Freewheelers of Spartanburg
Meeting Minutes for 05/02/05
Spartanburg Westside Library
7-8:45 PM

Presiding: Marly Divver

40 Members Present

Item One: John Bryan’s cancer has reappeared and he has started treatment. Please do not call him, but get-well cards would be appreciated. Please keep him in your prayers. Marly Divver, Mike Bonner & Steve Yetman are going to fill-in as this year’s Assault Coordinators with Mike being Acting Director.

Item Two: Minutes from April meeting were approved.

Item Three: Betty Campbell read the Treasurer’s report. We have $110,761.29 in our checking account and $19,111.38 in our savings account.

Item Four: Andrew Danfy - Racing Report
Vic Bailey Volkswagen Classic & Outdoor Sports Festival will be Saturday, May 21. If possible, he needs help setting up. Please email Andrew or show up from 8-10 AM at Liberty St. & Main St.

Item Five: Richard Dillard - Publicity Report
A Ride of Silence will remember injured and killed cyclists by making a 10-mile silent ride along Reidville Road's bike lane, traveling no more than 12 mph. This will be <http://www.rideofsilence.org/main.php>Wednesday, May 18th at 6:30 PM from the Westside Spartanburg County Library. He hopes for a couple of hundred participants. This should provide a great photo opportunity, as we will ride single file from Westside Spartanburg County Library out Reidville Road to Publix grocery store and then back for a total of 10 miles - in silence. A motion was made and passed to buy 100 wristbands to give out to the participants. Yellow armbands will be worn to highlight the ride of silence. Later this week Richard will be taping a segment for the city channel on Bike Town, which will promote cycling events.

Item Six: Paul LeFrancois - PCC Report
South Carolina received national recognition at the National Bike Summit held March 16-18 in Washington, DC. Bike Town is on the web. Monday, May 16th at 7 PM Michael Ronkin will give a presentation at the Spartanburg Headquarters Library on “”Envision Spartanburg 2007:Becoming a Bicycle-Friendly Community”. Pedal With Your Politician will be held May 18th in Columbia at 7 AM. This will be a 2-mile bike ride around the statehouse. After the ride, drop in for breakfast from 8-10 AM. Saturday, May 7th Greenville will celebrate the opening of their first downtown bike lane with a ribbon cutting ceremony by Mayor Knox White. Following this you can ride a lap with George Hincapie and Craig Lewis. June 2nd Rock Hill Bicycle Club and PCC will host a legislative forum. The number of share the road license plates sold so far is 672. This is the best selling specialty nonprofit plate and is available for $54 at all DMV offices. Bicycling public service announcements will be starting soon which will be broadcast throughout South Carolina giving us positive publicity.

Item Seven: Jeff Cook - Bike Shop
We are ready for the bike giveaway. All bikes are in stock at Bike On.

Item Eight: Greg Kyzer - Touring Report
Thursday night USC Upstate Ride leaves from the Hodge Center. There will be a ride for all abilities. Please use Freewheelers website for ride updates. Greg presented a check to Talley from the Freewheelers for $2,070 ($1,320 from contributions and $750 matching funds from Freewheelers).

Laurens was thanked for picking up the pizza and cokes. She urged us to thank Paul Melotte for his continued support. Little Caesar’s will also be putting flyers on top of their pizza boxes, which will advertise Bike Town. .

Item Nine: Presentation of Nominations for Officers
Web Master Open
Membership Ken Drescher
Bike Shop Jeff Cook
PCC Paul LeFrancois
Newsletter Rick Darwin
Publicity Richard Dillard
Mt. Mitchell John Bryan
Racing Andrew Danfy
Mountain Biking Shawn Howland (Shawn is still a maybe)
Touring Greg Kyzer
Treasurer Betty Campbell, Jim Brown
Secretary Patti Moran
Vice President Anna Blestel
President Marly Divver

Item Ten: Mike Bonner - Mt. Mitchell Report (subject to daily change)
We need volunteers Thursday morning for registration set-up. He also needs help for finish line setup. Mike will have signage and 120 cones to go to the top of Mitchell, which needs to be setup with the rangers help. There are a few important safety issues that need to be addressed. The road will be marked very well. There are a couple of new difficult descents, which will be marked with signs and hopefully volunteers. We need to make sure the road is clean at these turns. There will be a Spartanburg County Sheriff escort leading the riders to Highway 11. If this vehicle stops for school buses or any other hazard, all riders will stop behind it. If anyone attempts to pass this lead vehicle, they will be pulled from the ride and fined $1,062. Anyone riding left of the yellow centerline or passing stopped school buses will be issued a ticket and pulled from the ride. Expect a slow ride out of Spartanburg, but once the riders are out of Boiling Springs conditions will improve. Officers will be at all intersections. Parking will be an issue on both ends. You will not be able to park in the administration lot across from the auditorium. Only the lower lot will be available for our use at the Folk Art Center with 65-70 parking spaces. Tom Divver will be heading up the Folk Art staging center. Please encourage Mitchell riders to shuttle back to Spartanburg. The 12 sag vehicles will roam between stops. Mechanics will be stationed at rest stops #1 and #5 and the Folk Art Center. There will also be 5-6 roving mechanics. The length of the Mt. Mitchell assault is 117 miles (plus or minus 2 miles). The cut off time to complete this ride is 6:30 PM. Everyone who has not reached the Folk Art Center by 3 PM will be pulled off the course. Sunday, May 15 we will be packing packets at the Herald Journal in the basement. Enter the door on the Broad Street side. We need volunteers from noon until we are finished. Greg Kyzer will send out email-requesting volunteers to help stuff packets.

Marly thanked all those who gave up Mitchell numbers in order to work the event. She also thanked Anna Blestel for medical supplies.

Jeff Cook handed out a draft of the 2005 Assault on Mt. Mitchell Cue Sheet & 2005 Assault - Rider Advisory. Copies of these will be in registration packet. Copies of the rider advisory will be posted on the wall behind the registration table as well as handed out to all who enter the auditorium. All riders must read it and sign a release stating they have read the advisory. These will also be posted on the Freewheeler’s website.

Our next meeting will be held 7 PM June 6th at the Spartanburg Headquarters Library.

The meeting adjourned at 8:45.

Respectfully submitted,
Patti Moran
Secretary