinity Park Learns About Energy

The ladies of Trinity Park rock, and they showed just how much at a neighborhood Basic Energy Education (BEE) workshop on Saturday, January 29^th.  The workshop was led by Trinity Park resident Katherine Jordan, with assistance from Terry Alston Jones, Clean Energy Durham Community Fellow.  Katherine led the ladies in a great discussion:  “Were you aware that the typical home uses approximately 43% of its energy on heating and cooling?”  The group learned options for decreasing heating and cooling energy and shrinking their energy bills.  They also learned about saving energy on other household energy users, such as the refrigerator, the stove, and the clothes dryer.

During the second half of the BEE workshop, the ladies divided themselves into teams, put on their game faces, and had a stiff competition playing Energy BINGO!   The game was not as large as the Super Bowl; however, the teams were just as competitive and eager to learn more about saving energy.

By the end of the evening, Clean Energy Durham’s mission had been accomplished!  The group learned many low-cost, no-cost ways to save energy in their homes and a group of ladies from Trinity Park who did not know one another before the workshop had the chance to meet one another and build a greater sense of community!

Terry

Bike/Walk to School Days

This October Clean Energy Durham has been getting up and out into the crisp morning air.  This month we helped sponsor bike/walk to school days at E.K. Powe and George Watts Montessori Magnet.

On E.K. Powe’s bike/walk to school day, bikes filled the racks and students and parents resorted to the school’s trees to lock their bikes.  Nancy Kaiser, an E.K. Powe parent and key organizer for this event, is seeking to improve students’ fitness through walking.  She is planning on making bike/walk to E.K. Powe a monthly event this school year.  As the transportation staff person at Clean Energy Durham, I was at the school entrance talking to parents about how they normally commute to school and providing information about innovative ways to make walking a more regular practice.  For example, a walking school bus is a way for parents to share walking duties and build relationships with other parents in their neighborhood.

Later that week we hooked up our bicycle power blenders and set up at George Watts for their bike/walk to school day.  Parents were encouraged to walk and bike to school early and come to the school yard where the P.E. teacher, Stephanie Brennan (Coach B.), Janice McCarthy, and Stacy Murphy had food and smoothie supplies ready for hungry walkers and bikers.  An estimated 80 people joined us in the schoolyard and it was thrilling to see so many neighborhood families get up early, save fuel, and enjoy the morning together.

This fall we will be following up with parents from both schools, providing them with more information and resources about biking and walking.  If you are interested in more details about organizing a walk/bike to school day.

For more details on this event checkout the Herald Sun article and the George Watts PTA Blog.

Robin

Two days left for a FREE $25 restaurant gift card and cool transit info!

If you live in one of these neighborhoods, you're eligible to receive a free $25 gift card to Restaurant.com & order free transit info.

ORDER BY July 1st if you live in the highlighted areas in the map above!

Order at http://www.gotriangle.org/getupgo-durham.

The first households to respond get a free $25 gift certificate to Restaurant.com, which you can use in lots of great local places. Contact Jessalee at jessalee@cleanenergydurham.org with questions.

Offer applicable if you live in: Trinity Park, Watts Hillandale, Northgate Park, Duke Park, Old West Durham, Lakewood Park, Tuscaloosa Lakewood, West End, Lyon Park, Morehead Hill, Burch Ave, Cleveland Holloway, or Old Five Points.

Announcing City NERP Phase II: Under Way Already!

We’re excited to announce that the City of Durham has selected five neighborhoods to participate in Phase II of the Neighborhood Energy Retrofit Program (NERP): Fisher Heights, Northgate Park, Trinity Park, Parkwood, and Morehead Hill/West End (these two neighborhoods applied together). The initial meeting for the neighborhood volunteers who will serve as the liaisons for their neighborhood was held this week. Liaisons learned more detailed information about the NERP program requirements, and CED staff reviewed program documents with the volunteers and answered neighborhood liaison questions. We’re excited to hear more ideas from volunteers on how to increase neighborhood involvement!

Drizzly But Fun Bike to Work Week

Neighbors in Watts Hillandale braved the rain to kick off Bike to Work Week.

It’s been a few weeks since Bike to Work Week, and we want to thank everyone who helped put on a week’s worth of great events, and especially thank everyone who gave biking a try during that week.

Apparently it’s a tradition in Durham that it always rains on the first day of Bike to Work Week. This year was no exception, but more than forty people still attended Clean Energy Durham’s neighborhood breakfasts kicking off the week. In Watts-Hillandale and Trinity Park, neighbors braved the rain for coffee, bagels and bike-blended smoothies. Laughing together about the unlucky weather, we all learned about the best biking routes and saw how little human power it takes to blend a delicious smoothie. Just a few pedal strokes, and ice, fruit and juice are easily blended by the bicycle blenders. If you love the idea of the bike blenders as much as we do, come by Whole Foods TODAY – Tuesday, June 8th – to check them out.  5% of your purchases that day will go to benefit Clean Energy Durham!

Neighborhood Bike to Work Week Breakfasts Tomorrow

This week is National Bike to Work Week, and it’s a great chance to give bike commuting a shot if you’ve never tried before, or to pat yourself on the back if you’re a regular pedal-powered commuter. We’ve got a lot of great events planned for the coming week; first up are three neighborhood breakfasts tomorrow (Monday May 17^th). Stop by on your way to work for free coffee and bagels with your neighbors! Rain or shine.

Duke Park: 7:00 – 8:30 a.m., 1424 Acadia Street

Trinity Park: 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m., Trinity Park (corner of Watts and Trinity)

Watts Hospital-Hillandale: 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m., Oval Park (near the tennis courts)