From The Trust for Public Land

Today and tomorrow are critical negotiating days for the environmental section of the NYS budget.

You can make a real difference by calling your NY State Assembly and Senate representatives and asking them to support the following:

1. An increase in the overall Environmental Protection Fund from $400M to $500M to continue the critical work of conserving forests and farmland, protecting clean water and creating parks and trails.
2. A $10M funding line for Greenway Trail Connections in the Parks and Recreation Account of an expanded Environmental Protection Fund.
3. Streamlining the state land acquisition process by including Article VII TEDE Part TT Subparts A and B of the Executive and Senate one house budgets in the final NYS FY25/26 budget, by including the following provisions:
   1. utilization of title insurance;
   2. DEC’s ability to execute conservation easements;
   3. the Mansion tax exemption for open space acquisitions; and
   4. codification of allowable acquisition costs (in capital project funds/EPF section of the budget).
4. Support funding for the Long Island Greenway, an overdue extension of the Empire State Trail that would provide people in Long Island with a safe, off-road way to exercise and enjoy with friends and family the outdoors and all its benefits.

Make your calls, send emails, and if you are feeling fierce, tell your friends and family to do the same!

You can find your state senator here and your state assembly person here.

Happy March and April Birthdays!                             

Gina L Rocco-Maciorowski

March 28

Maria Basile-Farash

April 4

Jennifer N Edwards

April 5

Raymond D Herrick

April 5

Thomas Baiter

April 5

Connor Jennings

April 8

Ditza Katz

April 9

Jim Hugger

April 11

Don Natiello

April 13

Stephen Schwartz

April 13

Janine Picchione

April 14

Elise Belilos

April 15

Susan Fox

April 16

Joseph Poliseno

April 21

Andrew S Pfau

April 21

James B Swan

April 21

John Ferrante

April 22

Conor White

April 23

Grant Fox

April 25

Donna Buehler

April 25

HBC is in need of a Social Media Chairperson

The HBC Social Media Director will oversee the HBC Facebook Group, Gold Coast Facebook Page, Instagram page, HBC Strava Group and the Mobile App.

Facebook Group

·      Review new members for approval. Did they answer our questions? Do they seem legit? If they don’t respond, reach out to them in order to approve their possible membership.

·      Monitor posts for appropriateness.

·      Post events, ride pictures or other bike related subjects.

·      Monitor member reported posts.

·      Post important things for the club, meetings, events, causes etc.

·      Post the weekly calendar updates.

·      Monitor overall activity.

Gold Coast Facebook Page

·      Post information about the Gold Coast.

·      Post Gold Coast pictures.

·      Post the Gold Coast logo.

Instagram Page

·      Post club pictures

·      Monitor comments for appropriateness, only Admins can post pictures. Members can comment.

Strava Group

·      Review new members for approval. Check to see if they are HBC Club members.

·      Monitor comments for appropriateness.

Mobile App

·      Help people download the Mobile App.

·      Turn on Notifications for members who download the Mobile App.

·      Help answer members questions about the Mobile App.

Download the Mobile App!

HBC now has a Mobile App from ClubExpress. This app contains the entire website plus a Chat feature. When using Chat in channel B, just the members of channel B can see and get notified of the Chat. So, you can Chat about a ride with your fellow riders and then sign up for the ride all in one place.

However, members must download and log into the Mobile App so they can send or receive these Chat messages. We would like to encourage everyone to download the Mobile App today. The channels have already been set up:

If you are a B rider, you are also already a member of the B Channel, etc.

To download the Mobile App, go to the App Store or Google Play and search for ClubExpress. Be sure to Allow Notifications during the installation. Log in using your email address and website password.

Remember, this communication tool will ultimately be the best way to keep in touch with riders during a Club ride. If someone has a mechanical or falls behind and loses contact  with the group, using this insures the ride leader can keep track of all on the ride.

But everybody has to download the App!

The following is a link to a short video describing the Mobile App and how to install it.:

The Mobile App

Doug has recently qualified to race in the Solo Division of Race Across America — The world’s toughest bicycle race.

All Solo entrants must achieve the RAAM qualification standard in order to race in the Solo Division of RAAM.  A limited number of cyclists do so every year.  Doug is among an elite group of ultra-endurance racers who have achieved RAAM Qualified status.

His qualification is good for two years following the year of qualification.  After that he will have to re-qualify.  Once having raced Solo RAAM and finished, you are qualified for life. Finishing RAAM will qualify him to become a member of a very exclusive club.

Congratulations on your achievement, Doug! We look forward to seeing many more pictures!

 Men's Jerseys are currently available in the HBC store. 

 Women's jerseys need to be ordered, so please place your orders, ladies! 

Minutes of the HBC Club Meeting

3/12/2025

7:27 p.m. Karen Gellert opened the meeting

New members:

John Collesidis

Rich - potential new member

Karen mentioned a  concert 4/6/2025  at the Northport Library and encouraged members to attend.

Minutes from 11/2024 meeting - motion Scott Gross and seconded by Jeff Goldstein

Karen introduced the Board and Officers and our webmaster, Malachy O’Connor

Karen - This will be her last year as President after being President for 5 years; she encouraged everyone to meet people on rides this year and identify qualified candidates to take on the President role

Karen reviewed the financials since Anthony could not be at the meeting

Biggest expense is Insurance

Gold Coast jerseys - there were kits for try-on at the meeting which are by Voler and they are the classic fit with full zippers - $75.00; have to order by 5/20/2025 in order to have by the Gold Coast; they are on the website in the store or on the Gold Coast page; $7.00 shipping fee.

Huntington Bicycle Club jerseys - $70.00 on sale here at the meeting or at the Store (Club Jerseys)

There also are some of the older jerseys in the Store

There are jerseys from George Fabian, men’s Larges; and woman’s mediums in the back of the room - take for free

John Greene - Ride Chairman and VP - he will not be running again after this year; Ken Abbott - newest Ride Leader in Training and he is doing a ride this Tuesday

John presented Ride Leader jerseys to Pam Rogers, Bruce Wessinger and Dan Panzenbeck

Awards qualifications for Ride Leaders were reduced from 10 to 8 points

Need more Ride Leaders

Sweeping is a good way to see the Ride Leader role from the back of the ride

John - Oldest member in the club - Tony Barrone, happy 92^nd birthday!

Sal Levy - 310 members; 5 new members

Series of 3 emails reminding a member of upcoming membership renewal

Can renew from your member profile

List of members on the website - Membership Directory not comprehensive b/c 73 people have opted out of being in the directory

Karen - Gold Coast

Mary Lewin designed  this year’s Gold Coast logo

Registration opens 3/15/2025 - info is on the website, but you can go ahead and volunteer now-Hit the green button to volunteer, pick position desired and then “Add this Volunteer”

Sponsorship for GC is also on the website

New mobile app - Club Express

Free

Go to Home Page on the Website

Go to the App Store (Apple or Android) and log in with Email and Password

Can manage rides if Ride Leader

Malachy played the video he recorded for using the new app

Webmaster@hbc.com - email this to get help with adding/deleting channels and Malachy will help

Chat is a really useful tool within the app

Once in Chat, can change channels and see the chat for each of the channels

Karen - Really only works if everyone on the ride is using the app; cannot send a chat to someone who does not have the mobile app

Can find the chat under Social Media on the website

Karen and Tom showed slides of their trips to Scotland in October and Portugal in January

John Collesidis won the 50/50 for $64

8:43 p.m. Pam Rogers made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Mary Lewin seconded the motion