Two-wheelin' visitors rolling through our area

We're swinging into the busy summertime season, starting with this weekend's Mullen Pro-Am golf tournament, a melodrama in Bartley, MS Walk and motorcycle ride and many other activities.

Next week, of course, it's the Buffalo Commons Storytelling and Music Festival, Palisade Pioneer Days and the once-every-five-years Herndon Ox Roast.

It hasn't received as much publicity, but folks in Wauneta and Cambridge are putting their best foot forward for another big event, the Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska, which starts in Wauneta Sunday morning and stops overnight in Cambridge.

Other stops, on the way to the Conestoga High School near Omaha next Saturday, include Eustis, Axtell, Clay Center, Wilber and Syracuse.

In its 35th year, BRAN is a community service project of the Rotary Club of Omaha Northwest with the assistance of the Omaha Pedlar's Club.

But it's not all about riding -- 409 miles in total.

BRAN awards $25,750 in scholarships each year, $413,500 total since 1985, to 26 Nebraska colleges or universities. In addition, each host community receives a $500 scholarship, plus an additional $500 scholarship to the town voted best host community by the riders.

We hope Southwest Nebraska drivers will put their best foot forward as well -- or at least pull it off the gas pedal while giving our two-wheeling guests extra leeway as they roll through our region.

A bill to require vehicle drivers to change lanes when passing bicycles didn't make it out of the Legislature this year, but Nebraska law does require drivers to give bicyclists at least three feet of clearance while passing.

Bicycles, and motorcycles, for that matter, are easy to overlook and we hope drivers will be especially vigilant in avoiding collisions this summer.

Check out more about BRAN here:

http://bran-inc.org/wp/

Check out bicycle safety tips here: http://1.usa.gov/1KQRbBH