Most children — and many adults — can remember their earliest bike riding experiences. Whether it was graduating from a tricycle to training wheels or the first wobbly trip on a two-wheeler, bikes provide kids a feeling of freedom. Riding around the neighborhood is one of the fondest memories of childhood.

But for children with physical disabilities, riding a bicycle is something they usually watch other kids do. For many children, bike riding is one of those things they cannot do and that sets them apart from other kids.

But that can change with an adaptive bike.

Over recent months, Variety, the Children's Charity, has led an effort to help physically disabled children experience the freedom and joy of riding a bike.

Variety the Childrens' Charity is teaming with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and with additional funding from a wide range of contributors is having adaptive bikes built and presented to children who otherwise would sit in wheelchairs or on the porch of their homes while other kids were out riding bikes.

Charles LaVallee, Variety's CEO, describes the day a disabled child receives an adaptive bike as a “life-changing day.” And Jeff Dzikowski, whose son, Dylan, has cerebral palsy, would agree. At the Variety adaptive bike presentation May 23 at the Butler County Government Center, Jeff noted that Dylan misses out on so much that other kids enjoy, but with the new bike he said, “This is just one less thing to miss out on.”

Cheers to Variety for giving more kids the freedom and joy that comes with riding a bike.

Those graduating from Butler County's high schools and colleges deserve a round of applause for their accomplishments.Plaudits also to the graduates' parents and other family members, and for their teachers. You uphold and continue a tradition of instilling virtues and values along with knowledge in our newest batch of adult citizens.A roundabout thank-you also goes to the taxpayers who make it all possible. By long-standing agreement, everyone shares in the expense of public education, not just the students and their families. Recent letters to the editor remind us the cost of public education isn't cheap. Neither should the taxpayers' part be taken for granted.As old men plant oak trees never expecting to enjoy their shade, so do we all invest in a future generation.

Downtown Butler pedestrians on Friday morning could see the Shade Tree Commission's Jill Kraus briskly sweeping the West New Castle Street plaza, the block that's cordoned off and set up with a stage and tables for summer entertainment.It's worth noting the Shade Tree Commission, a city entity, receives no city funding and its members are volunteers — their only satisfaction comes from seeing the fruits of their efforts to beautify our city. We're grateful for those efforts.Cheers go also to the Main Street merchants who keep their entrances and sidewalks clear of dirt and litter. It must discourage them when some of their neighbors aren't as fastidious.It would greatly improve the appearance of the downtown if everyone followed Kraus' example and took a few minutes each morning to police their post. It wouldn't take long if everyone did their part. And all of Main Street would benefit from a tidier appearance.Another thought: Some enterprising young person could cultivate a summer job by offering to sweep storefront sidewalks for a few dollars each. What a fine example of free enterprise that would be.

Cathie Brennan turned grief into a heartwarming tribute to her late sister, Center Avenue Elementary School teacher Beth Cooper. Cooper’s sudden death ended the sisters’ 20-year tradition of attending Pittsburgh Pirates games together, and Brennan decided it would be too painful to go by herself this season, so she traded in their season package for a block of seats at the May 23 Pirates-Chicago Cubs game and took all 27 of Cooper’s sixth-graders to the game, along with 20 chaperones and other family members. The Butler PTO, the Junior National Honor Society, a local T-shirt vendor and the Pirates organization joined in the tribute, providing food vouchers, shirts and transportation.It was a fitting tribute to the memory of a woman described by friends, family and colleagues — and her students — as a gung-ho teacher and die-hard baseball fanatic. Somewhere in heaven, bobblehead angels are nodding in glorious agreement.