Provider: Blennerhassett Bicycle Club

First, we welcome several new members! Amanda Williams, Scott Oran, Heather Haught and Bob Long!

Reminder: There is a BIKE AWARENESS RIDE THIS FRIDAY, MAY 6 STARTING AT 5:30 PM AT THE CITY PARK PAVILION AND WINDING ITS WAY ON BUSY STREETS, TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE PRESENCE OF BICYCLISTS! COME AND JOIN THE FUN! The calendar says 5:00 but Greg assures me it will start at 5:30pm.

Meeting was called to order (sort of!) at about 8pm on Thursday Cinco de Mayo! Hear! Hear! It occurred after a vigorous ride by some members from the City Park, out Old St. Marys Pike and back to Spider Ridge, over Spider Ridge and Red Hill, to US Route 50 and back to the Park. Gorgeous evening.

Mention was made of the TWELVE local people who took part in Tom’s Trillium on Sat., April 30 in the Nelsonville area. The ride was supposed to be held on April 23 but was postponed one week due to rain and flooding. Wonderful time!

A discussion was held about our Facebook presence. It was decided that we would contact Aaron Wagner to get admin info from him so that Greg Garrett, Heather Haught and Roger Sheppard could take over the site and make sure nothing inappropriate gets posted. Aaron has since done that and will be delivering other files to Roger very soon.

Candace (“Goba”) Jones asked that the group consider getting involved in the “Fix a Bike” program, which takes bikes held by the police and fixes them up and turns them over to the Salvation Army for distribution. Chris Bennon, Greg Garrett and Roger Sheppard offered to go take a look at the bikes to see what is really there and report back to the BBC at its June meeting. This would be a late fall, early winter program, with the goal perhaps being to get some bikes in kids’ hands for Christmas.

Chris Bennon reported on the Ride for a Cure ride on the North Bend rail Trail on April 30. There was a race and a rec ride (as opposed to a “wreck” ride, we hope!) Greg was finally able to get Chris to admit that he won the race! Congrats to Chris! Chris would like to see the BBC get more involved in this event in 2012. Club members agreed and stated they might have been involved had it not conflicted with the new date of the Trillium ride on the same day. Chris will keep us posted as to the needs of the event as it begins to roll around again in 2012.

Greg Garrett wanted to remind members of the Bike to Work event on Friday May 20. Riders will leave at 7am from the Pavilion in Parkersburg City Park and ride downtown for breakfast, provided by the City of Parkersburg, at the Famers Market Tent next to the hotel. Last year, about 60 riders gathered and left from Mayor Bob Newell’s house for this event. This will be the third year for the local observance. This has been a RAIN OR SHINE EVENT, due to the shortness of the ride. There will be other rides starting at 4pm and periodically thereafter that evening all starting and ending at the Pavilion.

Pres. Tom Sears had some info from Mike Noland (who was not in attendance) about a possible Facebook effort. Hopefully, those mentioned earlier in these minutes will meet that need.

Tom also made mention of Ben Kuhlman’s interest in a Boy Scouts Bike Awareness Program. It was suggested that perhaps the Scouts would like to get involved in our Fix-a-Bike program if they have the skills and the need for that sort of thing for a merit badge.

After a brief discussion, a vote was held and by the narrowest of margins, it was decided by those in attendance and three absentee votes, to hold the monthly BBC meetings at 7pm on the FIRST THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH.

James Coleman and other discussed the need for a routine trail ride on the North Bend Rail trail. JAMES OFFERED TO LEAD ONE RIDE A MONTH, ON THE LAST WEDNESDAY. More details to come for this event, now tentatively set for Wed., May 25, starting at 5:30pm at Mile Marker 1 in Happy Valley (down behind WVU-P).

It was also decided that a good “D” ride ought to be offered at least once each month, preferably on a weekend. Greg Garrett often organizes these kinds of rides.

It was also decide that starting in September, rides would start at 5:30pm. In October, the rides will start at 5:00 due to reduced daylight hours.

The meeting adjourned at Who Knows When!

Next meeting will be THURSDAY JUNE 2 AT 7PM.