School board gives final go-ahead for bike track


Bikers work on a mountain bike pump track similar to what has been proposed for Twin Valley Elementary School.

WILMINGTON- The construction of a “pump track” at Twin Valley Elementary School, proposed almost two years ago, got a final stamp of approval from school board members at their regular meeting Tuesday evening.
A “pump track” is a circular cycling track with a series of moguls, explained Mike Purcell, who has championed the proposal through the approval process.  The idea is for cyclists to peddle up to speed, then maintain their momentum by hopping, or “pumping,” from mogul to mogul, circling the track without the use of peddles.
Purcell, of the Hoot, Toot, and Whistle Bike Club, first discussed the idea of a track at the school during a school board meeting more than two years ago, as part of a pitch to improve and develop trails on the 27-acre school property.  Last November, Purcell brought the proposal to the selectboard, seeking $2,250 in funding from the town’s 1% local option tax fund.  
Purcell said the track would serve as a  “jumping-off point” for the trail network and attract off-road cyclists to the spot.  But in in addition to the cycling use, Purcell said the trails could also be used for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, as well as school use for physical education activities and outdoor education.  The proposed track would cost $4,800 and, in addition to the $2,250 from the selectboard, Purcell said he also raised money through a grant and some funds will be provided by the Hoot, Toot, and Whistle club.
Purcell told selectboard members that the track was meant to be primarily for community use, although the school would be free to use it.  But selectboard members balked at using 1% money for a project on school property, recalling a warning from their legal counsel not to use 1% funds for any education-related expense.  
They contacted the town attorney, who replied that they should contact Vermont Secretary of Education Rebecca Holcombe for her opinion on the proposal.
In late February the board received their answer from Holcombe’s office, which said that if the funds would not be used for education and would be used for a track open to all community users, there would be no violation of the law.  The board voted unanimously to approve the funding.
At Tuesday evening’s meeting, Purcell told board members that his interest in developing trails and a track at the school began a couple of years ago when he got involved in after-school programs.  Since then, he has helped develop easy trails suitable for cycling and student use on the school property.  But he also saw what he called “a no-man’s land” adjacent to the trailhead, where the club has installed an informational kiosk.  “It’s about the size of this room,” he told board members, motioning to the Twin Valley Elementary School library.  “The idea is to have a series of piles of dirt so people can peddle then ‘pump’ around the track.  Kids – and adults – can have a blast doing it.”
Purcell said the school grounds are a perfect after-hours place for children to develop their cycling skills, with beginners practicing their balance and peddling skills on the paved area around the school, and more advanced riders on the trails.  
“It becomes quite a little park here on weekends,” Purcell said.  “This is meant to be an asset to the campus.”
Purcell said his club has already proposed a set of rules, but would be happy to include any rules the school proposed.  “It would only be available to the public during non-school hours, helmets are required, and no dogs are allowed.  But ultimately, the rules are whatever the school decides.”
School board members unanimously approved the proposal.  Purcell said work on the track could begin as soon as May, and could be finished in as little as a week.  “The contractor we intend to engage, this is what they do for work,” he said.  “He’ll come and build this and it’ll be done in a week and that’s it, rather than trying to get volunteers together and build it ourselves.”

The Deerfield Valley News

797 VT Route 100 North
Wilmington, VT 05363

Phone: 802-464-3388
Fax: 802-464-7255

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