MONDAY, JULY 9, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 14
COMMUNITY
Cyclists to help build Lawrence house
DYLAN DERRYBERRY editor@kansan.com
On an average summer day, recent University graduate Josh Burdett bikes about 70 miles or spends a few hours putting shingles on a roof. While this may seem like hard work to some, Burdett is a part of a group of 32 cyclists traveling across the country this summer to raise awareness for affordable housing with the nonprofit group Bike & Build.
Aside from working on his tan lines, Burdett, a former member of the KU Cycling team, said the opportunity has given him a chance to see the country, make lasting memories and help the community through his passion for cycling.
"I feel like I owe a lot to the communities I have been a part of, Lawrence specifically, and I thought Bike & Build would be a great way to give back," said Burdett, an environmental sciences graduate from Midland, Texas. "Our mileage
ranges from 27 to 117 on the shortest and longest days respectively. The biking shows just how dedicated each participant is."
The group, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, began its 4,040-mile journey June 7 in Providence, R.I. They continue until Aug. 18, when they will arrive at Half Moon Bay, Calif. The group has scheduled 11 build days to help work with various low-income housing organizations. Bike & Build will make its way to Lawrence for two build
days on July 11 and 12 to help the Lawrence Habitat for Humanity build its 80th home.
"They'll be working at our house on 19th and Maple with the Hameed family who moved here from Nigeria in 2003," said Lori Hars, Director of Operations for the Lawrence Habitat for Humanity. "They are so eager to have this house, and they are very hard workers."
Lawrence Habitat for Humanity has worked with the community to gather resources for Bike & Build participants, which include rooms at the Spring Hill Suites and food from Johnny's Tavern and Pride
Burger.
Bike & Build Director of Operations and Outreach Justin Villere said the group isn't solely for experienced cyclists. He said that part of their goal is to reach out to participants who haven't done this before.
"The only thing we require is passion," Villere said. "There are millions of Americans who don't have a sustainable place to live. So, we want to make a difference, and that's what our riders are doing."
-Edited by Maegan Mathiasmeier
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Bike & Build Participants pose for a photo during their trip across the country this summer. Thirty-two cyclists are part of the nonprofit group whose mission is to provide affordable housing for those who need it, and will be stopping in Lawrence on July 11 and 12 to build their 80th home.
OUTDOORS
Minnesota hunters make mansion stands
DULUTH, Minn. — Hunters are building elaborate platforms in Minnesota trees so that they can watch for deer in comfort.
Typical deer stands consist of a few boards nailed into a tree to allow hunters to see above the brush.
But St. Louis County Land Commissioner Bob Krepps tells The Duluth News Tribune he's seeing stands with stairways, decks,
shingled roofs, commercial windows, insulation, propane heaters, carpeting, lounge chairs, tables and even occasionally generators.
Krepps calls the stands "mansions" in the trees.
The newspaper reported Sunday that one deer stand found on county land was an 18-by-20-foot cabin.
It says some hunters are even planting crops on public land to attract deer and make it easier to get a shot.
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