Meeting Notes: February 4, 2015
Notes from the meeting held on 2/4/15 at the Nash Zimmer Transportation Center (6:30 PM)
Attending: L. Hultgren, D. Gosselin, Tim Weinland, Dave Waldburger (Thread City Cyclers current President)
Hultgren relayed that the USDOT Secretary had recently issued a Walk/Bike Challenge to US Mayors to make their communities safer for walking and biking in 2015. After discussion, it was decided that supporting this effort in Mansfield was something we were all interested in. Hultgren will respond to the Town Manager’s office to communicate this interest.
It was next decided that in order to assimilate the 3 April workshops into the group’s overall mission to create interest in bicycling and make Mansfield “bicycle friendly” that we need to name the group and set up a website so that interested people could contact us and get involved. Accordingly we set the next meeting (March 4th) as the time we will decide on a name. Hultgren will circulate the current name candidates amongst the group and interested people and ask for further suggestions by March 4th.
Support for the upcoming workshops was discussed, and several tasks were formulated and tentatively assigned. As the workshops approach, more tasks/detail will be needed, but to get started, here is what we came up with. (Note that since Mike Taylor was not at the meeting, his assignment is only tentative until confirmed.)
David Gosselin will make a first draft of a flyer for us to distribute for the 3 workshops
David Palmer will set up and host a basic website (after the name has been decided)
Hultgren will begin drafting letters to the editor about our advocacy efforts, the advantages to the community to be “bicycle friendly” and the upcoming April workshops (Note, more people are needed to work on this task).
Tim Weinland will talk with Scott Johnson (Scott’s Cyclery) about any props or materials he will need for his first half of the bike maintenance workshop (#1– April 8th);
Hultgren will discuss the same with Aaron Paterson (Storrs Center Cycle) for the 2nd half of the April 8th session
Hultgren will send a copy of the League’s new cycling techniques booklet to Dave Waldburger (when they arrive) and Dave will discuss the content of the 2nd workshop on bike riding techniques and safety (April 22nd) with Ron Manizza (his co-presenter)
Hultgren will see if we can secure an overhead projector for these sessions in case one is needed (Dave W. says he may also be able to get one)
Mike Taylor will discuss the mini-expo 3rd session (April 29th) with all 3 of the local bike shop proprietors to see what support or props they might need.
Group names that were longer and complicated (WARRIOR, CHEETAH, etc., were eliminated from consideration so that the current list of group names under consideration is:
- RIM — ride in Mansfield
- GoRIM — go ride in Mansfield
- CoRIM — come ride in Mansfield
- GOAR — get out and ride
- MoBikes — Mansfield on Bikes
- WARIM or WABIM — Walk and Bike/Ride in Mansfield
Dave W. said that he was willing to lead some rides this spring starting at the Nash Zimmer Transportation Center, probably on Sunday mornings. At the next meeting we will consider some dates for these.
The meeting took about one hour and we left at about 7:30.
LRH 2/5/15