by John | Jul 22, 2020 | Meeting Minutes & Info., Mountain Biking, Trail Awareness, Trail Building
CeMENEMBA Board Meeting
Manchester, ME
July 6, 2020
The Central Maine Chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association held a regular board meeting on July 6, 2020 at 6pm. The meeting was held outdoors at the Manchester Meeting House parking lot, adjacent to the Allen Whitney Forest. Officers and members present included President Chris Riley; VPs Frank, Disa, and Matt Swann; treasurer Leslie Wilson; secretary Garry Hinkley; and members Ryan Walker, Ian Ogilvie, Ted Scharf, Brian Alexander, and Tracey Allen.
Treasurer’s Report. Leslie reported a balance of $42,323.03. She reported we received $300 in honor of Carrie Boudreau. Busytown Bikes also made a donation of $450 toward the Mt. A trail project.
Mt. Apatite. Work started this week of the extensions of the Signature trail at Mt. Apatite. Project is being funded through a grant from Outride in the amount of $6,643.84. The board voted to name the trail the “Carrie On” trail in honor of Carrie Boudreau who passed away recently after a courageous battle with cancer.
On a motion by Ted, seconded by Frank, the board voted unanimously to spend up to $450 on a rototiller to be used to break up duff on new trail construction.
Pine Ridge. Chris reported that he has had discussions with the Specialized sales rep regarding Specialized contributing toward the work at Pine Ridge that was postponed when Northern Lights was forced to cancel all donations for 2020. We probably would complete the sign project first. There is a possibility that a solar array may be sited on part of Pine Ridge which might impinge upon the trail system.
Allen Whitney Forest. The trail crew, Brian with the mini-excavator, and volunteers spent two weeks in the AW. Work included new bridges on the “New” trail, extensive drainage work, construction of several berms and other features, and the extension of the “Penny” trail (Red Pine above the church) on the top and bottom to provide an alternative to the Knowles Rd snowmobile trail. The budget was $5,000 including $2,000 from an Onion grant matched by the club, and $1,000 from the Town of Manchester. Total expenditure to date is approximately $4600.
A-Trail. The state has been a little slow to approve the project, but Brian expects to begin work on the trail extensions later this summer.
Res. Chris will try to get out the Hallowell Res to flag the reroute to the entrance to the Piney Loop trail. This should be a few hours of work either by the trail crew or volunteers. We need HCC approval prior to construction.
Titcomb Mt. Plan to use the trail crew to make upgrades to the Titcomb Mountain trails similar to the work done in the AW.
Group rides. Agreed that the club would not hold or sponsor any group rides until further notice. Individuals are free to use our Facebook page announce and invite friends to informal rides.
Odyssey ride. We still plan to hold the fall Odyssey rides as these are self-guided, individual or friends’ rides. Will be searching for an outdoor location to hold a post-Odyssey gathering. Possible locations include Lost Valley, Titcomb Mountain, and Quarry Road in Waterville.
Anonymous donation. Chris announced the receipt of a $100,000 anonymous donation to support CeMENEMBA’s trail work. The donation will be received in its entirety later this summer and will be deposited into a special savings account. The plan is to use the donation over the next 4-5 years to leverage other donations on a matching basis. Chris moved to accept the donation, Brian seconded, and the vote was unanimous.
Next meeting will be September 14th probably at Bond Brook.
Respectfully submitted,
Garry Hinkley, Sec.
by John | Apr 15, 2020 | Meeting Minutes & Info., Mountain Biking, Trail Awareness, Trail Building
CeMENEMBA Board Meeting Minutes
April 13, 2020
The Central Maine Chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association held its regular bi-monthly meeting on April 13th, by Zoom video conference. The meeting began at 6pm. Officers and members present by video included Chris Riley, Pres.; Disa, Frank, Ted Scharf, Tracy, Leslie Wilson, treasurer; Ian, Matt, Renee, and Garry Hinkley Sec.
Treasurer’s Report. Leslie reported a checking account balance of $28,155. In addition, we have received a NEMBA Signature grant for $10,000 to build an intermediate climbing trail in the Kennebec Highlands to compliment the A trail, and to make a loop. Also, we are expecting a $500 contribution from the Central Maine Cycling Club. Renee is to follow up on that contribution.
Northern Lights l has had to cancel (all) of their charitable grants for 2020. This means we will not be receiving $4,000 grant to do upgrades and repairs to Pine Ridge in Waterville. Discussed how much we could do PR within existing resources, and how to communicate the change to our membership. Agreed to try to make and install new signage. Any other major work would be deferred to the end of the season when resources can be evaluated.
NEMBA Signature Grant; A-Trail. Chris reported that our Signature grant award was increased from $5,000 to $10,000. This will allow us to construct a new complimentary intermediate climbing trail in the Kennebec Highlands, thereby making the A-trail a loop.
Allen-Whitney Onion Grant. Work will proceed on the A-W bridge and upgrades.
Trail crew. Discussed whether to try to start the trail crew earlier this year, due to students’ availability. Will probably have two paid crew members this year. Agreed to try to start earlier and to try to keep the crew through August. Chris needs to finish setting up the LLC to employ the crew.
Events postponements. Given the uncertainty of holding social events and other gatherings during the pandemic, we agreed to indefinitely postpone the spring social, Treadfest, and the Women’s Clinic. If conditions and schedules allow, we may consider trying some of these events later in the year. The Odyssey ride, scheduled for October, will remain on the calendar for now. The auction will be held open until the fall. Garry made the motion to postpone these events. Ian seconded. Without objection, motion approved.
Trail work. Agreed that we probably could not hold organized, formal trail work (TNT’s) for the foreseeable future. Volunteers may work individually, ideally with some coordination through our app. Trail masters/stewards should assess their respective trails and report any needs.
Hallowell Res agreement. Garry will contact Rosemary Presnar, Hallowell Conservation Commission chair, to set up a call with Chris to do the annual Res work review required by our MOU.
Mud Season signs. Chris asked for a motion to spend up to $250 to make 10-15 signs closing trails during mud season. Ted made the motion, and Tracey seconded. Unanimous.
Respectfully submitted,
Garry Hinkley, Sec.
by John | Feb 15, 2020 | Meeting Minutes & Info., Mountain Biking, Trail Awareness, Trail Building
CeMENEMBA Board Meeting
February 3, 2020
Manchester Town Office
The Central Maine Chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association held a regular board meeting on Monday, February 3rd, at 6pm at the Manchester town office. Board members and officers present included Chris Riley, Pres.; Disa F, VP; Leslie Wilson, treasurer; Frank, Ian, Ryan Walker, Brian Alexander, Matt Swann (by phone), and Garry Hinkley, Secretary.
Treasurer’s report. Leslie reported a checking account balance of $27,856.22. There are some outstanding expenses to be reimbursed, mostly for winter grooming; and some pending pay pal transactions. As of 2/4 that paypal transaction had been completed. No outstanding income at this time.
Treadfest has been closed out.
Winter grooming. The winter has been rather fickle. Brian reported that the York Hill trails are groomed and riding well. He has made contact with the neighboring landowners, and reports no problems. Josh Staples has groomed the Allen-Whitney Forest at least twice. After the second grooming, warm weather set in, and walkers did some damage. Grooming at Range pond has been abandoned.
L/A area. The LACC barn/parking area has been sold and will no longer be a trail head as of next winter. The LACC trails will no longer be groomed for single track fat biking. The multiuse trails continue to be available. Donors raised the funds to purchase Dan Bilodeau’s grooming snowmobile which will be donated to CeMENEMBA. The snowmobile will be housed at Lost Valley for use in the Auburn area. Other grooming will continue on a volunteer/reimbursement basis.
Spring Social. It was agreed that the spring social will be Saturday, May 2nd. Location to be determined, but probably in the Augusta-Hallowell area. Chris will check with Cushnoc to see if their tasting room is available. Quarry Tap Room also was suggested. Tracy Allen was elected (in absentia) chair of the spring social. Ryan moved, Ted seconded, and the vote was unanimous for the date and chair.
We do need to start thinking about auction items. It was suggested that each board member should try to find four or five auction items to start us in the right direction and then we can seek community involvement for other items.
Treadfest 2020. Treadfest will be Saturday, June 20th at Bond Brook. There will be a simplified format this year, three races of 15, 25, or 50 KM. The plan is to have the racing over by noonish, with the remainder of the day for social riding, music and socializing. Registration is open.
Women’s Clinic. The women’s clinic will be July 11 at Quarry Road, Waterville. We need an event coordinator.
Projects and grants. Chris has been a grant writing demon. Several applications are in the works or pending, including an Inland Hospital grant for work and signage at Pine Ridge, and Outride/Specialized grant for continued work at Mt. Apatite, and a Signature grant for either Manchester woods or Highlands. With respect to the Signature grant, it was agreed to focus on the Highlands/A Trail-McGaffey Mountain project. The Manchester Woods (Manchester town forest) project will be deferred pending the outcome of the Manchester Conservation Commission/NPS planning project which is underway.
Need to finish the work in the Allen-Whitney Forest and close out that grant.
Nothing planned for Titcomb right now but there are allocated funds to clean up the trails from the logging work.
Need to finish the boardwalk trail at Bond Brook to connect Six Back to Dragon. This needs to be done prior to Treadfest.
Next meeting Monday, March 9th at 6pm, at the Manchester Town Office.
Respectfully submitted,
Garry Hinkley
Secretary
by John | Jan 4, 2020 | Meeting Minutes & Info., Mountain Biking, Trail Awareness, Trail Building
CeMeNEMBA Meeting Minutes
December 16, 2019
The Central Maine Chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association held a regular board meeting on December 16, 2019 at 6pm at Cushnoc Brewing, Augusta. Officers and members present included Chris Riley, Pres: Leslie Wilson, treasurer; VPs Disa, Frank, Matt; Brian Alexander, Ian, Ted Scharf, Ryan, Tracy, and Renee; and secretary Garry Hinkley.
Chris congratulated everyone for another successful year, and for everyone’s hard work while he was on semi-sabbatical.
Treasurer’s report. Leslie reported a balance of $22,332 in the checking account. We raised approximately $22,000 and spent approximately $18,000. We are expecting an additional $2,000 from Treadfest. The Odyssey raised approximately $2,000. We are ending the year with our highest balance ever.
Winter grooming. Ted moved to support four locations for winter grooming: Highlands/Rome (formerly Roxy Rand); LACC; Range Pond; and the Allen Whitney Forest. Seconded by Frank. Unanimous.
Ted moved to expend $2,000 to support winter grooming. Frank seconded. Unanimous.
To support proper auditing, all reimbursement requests for winter grooming must be supported by proper documentation for fuel, oil, and equipment repairs. Requests may be submitted to Leslie electronically. Groomers should document their hours. At the end of the winter grooming season, the balance of the $2,000 will be paid proportionally the groomers as a stipend.
Grants. Chris reported that he is pursuing up to four grants for 2020. These include two NEMBA Signature grants, one for $10K and one for $5K, with the understanding we could be awarded no more than one Signature grant. We also may try for a new Onion Foundation grant. We already have a grant to support additional work in the AW.
New Logo. The Board approved the new logo design. Work will be done over the winter to roll out the logo, swag, web updates, etc.
CeMENEMA app. The new app is up and running. Ride and trail information can be posted. Every board member may be an administrator. Administrators may “close” trails. Users will be able to log trail defects and post pictures. The app is linked to Trail Forks. Chris will explore whether we can push information to Trail Forks.
2020 Calendar.
-The spring social will be held on either April 11 or April 25 at a location to be determined.
-Treadfest is June 20th.
-The Women’s clinic will be July 11th. Chris motioned to move the clinic from Titcomb Mountain to Quarry Road. Frank seconded. Unanimous. QR will provide a more varied terrain and should save on fees.
-The Odyssey ride will be Friday-Saturday October 16th and 17th. Party location to be determined.
-TNT’s. We will attempt to reinstitute Tuesday Night trail work.
•Next Meeting will be February 3. Location TBD. All members welcome.
Meeting adjourned about 7pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Garry Hinkley,
Secretary
by John | Aug 21, 2019 | Meeting Minutes & Info., Mountain Biking, Trail Awareness, Trail Building
CeMeNEMBA Board Meeting Minutes
Bond Brook, Augusta
August 6, 2019
The Central Maine chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association held a regular board meting on Tuesday, August 6, 2019 at the Bond Brook Recreation area, at 7pm. Board members present included Chris Riley, president; Disa, Frank, Matt Swann, Ryan, Ted Scharf, Tracey Allen, Renee, and Garry.
Chris expressed his gratitude for everyone stepping up while he was away. The board acknowledged Chris for staying in touch while he and his family were on their adventure.
Treasurer’s report. Justin was unable to provide a complete report. The bank account stands at just over $15,000. We have outstanding bills of approximately $3,000, mostly for trail crew. The Titcomb Mountain women’s clinic grossed about $1700, with expenses of about $700. Have not yet received Treadfest revenue, which will be less than lst year.
New treasurer. The board discussed several possible candidates for a new treasurer/board member to replace Justin. Geographic coverage would suggest someone from the Waterville area, if possible. Chris will approach the suggested candidates in turn to see if there is any interest.
Treadfest Debrief. Discussed what worked and didn’t work for Treadfest this year. Some concern that the event is becoming stale. Some sponsors aren’t giving as much. It was suggested that we look into rotating the event among Mt. Appetite (Auburn), Quarry Road (Waterville), and Bond Brook (Augusta.) Also, might consider a survey of riders. Discussed the issue of some riders going off course, and the kerfuffle that caused.
Trails updates/needs. The summer trail crew has been out and about, mostly doing routine maintenance such as cutting brush, weed wacking and leaf blowing. The crew has ranged from one to three people per day, most days. Probably averaging 1 ½ to 2 workers per day. In addition, many volunteers have stepped up to work on their local trails. As a result, most of the network is in very good shape. Volunteers should use the online app to record their time. This is important for applying for grants and other purposed.
Upgrades underway at Quarry Road and Coburn Woods. Upgrades planned for Mt. Appetite. We have applied for grants for Mt. Appetite and the Allen-Whitney Forest. The A-W grant would be used to improve the flow of the New Trail, and other similar improvements. Both grants require one for one matching through in-kind contributions.
Chris is working with the Titcomb Mountain group, and may ask to join Augusta trails as a board member.
Winter biking. Discussed options for winter fat biking, and trail maintenance. Roxy Rand may still be available using a different access point. Other options include The Allen-Whitney Forest (Manchester), and KLT’s newly acquired Surrey Hill property in Fayette. Decided not to pursue the purchase of any additional equipment, but rather to support grooming efforts financially.
2019 Odyssey ride. The 2019 end of summer season Odyssey ride was scheduled for October 19th. Might try to find a way to use the Odyssey ride to support winter trail grooming efforts. Need to find a venue for the party. Several options were suggested, and will be explored.
New logo. Briefly reviewed draft options for a new logo. More work to be done.
Next meeting. The next board meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, October 1 at a location to be determined.
Respectfully,
Garry Hinkley, Sec.
by John | Mar 12, 2019 | Meeting Minutes & Info., Mountain Biking, Trail Awareness, Trail Building
CeMENEMBA Board Meeting
March 5, 2019 @6:30pm
Black & Tan, Augusta, ME
A regular CeMENEMBA board meeting was held on Tuesday, March 5th, at the Black & Tan restaurant in Augusta, starting at 6:30 pm. Present were Disa F. VP and presiding officer, Justin L, Ian, Frank, Tracy Allen, Ted Scharf, Brian Walker, Brian Alexander, Matt Stone, Renee, and Garry.
Treasurer’s Report. Justin gave the treasurer’s report. He reported minimal financial activity during this period. Cash on hand as of December 31, 2018 was $20,940.84. Cash on hand as of March 5th, 2019 was $21,397.90. Income for the period was $1,446 including a $1,000 donation and $467 in dues rebates. Expenses were $909. 94, of which $900 was the stipends for the winter grooming at Roxy rand, LACC, and Range Pond. The remainder was for miscellaneous.
Justin opined that getting the credit card in lieu of using the debit card was a bad idea, resulting in more hassle than it is worth in security. He will investigate options.
Justin needs copies of all receipts for reimbursement, including a notation as to what the expenditure was for, where (the project), and who submitted it. If you are submitting expenses, please provide this information.
Anne Sheppard needs copies of the 2018 meeting minutes for the financial audit. (Garry provided NEMBA the minutes on March 6th.) Minutes also should be available from our website.
Spring Social. The annual Spring Social and Auction will be April 27th at Van Der Brew in Winthrop starting about 4pm. Agreed to order food from Winthrop House of Pizza and have them deliver as needed. Auction items are still needed. We had 60 auction items last year. As of this meeting, only 14 items have been pledged. (Additional items were pledged at the meeting.)
Treadfest Update. Justin et. al. Treadfest is June 15th at Bond Brook. Friday is the running events. Bike events on Saturday. Camping Friday and Saturday night, with entertainment on Saturday evening. Facebook page is seeing interest. Need to set up the BikeReg registration site. Discussed ordering items to sell, swag, and prizes.
Titcomb Women’s Clinic. Tracy Allen is in charge. Agreed the registration fee would be $20, nonrefundable for no shows.
Membership Drive. Will work the email list and Facebook reminder to encourage renewals, and will have sign ups at upcoming events. Justin noted that NEMBA now offers automatic renewals.
Merchandise. Renee is in charge Disa had previously shared catalog links of possible items to purchase for resale.
Trail days. Ricker Hill had extensive logging this winter and will need brush cleanup. Signature Trail at Mt. Apatite has drainage issues which will need to be addressed. Frank is working with an Edward Little class to bring students in for a trail maintenance day May 17th. City of Auburn is promoting trail volunteerism. After a hard winter all trails will need routine work.
There is a new Working Group in Auburn, dedicated to Mt. Apatite. Brian W. noted that “you are here” signage is being developed based on our map. The signage will be installed in the spring. CeMENEMBA is paying for the signs.
Frank reported that Mt. Apatite group rides now will meet and leave from the new Side-by-Each pub on Minot Avenue. The power lines provide easy access to Mt. A. trails.
Garry reported that the Manchester Conservation Commission has funds available (about $10,000) for trail development and maintenance in Manchester. Looking at expansion at the Res/Junkyard area in Manchester. Brian A to take a look, perhaps with Jean-Luc Theriault from the MCC.
Cape Cod Summit. Disa and Justin are planning on attending.
CEMENEMBA App. Brief discussion and demonstration of our ride and events app. A work in progress.
Next Meeting. We will meet on April 9th in advance of the spring social. Meeting will be at the Black & Tan. Social hour at 6:30, with the meeting to follow at about 7pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Garry Hinkley, Sec.
