The Keene State College Green Bikes program was initiated in 2002 by members of KSC Campus Ecology group and several Keene High students. They collected bikes from all across Cheshire County, fixed them up, painted them green and set them out to be used by whoever needed a bike.

Unfortunately, the bikes often ended up in the Ashuelot River, in various trees around campus and town, or were permanently mis-placed. A cure for the mis-treatment was found when the Mason Library staff agreed to check the bikes out of the library - like a book, laptop, rock or one of the many other strange and wonderful things you can borrow.

There are now 15 Green Bikes in rotation that are available from the Mason Library, with your Keene State or City of Keene Library card (they are one and the same). There are also bike helmets that you can borrow, and we strongly encourage their use.

These bikes are FREE to use. Charges are only levied for missing bikes or bike locks.

Marcus McCarroll, a bike-lovin' local resident, has been working with R.O.C.K.S. assistants to keep the bikes on the road year 'round. He'll be helping to teach bike repair classes each spring. Keep your eyes open for upcoming classes and workshops or contact R.O.C.K.S. at 358-2567 for more information.

Kaitlyn Taft, R.O.C.K.S. assistant coordinator, and the Library Services Assistants work hard to make sure the whole program runs smoothly and that needed repairs are tended to.

Do you have a project that needs a little funding to get going? Check out the PCSF grant application and see if you quality.

A few of the wonderful things that PCSF grant funding has helped foster at Keene State College over the past 5 years.

• Architecture Club door blower. This equipment helps determine the weather tightness of doorways and can help students design, or redesign, doorways that are more energy efficent.
• R.O.C.K.S. blue bags. Recycling On Campus at Keene State College is always looking for ways to increase the recycling rate. The Blue Bags that are in every residence hall room on campus were partially funded by a grant from the PCSF. The recycling immediately increased 30% in the residence halls and more than paid for the cost of the bags.
• The Mason Library noticed that there was always a pile of print-outs in the printer trays at the end of the day. Their grant paid for a print management system that requires a user to go to the printer to "release" any copies of articles or information they want to take with them. For the month of March, 2005: of 45,070 print jobs placed, 7,066 were cancelled before printing, producing a savings of 15.68%. That's just March and included the week of Spring Break.