konstantkarma
05-02-2011, 09:46 AM
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/J8d8bR4BAp_91QOVAYHrNQUM_vn3nYo6PYORyOQgdiU?feat=d irectlink
Gracie Currier-Tait, 16, can often be found pedaling the streets of Boulder on her dark red bike with silver handlebars and yellow tires, heading to school or her job at a burger joint.
But the evening of April 21, Gracie's bike, a Serotta Colorado AL, was stolen while she was at work.
Devastated, she and her mother, Mindy Currier, launched a full-fledged Facebook, Craigslist, e-mail, Twitter and poster campaign. An international theft-alert site carried the description, with the bike's value listed as "beyond comprehension."
Within 24 hours, the bike had been found -- with help from an old-fashioned flier and a keen-eyed resident who was taking out his trash.
Unlike Gracie's, most stolen bikes are never retrieved, police say. So far this year, 141 bike thefts have been reported to the Boulder Police Department, according to spokeswoman Kim Kobel.
In 2010, the University of Colorado saw a drastic increase in bike thefts. Between August and December 2010, there were about 200 reported bike thefts, up from 57 during the same period in 2009.
Boulder is a target for thieves because of the prevalence of outdoor activity.
"People come here to train, and thieves know that people have nice bikes here," officer Sue Barcklow said. "Here you might find three, four or 10 bikes -- and they're all great bikes worth $1,000 or more."
In Gracie's case, her family used to own an Audi Allroad, but -- with narrow parking spaces, door dings and rising costs -- they got rid of the car and replaced it with bikes, bus passes and a car-share membership. She uses her bike to get to New Vista High School and her job at Good Times, averaging 10 to 20 miles a day.
The theft made Gracie realize her bike is not just a mode of transportation -- it's a part of her.
"I've seen a lot of things on it," she said. "It's taken me places."
When she told her mother in tears about the theft, Currier said she knew she had to act quickly or the bike would be gone for good. They crafted a poster with their phone number and a photo of the bike that read, "Please help me find my bike."
Gracie walked the streets of Boulder, hanging the posters in coffee shops and bike shops.
Then she received a call on her cell phone from Jared Lovenduski, 37.
"I said, 'I have your bike. It was in my Dumpster,'" Lovenduski said. He heard Gracie crying with joy on the other end.
Lovenduski was taking the trash out behind his home on Spruce Street when he spotted a Serotta, minus its wheels. Alarm bells went off in his head. He grew up in upstate New York, where Serotta is headquartered, and he knew this bike wasn't garbage. He passed it off to police.
The next day, Lovenduski went for coffee on Pearl Street, spotted one of Gracie's posters on the wall and called the number listed. On Monday after school, Gracie and her mother retrieved the bike from Boulder police.
What amazed Lovenduski most was that he didn't hear about it on Facebook or Craigslist, but through an old-fashioned "lost cat picture."
"It was the most low-tech, community-oriented way," said the 10-year Boulder resident.
"I've got a lot of love for Boulder," he said. "What makes great communities work is when people watch out for each other and their stuff".
Boulder Camera (http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_17963920?source=most_viewed)
Gracie Currier-Tait, 16, can often be found pedaling the streets of Boulder on her dark red bike with silver handlebars and yellow tires, heading to school or her job at a burger joint.
But the evening of April 21, Gracie's bike, a Serotta Colorado AL, was stolen while she was at work.
Devastated, she and her mother, Mindy Currier, launched a full-fledged Facebook, Craigslist, e-mail, Twitter and poster campaign. An international theft-alert site carried the description, with the bike's value listed as "beyond comprehension."
Within 24 hours, the bike had been found -- with help from an old-fashioned flier and a keen-eyed resident who was taking out his trash.
Unlike Gracie's, most stolen bikes are never retrieved, police say. So far this year, 141 bike thefts have been reported to the Boulder Police Department, according to spokeswoman Kim Kobel.
In 2010, the University of Colorado saw a drastic increase in bike thefts. Between August and December 2010, there were about 200 reported bike thefts, up from 57 during the same period in 2009.
Boulder is a target for thieves because of the prevalence of outdoor activity.
"People come here to train, and thieves know that people have nice bikes here," officer Sue Barcklow said. "Here you might find three, four or 10 bikes -- and they're all great bikes worth $1,000 or more."
In Gracie's case, her family used to own an Audi Allroad, but -- with narrow parking spaces, door dings and rising costs -- they got rid of the car and replaced it with bikes, bus passes and a car-share membership. She uses her bike to get to New Vista High School and her job at Good Times, averaging 10 to 20 miles a day.
The theft made Gracie realize her bike is not just a mode of transportation -- it's a part of her.
"I've seen a lot of things on it," she said. "It's taken me places."
When she told her mother in tears about the theft, Currier said she knew she had to act quickly or the bike would be gone for good. They crafted a poster with their phone number and a photo of the bike that read, "Please help me find my bike."
Gracie walked the streets of Boulder, hanging the posters in coffee shops and bike shops.
Then she received a call on her cell phone from Jared Lovenduski, 37.
"I said, 'I have your bike. It was in my Dumpster,'" Lovenduski said. He heard Gracie crying with joy on the other end.
Lovenduski was taking the trash out behind his home on Spruce Street when he spotted a Serotta, minus its wheels. Alarm bells went off in his head. He grew up in upstate New York, where Serotta is headquartered, and he knew this bike wasn't garbage. He passed it off to police.
The next day, Lovenduski went for coffee on Pearl Street, spotted one of Gracie's posters on the wall and called the number listed. On Monday after school, Gracie and her mother retrieved the bike from Boulder police.
What amazed Lovenduski most was that he didn't hear about it on Facebook or Craigslist, but through an old-fashioned "lost cat picture."
"It was the most low-tech, community-oriented way," said the 10-year Boulder resident.
"I've got a lot of love for Boulder," he said. "What makes great communities work is when people watch out for each other and their stuff".
Boulder Camera (http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_17963920?source=most_viewed)