It takes a village
WARWICK — In a presentation to Village Trustees highlighting results of Warwick’s first “Too Good to Toss,” a community exchange of useful goods, Mayor Michael Newhard suggested that Sustainable Warwick members Bill Greene and Elizabeth Knight-Moss contact the Town’s Police Department to investigate ways to recycle their collection of damaged, abandoned bicycles.
Richard White of Warwick, a retired Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. executive who volunteered at the July Repair Café, made it possible to offer basic bike repairs for the first time.
Following that success, White worked with Sgt. Alton Morley and Lt. John Rader to collect three damaged bicycles. Pete Cooney, a retired NYC firefighter who also lives in Warwick, volunteered to truck the bikes from police department to White’s garage.
Using cannibalized parts, and supplies purchased with Repair Café donations, White restored two bicycles.
Greene, who lives in Chester, picked up White and trucked the bikes to Pine Island for donation to the Farmworkers Community Center. The bikes were enthusiastically received by two of the center’s summer interns, Zuleica Lopez and Mark Laanineen.
The next Repair Café will be held on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Senior Center behind Town Hall, 132 King’s Highway, Warwick.
You don’t need to live in Warwick to participate and all are welcome to bring their “beloved but broken” items, limit three per person.
"We can’t guarantee that the Repair Coaches will be able to fix everything that you bring," said Knight Moss, "but we can guarantee that you’ll meet interesting people and have fun."
For additional information about the Repair Cafe, visit http://www.repaircafehv.org/warwick.
For additional information about 'Too Good To Toss," visit http://sustainablewarwick.org/too-good-to-toss.