Congratulations to Metro Parks, Olmsted and our hard-working local volunteers for the Cherokee Park trail extension that will open up the trails on both sides of the creek to mountain bikers (previously we were only allowed access to the north side trails).
Mountain bikers have been volunteering and working with parks for over 15 years in Cherokee. Going all the way back to founding members such as Bruce Montana, Roc Crady and others, to the more recent excellent trail leadership of Scott Metzroth.
So WHY, after all of these years, did Metro Parks finally allow formal access to all of Cherokee Park?
Some want you to believe that local volunteers “working with” Metro Parks did the trick. That after 15 plus years of spurning (and outright opposing) our efforts, somehow, someway the magic words were spoken (that the prior groups over a period of 15 years had somehow been unable to speak) and parks just up and did an about face, and decided to allow mountain biking.
The real reason is decidedly different, and is an important lesson-learned for anyone stepping forward in a leadership capacity.
The genesis for the trail extension can be traced to late March 2006, when a detailed summary of our mistreatment at the hands of Metro Parks was mailed to our elected officials. For the first-time ever local mountain bikers effectively used our governments system of checks and balances in an attempt to hold parks accountable for their misdeeds and Elitist Trail Policies.
The letter did as much in a few moments, as did our prior 15 years of sweat equity and volunteer assistance.
Our Metro Council is composed mostly of part-time elected officials, who have a very busy schedule. Prior to March 2006, most didn’t even know that the local mountain bike club existed, nor did they know that Metro Parks made no mention whatsoever of mountain biking during the highly publicized Bike Summit back in 2005. They were also unaware that mountain biking was only allowed at Waverly and the Cherokee trails north of Beargrass Creek here in Jefferson County.
The letter exposed many of parks dirty little secrets, pointing out that parks had often opposed our volunteer efforts, all the while turning our public natural surface trails into an equestrian-only playground. It also shined the light on the fact that Metro Parks was basically a closed-door decision making body catering to the elite and affluent.
The letter definitely gained us some much needed respect and traction with our Metro Council. Shortly thereafter, they requested us to work directly through them (not Metro Parks) to submit a 2007 Recreational Trails Program grant (that unfortunately no one took advantage of).
Metro Parks needed a quick and easy out to save face, to show how “supportive” they were of mountain biking and their best option was to simply open up the trails on the south side of Beargrass Creek (that people rode on a regular basis anyway). By making this rather convenient concession, parks temporarily eased the pressure to reopen Jefferson Memorial Forest & Iroquois Park to mountain biking.
In conclusion, the only reason Metro Parks opened up the trails on the south side of Beargrass Creek is because they were the recipient of some (well-deserved) bad publicity. (How else can you explain that they choose not to do so for the prior 15 years.)
Lesson learned- local mountain bike leaders should keep in close contact with our elected officials, and be ready on a moments notice to take Metro Parks to task, should they continue with their unfair anti-democratic Elitist Trail policies.
ROFLMAO, don't break your
ROFLMAO, don't break your arm trying to pat yourself on the back...like you deserve ANY Credit for the progress we are making locally, give me a break. Constant self-promotion makes you seem petty and very immature, the people who really make a difference don't sing their own praise, they leave that to the people they are helping...In conclusion....Go MIKE DULIN, you rule man, Gene and some others that helped mend fences here locally you guys are heros in my book as well. Hopefully anyone that reads this and enjoys riding Cherokee will spend some time telling these guys (who don't get paid one dime) how much you appreciate their efforts.
Later,
Pat
Let’s give credit where
Let’s give credit where credit’s due, which is to the clubs founders and all other Cherokee volunteer leaders up to the present (I’m certainly not one of them).
Furthermore, I only mentioned that someone sent an advocacy letter to our Metro Council, because the important thing is that it was done, not who did it.
Since you recently had a suggestion for me, I’ll return the favor and do you one better, I have several suggestions for you.
Maybe you should add up some race series scores, or track Paydirt hours and order some more socks, or who knows, maybe even place one e-mail and order some more jerseys and shorts (by the way, how many people does it take to order a jersey . . . reminds me of a much earlier post I did about LEADERSHIP, but hey, let’s not go there).
So let’s make sure that I’ve got everything straight, two weeks ago I find out that mountain bikers have a “credibility” issue, and now we have to “mend fences.” Right?
Despite Metro Parks decade-plus assault on mountain biking, according to you and others, mountain bikers are to blame. (go figure!)
I think I’ll plow a little more fertile ground by finishing up a nice advocacy submittal I’ve been working on and forward it to our elected officials and decision makers who can put an end to Metro Parks & Olmsted Conservancy’s Elitist & Family Unfriendly trail policies.