Hello EVMA Members!

Remember that time you typed the Meeting Minutes and then forgot to post them? Wait, that wasn't you, that was me. Well here are the Meeting Minutes & newest updates with my apologies!  - EP

This Just In:  Volunteers Needed at York River State Park Sunday, August 9, 2015 9am-11am

This past spring there was a fire on the edge of the park. In order to stop the fire from spreading, a fire line was created and it crosses the Dogwood trail at several locations. YRSP is looking for volunteers to help fill the fire line in by breaking up the dirt and raking it to make the ground level again. Meet in front of the visitor’s center to sign in. Please bring gloves, boots and plenty of water. No experience necessary, ages 15 and up are welcome. If you have questions, Call 757-566-3036 for more details and ask for Casey.

EVMA Meeting August 1, 2015

We had a great turnout for our morning rides & had several new members attend the meeting. Welcome new members!

Upcoming Events

• August 15 -  James River Trail System Road Trip  Penny will be the ride leader.  Riders will meet at 9:00am. Parking to be determined - please watch the Facebook Page for further information.
  
• Sept 18 19 & 20  - Douthat Camping Trip. We have 24 spaces (4 tents per site). Volunteers are still needed for food. Room is still available. Register now
  

Group Rides

• Saturday, August 15th - James River Trail System, details TBA
• Sunday, August 16th 9am - York River State Park
• September - Ride weekends are already booked with Memorial Day & Douthat trip, therefore, there are no scheduled group rides. See EVMA Chatter to find ride buddies or organized your own.

Trails

• Wahrani Nature Trail - most signage is up. We are currently evaluating bridges for replacement. Work will start in fall.
  
• Marl Ravine - Steve Nevins will be resuming construction of rock gardens. We will be installing two emergency exits and are planning to replace the skinny with a wider bridge.
  
• John Blair Trail - We will be installing mileage signs every 0.5 miles by section
  
• Harwood Mill - The next project will be a connector trail between A and B. Watch for a trail work notice in the near future.
  
• New Quarter Park - Planning for sand and mud abatement, and will evaluate the raised trail for safety.
  
• Reversals? - Marl Ravine, Freedom D & E are possible. Other trails requested (Freedom A & New Quarter) have too many entrance points to be practical for signage, and will not be reversed.
  
• Trees Down Freedom E & 1/4 mile in NQP 
  
• YRSP Campsites & Cabins? - Are in the park's five year plan. Location is under consideration. The park will be moving the contact station so paid parking can be extended. Primitive camping will be by Boat Ramp. No impact on our interests at this time.
  

Teams & Races

• Colonial Revolution NICA team grades 6 thru12. Will the EVMA provide financial support? YES - $400 contribution Passed with a majority vote. The team can also pass funding through the EVMA account for 501.3C status. 
  
• VORS Woody wants to hold a race at YRSP in the spring. In preliminary planning stage. Organizer will be looking for volunteers if it is scheduled. Race organizer and State will handle organizing and advertising (Steve Boyd w/ DCR). The EVMA can build it into a festival if there is interest. 
  

Accident at Freedom -  A rider crashed near the first gap jump on Trail C in Freedom Park and suffered a cervical spinal injury. He is recovering feeling in the chest and arms, but not movement. The EVMA's accident review, and the County assessment concur that accident was caused by rider error. Freedom has had fifty-six recorded accidents in the last calendar year, two requiring medi-vac.

Treasurer’s Report

• General Fund Balance       $2412.89
  
• Trail Fund Balance             $5946.98
• Checking Acct Balance      $8359.87
• Savings Acct Balance         $675.05
• WOYW                                   $117.00

IMBA Chapter? The EVMA has concluded looking into the cost and benefit analysis of becoming an IMBA Chapter. IMBA requires a 60/40 split of membership dues. That would leave us with $12 per member but we currently spend $16 per member to run the club ($13 insurance + admin, website fee, etc.). IMBA does give a club more clout for receiving trail building grants, however, the cost is prohibitive for the EVMA at this time. 

Membership is down. We will continue to encourage our members to renew, and will request that bike shops check EVMA membership cards before extending the 10% EVMA discount. If you have misplaced your card, contact us at evmamembership@gmail.com to request a new one.

Next Meeting  October 3rd at New Quarter Park. We will have our group rides there and grill before the meeting.

-----------------------------END-Minutes-------------------------------------------

Other Important Stuff 

EVMA Membership

Membership lapsed?  Our inexpensive membership dues are an important source of revenue used for trail maintenance and improvements. In the coming year we'll be working on plans to extend the trail network at Harwood Mills, make bridge improvements at Wahrani and York River State Park, general trail repair at New Quarter Park, and extend rock gardens on the Marl Ravine Trail, to name a few. It's fast and easy to renew your membership online at the EVMA website, and help keep mountain bike trail access advocacy rolling for all of us. Renew Now , and keep your bike shop 10% discount!

Trails

• Trail Work - Members who do any trail work, please see an email to president@evma.org with details: date, trail, number of volunteers, hours, scope of work. 

Contact Info For Colonial Revolution

• Colonial Revolution A new composite NICA interscholastic mountain bike team has formed and started pre-season practice. Interested middle school and high school students grades 6 thru 12 can learn more at the Colonial Revolution website  or Facebook Page.

Have a great week, and ride lots!