Riding for peace August 11, 2007
Posted by Ron in Events, People, Road trips.1 comment so far
The Pontiac Daily Leader caught up with Vietnam War veteran Lane Anderson as he and other members of Veterans for Peace ride bicycles down old Route 66 from Chicago to St. Louis to attend an anti-war convention.
Anderson is an environmentalist — not because he’s a treehugger, but so America will use less oil and be less dependent on Middle Eastern countries that are support terrorism.
“It’s a demonstration of individual choice,” he said of his ride, which brought him into Pontiac about noon Wednesday. “Every individual, on a daily basis, makes choices that could get us out of the Middle East. Among the recommendations on the card are drinking tap water, driving slower, walking and biking whenever possible, and using energy-efficient lighting. [...]
Anderson cites a variety of statistics. One example is to drink tap water, which would annually save 17 million barrels of oil that would otherwise be used to make plastic bottles, according to an environmental research group. He also promotes locally grown food, saying the average American uses more oil via the food he eats than he burns in his car.
The group should be in St. Louis by next weekend.
Triangle Motel rehab continues August 11, 2007
Posted by Ron in Motels, Preservation.add a comment
About a year ago, Alan McNeil purchased the long-closed and long-neglected Triangle Motel on old Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas.
It had been condemned, but the city gave a one-year moratorium if McNeil could show progress was being made in the cleanup. A review of the progress is coming shortly, reports the Amarillo Globe-News (free registration required).
The previous owner used the motel as storage. McNeil said he and a crew working on the motel have hauled away more than 70 tons of debris. The building also has water damage and is ravaged with mold and mildew. Some estimates are as high as $250,000 to bring it up to code.
McNeil concedes he’s looking at about $29,000 for a new roof, $15,000 for electrical work and up to $15,000 for plumbing repairs.
“We’ve done a lot of work on it,” he said. “We’ve cut down like 70-something trees, cleared out grass and debris and did a lot of grading on the road.
“When we first got here, there was dirt from one side to the other,” McNeil continued. “We didn’t even know there was curb and gutter when we bought it. We found out after we started digging.”
McNeil got substantial help from Old Texas Route 66 Association members and other volunteers last year with the cleanup efforts.
The story makes it sound like a decision hasn’t been made regarding McNeil’s application for a Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program cost-share grant. However, it was previously reported by McNeil’s mother that the Triangle did win a grant, and the Corridor Program will make an announcement about all grant recipients shortly.
