Fixit Station for local bike trails is award project for local scout

Sarah-Kate Splichal has been in Girl Scouts for 11 years now and is currently focusing on her Gold Award, which is the highest possible award for Girl Scouts and is equivalent to the Boy Scouts Eagle award. This award is only an option for high school girls and Sarah-Kate states "this award is taken very seriously."

There are seven steps that must be taken to receive the Gold Award. Step one is to identify an issue, which in Sarah-Kate's project is promoting exercising using the local trails. Steps two through seven involves investigating the project thoroughly, getting help and building a team, creating a plan, presenting the plan and gathering feedback, taking action, educate and inspire others.

Sarah-Kate presented her project to city council at Tuesday night's meeting. She explained that she thought about this project after she wrecked her bike going up a hill on the local bike trails. Sarah-Kate says that when she finally returned home with her bike she started researching Fixit stations for the bike trail as it would have been much easier to get home if she had tools to fix her bike after her wreck.

A Fixit is a stop at which someone stands their bike on the contraption and can use the tools to fix the bike or air the tire. Sarah-Kate would like to place two Fixit stations on the existing trails, one next to the college and one by the fair grounds.

Sarah-Kate's plan is to raise the money herself for the stations that run about 1,083 dollars per station. Additional spare tools would also be purchased for about $17.

After talking with Tom Von Seggern, parks/cemetery superintendent, Sarah-Kate and Tom decided that it would be a good idea to make sure each station also has a special finish so that it stays in good condition throughout Nebraska's different weather conditions.

Tom Von Seggern has agreed to pour the concrete for the Fixit stations as he felt that the stations were a good idea and would benefit area bikers on the trails. Sarah-Kate also went in front of the Visitor's Committee members who also thought that the stations would benefit the members of the bike club as well as promote the trail.

The City Council unanimously voted to approve Sarah-Kate to move forward on her project also agreeing that her project was a good idea for Sidney. The Council asked Sarah-Kate to keep them posted on her progress and to let them know if she needs anything further.

Sarah-Kate's next step is to present her project in Omaha Nebraska to the Girl Scouts. Her goal is to have everything approved before Christmas and install the Fixit stations as soon as concrete can be poured Spring 2017.

For more information regarding these stations please contact Sarah-Kate at [email protected] or visit her website on Facebook.