by John | Apr 11, 2024 | Meeting Minutes & Info., Mountain Biking, Trail Awareness, Trail Building
CeMeNEMBA Board Meeting Minutes
MARCH 25, 2024, 7pm
LOCATION: ZOOM
CeMeNEMBA held a regular board of directors meeting via zoom on March 25,2024. Members present were Chris Riley, Casey Beaudoin, Frank Jalbert, Matt Swan, Garry Hinkley, Renee Brezovsky, Ryan Walker, Max Pushaw, Jim Jacobsen, Leslie Wilson, and Jack Hinkley,
Treasurers Report – Treasurer Leslie Wilson reported minimal financial activity since the last board meeting. The current account balance is $74,053($60,000 in restricted funds). In addition, we received $385 from the White Duck restaurant for the night they hosted February 28th.
Follow up discussion regarding the trail grooming snowmobile Brian Alexander is purchasing from CeMeNEMBA. The outstanding balance for the sled is $2590. CeMeNEMBA allocated $2,000 for YHF winter grooming. To keep the books straight, it was agreed to issue a check to Brian for $2,000 and he will write a check to CeMeNEMBA for $2590. Brian transferred $2000 from Venmo to the CeMe checking account. Total outstanding balance is $590.
Trail Crew Update – The 2024 trail crew is pretty much set. Most of last year’s crew is returning, and a couple new members have been recruited, bringing the team to ten or eleven members, plus Jaimie. Jamie will start full time on April 1. Primary objective until the crew starts will be spring trail clean up, and prep for larger maintenance projects for when we have volunteer efforts, or trail crew.
Grants status – Chris reviewed the status of grant applications.
- a) Pay Dirt Grant – received
- b) Outride Grant – rejected. Very disappointing. Chris is trying to find out why we were rejected.
- c) American Trails Grant – rejected
- d) City of Auburn funding – allocated
- e) Pine Ridge – delayed – RTP constraints. Waterville has failed to complete certain tasks required for their previous grant. Once that is complete, we can reapply for another RTP grant.
- f) Surrey Hill – MMBTF – received. This is for phase 2 of Surrey Hill. Work will be over the next 2 years.
- g) City of Augusta funding – pending. Won’t likely know until September.
- h) Allen Whitney Donations – received. Two donors, totaling $6,000 to rehab the trails after the salvage harvest. $1000 contribution to all Manchester trails from Town of Manchester – specific to annual trail maintenance.
- i) What to do about KH earmarked funds? Discussion tabled for now.
2024 Financial Planning discussion continued
- a) Discussion on Sustainability and Long-Term Planning Strategies. We are still seeking ideas on long term financial sustainability and fundraising. Grants are a great addition but relying on them is a bad practice for our long-term goals. Most grant funders are less interested in helping with maintenance than with new trail projects. We have had very little success getting grant funding for maintenance needs. Maintenance is and should continue to be a significant priority of each season.
CeMe SWAG –
- a) SWAG committee update: Disa, Frank, Ryan. Approved the hats, shirts, and tank tops the committee recommends. Goal is to have all swag ready for the spring event.
2024 Events
- a) Spring Social and Auction. We need to make this our primary fundraising event for the year. Event will be at Absolem Cider, Winthrop on May 5th. The silent auction is open. It is proceeding very slowly. Fewer donations and less bidding than usual. Need to push for more items and activity.
- b) Titcomb Mtn Challenge – 6/15/24- we will need day of volunteers. Already have 70 entries, so off to a good start.
- c) Titcomb Women’s Clinic – 6/30/24 – Casey, Renee, Disa are working on the planning. Participation will be limited by the number of instructors we can line up.
- d) WNR Series – Chris will develop the ride calendar as the season progresses. He would like each board member to lead at least one ride this season. Expect the first ride will be April 24 at the Res.
- f) TNT Series – Calendar will be developed after trails assessment and the weather starts to cooperate.
May Meeting Date – Agreed to hold a brief board meeting at the Spring Social. This will include the election of officers and new board members by ballot. All members that show up to the event will be invited to vote. Email will be sent to all current members asking for nominations to the board for the spot left vacant by Zach.
Respectfully submitted,
Garry Hinkley, Sec.
by John | Apr 15, 2022 | Meeting Minutes & Info., Mountain Biking, Trail Awareness, Trail Building
CeMENEMBA Board Meeting
Monday, April 4th, at 6pm
Via ZOOM
The Central Maine Chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association held a regular board meeting on Monday, January 24th at 6pm via Zoom. Officers and members present included Chris Riley, Chair; VPs Disa F., Frank Jalbert, and Matt Swan; Treasurer Leslie Wilson; Secretary Garry Hinkley; Tracey Allen, Renee B., Ian Oglivie, and Ryan Walker. Also present, Brian Alexander, trail master.
Treasurer’s report. Leslie provided the balance sheet and bank statement for the period since the last meeting in February. There have been minimal financial transactions for the period. Leslie reported a balance of $116,146.
“Spread the Love” Grant. Chris reported receipt of a $22,500 MMBTF grant to support four projects. These include Surrey Hill, Bond Brook, Titcomb, and Quarry Road. Partners will provide part of the match. CeMENEMBA will provide $15,000 as will the partners. Work to be completed over the next two years.
Manchester Woods. CeMENEMBA will be making a proposal to construct the Manchester Woods project, which is an extension of the Kerns Hill connector. This two to Three mile project extends along the Pipeline on town of Manchester property, and connects to the Hallowell Res. This also is slated as a two year project, funded principally by an RTP grant awarded to the Town of Manchester. Bids due April 15th.
Trail Crew. Chris presented the expected makeup and plans for the summer trail crew. We expect to have up to 11 crew members, divided into three teams geographically. Several experienced members are coming back to be team leaders. Wil Libby is expected to return as overall supervisor.
Spring Cleanup. Some trail cleanup already has started informally. Chris suggested working first on the Res and Range Pond trails as they tend to dry first. He will try to organize teams for each location. Garry will contact the Hallowell Conservation Commission regarding the annual Res review required by the MOU.
Pine Ridge. Because of the airport expansion and logging, trails are Pine Ridge need to be relocated and reconstructed. This will be a long term, multiphase project.
Spring Social. The Spring Social and fundraiser is Saturday, May 14th at the Woodshed in Manchester. We need to create a buzz, and need to obtain additional auction items.
Women’s Clinic. The event will be dictated by the number of instructors available.
Winter Riding/Grooming Report. It was an up and down winter riding season. Only YHF was groomed for riding. Lack of consistent conditions and lack of staffing prevented grooming at Lost Valley and the Allen-Whitney Forest. Brian reported that YHF received approximately 200 hours of grooming. Based on previous votes, agreed to reimburse Brain for his expenses.
Voted unanimously to thank the landowners for parking, and to send $100. Motion by Chris, seconded by Leslie.
Vienna Mountain. The State has acquired more land on and around Vienna Mountain, including the blueberry barrens. We are hopeful of being able to be able to construct more trails in the area.
Respectfully submitted,
Garry Hinkley, Sec.
by John | Jul 28, 2021 | Meeting Minutes & Info., Mountain Biking, Trail Awareness, Trail Building
CeMENEMBA Board Meeting
July 20, 2021, 7pm at Bond Brook
The Central Maine Chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association held a regular board meeting on July 20th, at the Bond Brook Recreation Area, Augusta. Meeting called to order at 7pm.
Officers and board members present included Chris Riley, pres.; Matt Swan, VP; Frank Jalbert, VP; Leslie Wilson, Treasurer; Garry Hinkley, Secretary; Ted Scharf; Ryan Walker; Renee Brezovsky. Guests included Travis Counsell, NEMBA executive director; Brian Alexander, trail master; and Josh Staples.
Introductions. Chris welcomed Travis, he gave a brief summary of the Central Maine chapter. Everyone introduced themselves.
Treasurer’s report. Leslie gave the treasurer’s report. She reported a checking account balance of $118, 532.95, with possible additional income coming from Bike Reg and PayPal. In addition we are expecting $2400 from the NPS for the KHC project, and will be invoicing the Town of Manchester $13,000 for that project. There is an outstanding credit card balance of $2,954.89 for tools and supplies. Leslie’s full report including spending by project is available upon request. The Board accepted Leslie’s report.
Treadfest awards. Brian presented the Treadfest winner awards. Ted moved to pay the designer/artist $100 for the awards. Motion passed unanimously.
Treadfest. Treadfest has been moved to Sept. 26th, a one day event. (This is a Sunday) We are expecting 15-160 riders. Renee volunteered to staff the support tent. Tracy is expected to staff race day registrations. Ryan and Matt will help with course set up. All hands will be needed on race day.
Odyssey Ride. Odyssey Ride is scheduled for Oct. ?? (22-23?). This year, the event will be headquartered at Lost Valley I Auburn and will include an auction. Camping will be available. Need help with the auction, both getting items and staffing the on site version. Ryan will coordinate the event with LV to ensure adequate food and beverages are available etc.
We need articles on both events for Trail Mix. Assigned to Ian.
Benefit Beers. Both Cushnoc and Tumbledown breweries have produced beers with part of the proceeds going to benefit CeMENEMBA.
Trail work updates. Chris gave an update on the trail crew and trail projects. He noted that the crew is doing a pretty good job, but that most of the members are young and inexperienced. They burn out easily, and motivation and communications can be difficult at times. Shifting the crew among projects has improved productivity. We are spending approximately $1500-1750 per week on trail crew.
Kerns Hill Connector, Manchester is 95% complete. Some additional bridge work and minor trail work needs to be done. The 1 ½ mile trail connects to the Res at the Junkyard, and to Kerns Hill Road in Manchester, and contains an internal loop. The project is funded primarily by the Town of Manchester and the National Park Service. Project required more bridge work than initially thought.
Surrey Hill, Fayette. Work is underway on Surrey Hill, a KLT property.
Bond Brook. Bond Brook is being spiffed up, and is getting a new downhill trail parallel to Split Rock.
Allen Whitney. Logging is underway in the AW. The red pine stands are being cut, which will temporarily disrupt the trails. WE hope to have the trails restored in time for Odyssey.
Quarry Road. RTP grant was approved and CeMENEMBA will be constructing a 1 ½ mile beginner friendly trail starting from the outer kiosk, and generally following the snowshoe trail.
A-Trail. Work will soon begin on the climbing trail following the original design. Most work likely to be done in 2022.
Mt. Apatite. City of Auburn has allocated up to $25,000 for additional work at Appatite. The plan is to connect Signature and Carrie On trails. In addition, Ryan has new trail signs to install at Apatite.
WNRs and TNTs. Discussed the relatively low turn out for these events. Decided to stay the course for now, although TNTs will be scaled back. Plenty of people are riding, but may be concerned about large groups. People are also making up for lost time and spending less time on volunteer time. Fortunately we still have a dedicated group of volunteers that are spread out around the region and keeping things going and doing needed trail work.
Travis gave summary of the state of NEMBA. Chapters are growing, and he always is looking for ways to get resources onto the ground. He praised CeMENEMBA’s organization especially with regard to planning and accounting, and tracking volunteer hours.
Next meeting will be Monday, November 8th, at 6pm in Augusta at El Tequila, 65 Western Avenue.
Respectfully submitted,
Garry Hinkley, Sec.
by John | May 21, 2021 | Meeting Minutes & Info., Mountain Biking, Trail Awareness, Trail Building
CeMENEMBA Board Meeting Minutes
May 10, 2021
The Central Maine Chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association held a regular board meeting on Monday, May 10th, at 7:30 pm via Zoom.
Board members present included: Chris Riley, Pres.; Disa Fedorowicz. VP; Matt Swan, VP; Frank Jalbert, VP.; Leslie Wilson, treas.; Garry Hinkley, Sec.; Ted Scharf, Ryan Walker, Ian Ogilvie, and Renee Brezovsky. Guests included Brian Alexander and Josh Staples.
Treasurer’s report. Leslie reported a bank balance as of April 30 of $128,056.56. This included approximately $90,000 of restricted (dedicated) funds and over $37,000 in unrestricted funds that will be used to fund 2021 trail crew and projects/events. Leslie submitted the monthly bank statement, balance sheet and P&L statement which were filed and are available upon request.
Kerns Hill Connector trail. Chris reported that the Town of Manchester had authorized up to $13,400 in town funds to complete the 1 ½ mile Kerns Hill Connector loop trail connecting the Res via the junkyard onto town of Manchester property adjacent to Kerns Hill road. In addition, the National Park Service, through its, Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program, may provide up to $2400 for the project. The project is Phase 1 of a potentially larger project to build trails on town properties adjacent to the Pipeline road. The plan is to submit an RTP grant later this year to fund phase 2. Work has begun on the KHC project, pursuant to the Manchester-CeMENEMBA MOU.
Winter Grooming followup. Leslie needs documentation submitted to reimburse groomers. We previously authorized up to $3,000 for winter grooming (Sept. 14, 2020 minutes). Discussed the possibility of purchasing a snowmobile and other equipment to groom YHF. Brian will explore options. It was noted that now is a good time to buy a used sled.
We previously authorized a $100 gift to the parking lot owners. Chris to follow up.
Lost Valley returned the proceeds from the lift event to be used to upgrade the Brocktown winter trails. The trails need some machine work to facilitate grooming and to allow earlier access. This work will be done in the fall in anticipation of winter. Goal of this work is to make it easier to groom these trail with less snow and start toward a year round trail system.
Proceeds from the fall auction and 2021 Odyssey likely will be dedicated to winter maintenance and equipment purchases.
Titcomb. Chris applied for grant for Titcomb improvements. Unfortunately, we did not win it.
Mt. Appatite. Chris noted that the City of Auburn may authorize up to $30,000 for additional work at Mt. Appatite, specifically to extend Carrie On and connect it to Signature.
Treadfest is June 19th. Chris is looking for various assistance in setting up and running the event. There are 118 pre-registrations. Most of the board members and guests volunteered to assist in various ways. Josh is looking into getting a food vendor.
WNRs. Chris would like assistance leading the rotating Wednesday Night Rides. It would be good if different people could step up and lead the rides. This would include probably posting the ride, choosing the route, and leading. Ted volunteered to lead the next ride at Bond brook. In addition, there will be a regular WNR at Mt. A. in Auburn.
Trail crew. We have an experienced trail crew returning under crew leader Will Libby. The crew likely often will be split among different projects to maximize efficiency.. Chris suggested buying the crew T-shirts to increase visibility and support cohesiveness. Ryan moved the purchase of 20 T-shirts. Leslie seconded. Motion passed.
App. Discussed the recent problems with the CeMENEMBA app. Steps will be taken to correct.
Bond Brook. Chris noted that MDOT is considering authorizing the siting of a solar array on the airport property adjacent to Bond Brook. This would affect (and possibly destroy) Lizard and Dragon. MDOT has not been very cooperative to date. We will continue to pursue options.
Next meeting. The next meeting will be on Tuesday July 20th at 7pm at Bond Brook.
Respectfully submitted,
Garry Hinkley, Sec.
by John | May 7, 2021 | Meeting Minutes & Info., Mountain Biking, Trail Awareness, Trail Building
CeMENEMBA Board Meeting
March 29, 2021
Via ZOOM
The Central Maine Chapter of the New England Mountain Biking Association held a regular chapter
board meeting on March 29 th at 6pm via ZOOM. Members and officers present included Chris Riley,
Pres., Disa F., VP; Matt Swann VP; Frank Jalbert, VP; Leslie Wilson, treasurer; Garry Hinkley, Sec.; Ian,
Ted, Tracy, Ryan, and Renee. Guests included Brian Alexander, trail master; and Travis Counsell, NEMBA
executive director.
Treasurer’s Report. Leslie reported a total balance of $125,274.56. Of that, $110,000 are restricted
funds, either reserved or dedicated, and the balance of $15,274. 56 are unrestricted. There was
approximately $2600 of income and $1100 of expenses since the last report. Income included chapter
rebates and donations. Expenses were mostly for events, signs, materials and gas. Chris noted two
donations: Lost Valley returned $1400 from the recent “Fatduro” event held there; and Gorham Ski and
Bike donated $450. The intent of the LV donation is to upgrade the Brocktown trails to make grooming
easier.
Leslie has been working with NEMBA on the End of Year financial reports. Chris thanked her for her
work in keeping our chapter’s books in great shape.
Winter grooming. In spite of the paucity of snow that led to a late start, winter grooming and winter
riding was deemed a success. Winter trails were maintained and groomed at York Hill Farms in New
Sharon, Allen-Whitney Forest in Manchester, Lost Valley ski area (Brocktown) in Auburn, and the “B-trail
in Rome. Thanks to the groomers, Brian Alexander, Josh Staples, Chris Trider, and Mack McAfee.
Moved and seconded to give $100 to John and Penny Downing in recognition of the Downings allowing
parking at YHF again this winter. Ted/Ian. Unanimous.
Recognized Chris Trider’s extreme dedication to the Brocktown trails.
Spring Cleanup. Will organize a series of general trail cleanups, brush removal, leaf blowing etc.
Members are encouraged to walk the trails primarily to fix drainage problems, and note other needs.
Leaf blowers are available. Any work should be reported so that we are efficient with our assignments.
Trail Crew and summer projects. It’s looking as if it will be a busy summer. Chris noted that most of our
trail crew is returning, with a possible couple of new members. Will Libby will again manage the trail
crew. Chris noted that the starting pay is $12.50 for new members and $13.50 for experienced
members. New members will be eligible for the higher rate after 100 hours of satisfactory work.
In addition to ongoing maintenance, Chris noted that there are major projects planned for Quarry Road,
Titcomb, and the A trail. Minor projects planned for Kerns Hill, Bond Brook, and Mt. A. At QR,
CeMENEMBA is the project manager for an RTP grant for a significant trail buildout. We also have a
Signature grant to finish. The Kerns Hill Connector in Manchester would result in about two miles of
new trail with the Junkyard as the starting point. This would be an add on to the Res, and is phase one
of what may be a much larger project on Manchester town properties along the Pipeline road. Kerns
Hill likely will be the first project of the summer. The trail will be the same general design as the Res
trails.
Another possible project would be to connect Carrie On and Signature trails at Mt. A.
There will be a new trail at Bond Brook.
Range Pond – Gorp trail fix.
Chris is finalizing the budgets for all the projects. As usual, we probably have more potential work than
available time and resources.
Chris is exploring the possibility of applying for a Northern Forests grant for possible projects in Franklin
County.
Treadfest. Treadfest is June 19 th at Bond Brook. Volunteers needed. This year is a one day event with a
simplified format. We need 75 riders at a minimum to make it worthwhile. Bangor Savings Bank has
donated $1,000. We need to raise another $2,000 to cover expenses
Tuesday Night Trailwork (TNTs). Agreed to resume TNT’s on a biweekly basis. Work will be spread
among the systems, probably supporting the trail crew schedule. Chris noted that Ted had gone
through the tool trailer and organized and prepared our tools.
WNRs. Agreed to resume Wednesday Night Group Rides with appropriate COVID-19 safety protocols.
Waivers required. Will probably resume the “mild, moderate, spicy” concept with a no-drop policy for
the milder rides.
Chris will look into getting the website updated. The officers need to be updated.
Next meeting will be Sunday, May 2 nd at 7:30PM via ZOOM.
Respectfully submitted,
Garry Hinkley, Sec.
by John | Sep 18, 2020 | Meeting Minutes & Info., Mountain Biking, Trail Awareness, Trail Building
CeMENEMBA Meeting Minutes
September 14, 2020
The Central Maine Chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association held a regular board meeting on Monday, September 14, 2020 at 6pm at the Bond Brook Recreation Area in Augusta. The meeting was held outdoors, maintaining proper social distancing. Officers and members present included Chris Riley, Pres.; Disa Federowicz, VP; Matt Swan, VP; Frank Jalbert, VP; Leslie Wilson, treasurer; Garry Hinkley, Sec.; Tracy Allen; Ryan Walker; Ian Ogilive; Ted Scharf; Brian Alexander; and Renee Brezovsky.
Treasurer’s report. Leslie reported a current balance of $19, 332.49. We are about to receive the $100,000 anonymous donation. In addition, we are expecting a $6600 grant from Specialized Bikes and $1,000 from Allspeed Bike shop. Leslie will explore putting the $100,000 donation into one or more CDs.
There have been some miscellaneous and recurring donations, as well as swag sales. Rusty Cranks from Brunswicks has donated $200 multiple times over the summer., and the Bogar family gave $700. Total cash on hand, not counting the anonymous donation is approximately $27,000 as a current balance.
Leslie reported that we spent $34,310 this summer on trail crew and trail materials. Approximately $30,000 was for labor, and remainder was for materials and other expenses.
Chris noted that the hats are in, and that we need more swag to sell as we head into the fall/winter.
Confirmed that we need to reimburse Josh Staples and Brian Alexander for last winter’s grooming. We previously authorized up to $3,000 for this purpose.
Trail crew. The trail crew, under Will Libby’s direction, did a great job this summer. We had several members come and go, but the work got done. Starting pay for trail crew is $12.50. Motion was made by Ted and seconded by Ryan that next year we would institute a progressive pay scale. Pay would be increased by $1/hour after each one hundred hours worked. Motion passed unanimously.
Chris noted that Will did an outstanding job and is truly well suited for all aspects of our mission and leading the crew. Chris is considering options for employing Will throughout the year on an as needed basis.
Trail projects.
Mt. Apatite is approximately 90% done.
Titcomb is mostly done, with some minor work to be done on the Kids’ section. Chris had Jean-Luc Theriault update the map for Titcomb denoting the expanded trail system. The Vining Company donated approximately 40 yards of custom aggregate for Titcomb. We are really fortunate to have such generosity in our network.
Quarry Road may be in for a significant expansion of the trail system in the future. More information to follow as we get information.
Highlands A Trail extension work should start this fall. Brian has scouted routes for significant expansion. We will likely put the Signature grant funds aside and start building in earnest in 2021, with the hope that we will have more funding available for this project at the time it starts.
York Hill. Brian noted that the Duncans allowed us to park in their field last winter. Brian circulated a thank you card. Motion to give them $100 in appreciation. Ted/Ryan. Unanimous.
Odyssey ride. Odyssey will be October 16 and 17. Since we lost our regular fund raising events this year, we discussed the possibility of making the Odyssey a registration fund raising event. Teams would compete for the most miles and trails, with the focus on the “challenge” rather than crowning winners. The event will be staged at Bond Brook with services provided. Proceeds will support our winter grooming efforts. We will need volunteers to staff the BB facilities.
Next meeting. Our next meeting will be Monday, November 2nd at 6pm via Zoom. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82587581936
Respectfully submitted,
Garry Hinkley, Sec.
