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2:53 a.m. • 2-12-12

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Henderson Man Steers Kids and Bikes Down the Right Path


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Most children don't like to hang out with adults -- except in Henderson, where Hurley Taylor's house is a hot spot, in spite of all the rules.

Taylor allows no fighting, no throwing things, and no bad language. And he's still one of the most popular guys in town.

"The Bicycle Man" helps kids enjoy childhood while it lasts. He hopes to make it last as long as possible.

Taylor knows most of the kids who live around the southside of downtown Henderson. Most of them have bikes thanks to Hurley. And most of the bikes still work thanks to Hurley.

He fixes them at no charge, but the new patches and replacement parts come with a lesson in responsibility.

"They'll come up and [say] 'I don't have any money but I need my flat fixed,'" Taylor says. "So I'll fix it. Sometimes a couple of days, maybe a week, they'll come by with it. They're good kids."

Hurley's mission isn't just about fixing flats. It's about fixing kids.

"A lot of them they kind of come around, they like for you to talk to them," Taylor says. "They figure somebody cares about them or [is] thinking about them, and are willing to help them."

As long as they're on two wheels, Hurley figures there's still a chance to keep them on a straight path.

"Once they become adults, you know, we can't do anything about them and some of them are adults before they get to be an adult," he says. "They just grow up too fast and as long as he's being a kid, you know, that's what he's supposed to be in my eyes."

Taylor not only fixes bicycles for neighborhood kids, he fixes bikes others have thrown away then sells them at a very low cost to anyone who wants one.

RELATED TOPICS: Henderson County

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