Uxbridge Times THE NEW
Established in 1991 Vol. 31 • Issue 8
Over 21,000 Copies Mailed Free
UxbrIdge • North UxbrIdge • LINwood • doUgLas • NorthbrIdge • whItINsVILLe • sUttoN • MaNchaUg
aUgUst 2022
Mountain Bike Skills Park Opening at West Hill Dam In early 2020, the Blackstone Valley Chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) proposed an idea for a mountain bike skills park to be built at West Hill Dam. NEMBA is a community of mountain bikers committed to creating epic riding experiences, preserving open space, and guiding the future of mountain biking in New England. The Blackstone Valley Chapter covers the suburbs west of Boston and in southeast Worcester County.
Twice a week since May, teams of volunteers have gathered to build trails, construct features, and support each other in this endeavor. The park will help beginner through expert riders further advance their skills and become more confident on their bikes.
West Hill Dam has 15+ trails, named from the military alphabet, that are multi-use for bikers, hikers, and horseback riders. It offered a perfect location
Douglas Open Space & Recreation Plan Public Forums Photo Contest will highlight favorite places The Douglas Open Space and Recreation Plan Committee will host a two-part public forum to give the public a chance to listen to an overview of the plan, review survey results and discuss the plan’s draft goals. Danielle Marini of the Central Massachusetts
POSTAL PATRON
Regional Planning Commission will lead the presentations. The first forum will be held on Wednesday, August 24th at 7:00 p.m. at the Municipal Center at 29 Depot Street. The public is urged to attend in person or to participate virtually via this Zoom link https://us02web.zoom. us/j/85718859392. Part Two of the public forum will be PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID BOSTON, MA PERMIT NO 55800
ECRWSS
held on Saturday, August 27th. Folks are encouraged to swing by the Old Douglas Town Common anytime between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. to share their suggestions and vision for the future of open space and recreation in Douglas. Refreshments provided! As part of the presentations the public is asked to submit photos of their favorite Douglas open space and recre-
ation images to dmarini@cmrpc.org. All submitted photos will be included in the Open Space and Recreation Plan. At the workshops attendees will vote for favorite photos, and the winner will be selected for the cover of the plan! To be considered in the contest, please submit all photos by Friday, August 12th. If possible, please provide highresolution photos.
Misgivings a “Divine” Comedy A “Divine” comedy of belly laughs, blessings, blarney and bingo! Join is for an evening of fun and fellowship on Saturday, Sept. 17th at St. Denis Church, Douglas as Father Patrick Aloysius Misgivings relates his stories and one-liners about growing up Catholic. Adults (21+) only.
Doors open at 4:45 pm, show starts at 5:30 pm. Tickets are $20 p.p. Purchase tickets online at SaintDenisChurch.com, in person after all Masses in August and early September, or call the Rectory at 508-476-2002. Don’t miss this delightfully entertaining and uplifting one man show!
to develop this area. The new mountain bike friendly park gives the opportunity for beginner through expert riders to further advance their skills and become more confident on their bikes. It gives people in the community a new place to go for outdoor recreation. It is free for all to use, publicly accessible, and totally unique to the area. Blackstone Valley NEMBA was awarded a Signature Trail Grant through the New England Mountain Bike Association to help fund the project. Koopman Lumber, Uxbridge Police Association, and the US Army Corps of Engineers at West Hill Dam have also donated as well as other private donors to make the Skills Park come to fruition. Blackstone Valley NEMBA broke ground in March 2022 to prepare the approximately ¾ acre plot of land, located next to the Charlie trail. The Rangers at the dam have helped clear the land and make it more usable. Once the land was cleared the volunteers got to work on planning and building. Twice a week since May, teams of volunteers have gathered to build trails, construct features, and support each other in this endeavor. As the end of this first phase of building is nearing, the majority of construction work has been completed. There are over 20 features that have been created this summer, including kid-sized features for even the smallest riders to build their skills on. The second phase of building will commence in Spring of 2023, with more exciting trails and features in the works. On August 21st, at 9:00 a.m. Blackstone Valley NEMBA will have an official Grand Opening of the Skills Park. We invite the community to come see (and ride!) what we’ve built. There will be music, food and contests to showcase and celebrate everything that has been built for the community to enjoy.
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