Southern students earning rides in bike giveaway

SALINEVILLE - A project undertaken by some Southern Local staff and students are putting smiles on youngsters' faces by providing them bicycles in a special giveaway.

District Technology Coordinator Josh Manist, along with his son, Zane, and nephew Nathan Hawkins, busily restored a 1987 Dyno D-Tour freestyle bicycle and are adding a recently purchased smaller bike with plans to distribute them to some lucky elementary pupils in a giveaway. Manist and Southern Local Elementary Principal Emily Brinker discussed rewarding two students as part of the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program for good behavior and attendance.

"We are going to pick two students, one in grades 3-5 and another for kindergarten to second-grade," said Brinker. "All the kids want it, but we will give them away at the end of the year."

The refurbished bicycle is a Southern Local tribute bike featuring the schools' blue and gold colors with remade 1987 graphics. Manist said the boys did the work while power coating was completed by Cline's Power Coating of Toronto with supplies from SLSD staffer Bobby Westover.

"It's our take on a freestyle bike that's for Southern Local for a creek or trail-style bike," he added.

Manist said he and his family, which also includes wife Megan, have collected and fully restored bikes from the 1980s and 90s, plus they are frequently seen riding them around Toronto, Steubenville and Wheeling and doing tricks such as tail whips and bar spins. However, the giveaway was the boys' idea so other kids could enjoy them.

"We've built more than 20 bikes," he said. "We've gathered parts from e-Bay, Facebook and word of mouth and began restoring them. About eight bikes were bought and the others were built from the ground up. I've spent my whole life restoring them and I'm reliving my childhood, and my son is extremely passionate about it."

He began when he was roughly nine years old and said the restoration process takes three months. Manist joined Zane and Nathan, who are eighth-graders at SLHS, and spent hours stripping, sandblasting, painting and welding frames to give the older rides new life. The fruits of their labor have resulted in a fully refurbished 1989 Dyno as well as D-Tour and GT Performers.

"I had a Dyno growing up and Zane is building my bike, a 1988 Dyno. We would like to do one bike each for the elementary and high school. There's so much passion and love put into the bike and it's all about the hunt," he said. "I remember being nine years old and polishing medal and thinking it was fun. It's been Zane's whole life. We are sports enthusiasts and it was the kids' idea to do the [giveaway]. I thought it was a cool idea."

Zane said his first project was restoring a discarded Viper bicycle last May. The project took a week to complete, but others may only be a matter of hours if all of the parts are on hand and prepared.

"I like building and riding them and doing 80s freestyle tricks," he added. "It would be cool for kids in the elementary and middle school. It feels good. They can go ride and have fun."

Zane said a 1985 Schwinn would be prepared for a fourth or fifth-grader and the Dyno D-Tour was eyed for the middle school. There was also discussion to donate a bike for a student in one of the younger grades.

"It's awesome," he said. "I love it."

"It's fun," added Nathan, who got involved last summer. "I like all the work you have to do and it come out a good product. It's cool because they get to do something we can do."