tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21477041651232196212024-03-13T06:22:25.387-04:00BIKE NCBetter Investment in Kids and EducationAGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-72779319957429287192011-11-04T05:45:00.002-04:002011-11-04T05:45:55.103-04:00Thank you!!!!Hi everyone,
Just a quick note to say that, with donations made directly to participating organizations, we raised $5,000 through BIKE NC! Thank you so much for your support of education and your support for me!AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-18809322050325882912011-10-30T12:48:00.000-04:002011-10-30T12:48:13.581-04:00Deadline for donations!Hi everyone!
Tomorrow, Halloween, is the LAST DAY that I will be taking donations for BIKE NC. It has been a wonderful journey and, with checks still to be deposited and donations made directly to the organizations in the name of BIKE NC, we have raised over $5,000. I am excited by the good work this money will do for the East Durham Children's Initiative, NC Partnership for Children, and AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-52514210924957747342011-10-19T22:02:00.000-04:002011-10-19T22:02:02.434-04:00Occupy the ClassroomKristof wrote a piece in the New York Times about early childhood education today:
One common thread, whether I’m reporting on poverty in New York City or in Sierra Leone, is that a good education tends to be the most reliable escalator out of poverty. Another common thread: whether in America or Africa, disadvantaged kids often don’t get a chance to board that escalator.
The piece isAGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-12789336799431142792011-10-12T22:33:00.003-04:002011-10-12T22:38:19.323-04:00Photo - finally in the ocean!A long overdue photo - finally putting my tired feet in the Atlantic ocean at the end of my bike ride, in Emerald Isle. As soon as I stopped pedaling I found a beach access, which had a long wooden ramp over the dunes. Of course a road bike is useless on the beach, but I rolled and carried it down to the surf anyway. After a long summer of training and five straight days of pedaling, I developed AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-83067368203272855892011-10-05T07:22:00.000-04:002011-10-05T07:22:35.627-04:00Photo from day 1A picture from day 1 of my bike ride. I look so fresh and eager to get started compared to the following days! We were in Banner Elk, NC on a morning much cooler than I was accustomed to in Durham. The first twenty minutes of the ride out of Banner Elk were spent going UP. I had to stop the bike, drink some Gatorade, and give myself a pep talk. Then I was ready for the 70 miles to come.AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-80411387865182422832011-10-05T07:19:00.000-04:002011-10-05T07:19:34.935-04:00NC Teaching FellowsNice article about the NC Teaching Fellows program in the New York Times. Talented high school students gain an affordable path to college and, in return, give their talents to public schools as teachers for at least four years. The Fellows are role models who have come up through NC public schools and excelled. But the General Assembly voted this summer to phase out the Teaching Fellows program.AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-40448006134363832172011-10-04T11:22:00.002-04:002011-10-04T11:22:54.705-04:00Barry Saunders column!Great write up in the News and Observer about BIKE NC. I am indeed a little sore, but grateful and thrilled that the word is getting out about education!AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-29950970324870876022011-10-02T22:21:00.001-04:002011-10-03T13:00:50.285-04:00A recap of Day 4 and Day 5, Part 2
Today, Day 5, I had 82 miles to go make up the 459 that are symbolic of the $459 million dollar cut to the state education budget. The final number had been revised since I did my research and found $476 million, as an intrepid Daily Tarheel reporter discovered, so I happily revised my bike ride to match. I think it's important to be accurate about the numbers. As it was, I hit Emerald Isle, AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-23177288475076360472011-10-02T22:01:00.001-04:002011-10-02T22:04:11.524-04:00A recap of Day 4 and Day 5, Part 1
So glad to be home safe!
Day 4, Saturday, broke clear and downright chilly after a cold front brought a smattering of rain the night before. I biked from Angier, south of the Triangle, to Kinston, North Carolina. The route was very circuitous and I often would not pass even a small store for twenty mile stretches. The route took me near Goldsboro, but not into it. At around the 40 mile mark, AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-21394572587552576692011-10-02T15:26:00.001-04:002011-10-02T15:27:56.512-04:00At the beach! Did it.So happy! More to come.
AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-27559921332441661772011-10-01T20:29:00.000-04:002011-10-01T20:29:06.008-04:00Day 498.4 miles today. Safe in Kinston. 82 to go. Today was not easy. At times it felt impossible. If you have been thinking about supporting BIKE NC, please know that now is the time. You will carry me through tomorrow in addition to supporting the important work of education.
Look for details on Day 4 when I am home and a bit rested. Thanks a million for your support and for following along!AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-38981371951501248122011-09-30T21:07:00.000-04:002011-09-30T21:07:36.039-04:00Day 3: Archdale to Angier
Today, I biked 100.8 miles from south of Greensboro to Angier, way south of Raleigh. The route snaked around a lot and dropped as much South as East. This fact played head games with me all day. I was on familiar turf from my training rides. Alamance and Chattham Counties, then swooping across Jordan Lake and the Sharron Harris nuclear plant. You'd think that home turf would be a confidence AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-67468898122300884772011-09-29T22:22:00.000-04:002011-09-29T22:22:25.867-04:00Technical detailsOne of the things that helps the time go by when I'm on the bike for 6, 7, 8, 9 hours is the GPS watch that measures the time and distance of my ride using GPS tracking. It chirps at me every mile, and the time of the last mile pops up on the screen. I can tell if I've been flying or if the hills have slowed me down a lot. Today, though, the watch wasn't charged all the way and died at mile 92. AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-19429131191950435782011-09-29T22:03:00.002-04:002011-09-29T22:05:03.402-04:00108.8 miles for education!
Good bye mountains! At mile 6.
A bit sunburnt but happy at mile 22
Munching during a brief rest at mile 44
After mile 50 or so I get too focused and determined to take pictures! Today was a good day. Hard, but good. I biked 108.8 miles from Wilkesboro to Archdale, NC, south of Greensboro. There were quite a few climbs that still had me at the bottom of my gears and still pushing almost AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-36762423816138445312011-09-28T18:07:00.000-04:002011-09-28T18:07:23.646-04:00What goes up must come down, or, "Why couldn't my home state be Kansas?"
Today I began the BIKE NC journey by cycling 69 miles from Banner Elk, North Carolina, deep in the Pisgah National Forest mountains, to Wilkesboro, a town known as "Where the mountains begin." My ride began 4,000 feet above sea level and ended at just over 1,000. So I know there was more down than up. Some of the down was so terrifyingly steep, through hairpin turns on narrow roads, that my AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-31303932400074916762011-09-28T07:16:00.001-04:002011-09-28T07:16:52.597-04:00HERE WE GO!eating oatmeal and coffee on a cool mountain morning then hitting the road!
AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-89152708662581006152011-09-28T00:04:00.000-04:002011-09-28T00:04:51.312-04:00Raffle winners!Hi everyone, just a quick note to introduce our RAFFLE WINNERS from the night at East End Martini Bar.
Glass Half Full (Carrboro) gift card: Eric Noble
Southern Rail gift card #1: Matt Dudek
Southern Rail gift card #2: Anna Spence
Weekend camping equipment rental: James Oldham
60 minute massage from Kara's Pro Massage: Nick Baker
Congratulations, everyone! And thanks so much to all who bought AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-66369363052375039602011-09-27T15:11:00.000-04:002011-09-27T15:11:09.618-04:00Thank you, Durham Herald Sun!The Durham Herald Sun published a first-page feature about BIKE NC today! The paper is a great one and the reporting on education funding and the nonprofits I'm supporting was top notch. I'm glad more people will get the opportunity to learn about why their work is so important.
Tonight I leave for the mountains to get some sleep and then an early start on my bike ride tomorrow morning! The AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-71666824825842687182011-09-25T11:20:00.000-04:002011-09-25T11:20:38.671-04:00Going across North Carolina for education
Hi, everyone. I am getting both scared and excited about my bike ride across North Carolina. We live in a beautiful state; I'm talking about its natural beauty and the gifts and potential of the people who live here. That potential rests with our children. I'll have many hours a day to think about that, about why I'm riding my bike, while taking in the landscape around me. Mountains then AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-39572447290862781262011-09-24T10:41:00.000-04:002011-09-24T10:41:14.407-04:00Raffling off and counting downOn Thursday night, East End Martini Bar was packed with UNC grad students out to enjoy a mile-long list of drink specials and DJs mixing pop hits and house music at full volume. It was a fun night, and I was so happy to be part of it for BIKE NC. The bar is generously donating 5% of Thursday night's proceeds to BIKE NC. And I sold $5 raffle tickets at the bar's entrance to raise additional funds.AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-71691322880757339512011-09-21T22:37:00.005-04:002011-09-27T07:06:20.451-04:00Visit to EDCIToday I got to step away from my hectic law school student life and enter the world of the East Durham Children's Initiative for a couple hours. I visited the Initiative's home in the offices of the Center for Child and Family Health, high up in the NC Mutual Life Building with a view of downtown sprawling out and blending into green trees. EDCI is full of energy. When I arrived, staff pulled me AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-27201539337974288162011-09-21T09:10:00.000-04:002011-09-21T09:10:25.855-04:00A raffle!
I am SO excited to announce that, tomorrow at the East End Martini Bar fundraiser, I will be raffling off tickets for a 60 minute massage with Kara Witt, of Kara's Pro Massage in Carrboro. Kara is FANTASTIC, so someone is in for a treat.
Other prizes will include gift cards to Southern Rail and a weekend of camping equipment from Townsend Bertram & Company in Carrboro. More to come!
RaffleAGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-7181141477215563052011-09-19T18:09:00.000-04:002011-09-19T18:09:49.581-04:00My route!!!!My route for the BIKE NC ride snakes along North Carolina's back roads, meandering from Banner Elk in the state's Northwestern corner down toward the Southeastern corner, ending at Emerald Isle. I will pass through Triangle - torturously close to home. I might even be able to sleep a night in my own bed, depending how time goes. But anyway, here is my journey!
Day 1: Banner Elk to Wilkesboro - AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-28425741983843205762011-09-16T15:24:00.000-04:002011-09-16T15:24:09.754-04:00Fundraiser at East End Martini Bar!Thrilled that East End Martini Bar in Chapel Hill has offered to donate 5% of their proceeds on grad student night to BIKE NC. Thursday, September 22. Tons of great drink specials, a DJ, no cover with a UNC grad ID ... Thanks East End!
Here's the Facebook invite to help spread the word!AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147704165123219621.post-43362736631415295732011-09-16T07:32:00.002-04:002011-09-16T15:06:28.528-04:00A passion to teach - but no job?North Carolina has eliminated 17,000 teaching positions since the 2008-09 school year. The number of students enrolling in the School of Education is down at UNC. The best and brightest, who want to teach, don't know if they'll have jobs.
The article about this issue in the Daily Tar Heel is excellent. Please give it a read.AGKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07216469779191743300noreply@blogger.com0