Teen is part of the cycle of giving

Volunteering at Hopelink in Bellevue inspired Rhiannon Probert-Baker.

For six years the Sammamish High School senior has helped in the gift room at Christmas. She watched eager parents look for appropriate gifts for their teenage sons. The requests were always the same — "Do you have any bikes?"

Probert-Baker came up with a wheel deal. As her Girl Scout Gold Award project, she collected bikes for the gift room. This morning she and her mother will deliver 28 refurbished bikes and new helmets to Hopelink.

"I found the used bikes basically through word-of-mouth," Probert-Baker said. "Friends, family and my troop leader helped find them."

Her written proposal for the project had to be approved by the Girl Scouts and by Hopelink. That, she said, was more difficult than actually doing the project and took from May to September.

To fulfill the leadership component, she recruited other Girl Scouts. They went with her to REI. Folks at the recreation-equipment store in Redmond taught the girls how to repair bikes and do general maintenance. Some of the used bikes were beyond repair. Probert-Baker learned how to combine good parts from several into one working bike. REI donated supplies and threw in 10 helmets. Cascade Bicycling Club donated 15 helmets.

"I only have to buy three helmets and rent the U-Haul to get the bikes from my house to Hopelink," Probert-Baker said.

That couldn't come soon enough for her mother.

"We have bikes all over the house," said Valerie Probert-Baker. "I'll be glad to help take them to Hopelink."

Helping hands

Folks at Sammamish Presbyterian Church hoped to underwrite 500 AIDS caregiver kits for World Vision. This afternoon nearly 400 church members will pack 1,800 kits.

"Our church is a big supporter of World Vision," said Becki Barrett, associate pastor. "We just didn't expect this kind of response."

Members contributed $25 to purchase supplies for each kit. The crates of materials — including things such as soap, wash cloths, latex gloves, and gauze — will be packed in boxes. World Vision will distribute them in Third World villages to family and friends caring for someone with AIDS.

Another Sammamish church, Pine Lake Covenant, did the same project a few weeks ago.

"We work together on some things," said Barrett. "We watched how they did it so we would know how to set up our work party."

That paid off in another way. Pine Lake members raised money for 500 additional kits after they finished their initial packing. They turned those funds over to Sammamish Presbyterian's effort.

"I think this is a great Christmas mission," said Lisa Lambert, a member of Sammamish Presbyterian. "Families will be coming to pack the kids. This shows how good people can be."

In the wild

The elk herds in Snoqualmie-North Bend are a mixed blessing. They graze in the open fields in the upper valley, particularly now, during the cool weather.

As resident Dave Battey said, "The elk are marvelous. They are also pests."

They're pesky because they attract humans — the ones who stop in the middle of SR-202 and other well-traveled highways to watch the animals.

Battey and others may have a solution. They're hoping to create a wildlife-viewing area on Meadowbrook Farm, a preserved open area between North Bend and Snoqualmie.

The coolest part: They want to name it after Rocky Spencer, a popular state wildlife biologist who worked in the North Bend area. Spencer was killed in August in a helicopter accident.

Sherry Grindeland: 206-515-5633 or sgrindeland@seattletimes.com