Patron Saint of Bicycling: Madonna del Ghisallo

Also known as

Our Lady of Ghisallo; Madonna of Ghisallo

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Medieval legend says that Count Ghisallo was travelling near the village of Magréglio when he was attacked by highway bandits. Spotting a image of the Virgin Mary in a roadside shrine, he broke away from his attackers and ran to it. There he took refuge, pled for Our Lady's protection - and was miraculously saved from the robbers.

As the story spread, the Madonna del Ghisallo became known as patroness of local travellers. In more recent times, cyclists would often stop to rest and pray at the chapel, which is a local landmark, and is at the top of a steep hill. After World War II, Father Ermelindo Vigano, pastor at the shrine, proposed Ghisallo as the site of an Italian shrine for bicyclists, and she was given as patroness of cyclists on 13 October 1949 by Pope Pius XII. The chapel has become equal part religious shrine, part cycling museum, with artifacts and photos from the sport. There is an eternal flame that burns there in memory of the cyclists of are no longer with us, and services each Christmas Eve and the Feast of All Souls commemorate them.

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Which Cycling Politics: Doom or Possibility?

A woman walks into a marketing and public relations firm and sits down to talk with their lead strategist.

“Our organization has a fun, safe and healthy activity we wish to promote, but we’re struggling to figure out the right approach,” she says.

The strategist thinks for a moment, then responds, “I recommend the approach bicycle advocates have been using for the past 20 years; reinforce the public’s fears about your activity.”

The woman is taken aback, pauses for a moment, then says, “Oh! You had me going there for a moment!”

“What do you mean?” asks the strategist.

“Well, you were joking, right?…”

If only.

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NY Times - 36 Hours in Baltimore

Friday

4 p.m.
1) INTO THE WOODS

Though you wouldn’t guess it as you enter Baltimore on Interstate 95, which passes port terminals and factories spewing smoke, the center of the city conceals a wooded, stream-filled oasis, the Jones Falls Trail (<a href="http://www.jonesfalls.org">www.jonesfalls.org</a>;). Once heavily polluted itself, the 58-square-mile watershed has been restored over the past decade and now features a green biking and hiking trail, which parallels the Jones Fall River and meanders through some of the old mills that once powered Baltimore’s economy. It is a rustic and historical look at a sometimes gritty city.

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The National Parks in Maryland

As PBS began airing a new Ken Burns’ documentary about the National Parks, the Washington Post decided to pick on one of the lesser known National Park units here in Maryland. The article was a disservice to National Park sites in Maryland and around the country.

When we think of National Parks, we usually think of Yosemite, Yellowstone, and other wide open, primarily western landscapes. Burns’ new documentary deservedly focuses on these impressive parks. But they are a small part of the almost 400 units in the National Park System. The National Mall is part of the park system, as is Gettysburg battlefield in Pennsylvania, Theodore Roosevelt’s birthplace in New York, and a Cold War missile silo in South Dakota. These sites and many more fall into more than ten different categories that make up the park system including monuments, preserves, historic sites, battlefields, seashores, and trails. It would have been helpful if Burns had helped expose more Americans to the diversity of the National Park System.

In Maryland, there are technically twenty-four national park units, including sections of several parkways and trails. The Washington Post chose to highlight Thomas Stone National Historic Site in their piece, without even mentioning the many other park sites in the area. The Post’s major points seemed to be that no one knows who Stone is, people do not visit the Historic Site, and the Parks have drifted away from their core purpose of expansive landscapes in favor of historic and cultural sites. I have not visited the Stone site, but preserving the home of a signatory to the Declaration of Independence certainly seems in keeping with the purpose of the National Parks. Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia tells the story of the Declaration itself. The Stone Site, as well as other park sites honoring Thomas Jefferson (VA), John Adams (MA), Thomas Nelson, Jr. (VA), and William Floyd (NY), focus on the personalities behind the signatures. Despite the low rate of visitors or name ID of Stone, that seems like a worthy topic.

Many other Park sites in Maryland are far more popular. The C&amp;O; Canal National Historical Park is the one I have visited the most, and have written about at MPW previously. As many Marylanders know, the canal was saved from conversion to a highway thanks to the leadership of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas. Fort McHenry in Baltimore, where the Star Spangled Banner was born during the War of 1812, is another famous Maryland site. As the Post was disparaging one historic site in Maryland, Chris Van Hollen was hosting his annual event at another, the Glen Echo Park. Glen Echo represents a once popular type of urban amusement park where young and old alike can still ride a carousel that dates back to 1921.

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News bits

WHAT MAKES EUROPE GREENER THAN THE U.S.?
-&gt; According to a Sept. 28th Yale/Environment 360 article by Elisabeth Rosenthal, &quot;...Europe, particularly northern Europe, is far more environmentally conscious than the United States, despite Americans' sincere and passionate resolution to be green. Per capita CO2 emissions in the U.S. were 19.78 tons according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, which used 2006 data, compared to 9.6 tons in the U.K., 8.05 tons in Italy, and 6.6 tons in France...

&quot;Part of the problem is that the U.S. has had the good fortune of developing as an expansive, rich country, with plenty of extra space and cheap energy. Yes, we Americans love our national parks. But we live in a country with big houses. Big cars. Big commutes. Central Air. Big fridges and separate freezers. Clothes dryers. Disposable razors...&quot;

Source: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ybvcotk">http://tinyurl.com/ybvcotk</a>;


MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD: WILL THAT ROAD MAKE YOU SICK?
-&gt; According to a Sept. 28th Washington Post article, &quot;[Montgomery County, Maryland,] officials on Tuesday will propose requiring health studies before major roads are approved. They want to gauge how vehicle exhaust will affect minors, seniors, women who might have children, heart patients and others.

&quot;'If one lives close to a major highway, it can have real impacts on respiratory function and lung capacity,' said council member Duchy Trachtenberg (D-At Large), who is introducing the idea with four of her colleagues. 'If a project is going have a negative impact on the population...we have an obligation as public servants to work with that information and make sure we protect the public's health and well-being.'

&quot;The regulation would require predicting pollution levels near proposed roads and their effects decades into the future. Major state and county roads within 1,000 feet of parks, schools, day-care centers, retirement homes or hospitals would be affected. Federal highways would get a pass...&quot;

Source: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ybbho7p">http://tinyurl.com/ybbho7p</a>;
Archive search: use &quot;Search&quot; window
Archive cost: No
Title: &quot;Montgomery Wants to Know: Will That Road Make You Sick?&quot;
Author: Michael Laris


-&gt; &quot;Be an Ambassador for Cycling: Just because there's some road rager out there who wants to mix it up with cyclists doesn't mean that we have to dance to his tune. The most powerful things we can do to effect positive change in the road environment are proactive, not reactive. You have the power to bring a positive influence to your road environment, just as you have the power to bring a negative influence to your road environment...&quot;
-- Bob Mionske, Bicycling Magazine
Source: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/lc5kcf">http://tinyurl.com/lc5kcf</a>;
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School District bans biking to school

[From my mail bag:]

&quot;When the pair stuck with their plan, they were met by school administrators and a state trooper, who emphasized that biking was prohibited.&quot;

Read more: <a href="http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=847190&amp;TextPage=1#ixzz0Shb57gTg">http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=847190&amp;TextPage=1#ixzz0Shb57gTg</a>;

Please take a minute to support Adam and Janette's RIGHT to freely choose their method of transportation by sending a quick email.

Contact Maple Avenue Middle School Principal Stuart F. Byrne at:
s_byrne@saratogaschools.org

Let Mr. Byrne know that you support Adam and Janett's RIGHT to free movement and self determination, and that a ban on biking to school is simply wrong.

Thanks for your time and your support.

Brian McCormick
&quot;I bet I can find 1 million American families who want big beautiful bike paths&quot;
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Bicycle safety event in Annapolis, October 29th - register now

The City of Annapolis in partnership with the Annapolis Bicycle Racing Team (ABRT) invites you to join us at the…

BE BRIGHT, BE SEEN Safety Rally

City Dock, Market House

Thursday, October 29, 2009, 4:30 - 6:30 PM

REGISTER AT: <a href="http://www.annapolis.gov/BikeAnnapolis">www.annapolis.gov/BikeAnnapolis</a>;

· The first 80 registrants to attend* will receive a bicycle light set (front and rear light).

· Free bicycle tune-ups and assistance mounting light set provided by local bike shops

· See latest cycling products for the new season

· Door prizes and discount coupons for bicycle safety items

· Refreshments courtesy of Hard Bean Coffee &amp; Booksellers and A*censored*ers.

*An additional 20 light sets will be distributed at random to all remaining registrants at the event at 6:00pm.

Register in advance until October 28th at: <a href="http://www.annapolis.gov/BikeAnnapolis">www.annapolis.gov/BikeAnnapolis</a>;

On-site registration available but pre-registration is encouraged!

For further information, contact Iain Banks at ibanks@annapolis.gov

MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE SAFE WHEN RIDING AT NIGHT, USE LIGHTS AND REFLECTIVE CLOTHING.
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