When Edward Finney of Lehighton conceived the idea for Bike Night some 14 years ago, he got some flak from people who envisioned Hell's Angels and other gangs disrupting the event.

What occurred was an annual well-run event which provided tens of thousands of dollars in donations to the borough police and fire departments.Employment obligations forced Finney to bow out of Bike Night quite a while ago, but a Bike Night Committee headed by Bud and Louise Stofik kept the event going.After the 12th annual event last year, the Bike Night Committee decided it couldn't devote the time and commitment needed to continue holding the event.They suggested the Lehighton Downtown Improvement Committee might take it over. The LDIC jumped at the opportunity.The LDIC is a small core of volunteers working diligently to improve the environment in the downtown section of the borough. Bike Night will be the perfect vehicle for not only raising some revenue, but incorporating the downtown awareness that the group is seeking to promote.Last year, the LDIC held a Fourth of July celebration at the Community Grove. The Bike Night will be a bigger success in that it already is an established attraction.Bike Night has prided itself on being a family attraction. We're certain LDIC will work to this goal.Lehighton Borough Council has pledged to render any assistance it can to the LDIC. Bruce Trauptman, a member of the council, is very involved in LDIC, so the lines of communication will remain open between the organization and the local government.Congratulations to the LDIC for jumping on this opportunity to sponsor Bike Night. It would have been unfortunate if the event had gone to the wrong organization for sponsorship.By RON GOWERrgower@tnonline.com