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Focus road bike, SOLD

Hello Riders!

The snow is melting, the days are getting warmer, the sun is staying up longer. A busy ride season is just around the corner.

At our Zoom member meeting on February 24, our guest speaker, Earl Ostrander, presented us with a review of First Aid. Covered situations included head injury, bleeding, sprain and fracture, heat exhaustion and stroke, loss of tooth, frostbite, and when to call the ambulance. If you were unable to attend, it might be a good time to review this matter in any way you can on your own.

I am happy to announce that Earl Ostrander will join us for another session on First Aid.   Please join us for this important topic.  After Earl's session, we will hold our regular business meeting.

Due to PA COVID Guidelines, LWA Monthly meeting will be remote via Zoom.

See the Meetup for Zoom details.

Check out this recent article about Community Bike Works in Bicycling Magazine:

 https://www.bicycling.com/repair/a35235930/student-bike-repairs/ 

I am happy to announce that Rose Hulbert of "Rosie's Boot Camp" will join us to kick off our first LWA Monthly Meeting of 2021.  You can learn more about Rosie on her website: https://www.rosiesbootcamp.com/

I know that some LWA members know Rosie from her work at local fitness centers and boot camps and she will be leading us in an online fitness routine meant to help us stay in shape for cycling.  So join online and be prepared for some physical activities and what I promise will be a fun time.

Tom Smull was a LWA member and joined many of us on LWA rides. 

Please keep Tom and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/mcall/obituary.aspx?pid=197463405

The LWA officers and board members have discussed this week’s announcement by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that the additional COVID-19 restrictions, in effect since early December, will be lifted as of January 4.

The LWA Board decided that with the lifting of these restrictions, LWA should now permit group rides starting Monday, January 4 with a limit of 6 riders with these conditions followed by all riders:

All riders must be free of any COVID related symptoms for the past 14 days. If you are feeling sick, please do not ride!

* No more than 6 riders per group. Day-of ride walk-ons will not be permitted - you must RSVP through MeetUp to reserve your spot.

* Social Distancing is required. Masks/face coverings must be carried with you at all times and used when within 6 feet of other people. (e.g., in the parking lot, at rest stops, if stopped to help with repairs.)

As Jack Helfrich reported in a LWA BLOG and email earlier this week, we delivered gift cards totaling $1625, which were donated by 22 different Lehigh Wheelmen Association members and families, for the Sixth Street Shelter and Turning Point Lehigh Valley.

Two letters of thanks that we recently received.

The LWA officers and board members discussed today the COVID-19 situation faced by our country, state, and local communities.

The LWA Board, which is comprised of the elected officers and board members, met tonight, and decided that all LWA rides are suspended from December 12 until 8:00 AM on January 4, which coincides with the increased PA COVID-19 restriction announced by PA Governor Wolf on December 10.

We think this suspension of LWA rides will protect our members and aligns with our overall communities’ need to take actions that can help stop the spread of this terrible virus.

The LWA Leadership Team will continue to monitor the situation and update you as we approach January 4.

On December 6, we remotely held our LWA Holiday party and December meeting with about 20 members in attendance. 

Holding this event online instead of in person, was disappointing because for many of us this event is the ending highlight of a great cycling year but given the current COVID situation, we had no other choice.

The Virtual Holiday Party was held on December 6. Ride Leaders who led greater than or equal to 10 rides from December 2019 through November 2020 were recognized. Their names appear here. This year, in appreciation from the Lehigh Wheelmen, they will recieve gift cards to their preferred Local Bike Shop. An email will be forthcoming.

Our Ride Leader of the year is Tom Donnelly, with 53 rides.

THANK YOU to ALL of our Ride Leaders !

Tom Donnelly               53

At our November LWA monthly meeting last night, we discussed how LWA members can demonstrate their active membership in order to benefit from discounts at local bike shops.

These discounts are one of the great benefits of being an active LWA member and you can find the participating bike shops on: 

LWA Members, 

Here we are in Mid-November and we are just a little under a month away from nominating and voting in our 2021 LWA Directors and Officers. (please note: this year's election of officers will be completed by online voting)

Nominations are still be accepted.  Please reach out to Mike Solliday (msolliday@gmail.com) Jack Helffrich (jackhelffrich@hotmail.com) Kathy Zapotachi (retocki@ptd.net) or myself. 

Below is the list of candidates:  

President - Rich Ferrara

It has been an interesting year to be the Lehigh Wheelmen Touring VP…An interesting year in general! 

We are well into Fall, and I wish to thank many of our outstanding Ride Leaders. We have some who have chosen to sit out the season in light of Covid concerns. Others have taken on the task with the LWA mitigation guidelines in full effect.

Thank you also to our riders! Your patience as we learned how to deal with a pandemic did not go unnoticed. It was a challenge in the beginning, but your Board Members found suitable solutions in an effort to keep us safe.

As of Oct 1, with ride sheets still arriving and data being updated, below are the Ride Totals over the shortened season thus far. So very appreciated!

 LWA Members,

WOW, I can't believe it's been three years since I've been elected.  I am proud to be the  President of USA Cycling 2019 Club of the Year Division III, LWA. 

Time flies, right? Since the day I accepted the challenge, life has changed. We've seen changes in rides and life due to COVID-19 and changes in our membership.  Yes, we've gained members, and lost members over the years. Our membership continues to be a major challenge, with 1,860 Meetup Members, yet actual LWA Club membership hoovers around 360.  This tells me we have potential to grow our membership. I've got ideas, but I have no time left as President. That's right, my time has come, three years and done. 

Along the way, I've worked with some terrific LWA Volunteers, our Past President & Treasurer, Dave Sheffield, Past VP of Touring, Jim Fullerton and current VP of Touring, Kathy Crampton; Past VP of Racing, Glenn Davis; Secretary, Christine Penn and past Secretary Kathy Crampton; Directors, Bert Mukkulainen, Rich Ferrera, Bruce Kantor, Dick McCreight and past director, Carl Zvanut; Membership, Richard Baldock and Rob Smith, Webmaster, Dave Drummer; and past Newsletter Editor Jean Black.  Hats off to all Ride Leaders for leading the rides over the past three years and to all of the Club Members, for just being you, showing up for rides, volunteering and joing in on the Grill N Chills.  Yes, life has changed!   

This brings me to "Presidental Election Time", not only for US President but for LWA Club Membership.  First, I'd like to announce the Nomination Committee: Jack Helffrich (jackhelffrich@hotmail.com), Mike Solliday(msolliday@gmail.com) and Kathie Zapotocki (retocki@ptd.net) and myself, Roberta Kates (heybert@ptd.net).