He’s Still on the Bike Path Despite the Loss of a Leg

West Los Angeles resident Sam Goldstein has been a bicycling enthusiast for years. He enjoys the exercise and the wind in his hair, as well as the smell of the salt air along the bike path at Venice Beach. And he wasn’t about to let the amputation of his leg interfere with his enjoyment.

Goldstein, 71, learned that he had diabetes 15 years ago. It wasn’t unexpected, he said, because the disease runs in his family. He coped as best he could by taking insulin regularly, monitoring his diet and exercising almost every day.

For the most part, life went along pretty smoothly, and Goldstein, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., continued to ride his bicycle nearly 55 miles a week.

But last year, Goldstein noticed a few sores between his toes on his right foot. Doctors found an infection that required immediate amputation of his toes.

More devastating news came during surgery, when doctors discovered that the infection had spread to his knee and that the knee would have to go, as well.

He said that while he was recuperating in the hospital he fell into a serious depression. But with the help of his wife and his physical therapist, he got over the hump.

“My wife and I decided it was time to go on with our lives,” he said. “That’s when it all changed.”

Goldstein decided he wanted to resume his weekly bicycle rides. After a bit of research, he found a local company that manufactures prosthetics suitable for walking and biking.

“Life wouldn’t be the same without John Lamorte of Ortho-Pros of Santa Monica, who gave me a way to regain bicycle riding,” Goldstein said. He now rides 15 miles a week with a plastic prosthetic attached to his knee. “I do almost all the things I used to do, and I don’t allow myself to get down.”

When he isn’t out on the bicycle path, Goldstein devotes time to the Los Angeles chapter of the American Diabetes Assn.

For years, he has volunteered, producing videotapes and serving on the bicycle committee as well as participating in various fund-raising and charity events.

His dedication to the nonprofit organization didn’t stop with the surgery. On Oct. 4, , he plans to help register walkers for the organization’s Walktoberfest at the Veterans Hospital in West Los Angeles.

Kim Karie has been elected to the board of directors of Commuter Transportation Services, a regional transportation agency dedicated to improved commuter mobility in Southern California.

Karie has served as a member of state Sen. Diane Watson’s Task Force on Light Rail.

She lives in Santa Monica.

The UCLA Alumni Assn.’s Advisory and Scholarship Program has named several Westside students winners of its statewide freshman scholarship competition for 1992-93.

Scholarships ranging from $500 to $10,000 were awarded to students with a Scholastic Aptitude Test score of 1,200 or higher and a minimum grade-point average of 3.85 who are attending UCLA this fall. Financial need is not a criterion.

Recipients are Natasha Dardashti and Bonnie Hulkower of Beverly Hills, Marissa D’inca of Culver City, Andrew Hammond of Malibu, Jeannine Rahimian and Ani Tahtakran of Pacific Palisades, Yuri Springer of Venice, and Nicklas Akers, Navid Day-Zadeh, Anthony Garcias, Yue Huang, Grace Lee, Karen Lowy, Daniel Norman, Sepehr Rokhsar and Navid Solymani, all of Los Angeles.

Marina del Rey resident William Everhart has been named chief financial officer of Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles.

Everhart will oversee the overall operation of the institution and improve auxiliary services for students.