Essex county freeholders

Cassinonorth

Well-Known Member
Wonder if Covid will help the cause? There's been like a million percent increase in park usage and the trails are complete dog shit right now. They need people to fix it. A lot of people. And we all know who does the fixing and it sure isn't the hikers or horses.

I'm an avid hiker as well as mtber but when I go to do TM at Hilltop I get thanked by every bike that rides by and never hikers. It's strange.

I think they assume we're not volunteers or something. I hope this latest attempt to get some legal riding in our parks goes somewhere, would love to do some official TM.
 

Gene

The Dancing Machine
I'm an avid hiker as well as mtber but when I go to do TM at Hilltop I get thanked by every bike that rides by and never hikers. It's strange.

I think they assume we're not volunteers or something. I hope this latest attempt to get some legal riding in our parks goes somewhere, would love to do some official TM.

@cassinonorth More to come! In my discussions with Tom the last year I felt what we strongly missed was a collaboration of efforts in the county. The point of email and this page was to sync up all parties and work as one towards the solution we all want to see... even the naysayers.
 

Cassinonorth

Well-Known Member
@cassinonorth More to come! In my discussions with Tom the last year I felt what we strongly missed was a collaboration of efforts in the county. The point of email and this page was to sync up all parties and work as one towards the solution we all want to see... even the naysayers.

Already reached out to Tom and he cc'd you on the email. Can't wait.
 

goodvibe

Well-Known Member
I would be 100% behind the advocacy effort if it had even the slightest chance of succeeding. I attended all of the meetings with the SoMo Conservancy the first time this was tried and attended all of the meetings regarding Watchung. Both had the same results and the same reaction from the NIMBY's. Advocacy in other places may have worked but in these cases they didn't bring awareness, they just brought enforcement.

Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results

 

Jmann

Never gonna let you down.
I would be 100% behind the advocacy effort if it had even the slightest chance of succeeding. I attended all of the meetings with the SoMo Conservancy the first time this was tried and attended all of the meetings regarding Watchung. Both had the same results and the same reaction from the NIMBY's. Advocacy in other places may have worked but in these cases they didn't bring awareness, they just brought enforcement.

Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results

It’s all a catch 22. I see how advocating is the responsible way to go about it, but it seems like things work best when everyone looks the other way. Of course that still doesn’t help with the vast and much needed trail work that would only get done if it was legal.

I think the worst case scenario would be they legalize a short and lame section of trail, and then double down on enforcement everywhere else. Kind of like the skatepark they built in my hometown. They built a turd of park that was unskatable then were fascists about skateboarding anywhere else.
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
I would be 100% behind the advocacy effort if it had even the slightest chance of succeeding. I attended all of the meetings with the SoMo Conservancy the first time this was tried and attended all of the meetings regarding Watchung. Both had the same results and the same reaction from the NIMBY's. Advocacy in other places may have worked but in these cases they didn't bring awareness, they just brought enforcement.

Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results

I understand this argument, but in general, enforcement usually isnt forever and comes and goes. That being said, you really cant expect anything to change if someone isnt trying.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results

So if I can't clean that rock garden on the first try, I should just quit because it's never going to happen?

I like the "insanity" quote as much as the next guy, but every single professional sport kind of acts as a counter to that. The nuance here is that you need to learn from your past failures and do something slightly different in the hopes that it affects a different result.

Full disclosure, I will not spend my time on Essex nor Union because I don't live there and they are both too far away. But I think we as an org should be representing in every way we can, always adjusting, and doing what we can to make progress.
 

Delish

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I don't live in Essex any more. Haven't even touched my MTB in months. But, I do applaud and appreciate the willingness to try.

Not buying the attention-brings-0enforcement argument. Anybody who might care knows how much riding is taking place in these parks. Shops publicize group rides on the socials. Plus, Strava.
 

Shorepoints

Well-Known Member
@jdog said something very meaningful to me at a JORBA meeting a few years ago: "It's always a NO....until it's a YES." Efforts to succeed in Union and Essex county will be slow and frustrating and make you want to quit. We have to get better organized and keep trying. Covid will help as the number of people on bikes in these counties has increased substantially. We need a louder, more organized collective voice. I get the logic about letting sleeping dogs lie, but the trails could be SO MUCH BETTER if we were legally allowed to build/maintain them.
 

serviceguy

Well-Known Member
So if I can't clean that rock garden on the first try, I should just quit because it's never going to happen?

I like the "insanity" quote as much as the next guy, but every single professional sport kind of acts as a counter to that. The nuance here is that you need to learn from your past failures and do something slightly different in the hopes that it affects a different result.
But, it isn't. An athlete will adjust for the next try with better training, better line, better fitness, better equipment etc. so it's not really the same thing.
 

serviceguy

Well-Known Member
Read my last sentence again. Kind of my point.
Short attention span, compounded by tax filing boredom and crashed hopes of dishwasher fixing made me do that. My bad entirely.

P.S. forgot to mention that I hate this weather and don't live in Essex county myself. I almost did at some point but fortunately dodged that at the last minute (hidden asbestos treasure in the house I was about to buy).
 

Gene

The Dancing Machine
Is there anything planned for this effort for this Fall or was that initial push just a pre-emptive move to get emails?

In my opinion we are still gathering. I don’t think we have nearly enough county riders registered yet, but I can poke certain groups separate from the forum and form.

I want to use our time effectively. More riding and actions, less talk.

I have a few ideas, but want to get the ear of other chapters that started with similar situations to learn from their frustrations.

As of right now Tom added me to the Essex JORBA email account so I can see all that comes in.

I know there are some really smart people that want to make this happen and ensuring we stay on focus and involve everyone that wants to be involved we will show up with an army .

… just my two cents.
 
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