June 2025

Written By tabitha harkin

Rhode Island Chapter: New England Mountain Bike Association

June 2025 Meeting Agenda
Date/Time: June 3rd, 2025, 7:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom

1. Roll Call

Jay S, Adam Carroll, Dennis Wilson, Tabitha Wilson, Charles Picard, Wayne Asselin, Shannon Lonardo, Cyrus Beasly, Adam Brule

2. Administration

  • March Meeting Minutes
     View Minutes

  • Motioned by Charles, second Wayne, motion passes

  • Quarterly Updates

    • Membership and financial summaries moved to quarterly Chapter meetings

  • Upcoming Meetings

    • Next Leadership Meeting: Tuesday, July 1, 2025 (Zoom)

  • Action: Cancelling the july meeting.

    • Next All Chapter Meeting: Date TBD  July 26 recap meeting

  • Action: Tabitha to check with NEMBA calendar and see about booking with crafted hope

  • Payments/Reimbursements – Status Update

    • Willem Cooper (LW Project Fuel): $233.82 -sent

    • Westerly Land Trust: $100 -sent

    • Eric Meehan (B-Game Badgers): $834.00 -sent

    • Jenifer Talancy (Big Ringers): $834.00- sent

    • Dennis (Spring Expenses): $448.59 

  • Action: Shannon to follow up on this one

    • Charles (Signage): $401.19 -sent

    • Upcoming: Cyrus and Mike P (Trail School): $139.87 each

    • Action: Shannon to follow up on checks to send- spring expenses

  • LW Cookout – This Sunday

    • Charles informed the group this is possibly not occurring, or occurring without him.

  • 30-Year Anniversary Logo & Shirt Design - Tabitha

    • Requesting design approval

    • Discussion on gear fulfillment options

  • Action: Tabitha to go back to the drawing board. Not much interest in the pirate theme, want to see hurricane flags, sharks, little interest in the design as is.

3. Rhode Island DEM Updates

  • Orange Season

    • Over until September 13 - Create media post

  • Action: Adam- please put out an end to orange season post

  • 2025 Fun Rides

    • DEM License Agreement approve

    • Next Step: Dennis to Reserve dates

  • Echo Lake Project

    • $15,000 design contract signed - Check received by NEMBA

    • Funds can only be used for Echo Lake project

  • Big River Comprehensive Management Plan

    • Alan and Mark previously involved

    • DEM will notify RINEMBA about public comment periods

    • Some Water Board members favor restrictions—stay engaged

    • Plan is moving slowly, awaiting public comments

  • Diamond Hill MOU

    • Need to discuss maintenance agreement at next DEM meeting

    • Has not moved since last conversation.

4. NEMBA Corporate Updates

  • Board Restructure

    • Updates from Wayne

    • PK event, 140 attendees; update on restructuring plan, bylaws have been crafted and need to be submitted to the state of MA for approval (501c3 in MA); NEMBA has 3 summer interns creating photo library and updating handbook and trail design guidelines, More grant opportunities available via Nicole email; Next board meeting July 14

  • Trail School 2025

    • June 6–8 in Williamstown, MA

    • Registration open

    • Cyrus and Mike sponsored by RINEMBA

    • Registration still open, just need proof of attendance

    • Action: Adam to post about registration

  • Elevate Women's+ Festival

    • June 6–8 in Stowe, VT.Tabitha attending on behalf of NEMBA and leading rides.

  • NEMBA Quebec Trip 2025

    • August 8–11

  • Membership Drive

    • Extended through June 8

    • One more media push encouraged

    • Lots of prizes available

  • Action: Adam- do one more post on the membership drive

  • New Member Benefits

    • Stratton, Atomic, Thunder Mountain, Dirt Church

    • Plus existing local partners

    • Action: Adam please do another media post on this.

5. Safe Trails Initiative

  • Ride Leader Best Practices

  • Action: Dennis will share Guide with team

  • Evacuation Signage (Charles) - Project complete

  • CPR / First Aid Classes - On hold due to funding

6. Events & Rides

  • April 27 All Chapter Meeting @ Crafted Hope Brewing

    • Great turnout—thanks to Crafted Hope!

    • Suggestions/feedback welcome
      Discussion: Less people as before, feedback -There was a race that weekend- Race Day XC, Regarding Pizza- Charles proposes to consider the foodtruck and do a voucher system instead. 

  • Action: Charles to look into food truck tie in.

  • Woody Hill Fun Ride (MBAS) – June 29

    • Permits approved

    • 14/175 tickets sold - email and social post this week

    • Proposal: Sponsor Glenn T + guest with complementary ticket

  • Action: Approved

    • Dennis to lead; Paul supporting

    • Food vendor not secured—Paul checking if informal grill possible

    • Shimano demo bikes!!

    • Volunteers Needed – Eventbrite link coming soon

  • Action: Adam will need to post to social for volunteers

    • Water Stop Supplies: Volunteer needed

  • Action: Dennis will give list to Cyrus to do this

    • Trail Work: Punch list of issues being developed

    • Informal team forming to address tasks independently
      Paul, Dylan, others

    • Additional value ideas welcome:

    • How about event stations like best dam ride

    • In the future get a shop that has a brand that has a demo fleet, if they are in the area 

    • Raffle- needs human power

    • Timed runs on Ebb and flow?

    • Need to ask Paul about use of fields outside play areas

    • Town of Westerly come talk about Pump track? Cyrus to ask

  • Big River Fun Ride – September 14

    • Wayne to lead

    • Park-n-Ride detour required (DNA trail) confirmed it will not be touched.

    • Dennis submitted permit request, getting date solidified

  • Action: Wayne and Charles to do trail maintenance

  • Lincoln Woods Fun Ride – November 9

    • Charles to lead

    • Permit request needed via park portal

7. Member Opportunities

  • Group Rides

    • Weekly rides ongoing

    • More ride leaders stepping up

    • Need beginner ride coordinator

    • Coordinate with Shannon on transitions

Huge team of ride leaders, still need more beginner rides. Tricky as to where to do them. 

When Shannon gets back, want to have a pre-sign up. Eventbrite pre-sign up page could work.

QC does a sign up and it works easily for them. Can’t be too rigid. Maybe have rideleaders@gmail and all people can have access to the same sheet. Have all the same ID.

  • Low Gear Ladies

    • Lexi leading at Woody

    • Can we add another night- Find a female ride leader for Lincoln Woods

  • Trail Days

    • Let's set up some trail days!

  • We have trail tools! Can do some work in areas.

8. Glocester Land Trust Partnership

  • Project on hold pending DEM/Nature Conservancy easement negotiation

  • They are not going to contest the easements. Can do hand built trails and another clinic. Can still ride there. Take this off the agenda.

9. Echo Lake Project

  • $15K secured for Phase I planning/design

  • Sinuosity of VT confirmed as builder

  • Estimated:

    • 7.2 miles of trail

    • $60K per mile ($432K total)

  • Available funds: ~$165K

  • Grant writing in progress

    • Tabitha submitted 3 Grants: IMBA Grant, RI Capacity Grant and NEMBA Grant

    • Still in the running for IMBA Grant, NEMBA Signature Trail Grant ($10K)

  • Next Step: Build project webpage (see Shaker Ridge as example)

Action: Tabitha and Mike to help with this project

10. Ride Area Updates

  • Lincoln – Road repair and E911 signage complete – kudos to Charles! 

  • Diamond Hill – MOU discussion continues; new volunteer: Jonathan Lagoy

  • Woody – See above

  • Arcadia – Clean and maintained

  • Big River – Sunken bridge noted.Don’t want to go out until water goes down. 

  • Burlingame – AMC hosting major trail day on June 7 (Trails weekend)

  • Ryan Park – [No updates]

  • Sprague – Will be removed from next month’s list

11. New Business

  • Trails weekend July 6/7

12. Motion to Adjourn

  • Moved by Wayne, Second by Charles


tabitha harkin
Next

April 2025