# A Morning of Civic Passion at the Parks Board The September 11, 2024 meeting of the Bellingham Parks and Recreation Advisory Board began at 7:30 AM with a land acknowledgment recognizing the traditional territory of the Lummi people and other Coast Salish tribes. What followed was an unusually packed agenda featuring passionate public testimony, budget presentations, and board member selection—a full spectrum of local government in action. ## Cycling Community Makes Its Case The meeting opened with what felt like a cycling convention in city chambers. Three members of the local cycling community stepped forward to share their experiences and advocate for continued support of cycling events in Bellingham's parks. Brett Hartwood, a resident of the James Street neighborhood since 2006, delivered prepared remarks about the importance of cyclocross to his personal journey and the broader community. "Cyclocross is more than just a sport. It's a testament of resilience, camaraderie, and it brings together individuals from all walks of life, fostering a sense of unity," he said. Hartwood praised Bellingham's recognition as a gold bicycle-friendly community by the League of American Bicyclists—one of only two Washington State cities to earn this distinction. Hartwood spoke about the Cascade Cross cycling race held this past January at what appears to be a city park location, describing it as "a huge success" despite challenging conditions. The event was artificially capped at 100 participants due to limitations, with many more interested cyclists turned away. "We had to limit it to 100 drivers, which was a real bummer that we had to tell them they couldn't," he explained. Bill Vonzel, who moved to Bellingham around 2010, followed with personal testimony about how cycling and cyclocross events helped him find community in a new city. He described his first cyclocross race as "one of the wettest, muddiest arguably, most mountain bike races that we've ever seen," but emphasized how the community "fostered the desire to be resilient and really try to struggle and enjoy that struggle as a community." Karina Cheever brought a particularly compelling perspective as both a participant and advocate for women in cycling. She moved to Bellingham in 2007 and "never left because of how bikable the town is." Cheever is part of the Queens of Dirt bike team, a local all-women's group focused on getting more women to race. She described how intimidating cycling events can …