SORBA Club

[Randy]

I was content to sit it out, and trust the new club to take care of our small trail resource at Blue Clay.

But after walking it yesterday, and realizing that some schmuck decided to remove everything, I am now interested in running for a position of authority. Which position allows the most physical violence?

[Weinkle]

Anyone want to know what is going on at Blue Clay? Join us at the town hall meeting. See what the plans are to get Blue Clay repaired, voice concerns, or whatever. This is everyone's opportunity to get involved!

What: Town Hall Meeting Concerning the Blue Clay Bike Park
Where: Human Resources, Training Room B, 320 Government Center Dr.,
Wilmington, NC
When: 18th of February 6-8 PM
Who: Jim McDaniel, New Hanover County Parks and Gardens Director

This meeting is for anyone interested in the future of the Blue Clay Bike
Park (not just for CF SORBA members).

[Randy]

Anyone want to know what is going on at Blue Clay? Join us at the town hall meeting. See what the plans are to get Blue Clay repaired, voice concerns, or whatever. This is everyone's opportunity to get involved!

What: Town Hall Meeting Concerning the Blue Clay Bike Park
Where: Human Resources, Training Room B, 320 Government Center Dr.,
Wilmington, NC
When: 18th of February 6-8 PM
Who: Jim McDaniel, New Hanover County Parks and Gardens Director

This meeting is for anyone interested in the future of the Blue Clay Bike
Park (not just for CF SORBA members).

Yeah, we all know how much get done at these meetings. I think we went to a dozen over the past few years. Don't hijack this post weinkle. Your response had nothing to do with the questions levied, as usual for you.

I want to know who walked with the county, and had that stuff removed. I don't need directions to a meeting in 3 weeks.

[mpg]

Meetings are great. Come look at my front yard that now has a multi-million dollar paved trail going right through the middle of it. While your at it look at it look at the other 50 homes on the block that have the same trail going right through it. Meeting really worked for us.

[Randy]

Still no one has come forward to say they walked with the people from the county to choose what came out. If you don't admit to it, I will just post your names.

These jokers removed stuff that was paid for with our $10000 grant. The removed items built and paid for with private money. Structures that were built to proper standards and would have lasted for years. A complete waste of time and money, they also showed no respect for the hard work of those who built the park.

If you have not seen the trail recently, I encourage you to go out on foot and walk it. Do not let these guys convince you that the county chose what to remove.

You can thank your "Blue Clay Board of Directors". Thank them tonight at 6:30, I think they might be having a meeting at Brinson & Sons Heating and Air. They get a lot more done when they don't have to worry about opinions of others.

[mysteryrider]

I dunno who's the bigger idots..The County..or the "New Club"..both strong on substance..little on resolution..

[VTHokie]

The Cape Fear SORBA web site is under development and will hopefully be available soon. There will be a blog on the front page for the President to keep everyone up to speed on what is going on with the club.

It is a good to keep everyone informed so I will give you a quick synopsis of what has recently happened at the BC park...

Back in August the NHC Parks Programs Director, Neal Robertson, walked the BC trails on the Juvenile Center side and determined which structures needed to come down. Most of the structures taken down that day by Neal and other County workers were the “freeride” structures that were never authorized by the County. They destructed the wooden structures and left the construction wood beside the trail. This construction wood has sat there since August. He also determined the two 300 feet long ladder bridges were unsafe and needed to be blocked off and the trail rerouted until either the bridges could be rebuilt or replaced with a rock expressway. Since then we have met with the Army Corp of Engineers and found out that a permit is necessary before any rock can be put in. We have been trying to get the 2 ladder bridges taken apart and removed because they were in such bad shape that really nothing could be salvaged from them. It makes more sense to get the permit for the rock expressway. This permit has to be completed and submitted by the County. We have asked for this to be done but the County Attorney put a halt to any work at the park before the permit could be completed. We have been trying to get all of the other wood that has been lying beside the trail since August taken away. Neal Robertson has been out of work for medical reasons and now there is a new Parks Director (Jim McDaniel), Assistant Director (Andy Johnson) and Manager (Tara Duckworth). Because the new management was not as familiar with where this wood was I walked the trails with Andy Johnson and showed him were this wood was at. It was his first time in the trails so I sent him a map that very specifically shows where this construction wood was at (taken down by Neal Robertson in August). I made an offer to the new Parks Assistant Director, Andy Johnson, (more than once) to have the Cape Fear SORBA club remove the two ladder bridges and only the construction wood that was lying beside the trail. My offers were turned down every time and the County hired a contractor to do the job. I then asked Andy Johnson (more than once) if the Cape Fear SORBA club could help the contractor hired by the County removed everything from the trails. My request was turned down. Last week, I found out on Friday that the Contractor was starting to remove what I thought was only the ladder bridges and destructed construction wood the next day. I wasn’t able to get in touch with Andy until Saturday morning…by this time the workers were already working at the park. Andy indicated to me that he had already instructed the contractor on what to do and asked me to walk through with him after the job was done so I could be sure that all the wood that I had asked to be taken out was actually taken out. I didn’t go out to the park that day to help because Andy had already told the contractor what he wanted done. After the contractor finished Andy asked Greg Brinson and I to walk the trail with him to make sure the contractor removed the old construction wood and the ladder bridges as we had indicated. Greg and I were shocked when we saw what was removed. Andy instructed the contractor to remove any bridge that he thought needed removing…two bridges over water were removed and two bridges over wet areas were removed that we did not ask to be removed. I guess Andy also told him to remove ANYTHING on the trail. We NEVER asked and certainly never wanted any of the obstacles on the trail (like fallen trees) to be removed but those were removed as well. We helped build those structures and enjoyed the challenge they offered and are fully aware of where the money came from and will be asking questions at the town hall meeting to find out what the County's vision is for the park and how many resources can they give us to replace these obstacles and bridges. If you are serious about wanting to have a great mountain bike park you will attend the meeting and ask questions too. There is really no need for disrespectful name calling on this forum…you have an opportunity to ask the people in the New Hanover County Parks and Gardens office at the Town Hall meeting. If you don’t take advantage of this opportunity then you really don’t have any right to make any more comments.

This is the last time I will respond to any post that uses this type of language. If you want respect then you should show respect.

Barry Wray
Acting VP Cape Fear SORBA

[bikesnbeer]

So bridges that crossed water and were completely competent in doing their job were removed? So even if the trial were to dry (stop raining for the love of God) certain areas of the trial would not be accessible because of no bridges? Sounds like this townhall could get ugly and the end result is the county shutting down the park.

[mysteryrider]

What we have here is a failure to communicate..as a business owner that is key to survival,


Blue Clay I'm NOT so sure about it's future..one step foward..three steps back once again


BTW-Respect is Earned..Not Handed Out!

[Randy]

VT hokie - You are welcome to use the trail that "WE" built, all you want. Just stop acting like you run the place. That is over. You earn respect. You don't get it by typing a lecture, or talking in a certain manner. Be careful if you choose to direct things at me, because I am not as mad yet as some others. I type better, so I speak for my team. You helped erase so much of my hard work, but zero hours of yours. We paid for some of that lumber out of pocket at Lowes.

Stu bought hundreds worth of lumber for some of those bridges you tore down. He put in tons of hours alone. I bet you don't even know him, because you have only been involved for a year.





I understand that these few "leaders" spent too much time patting each other on the back, when they should have realized what they were doing wrong. None of them had the nerve too stand up and say we are going the wrong way. I do not believe VTHokie has told the truth in his account here.

Someone sent me an email saying we should have a "hostile takeover" of our trail.

I like that phrase. No more secret club meetings should occur. So the county has a deal with SORBA. Then its time we get some people running that club who can use the word "No".

So I will ask again. When are the elections for the SORBA club ?

[Robert Legg]

W. T. F.! :<< This is what happens when you get government involved in anything. Now we have no control over what we enjoy doing because it all has to go through idiots that have no comprehension of what it is we do and really are for the most part self serving megalomaniacs! If it is not something that is in their interest, oh well! We are already getting the bureaucrat shuffle! I can't believe that all that hard work is gone. We didn't need a club for a long while just a core group! You people that NEED clubs and their inherent bullshit politics are what is wrong with this country. F. T. S.!

[Randy]

The county did what they do. It was Cape Fear Sorba that was tasked with advising them, and they knew exactly when the county was going in there. I guarantee that of the 50 members, someone could have gone out there with the county. Unfortunately, the leaders of the club don't involve their members in the decision making process. They right their own ticket, with our money.

The county acted very quickly, but obviously they relied on the wrong person to advise them on what to remove. Cape Fear SORBA knew the dates to be there. They posted them 2 weeks ago on this site. If a representative of the club was there, they could have advised the contractor on what to remove. This club needs to take responsibility and quit trying to blame the county or anyone else. It was their job to make sure this was done correctly.

I have heard plenty of excuses, and its pathetic. There are plenty of members of that club, who should have been informed.

The board members of cape fear sorba are quick to blame the county. Lets vote them out, and help the county make the right decisions for cyclists.

If you have any concerns, or wish to help out with fixing our destroyed trail, email me lonelygear@gmail.com. We are a much larger group than the guys holding these private meetings.

For those of you who have been away for a while, give me a call, and lets go back in and rebuild the trail like it was before these guys started riding last year. Instead of meeting in a church, lets get to a bar or someone's house and make a plan. I think that we can get in there and make it right again in a few weekends of hard labor. If the county shuts the whole thing down, we are no worse off than we are today.

[VTHokie]

If you want the truth go to the town hall meeting.

Robert, you mentioned getting the County Government involved...it is their land! Of course they are involved. They make the decisions. If it were your land or my land then we would make the decisions. When the lawsuit was filed against the County because of the accident in Sept. their lawyers got involved…that is when everything changed. I was told by Neil Robertson the County Lawyers advised closing the park but the Parks Dept. didn't want to...he brought up the MOU and the County Risk Manager got involved and worked with the County lawyers to develop the MOU and keep the park open. Before all of this hit the fan, mountain bike riders did whatever they wanted out there without permission from the County to do it. There was a don't ask, don't tell mentality that worked because nobody at the County cared about the park. Now there is completely new management in the Parks and Garden department, and unfortunately for everyone, Lawyers involved. They even brought their lawyer to the MOU signing.

If anyone thinks I (or anyone else in the SORBA club or any rider not in the club) has the power to direct the County then you certainly don't have any idea what is going on now. I truly wish I had that power...I would have helped to get what we wanted months ago (a challenging, fun, well built, sustainable, trail that the mountain bike riders could manage). I got stuck being the messenger because I was the one that went in to Neal Lewis's office 6 months ago and asked to get the MOU done (before any of the problems started) and I was able to get things going. Since then all I have been is the messenger for the County. I have never made any decision about what gets done out there (although I have asked many times and been turned down each time). In fact...the only thing that has been done out there since Sept./October is the recent tearing down of bridges and log crossings. Some of it had to be done as I stated before (and actually, none of that was my decision either). The “good” stuff that was taken down was certainly not what I wanted or what anyone in the club wanted...I know you don't believe me or understand, but the truth is I, you, or any other mountain biker was powerless to stop it...but you can ask Jim McDaniel why it was done. Not me.

Randy, I have asked you before to get involved with the local Cape Fear SORBA club because I thought you could bring alot of good ideas. I still do, but if you think a hostile anything is the way to go I don’t think you will get much support. I could be wrong but I hope not. Anyway, the election should be in March after the SORBA meeting when the Cape Fear chapter will be "officially" voted in. I hope you decide to run for an office. I will gladly give you mine! I just want to have a mountain bike park to ride at...that's all...if you can make that happen I am all for you. I really mean that. I hope the best officers for the future of the sport get voted in. I actually wasn’t planning on running for anything anyway. I believe Greg, Bryan, Erol, Jere, and all others involved understand what needs to be done and are committed to doing what they can do to make it happen. The groundwork has been done, now it is time to make things happen the right way (end of lecture).

[Randy]

Yes, you guys have done a swell job so far. Maybe you can donate some of our cycling funds to titan cement to top off a great few months.

I am going to leave this topic for a day or so, you leaders can go back to reading your Sarah Palin books.

[walkerranch]

I liked the trail when the weather was warm and the trail was dry and it presented a challenge to traverse. That's all changed and I am suffering withdrawals much more than I could have imagined.
It sucks that so much effort now appears to be destroyed, but we have to remember none of the land or anything that's on it is ours to do with as we wish (even as taxpayers).
I agree that if it is a joint effort with SORBA and NHC then someone should volunteer to be involved with any trail activity (building, tearing down etc.) if they will accept our help. We learned a painful lesson and will do better next time I hope. I will be happy to volunteer my time when and where it is needed.
I appreciate the county letting us be out there and still think we can make something of this swamp, but involving the county will make it a slower and inefficient process. We'll have to live with that or buy our own land. It is a sweet little trail and I love being out there and I think it is worth the effort.

bsessoms@ec.rr.com

[VTHokie]

Randy, Greg (Mysteryrider), and everyone else...all of you do have legit questions that need answers. This is exactly the situation the SORBA club was set up for. Instead of trying to convey everything from behind a keyboard, I have asked Greg to call a meeting (before the meeting with the County) for all riders that want to voice their opinions (SORBA members or not). If you come you will be heard and hopefully we can set the record straight. Randy, can you come up with a meeting day, time, and place?

[Randy]

Deal. I can do it any evening other than Tuesday or Thursday. I have a lot to say. How about Saturday, Feb. 13?

Are you going to invite all of the club members, or just the people you guys choose?

Maybe give everyone a week of notice, rather than one or two days.

The reason we convey feelings from the keyboard is simple. You guys hold your meetings behind closed doors. No offense, but its true.

[VTHokie]

Randy, I understand everyone wanting to know what is going on...I would too...Setting up good communiation has always been a problem.

I don't know about Sat. 13th for everyone but it looks good for me. Greg is the President and it will be his call of course. I beleive this meeting should be for everyone because everyone needs to be informed before the meeting with the County.

[Randy]

I thought you were interested in a meeting for everyone, not just SORBA members. Greg's presence is only relevant to you, and maybe 10 other people. Not me, and not the people who want you to answer for bringing in the county to destroy the trail we built.

I am not coming to "learn what is going on". I plan to attend because I think you have acted recklessly, Barry. You are the one who knew the dates the county would be at the trail. You selected what would be removed. You would have acted differently if you had been involved with building the trail. But you were not.

I will never sit there and let you explain anything to me. I have a 3 year old. If you count her time on the PV glider, she has been riding as long as you and Greg.

[mysteryrider]

Randy, Greg (Mysteryrider), and everyone else...all of you do have legit questions that need answers. This is exactly the situation the SORBA club was set up for. Instead of trying to convey everything from behind a keyboard, I have asked Greg to call a meeting (before the meeting with the County) for all riders that want to voice their opinions (SORBA members or not). If you come you will be heard and hopefully we can set the record straight. Randy, can you come up with a meeting day, time, and place?

Why the Pre-meeting?? to censor the truth or to groom the questions to CFSORBAS criteria??


Even with the MOU signed.. we're even farther behind with trail maintinance/and or new trail construction or new trail features then EVER before..At this point I'm not sure membership was even worth it.. we are no farther ahead with trail resolution then a year or two ago?? Maybe I'm just being impatient..I dunno??

Think I'll go prep my bike for sundays race??

[ncmtb]

I must be missing something...on Jan 20, Barry posted that the county would be in the park working on the 22nd & 23rd and they requsted "NO HELP". So if there was no SORBA representation at the park on those days-how did Barry & whoever have any part in what was removed?
Also, ANYONE who read the post on the 20th knew the county would be out there, so how did only a "select few" know when the work was going to take place?

Here is the post I mentioned:

Re: Workday at BC
by VTHokie » Wed Jan 20, 2010 8:10 pm

I just received this:

Can you plan raking trails and picking up debris next weekend? Our contractor will begin this Friday and Saturday January 22 and 23 removing existing structures. He would prefer to have the park to themselves this weekend to remove structures to limit his liability. Any questions please let me know.

Thanks

Andy Johnson
New Hanover County
Parks and Gardens Superintendent

So, we will have to wait until next weekend to start cleaning up. It may have been too wet this weekend anyway.

[jsavage1]

i think we need to focus on getting stuff done at bc. we're getting too caught up in the politics of sorba which are gonna change soon anyway. everyone knows that working with the county is a pain in the butt, however it seems we're in better standing as far as they're concerned than ever. sorba is the only way the county will release control to the bikers, so get on board. quit being so negative....i think they have done rather well with the situation given. besides, what ever was in place didn't work. so here is an oppertunity to get it right. use your experience to help sorba, not tear it down. you obviously have influence in the local biking community. use your power for good. Plus if you had all the answers then why arent these problems already fixed. you and your "much bigger" club been sitting round with your finger in your butt only taking it out to point at other people when they dont do something the way you want. these relationships should have already been in place given the longevity of your biking career. JK but on a real note why not work together to get done whats best for blue clay? we have a common goal. working together with the county and within the bike club(s) is the only way to improve our situation. just my two cents.

[VTHokie]

I thought you were interested in a meeting for everyone, not just SORBA members. Greg's presence is only relevant to you, and maybe 10 other people. Not me, and not the people who want you to answer for bringing in the county to destroy the trail we built.

I am not coming to "learn what is going on". I plan to attend because I think you have acted recklessly, Barry. You are the one who knew the dates the county would be at the trail. You selected what would be removed. You would have acted differently if you had been involved with building the trail. But you were not.

I will never sit there and let you explain anything to me. I have a 3 year old. If you count her time on the PV glider, she has been riding as long as you and Greg.

Randy, I can see you are misinformed and you don't care to know the truth. That is consistent with everything I have every read from your posts. I have tried to be patient and courteous with you. In return you post conjecture, speculation, and conspiracy theories that you conger up. I will not try anymore to get through to you…at this point I believe it is a lost cause. Consider our conversation(s) done.

For everyone else, I still would like a meeting before the meeting with the County for all SORBA club members (and anyone interested in becoming a member) so you can voice any concerns/issues you might have...but that is Greg's call on the day, time, and place if he wants to have a meeting.

Barry

[mpg]

Wow, for someone wanting others to not be negative? "Sitting around with you fingers up your butts", really doesn't sound positive to me. So what took these guys 8-10 years to develope was wiped out in a matter of hours. I can remember them begging for materials, spending money from their own pockets, and I cannot even imagine the amount of personal hours they spent on this place. I can tell you, the few times I showed up to help, it was always the same group breaking their necks to make a suitable place for "everyone" to ride. Don't you think they deserve the right to be a bit passionate about blue clay? Not looking for debate, but if they can't vent here then where?

[VTHokie]

Don't you think they deserve the right to be a bit passionate about blue clay?

Everyone does deserve the right to be passionate about BC but I will not stand for personal attacks on me. I am a volunteer! Not my job! If someone attacks me and doesn't want to listen to the truth then I am not going down that road.

Not looking for debate, but if they can't vent here then where?

My point exactly. That is what the CF SORBA club is for. In the past there was nothing to do other than write nasty emails to County Officials (whch just about got the park shut down). I know it is frustrating but hopefully riders will take their concerns/issues/questions to the club. If the CFS club doesn't provide answers then go to the County.