How a stolen bicycle and social media spurred neighbors to action in West Dundee

For many years, Michelene “Myke” Kustief, 66, had enjoyed decorating a vintage bicycle outside her West Dundee home with inspirational signs like, “The smile you send returns to you,” and “Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be.”

But her bike, decorative sign, and basket of flowers was stolen on July 22.

“I thought it would be a nice thing to put in the front of the house,” said Kustief, who lives at Second and Edwards in Old Town.

After a Facebook post on a community blotter announcing the theft, many people rallied around her with more than 700 likes and 200 comments expressing sadness at what happened and offering support and encouragement. She responded to each comment.

“I always felt that the original bike, which was displayed on the corner for all to see, was Michelene's gift to passers-by,” said Michelle O'Dell of West Dundee, who was following the posts.

“I knew I was going to miss that bike with its ever-changing positive and uplifting messages whimsically displayed among a basket of beautiful flowers.”

O'Dell and her boyfriend, Mike Lyon, decided to give Kustief their own vintage bicycle, which happened to be of similar color and style to the stolen one.

“I never thought my post would ever have the response that it has,” Kustief said. “I lost an inanimate object that had been in West Dundee for some time, and people reacted to that.”

A newly retired English teacher from Dundee-Crown High School, Kustief thought it fitting to weave a playful tale — much like her signs — when describing the bike donation through “news flashes.”

In part, one of her posts read, “ ... they resembled humans, yet kindness radiated from their eyes and an aura of wonderful goodness surrounded them. I did not know these beings. Their names are Michelle O'Dell and Mike Lyon. They brought me a bike — a wonderful, old bike — a bike that they owned and willingly gave to me! This generous action has allowed me to once again place a bike on my corner.”

Later that day, Steve Hammond, 55, of Pingree Grove showed up on her doorstep with a 1957 Schwinn BF Goodrich ladies bike. Hammond collects bicycles and is originally from the Dundee area.

“I've seen her display many times, and it was one of those things you appreciate artistically,” Hammond said. “Knowing what happened, I had this extra bike laying around and it's way better for me to make someone else happy than have it sitting in my garage.”

Hammond said people can be greedy and centered on the wrong things.

“Giving,” he said, “is what people need to do more and more of these days.”

And the giving didn't stop with the two bikes. The next day, Cheryl Anderley of West Dundee delivered a bicycle basket.

“These were people I didn't even know,” said Kustief. “It was amazing to me, and it just affirmed the fact that kindness still does exist.”

The contagious spirit of giving even led one Facebook post follower to perform a random act of kindness later that evening.

“It really hit me how positive, encouraging and loving everyone was toward this situation,” said Michelle Hicks, 50, of Sleepy Hollow.

“My daughter Emily and I were discussing it at dinner out and we decided that we should continue to spread the love by leaving a large tip for our waitress, hoping it would make a difference in her life.”

Kustief said she and her landscaper, Venancio Jaen, regularly plant flowers and ferns, erect signs, and place seasonal and garden decor all around the yard. Jaen does the hard work of climbing up and down the ladder, particularly at Christmastime when he helps Kustief unleash her holiday creativity. Their efforts led to an award for Best Victorian Christmas decor in 2015.

A few days ago, Kustief said, Jaen helped her to secure the two donated bicycles with posts, clamps and hooks so they don't get stolen. It's something she really wished she didn't have to do.

“That first bike wasn't bolted down,” she said, adding that it was stolen before but recovered. “There's a history with this bike.”

Before the bike was there, she decorated the corner with a wheelbarrow filled with fresh flowers.

“That was tipped over, and I'm sure that was just young people,” she said. “They would do it again and again, so I decided not to put that there anymore.”

Feeling like she's in the movie “It's a Wonderful Life,” Kustief now sees how her decades of decorating has affected others. She's even more impressed by the giving spirit of total strangers and how they've made something good come from something bad.

The donated bikes, she summed up in a Facebook post, “ ... will represent the best in all of us — generosity and love, the desire to come to the assistance of others and the joy of sharing.”