We had wonderful news from the Mayor of Trumann, AR.  The city has agreed to allow Share the Road Signs to be installed! The city has purchased the first two signs which will be installed near the elementary school in memory of Dee Shoemaker.  Dee was local runner who was struck by a car while running in October of 2008.  She was a much loved P.E. teacher at Cedar Park Elementary in Trumann. 
 
At the January meeting, it was decided that NEABC will submit  a proposal to Jonesboro Parks and Recreation for a bicycle pump track and mountain bike skills terrain park to be built at Craighead Forrest using funds from the recent New Belgium Brewers grant.  A pump track is a continuous loop of turns and bumps that is ridden without pedaling.  A skill building facility would include features that mimic obstacles that are often found on mountain biking trails.  The facility will provide a fun, safe environment for children and beginngers to learn and practice mountain biking skills before hitting the trail. Not only are pump tracks great for kids and begginers, they are a fun challenge for advanced riders. Check out this community's pump track project: http://chambersburgpumptrack.blogspot.com/
 
On January 14th, cyclists, city officials, and community members met with Dr. Ruth Hawkins of ASU and the Crowley's Ridge Scenic Byway and Terry Easton of the Mississippi River Trail about bringing the MRT through Eastern Arkansas.  This is an exciting opportunity to connect Arkansas to the 10 other states along the MRT and increase cycling infrastructure and tourism in our area. A multi-day ride is being planned for April 12th that will begin in Cape Girardeau, MO, follow the Crowley's Ridge Scenic Byway, and end in Helena, AR. This ride will be a "test drive" of the proposed route and will include stops along the way to visit with mayors and county judges.  The details are still being worked out, but it is sure to be a fantastic ride and I hope that all of you will put it on your calendars. I will keep you all posted as we know more.
 
Also coming up is Bike Month (May).  NEABC will be hosting our 2nd Annual Bike to Work Day on May 21st. We will also be hosting a great event that weekend (22nd and 23rd) that you won't want to miss. On Saturday, we will be have classes and clinics for all things cycling. Topics will include road skills, repair and maintanence, injury prevention/first aid, and mountain biking skills.  On Sunday, we are planning a casual "use your new skills" ride. The goal of the weekend is to get as many folks as we can to get their bikes out of the garage and onto the road or trail! We'll need plenty of volunteers and sponsors... if you or your business is interested please email Sally at sallybway@suddenlink.net.  More details will be coming soon!