Wednesday, August 8th, 2012

Time trial racing coming back to Celina

By Ryan Hines
If you own a bike, be it of the two-, three- or four-wheel variety, then the Colavita Olive Oil-Zipp Speed Weaponry time trial series welcomes you for a morning of bicycle racing on Aug. 19th at Grand Lake.
Celina is hosting the time trial series for the third straight year, giving bike riders of all ages and experience a chance at cash and prizes with a 25-plus mile course around Grand Lake.
"This is the third time that we have done this in Celina. Attendance has grown steadily and we're expecting a nice crowd again this year," said event director Roger Bowersock. "The cooperation from Auglaize and Mercer counties has been great and we're looking forward to putting on a great race and giving the participants a great experience."
The race will begin and finish on Lake Shore Drive with participants starting their time trial every 30 seconds until all riders have been sent out on the course. The first runner will begin at 9 a.m. and the awards ceremony is expected to begin around 12:30 p.m.
"The nice thing about time trial racing is that it is a race designed to be all about pushing yourself against yourself," said Bowersock. "It doesn't matter if you are a serious racer or just a person who owns a bike and likes to ride (ages 6 to 84 competed during the series in 2011) - we get cyclists of all cuts of cloth. You go at your own pace and you receive a hero's welcome when you cross the finish line, whether it takes you 30 minutes or 2 1/2 hours.
"Another nice thing about a time trial race is that there won't be a fear of the big wreck that you sometimes see at bike races when they all start at the same time and are bunched up," added Bowersock.
The Colavita Olive Oil-Zipp Speed Weaponry time trial series has been in existence since 2007 and is designed to provide everyone with a professional race experience and to attract new people to the sport of cycling. Races have varied from 100-200 participants, making it the largest series in the Midwest.
All participants receive a goody bag at registration with an entry fee of $25 for adults while those who compete under the age of 19 are free. The riders with the five fastest overall times of the day will receive $550 apiece, and $100 dollars will be awarded to the top five in a random age group that will be pulled out of a hat on the day of the race. Door prizes from cycling and health and fitness companies will also be given away. To register on-line, go to www.colavitazipptt.com to schedule a starting time or show up the day of the race and you will be slotted into the earliest available starting time that wasn't already selected by the on-line registers.
Additional online stories on this date
CELINA - Governor's Cup Regatta organizers have unveiled plan B - a nine-hour music festival - for the regatta that was canceled a few weeks ago due to low water levels in Grand Lake. [More]
Beaver Creek
CELINA - An estimated $119,000 erosion-control project will get underway soon along Beaver Creek, thanks to funding from Ohio Department of Natural Resources. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
Interim manager prepares for opening day
CELINA - Ignoring the constant ringing of the telephone may be the hardest part of the job for new interim fair manager Cara Muhlenkamp.
"The girls
Former optometrist
ST. MARYS - An appeals court on Tuesday denied a request by former optometrist Douglas Wine to dismiss his conviction for sexual imposition.
Wine's
Rockford fire department
ROCKFORD - Village council on Tuesday unanimously passed the final resolution to get a five-year, 2-mill renewal levy for the fire department on the November election ballot.
Minster
MINSTER - The end is in sight for the ongoing Fourth Street reconstruction project with paving equipment arriving this week.
Village administrator
Mercer County
For the fourth consecutive year, dog license and kennel registration fees will remain the same.
Mercer County Commissioners on Tuesday opted to keep the fees unchanged in 2013. The last time they were raised was 2009. Residents will pay $13 for a dog license and $65 for kennel registration.
VAN WERT - A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspects in a home invasion, stabbing and kidnapping in March in Van Wert County.
CELINA - Celina Merchant Association members on Tuesday set dates for upcoming events and reviewed the Taste of Celina and Lake Festival.
The Art W
ST. MARYS - Traditional home-cooked meals are the mainstay of a new restaurant in St. Marys.
TK's Nuttin' Fancy has opened at 810 S. Wayne St. in the strip shopping center at the corner of Greenville Road.
The 2012 Bremenfest Queen Pageant will be held 7:30 p.m. Aug. 9 at the James F. Dicke Auditorium in New Bremen High School. Tickets are $3.
Twelve