TMTC President's Message

In this message from TMTC

• Insight on the TMTC President
• Board Members
• BMRA park managment
• EDRA work progress
• Grant money (FROM OHV STICKERS)
• Membership and Elections

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2011-12-16_-_...pdf (247.27 KB) - downloaded 28 times

Could someone please open and paist this message. My phone won't open it.

President’s Message Fall 2011
It’s been almost a year since you elected me as President and I first want to apologize for not
keeping you informed of changes and growth within TMTC with a timely newsletter. I’m going
to get into a rhythm of sending messages to you, our members, on a consistent basis. I promise.
I have been riding and racing motorcycles since early childhood. I took a twenty year break to
raise a family and invest in my career with the Texas Department of Public Safety. I never lost
the desire to ride and began again in 2006 after losing an employee in a traffic crash in West
Texas. His loss caused me to do some real soul searching and to reorganize my priorities in life
with my Savior, my wife Olga, and my career with DPS. It’s been fun getting back into riding
and competing, and this was also the time I found TMTC. I became involved with Escondido
Draw Recreation Area, which led to finding out about Barnwell Mountain, to where Olga and I
now are within TMTC. OHV and ATV enthusiasts please don’t think I don’t feel your concerns
or the love that you share for your chosen discipline, I’m just not as adept at your specialty. I
have no idea how you are capable of what you do in your sport. I need a lot of lessons and a loan
for about $50,000.00 or so to build one of your rigs.
We have had many changes since last April including many new members to our Executive
Board, the Board of Directors, as well as management at BMRA and their Board of Directors. I
want to personally thank everyone who volunteered to take a role in leading TMTC and our
parks in the future.
Executive Board:
Richard Jacobs, President
Vacant, Vice President
Terry Hoak, Treasurer
Mark Daniel, Secretary
Tony Eeds, Past President
Board of Directors:
Region 1:
Steve Machann-MC
Terry Ausley-OHV
Region 2:
Stacey Newman-OHV
John Harris-MC
Region 3:
Billy Wilson-MC
Tom Anderson-OHV
At Large:
John Chaney
Charlie Jendrusch
I want to take a little time and discuss what we have been doing with the parks.
BMRA:
If you haven’t been to BMRA in a while, we have new park management. Leslie Poe took over
for Karen and Laughton and is doing a superior job. She is enthusiastic and has brought life
back into the office. We have spent over $233,000.00 dollars on road improvements in the last
year, are working to improve water to the area, installing helipads for ETMC, and plans are
underway to purchase and install vault toilets and a new shower. I want to personally thank each
of you who volunteer your time at the work weekends to improve the park. I want to also thank
the BMRA board for thinking outside the box for ways to improve the park for our park patrons.
There are several events planned over the coming months so please check the TMTC calendar
regularly for upcoming events you may be interested in attending.
Don’t forget, BMRA has extended operating hours during
New Year’s weekend 2012.
EDRA:
We have completed over 50 miles of motorcycle and ATV trails, and two days worth of extreme
OHV trails in the park. We are now busy with infrastructure trying to get a well drilled and
getting electric service to the camping area. We are hoping to open to the public sometime this
spring but it has been an uphill battle all the way. Thanks to all the volunteers who continue to
dedicate their time and efforts every time we have a work weekend. We will have a TSCEC
Enduro at the park on 12/02/2012. I want to also thank the EDRA board for everything they’ve
done to get us to where we are today.
Grants:
It looks as if we may lose federal RTP funds in the near future but our grants with Texas Parks
and Wildlife are sound. We have sought several reimbursements over the last few months and
our Treasurer Terry Hoak has turned in the required forms and our reimbursements have been
consistently back to us within thirty days or less. Thanks to both Terry Hoak and Terry Poe for
streamlining this process. This has been a constant concern and drain on our boards since I
became a board member in 2008. Many meetings and discussions between our board and TPWD
have alleviated most of the issues at hand. I hope we can enjoy continued success in this
endeavor with TPWD.
Memberships:
Memberships have been on the increase and show signs of getting even better. Thanks to all of
you that have joined or renewed with TMTC and please take the time to bring a new person or
group to one of the parks.
Scholarships:
We are looking for deserving students who need some assistance with funds. I would like to get
information from the membership on who we can help. We will probably have an application
process in the near future.
Elections:
Elections will be held at BMRA the last weekend in April. We have an opening on the executive
board as well as some positions on the Board of Directors that will be up for nomination and
election. If you are interested and want to help TMTC, consider running for a position. Lord
only knows we need all the help we can get.
In Closing:
I’m both happy and proud that you chose me as President of TMTC and look forward to serving
you in the future. I, as well as the boards, are here to serve you in any capacity possible. If you
have an idea or want to talk about an issue with the parks, please don’t hesitate to e-mail or call
me or any of the board members.
Our children are our future and our sport is dependent upon them. There is nothing more
satisfying in my opinion than watching a youngster progress in OHV recreation/sports. We have
the opportunity to teach our children the importance of taking care of our resources while at the
same time, enjoy our great outdoors. Most of the people that I compete against as a 49 year old;
I also competed against when I was 7 years old. They are friends that I would not take for and
wouldn’t have met had it not been for OHV recreation/sports.
Take someone who knows nothing of our sport out wheeling or riding. We are so caught up in
our own world that we sometimes forget about attracting others to our form of recreation. Your
neighbor or co-worker may be interested after hearing you talk about your weekend or vacation
but doesn’t know how to ask what it takes to get involved. Help them out and show them what
you enjoy about OHV.
Join or donate to organizations that support off-road recreation. Many important battles have
been fought and in some cases, won for the part of off-road recreation in California, Colorado,
and Utah this past year. I’m an optimist so I won’t take time to discuss the battles that we lost on
land use in the past year.
I hope each of you have a blessed and joyous Christmas as well as a prosperous and Happy New
year. Cherish the moments with your family and friends and please keep our servicemen and
women in your thoughts and prayers. They have sacrificed so much for us and our country.
Be safe, be responsible, and be respectful to our lands and other OHV enthusiast. Hope to see
each of you at one of the parks soon,
Richard Jacobs, President TMTC