Bicycles in America-Bicycles in Conway Movie Night Friday at Library

The Faulkner County Library is proud to announce a “Bicycles in America, Bicycles in Conway” a Doc and Talk Movie night and discussion.  The documentaries to be screened are Return of the Scorcher (28 minutes long) and We are Traffic (50 minutes). The screening of the films will be followed by a community discussion and presentation entitled “Bicycles in America, Bicycles in Conway”. The discussion will be led by the Conway Advocates for Bicycling (CAB). This movie night and presentation will take place on Friday, November 6th, the films will start at 6:30 pm followed by the discussion.  Ten copies of Lance Armstrong books will be given away as door prizes.   The community is welcome to participate in the discussion following the movie. There will be free popcorn and drinks! Help the library reduce and reuse by bringing your own bowl for popcorn!

Return of the Scorcher looks way back in the 1890s, before a feller named Henry Ford got tired of pedaling and figured out a way to connect a motor to his wheels, bicyclists were the hottest, fastest things on what passed for roads in America. They were referred to as "scorchers" because of their blazing speed in comparison to say, a team of mules.  They started the "Good Roads" movement to start paving the highways, and then were quickly pushed aside by the development of the automobile.  A hundred years later (1992), in a world filled with traffic jams, and the ills of car-centric nations, Return of the Scorcher looks at a revival of the bicycle in American urban culture.  Filmed in the USA, China, the Netherlands, and Denmark, the film looks at bikes as a choice mode of transportation, and how bikes fit not only in the lifestyles of places like China and the Netherlands, but also how they're making a change in everyday American culture.

       We Are Traffic looks at the movement outlined in the Scorcher seven years later, as California cyclists decide one Friday evening to "take back the streets" and give motorists a small dose of their own medicine by riding en masse through the streets of downtown San Francisco.  Originally called the "Commute Clot," these riders took one of the phrases from Return of the Scorcher, where cyclists finally assembled enough numbers to push their way through the car traffic, and the rides were forever after known as "Critical Mass." The film follows the early, fun days of the rides to the increasing confrontation between the cyclists and city police and governmental officials, especially after the SF mayor got caught in the middle of one of these rides.  See how cyclists can transform the streets once a month, filling them with bikes and creating 'dynamic pollution-free, social spaces which overflow with camaraderie, and give 'rush hour' an whole new meaning...  

            Both films were directed by Ted White. An award-winning  film and videomaker for over 15 years, Ted White has for the last several years focused on making documentaries which promote transportation alternatives with an emphasis on bicycles. Besides making films, White was the Executive Director and co-founder of the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition (2001-2003) and worked at the Center for Appropriate Transport in Eugene, Oregon  (1994-96) where he helped develop several bicycle education projects for youth. He has written and photographed on cycling issues for several publications including Adbusters, Bike Culture Quarterly, Mothering, Oregon Cycling, California Bicyclist, and others.

The Conway Advocates for Bicycling plan to discuss what the city intends to do to accommodate bikes and present general information on the organization. Peter Mehl will host (chair of Conway’s Bicycle Advisory Board). Mehl plans to bring maps of planned bike routes. C.A.B. helps with several projects in the community including Bikes for Tykes, a planned Bike Collective, and Bicycle Safety Classes. Special events for C.A.B. include Bike to work week rides, Ride with the Mayor, Silvermoon Cinema Bike- in, and the Bike Rodeo.

For more information on this event contact Sarah Mattingly at 501-327-7482 or email to sarah@fcl.org.  Refreshment donations are always needed for special events (2-liters of soda especially!) The event is free and open to the public.