Many of you have met Angie here at the Hub. She started working here as an intern with the University of Michigan’s Semester In Detroit program. Things worked out really well and we found a way to keep her working here as an Ameri-Corp member.
She helped organize the first Safe Streets Youth Ride with assistance from the University of Michigan. Also, as an intern here, she assisted in setting up the bike shop at Earthworks/Capuchin Soup Kitchen. Both the Earthworks bike shop and the Safe Streets Youth Ride are going strong today.
There was then this really awkward phase where we had to admit that Angie moving to Ann Arbor to finish her college degree was a good idea (even though we thought she should simply stay and forget about college).
Angie went on to get her degree (in what I call “social science artsy stuff and Russian”) and immediately moved to Detroit. We had Angie back and we trapped her into working at the bike shop. Over time Angie would become one of the managers at the retail shop. If you needed something special ordered, she was the one to talk to. She could find it, price it, get it and put it on your bike. I’m sure there are way too many folks riding around with “shorty” fenders right now that should be thanking Angie for those.
I’m happy I was able to travel to two Bike!Bike! convergences with Angie. The first was in Minneapolis where the above photo was taken. The second Bike!Bike! was in Toronto. Angie and I decided to bike to Toronto together (notice photo to the left). It was a super great trip and I’m glad we got to spend it together.
Well, there has come a time in Angie’s life where she needs to transition again. She is leaving us. I’m partially responsible. She ended up meeting one of my friends who volunteered here at the shop. You may know him as Bryan Coe. She ended up falling in love with him (and him with her) and now they are moving to Minneapolis together. While living there I’m sure they are going to ride bikes and be super awesome. Basically what they do here in Detroit, but in Minneapolis instead.
Angie is moving in the beginning of May and you won’t see her here at the Hub any longer (except for when she comes to visit! you’ll visit right?) However, when you visit Minneapolis/St. Paul you will see her. Angie landed a job at Cycles for Change in St. Paul Minnesota. I happen to love this shop and I’m glad another one of my friends is working there.
Angie did a lot of work over the past few years to bring our collective to what it is today. Sometimes painting a wall or building a tool bench are very visual representations of work done here. However, Angie often contributed to the often not seen parts of what we do.
Facilitation and mediation are talents that Angie has. There were times when she lived at Trumbullplex and went from one collective meeting to the next. She somehow managed the stress and did her best to hold the groups together. Working in a group is never easy.
Currently, we have been finishing meetings early and we’ve all been getting along. The way we run our meetings and the harmonious environment here at the Hub have much to do with Angie. We were fortunate to work with her.
Good luck buddy. We’ll miss you.
– jason x and The Hub Collective
