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September 2020 Maine Snowmobiler 1

The Maine Snowmobiler United we trail, divided we fail www.mesnow.com An Official Publication of the Maine Snowmobile Association September 2020 • Vol. 51 • No. 1 MSA, PO Box 80, Augusta ME 04332

MSA Celebrates Deserving Award Winners By Mike Grass Jr., MSA President

State of Maine Snowmobile Program, 22 SHS, Augusta,

MSA Safety Chair. His work as Safety Chair has seen him travel all over the state, talking to kids of all ages and adults too, educat- ing hundreds if not thousands of the importance of snowmobiling safely. He also talks about chain- saws and other tools during these talks. He knows a lot about safety after working in a paper mill for over 30 years and has taken courses to make himself better. When Al talks about safety and snowmobile accidents and deaths, it is very hard for him. He really cares about all of us “extended family” snowmobilers and it’s very upsetting to him when some- one gets hurt or worse. I’ve known Al for about 10 years and when it came time to

choose a person to be my Vice President, I couldn’t think of a better person. His love of Maine, friendships he’s made all over the state with snowmobilers and his genuine desire to make the MSA better made it an easy decision. He was a little skeptical at first, but he has been an asset to me and the MSA since taking on that role. I couldn’t think of a more deserving, humble and caring per- son to nominate for the 2019-2020 MSA Snowmobiler of the Year than Alan Swett. Congratulations to a great person and friend. Can’t wait to get back out on the trail to celebrate with some snow dust! To go along with Al, how about the Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club? They are the 2019-2020

MSA “Number 1 Club”. When all the memberships were counted, they had 1001 members! What an accomplishment. Their whole team, Mike, Mary, Missy, Jonny, Tyler and a whole cast of charac- ters make it happen every year in Rangeley. With a fleet of 5, yes 5 Piston Bully groomers and drags, they maintain 165 miles of trail in the Rangeley/Oquossac area. With many loops and destinations on their system, many people flock to the Rangeley area and the RLSC makes sure they join their club. Having that many members (1001) is a lot of work for the membership person(s). The RLSC is working with MSA to develop an easier way for clubs to process membership. MSA hopes to have a new system in place in the next couple of years as implementation unfolds. As with all clubs, RLSC is a close knit, hardworking bunch. Each year they host the RLSC Snodeo, one of the biggest snow- mobile events in Maine. Most snowmobilers have heard of this event and it is one of their biggest revenue generators, but they also have many other events like sup- pers and auctions. Their revenue generating ideas are extremely productive and they have to be with a grooming budget some- where north of $200,000 each sea- son. To say they get it done is an understatement. They get it done and then some. Rangeley is a Maine Snowmo- biling destination and the RLSC makes sure that every rider enjoys their stay and the trails in the Rangeley area. A very deserving and hardworking group, Congrat- ulations to the Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club 2020 MSA Club of the Year.

Maine 04333 By Joe Higgins., Supervisor

I hope all of you have had a safe and family-oriented summer. With everything going on around us, it is easy to get caught up in the things we can’t do, or don’t have. I’d like to look at all the things we do have here in Maine and can do. I’ve always thought that we have a great state to live in and bring up our families. I think in theses troubling times around the world it is even more obvious that we live in one of the safest and bests states in the country. The best out- door recreational opportunities are right here. Some of the best camping, hiking, biking and site seeing. are just outside our door steps. We truly are blessed, so get to that place you have never been for some great scenery and fresh air, you’ll, be glad you did. On another note Snowmobile clubs really need your help, this year more then any other time it is important to join and support the trails you ride by joining a snow- mobile club. These volunteers cut brush, build bridges and groom trails so we can have a great expe- rience. Statewide these clubs have not been able to host there many fund raisers to help pay for the many expenses they accrue. So please help them by joining and ask about the Super Raffle and possibly get drawn to win a new snowmobile. I for one am very excited for the upcoming snowmobile sea- son and think we are going to have another positive and fun filled year snowmobiling here in Maine. The municipal and club

Back in March, Covid-19 dis- rupted everyone’s plans, includ- ing the MSA Awards Banquet in April. With no big banquet or crowded room to announce and celebrate our award winners, we went to social media and made “winners videos” to let the world know who the winners were in each category. While we had fun making the videos, they still weren’t enough. We have traveled to many places already this fall to personally present some awards and thank these people/clubs in person. Two of the winner are the 2019-2020 MSA Snowmobiler of the Year, Alan Swett and the “2019-2020 MSA Number 1 Club”, Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club. Alan Swett has been a relent- less volunteer for the MSA. Since 1995 he has helped MSA in many ways. He has carried the title of “unofficial/official MSA Photographer” for many years and recently took on the role of Al Swett receiving his award or “Maine Snowmobiler of The Year”

Rangeley Lakes SC receiving “#1 Snowmobile Club of The Year” award

Continued on Page 23

Continued on Page 23

2 September 2020 Maine Snowmobiler

Maine’s Snowmobile Funding Dodges the First Blow By John Monk, Chairman, MSA Steering Committee monksdoomopars@hermon.net

Most of you probably saw recently through MSA communi- cation as well as many websites of a possible sweep of funding for our program. It was truly factual and communicated to us that the governor did ask the DAFC to look at a possible 10% budget cut for the next budget cycle. We can’t express enough the thanks we would like to offer to all of you that communicated with your legislators of how our money gets allocated. An over- whelmingly amount of constitu- ents reported back and stated “I did not know that”. This resulted in exactly what should happen when you communicate with the ones that were elected to handle these issues. We truly believe that the immediate alarm and flurry of passionate riders curtailed that thought in a big hurry. It also now confirms that MSA/ORV pro- grams could not have planned the Economic Impact Study reveal in anymore of a timely fashion. While we are not even close to being out of the woods in the big picture, we seemed to have kicked the can further down the road. During these idle times, please continue to stay on your game and use this “Legislative Rain Delay” to educate your new incoming representatives that this is a strong passionate group that love what we do and will not lay down to a sweep of the funds. This industry is truly operates off “self-gener- ated logic” and should we cease it; the income output would be horrific. At the end of the day, The State of Maine is who wins the most with the least invested. (Except maybe the “Miles for Smiles”, where we totally got this nailed) Speaking of funding, in 2015 the MSA did support legislation to increase registration fees. The outcome was successful and as demonstrated by the wealth of data generated by ORV program, snowmobiling has adequately been functioning. At that time the Maine Legislature asked, “How soon before we see you back again”? In our plan, we had cho- sen to revisit this in five years. Guess where we are folks!

MSA is planning to stay on schedule and roll (or ZOOM, pun intended) into Augusta this fall with a unified plan for a registra- tion increase in the upcoming leg- islative session. As you can imag- ine, this will offer a whole new host of processes especially with the legislature on an untimely vacation. As mentioned, our goal is to come in with a plan that is best as possible, reasonable, func- tional, and clearly defined but includes everyone’s input. HERE’S YOUR HOMEWORK MSA has asked all clubs to sub- mit on their club letterhead to the MSA before NOVEMBER 1st their thoughts of what you feel would be a good funding proposal. All will be added to a spread sheet and discussed in the best way pos- sible with a single proposal to be brought forward. These discus- sions have been ongoing for over a year now and MSAwas in hopes to have this all done at our meet- ings this fall. Due to gathering concerns, we will now try using this procedure. Currently on the table is a base proposal that has been aired with reasonable positive response from clubs that have already responded. Ten dollar increase to residents to include five dollars directly to the Snowmobile Trail Fund and five dollars directly to the Capital Equipment Fund. Twenty dollar increase to non-residents to include ten dol- lars directly to the Snowmobile Trail Fund and 10 dollars directly to the Capital Equipment Fund. For added info, the STF is the pot that all grants to the clubs for doing their general trail and groomer maintenance are allo- cated from. This, in our eyes would be considered as your yearly funding if your club has a club or municipal grant. The CEG is the fund that funds all new/used purchases for grooming equip- ment and has not been increased since its inception in 1998. This category clearly has not kept pace with the increased cost of groom- ing equipment. The MSA would also like to add that our outside neighbors do take a bit of a bigger hit here. We have quietly watched

other venues to ride and clearly we are the most cost effective option available with what resources are provided. We believe our fees still continue to offer the most with the least hassle and hope that you would agree. Please feel free to weigh in so your voice is heard! But, please be a member of a

Maine club. MSA would kindly ask all the clubs and projects to not take this lightly. Please have open discus- sion at your meetings and give us your honest feedback. We recog- nize that any increase in these try- ing times is difficult to consider, but the more people we keep in

the game, the less load that will have to be carried by all. Remember, NOVEMBER 1st deadline. As always, thanks for the con- tinued level of volunteerism and please be safe, John Monk

Octoberber MSA Directors Meeting Tuesday, October 20, 2020 Ossipee Mountaineers Snowmobile Club, East Waterboro Executive Committee meeting will be held on Thursday, October 15 th at 6:30 pm via GoToMeeting. Please watch your email for login information MSA Directors Meeting - Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at 6:30 pm At the Ossipee Mountaineers Snowmobile Club Located at 275 Old Alfred Rd, East Waterboro, ME 04030 Due to the current Covid-19 restrictions, a meal will not be served. Please RSVP to the office at 207-622-6983 or msa@ mesnow.com as space is limited.

MSA Directors Pot O Gold At the August Directors meeting, the Barnstormers Snowmobile Club from Hallowell was drawn for the MSA Pot O Gold. No MSA director being present, the prize was forfeited.

September 2020 Maine Snowmobiler 3

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Director’s Meeting August 18, 2020

4 September 2020 Maine Snowmobiler

August 18, 2020 Maine Snowmobile Association Director’s Meeting Secretary’s Report At 67:00 pm, President Mike Grass Jr. called the meeting to order. Secretary’s Report: There was no Secretary’s Report as this was the first meeting of the season. Treasurer’s Report: Lori Hem- merdinger read the Treasurer’s Report. President, Mike Grass Jr. welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked everyone for attending. Mike stated that golf tournament was very suc- cessful with the most players ever as well as generating the most income ever. It was a great event all around. Mike stated that the free registration weekend would be March 5 – 7, 2021. Chairman of the Steering Commit- tee, John Monk stated that the Legis- lators are not currently in session due to Covid. The MSA has discussed a $10.00 increase for residents with $5.00 being allocated to the trail sys- tem and $5.00 to the Capital Equip- ment Grant and a $20.00 increase for nonresidents with $10 trails & $10 Capital being allocated. John also requested that everyone reach out to their respective clubs and ask for a response in writing as to what they feel would be a reasonable/accept- able, club voted and supported reg- istration increase. John is hopefully that the Economic Impact Study will show the Legislature the importance of the increase. John also discussed a contest for clubs that are selling Super Raffle tickets. Wildwoods in Brown- ville has donated two cabins and meal vouchers as well as discounted addi- tional nights. A drawing will be held to decide the winner. DACF Snowmobile Program, Joe Higgins stated that the Municipal and Club Grant applications were mailed last week. Joe mentioned that all clubs with upcoming projects need to send project descriptions to the office so that Landowner Liability can be covered. An additional field position within DACF has been approved and interviews are currently being held. This position will help clubs with permitting, landowner relations and licensing. Joe will be attending a meeting with the Governor’s office to learn more about potential budget cuts due to Covid-19. Joe will follow up with the Snowmobile Advisory Council as more information becomes available. Bailey Grant a retired War-

den has come on board to help with the Downeast Trails Rail Bed as well as Club and Landowner relations. Joe stated that the Madison Branch is still in the works and he is very hopeful that the agreement will be signed. Joe reviewed DACF financials which showed that registrations were down slightly last year at $3,005,765 vs $3,150,138. In addition, the Gas Tax is also down significantly due to Covid-19 particularly in May and June resulting in approximately $56,000.00 less compared to the same months in 2019. Gas Tax is currently down approximately 16% and if this continues, it will result in $200,000 less revenue for the program. Joe stated that clubs have requested $300,000 worth of funding for bridge repair this year alone. These projects will be prioritized but not all will be covered. Joe is hopeful that Municipal Grants will stay the same as last year. However, there is uncertainty for the 2021/2022 season and all clubs are encouraged to budget wisely. Joe also spoke about USDA and TIF Grants and encourages clubs to apply for these. Executive Vice President, Alan Swett thanked everyone for attending the meeting. Al thanked the Steering Committee for their hard work. Al stated that weather you are a big club or small we all make it happen and he is very proud of what we do. We have the best trails of the Northeast. Western Region, Jim Boyce stated that he has been busy all summer and discussed the issues caused by ATV’s. Trails are being closed due to littering and off trail riding. Jim wanted to be sure that snowmobilers realize that we are lumped in with the negative image and fears that we could begin to lose our trails because of other groups. Eastern Region, Eileen Lafland stated that Eastern Region is getting going. Clubs are requesting Raffle Tickets. Coastal Region, Dave Watson stated that things are starting up and clubs are eager for Raffle Tickets. Dave stated that there have been mul- tiple issues with ATV’s in the region. The Ossippee Mountaineers has had to cancel their swap meet due to Covid. Dave encouraged everyone to sell Raffle Tickets and register their sleds. Trails Committee, Mark Chinnock stated the Trails Committee has had their first meeting and they are cur- rently working on changes with the

ITS Map. The Committee is in close contact with DACF regarding these changes as well as the contract for this season. Mapping meetings will also be held within each region and the deadline for changes will be Septem- ber 15th. Mark will be holding work- shops around the state and he can be contacted if a particular region would like to host an additional workshop. Mark discussed the importance of the Super Raffle this year, as it will be our only fundraiser. Mark encouraged each club to sell tickets and suggested that clubs set up tables on Election Day at their Town’s polling locations. Safety, Alan Swett stated he is con- cerned with the additional electronics on newer sleds such as navigation as this will lead to distracted driving and inevitably cause accidents. Al would like to see the implementation of ride lights on rental sleds this year and will be discussing this with Mike Sawyer at IF&W. The Rescue Boggin pro- gram will continue this year and Al is researching grant money. Posters will be available again this year andAl can be contacted if they are needed. Hall of Fame, Beth Bowie encour- aged everyone to reach out to last year’s inductees and congratulate them. Beth will be updating the appli- cation and it will be posted on the website. The Committee is looking for additional members and would like representation from each region. This would enable them have first-

hand input on nominees. Hospitality, Gail Ryan – Gail was not in attendance but did relay a message asking that when requests are made for cards that the recipients address be included. This will expe- dite the mailing. Unfinished Business: President, Mike Grass Jr discussed the following topics: Super Raffle prizes have been secured and is off to a great start. Mike encouraged every club to sell tickets. Maine Snowmobiler Newspaper - Mike encouraged everyone to help sell advertisements in the Maine Snowmobiler. Additional marketing materials and the order form can be found on the website. Club News deadline dates will also be published on the website. All club news must be submitted electrically and a new online submittal form is currently being created. More info to follow. Maine Snowmobile Show – Mike stated that the show has been can- celed due to the attendance restric- tions related to Covid-19 and the lack of vendor interes6t. Membership Packages – Mike stated that packets have been com- pleted and will be distributed to the clubs. New Business: Budget – Mike Grass Jr. stated that the 2020/2021 Budget was voted on and approved in at the E-Board meet-

ing. Since all attendees at the Direc- tor’s Meeting attended, the E-Board meeting a Director’s vote was not needed. MSA Store – Mike Grass Jr. stated that Lori Hemmerdinger has launched the MSA Online Store. There is a wide selection of merchandise and the MSA will not have to maintain an inventory. Orders will be placed online through and will be shipped directly to the customer. MSA will collect a margin on each item. Showcase Rides – Mike Grass Jr. requested that all VPs plan showcase rides in their region. These rides were very successful last year and enable folks to experience new locations. Director’s Regional Meeting schedule: September – Central October – Coastal November – President’s Night (location needed – centrally located) December – Super Raffle January – Western February – Eastern March – Northern April – Annual Banquet at Jeff’s Catering Pot-O-Gold – Barnstormers Snow- mobile Club – Hallowell. They were not present. 50/50 winner – Jack Lord The meeting adjourned at 8:10 pm. Respectfully submitted, Lori Hemmerdinger MSA Secretary

Jill St. Peter, LUTCF

Walk in, Mail in, Call in, Click in ® 319 Wilson Street Brewer, Maine 04412-1504 Jill.stpeter.jb4s@statefarm.com Bus 207-989-1288 • Fax 207-989-6697

While I don’t know how accurate it is, the Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a brutally cold and snowy winter. I say, bring it on. The snowmobile clubs and groomers know how to handle whatever is thrown at them. Clubs are already gearing up. I’ve seen notices for meetings starting up, following social distancing rules and such. A lot of clubs posting pictures of bush hogging, bridge decking and brush cutting too. It has begun. MSA is hoping for a banner season with high registration numbers. Remember, the Canadian border is closed, so many of those riders that normally cross into Canada to ride, may find themselves enjoying the trails of Maine. We can only hope that mother nature cooperates too. I for one, am super excited for this season. After all this Covid stuff we’ve been adhering to, I need some quality time with my snowmobile, which, by the way, counts as social distancing. The fall road trip season has From the President going on. He’s all Maine although he still sounds like a New Yorker! The Eastern VP is Eileen Lafland ,she has a very large area and tagging along with her all the way is husband Larry, This dynamic duo are a piece of the MSA foundation. They will travel anywhere in this large state because of their passion for our sport. Thanks for all you do! Up north Matt Stedman is quite a young man with lots of intelligent ideas The Northern region is well represented by Matt and we are very fortunate to have him with us. He has a strong work ethic and gets involved with many other organizations to promote outdoor activities in Maine. The County has lots of land and Matt gets it done while riding a Polaris! Thanks Matt The Central region is represented by Paul McCarty he has the heart of Maine’s trails and is available for you needs. Well there you have the area VPs if you need help call them or email them. The MSA website will help you find your way. We have nearly 300 clubs and over 14,000 miles of trails; we have From the Executive VP

September 2020 Maine Snowmobiler 5

Scholarship Committee

H ey Maine Snowmobilers, the 2020-2021 snowmobile season is almost here. This is the first official newspaper for the upcoming season and you’re receiving it because you registered a snowmobile in Maine last season. A lot going on in the MSA office to get ready for the “record breaking” seasonwe are expecting. Club packets have been sent out. Super raffle tickets are being sold as I type and Susie is taking a ton of phone calls from snowmobilers from all over the northeast. To say we are excited would be an understatement. A big USDA grant announcement last week by Senator Collins saying $411,365 in new groomer grants for Ft. Kent, St. Agatha, Portage, Roxbury, and Dexter. Can you say “Wow.” Now let’s add about $430,000 in grants from the Capital Equipment Fund. All 33 CEG applicants were funded this year! Lots of new grooming equipment for this year to make the white ribbon that much better.

This money makes a huge difference to the well deserving recipients, the cost of a college education continues to soar and has become nearly impossible for families to fund without help from programs like the MSA scholarship. The committee likes to award two or more $1,000 each year from a combination of interest on our fund and fundraisers like 50/50 at the annual MSA Show. Well as you know the Show has been cancelled this year and we can really use your help. Every bit helps, many of our clubs do their own scholarships for much deserving students in their areas but this year more than ever we could use your support too. Each year many clubs send in donations of $25, $50 or $100 makes a difference. If you are interested in hearing more about this great program, we are happy to provide it or even visit your club to share with all your members. On behalf of myself and all of the MSA, thanks for your interest and support. Sincerely Harvey Chesley, Chair MSA Scholarship Committee

Mike Grass, 207-368-2316 249 Condon Rd, Plymouth ME 04969 mgrassjr@gmail.com officially started as the MSA Steering Committee has already been to Rangeley and Brownville to honor some really deserving people of our snowmobiling family. Many more trips on the itinerary before snow flies. Looking forward to seeing you all out on the trails this winter. I’m getting my snow dance shoes shined up. Until next month… Think Snow! Mike Grass, MSA President many supporting businesses that we can’t do without. Please join a club. We have the best trails in the Northeast. I’m proud to say that. Our sport brought over $606 million into this state in one year. All on the hard work and determination of volunteers they make it happen!

H ello fellow snowmobilers and welcome back, what a long, strange summer it has been since COVID 19 took over our lives in March. I hope this publication finds everyone in good spirit and health. The September edition of theMSA paper is the best opportunity for the scholarship committee to get our message out about the scholarship program. For more than 30 years the MSA has offered scholarships to any family member in good standing going on to any post high school education program, over that time this awesome program has given out almost $100,00 in scholarship awards. Harvey Chesley, Scholarship Trustee 207-426-9051 25 Hillcrest Dr, Clinton ME 04927 harv.chesley@gmail.com

Ride Right Ride Safe Thanks, AL

W I’d like to introduce you to the area Vice Presidents. In the Coastal region Dave Watson, he’s been a great VP for many years and has quite an area that stretches from Kittery up the Maine Coast. Dave is always involved and has great ideas that keep his region in tiptop shape! And, he has a Cushman EZ GO, black in color! Thanks Dave Let’s go West, Jim Boyce is a new VP with a strong passion for the sport. A hard worker, he puts in long days and nights. The Western region has some of the larger clubs in the state and Jim keeps them up to date with what’s Alan Swett, 207-872-7282 234 County Rd, Waterville ME 04901 snowtraveler@roadrunner.com

Treasurer’s Report

Dated August 18, 2020

Monthly Income Monthly Expense

$ 9,591.92 $ 9,970.30 $(378.38) $ 22,800.72 $ 18,265.31 $ 53,601.06 $ 1,284.71 $ -

Net Revenue

Checking (7/31/20)

Dedicated Account (7/31/20) Credit Line (7/31/20) Building Fund (7/31/20) Brian Wass Safety Fund (7/31/20)

Lori Hemmerdinger (207) 890-5455 544 Plains Road Poland, ME 04274 Treasurer@mesnow.com

Respectfully Submitted, Lori Hemmerdinger, Treasurer

Eastern Region VP

6 September 2020 Maine Snowmobiler

H ello Snowmobilers! What a crazy seven to eight months these last ones have been! Mid March- great snow condi- tions in portions of the state and many people still looking to ride, then BAM- COVID-19 becomes a household name and a world wide pandemic. Businesses shut down, trails no longer groomed, every type of meeting you could think of was cancelled, no large gatherings, schools going virtual and so much more happened. Since then phrases such as social distancing and wear a mask have become common place. We still aren’t allowed to gather in large groups but at least businesses are opening in some ways. To make matters even more diffi- cult, Mother Nature decided this would be the summer of the three H’s- hazy, hot and humid! What ever we all did to make the pow- ers that be angry at us, we need to stop doing so we can attempt to get back to something more normal. With fall approaching clubs are looking to start their activities and get memberships on track. So many clubs have lost their abil- ity to sell Super Raffle tickets at the fairs as they have been can- celled for this year, so they will be looking for ways to make up this lost revenue. PLEASE- if newspaper it’s great to be back and looking forward to another fantastic season. It certainly is a strange year with covid, but we’re making the best of it. The Maine Snowmobile Show will not be happening this year due to the restrictions on public gatherings. What is happening is the “SUPER RAFFLE” and prizes include new snowmobile, kids sled, $500.00 gift cards to Kittery Trading Post, plus many more gift G reetings to all SNOW Lovers! 1st edition of our

Northern Region VP

you receive this paper and are not a club member, contact a club near you, where you ride, or any place you please and join. If you need assistance contacting a club, contact me or the MSA office and we can help. Clubs will be strug- gling a great deal this year, so all hands-on deck will be greatly appreciated. CONGRATULATIONS To Ebeemee Snowmobile Club for being chosen MSA Snowmobile Club of theYear and to Traci Hart- mann from that club being chosen MSA groomer of the year. Also congrats to Kevin Sedwick of Eastern Me Snowmobilers-photo contest winner, Moosehead Rid- ers, Blue Ridge Riders, Northern Timber Cruisers and Penobscot snowmobile clubs for being in the top ten in memberships last year and to Paul Bunyon, Eastern Me and Clifton snowmobile clubs for being the only three clubs in the state with perfect attendance at the directors meeting, receiving the Phil Fletcher Award. What a great showing for the Eastern Region. I am so proud of ALL my eastern Region clubs for what you do to make snowmobiling great in Maine. A MESSAGE TO EASTERN REGION CLUBS- If you need Super Raffle tickets please con- tact me as I have some at my Coastal Region VP certificates. This is a great way to make money for your club, so please sell, sell, sell!!! Clubs are starting to prepare for the season trail work, groomer upkeep. Thank you to all who volunteer. In case you have not heard MSA has a new store with great new items which you can purchase online and it will be shipped to your home. Check it out at www. mesnow.com. As always start doing your “SNOW DANCE” be safe, ride right and enjoy!!!

H ello everyone, it’s that time again. My name is Jim Boyce I’ve been trail master for the Kingfield Sno-wanderers for 10 seasons and also a regional director and I am on the trails committee for the MSA. I stepped in for Roland Bowie who was western director for many years and who stayed on as a regional director. I will be asking a lot of questions about being a bone for the western region. Thank you, Roland, for staying on. Enough about me, if you are like me we get that itch for snow, well it’s that time. I know a lot of clubs have lost their fundraisers in this time of COVID, but we have to think outside the box. Super raffle tickets make clubs good money, so do memberships. As I’m writing this it’s time to check on bridges, also go to town hall and look for landowner changes and if you’re like us in Kingfield there is a lot it’s been busy all summer. If any you have any questions please reach out to me and I might not I would also encourage you long term club members to reach out to those who do not currently join and ask them…we need more people assisting in club events, fundraisers & trail maintenance to ensure what we have today remains possible in the future. The only way we do this is to welcome new people into our clubs, allow them the opportunity to bring new energy & ideas. H ello fellow snowmobilers, Who is looking forward to the upcoming snowmobile season? I know I am. The chance to spend the day checking out a new trail, ride to your favorite overlook, gather with friends, meet new folks at a trail intersection or whatever you enjoy most about the sport. As this paper goes to all registered snowmobilers, I hope something in here encourages some of you who have not been a member of a club to find one to join. It is a great way to meet new folks, lend a helping hand & spend time with others that enjoy the sport as much as you do. It is a very rewarding feeling to ride a stretch of trail you have helped to maintain in person or helped to maintain financially.

Matt Stedman, 207-557-1921 PO Box 621, Ashland ME 04732 Stedman.Matt@jdirving.com

Eileen Lafland, 207-843-7813 PO Box 733, Holden ME 04429 llafland@midmaine.com

This season may be different with clubs trying new ways to have fund raisers & social events to gain the proper funding and memberships to run their winter programs. We always find a way to make it work, and it shows because so many folks from all over the country have come here to enjoy. If you have a question, problem, concern, or idea on snowmobiling in “The County”, get in touch with me. You can contact me at the phone # or email below. I look forward to meeting as many folks who help drive snowmobiling in the Northern Region as possible, you are a hard- working crew!

house. Thanks to some wonderful support from businesses we once again have many prizes for this annual event. On a somber note- my sympa- thy goes to the family of Roger “Jay” Marden. Many of you may remember Jay’s father, Maurice, from trail committee days. These two along with Craig, Cooper and other family members have been involved in snowmobiling for many, many years. Jay will be greatly missed in the Parkman area. To everyone- join a club or two or three as soon as you can, register your sleds before winter arrives, volunteer to help do trail work, attend club activities and most importantly, stay safe! Until the next edition

Western Region VP

David Watson, 207-205-1558 412 Roberts Ridge Rd East Waterboro ME 04030 dwatson6841@gmail.com

James Boyce, 207-265-6512 1168 Fosterhill Road Freeman ME 04983 Jboyce1168@gmail.com

have all the answers, but I will steer you in the right direction. Until next month enjoy the ride and stay safe.

Snowmobile Safety Well, it’s getting toward maintenance time for your groomers, sleds and drags. Please work safe, take your time, always use a support jack, beam or blocking after lifting your rigs twigging them to prevent falling. Wear the proper PPE to protect your eyes and ears a good pair of gloves and proper boots for support are helpful. Yeah, PPE ! Personal Protective Equipment it’s been in the news a lot! Safety lights are being considered for the rental fleets... just thinking of some way to protect the rider’s that only come ahead and replace it with a new one. We need to try to give our riders a sense of reassurance so that they feel comfortable in knowing where they are and how to get to where they are headed at all times. A few things to remember when signing a trail, keep it simple, keep it legible, give the rider plenty of time to head the warnings and remember the signs are NO COST to the clubs, I would rather see to many signs than not enough. A couple more things before I sign off, if any club would like to hold a Trails Signage Workshop in your region please contact me I would be more than happy to come to your place and hold one, also please note the “WHERE TO GET SIGNS INFO” within this column. So let’s all get out there and enjoy what we work so hard for, god knows we deserve it! Work hard.. Play harder but above all Be Safe. Thank You, Mark

September 2020 Maine Snowmobiler 7

H ello Rider’s Well, last year was one for the memory books. We had good snow in the higher elevations and hardly any Downeast. But what we did have was lots of mishaps. Resulting in twelve deaths. Tragedy struck in all areas. It’s a shame people ride our trails and do not make it back home. I’m sorry it happened and I’ll try harder next season to try and educate folks to ride right and ride smart! The on-trail safety checks seem to work and the safety posters are well received. I went back to Medway and

I have seen and talked with a large number of clubs who have already been organizing work details. We are seeing numerous bridges being built, trails being brushed, re-routes taking place and just an overall enthusiasm in the sport that I haven’t honestly seen in a long time. This is Very much contagious and great to see! With a positive outlook on the snowfall predictions and the fact that chances are likely that riders will have to spend most of their seat time in our great state, I feel we are in for a record-breaking season all around. So get ready and let’s make this one for the record books, lets show 2020 what snowmobilers are made of! As far as trails go, I definitely don’t want to sound like I’m preaching but let’s not forget the basics of what got us where we are and what makes are trails #1 in the Northeast. By and large most of the land we snowmobile across is privately owned so with that being said PLEASE make sure you make contact with every land owner in your trail system. That is probably the single most important thing that we as clubs need to do. We are all anxious to get out there, start grooming and lay out the white stuff. But before we do that lets take a little time and make sure our trails are signed properly with easy to read directions, and if they’re faded go spoke at the middle school, had a great time! The kids ask questions and tell me stories of the times on their sleds. I cannot thank The East Branch S/C in Medway for their continued support and helping me on this project. They’re a great group up there and I’ve developed a lifelong friendship. More safety posters will be available this year and hopefully more safety checks. Trail workshop’s with Trailmaster Mark Chinnock were very successful and we have been talking already to do some more in other areas of the state this season.

up once a year to ride. Like to see both hands on the handlebars! Rescue Boggins for the club’s and Fire House’s are being talked about along with more Landing Zones for our friends at LifeFlight. Call or email me if you need anything. Wear ear plugs and safety glasses when mowing lawns or running any outdoor power equipment. And no flip flops when cutting the grass! We will make it through this!

Alan Swett, Safety Committee Chair 207-872-7282 234 County Rd, Waterville ME 04901 snowtraveler@roadrunner.com

Ride Right Ride Safe! Al

Trails Committee Chair Report dollars to Maine’s economy each year and is an absolute necessity to having a successful Maine economy.

MSA CLUBS: To Order Needed ITS & JCT SIGNS

Contact Mike Grass Sr. MSA Trails Committee 252 Condon Rd. Plymouth, ME 04969

Hello Everyone, So here we are knocking at the door of another snowmobiling season. For some it is a new beginning and for others it is a continuation of the past season, meaning that for some it is a 12-month dedication to the sport in some capacity. Either way it is a passion like no other and takes the relentless effort of 280 some odd clubs and over 13,000 members to make it all work. I take my hat off to each and every one of you, THANK YOU. 2020 has been a challenging year thus far without a doubt, a shortened season last March coupled with the on-going struggles that we ALL are facing with Covid-19 has brought many clubs to a near standstill but through it all we have managed to find a way to make it happen and keep things moving forward. As we, all know the snowmobiling industry brings in over 600 Million Mark Chinnock,Trails Committee Chair 207-754-9874 435 Poland Corner Rd, Poland ME 04274 napadude66@hotmail.com

207-368-4914 home 207-745-2745 cell

Grasslands252@gmail.com To Order Club Trail Signage Candice Pinkham DACF/Snowmobile Program 207-287-4957 Office 207-878-8111 Fax Candice.M.Pinkham@maine.gov

8 September 2020 Maine Snowmobiler

MSA Club News

of soda and snacks from our soda and candy machines 24/7/365. In July we purchased an aluminum tow behind frame to use behind our club sled. This unit is 6’2” wide by 6’10” long. We intend to use this unit for trail maintenance, sled recover and with collaboration from the Washburn Fire Department we will utilize it as a res- cue sleigh. This will be built so it can be quickly converted for whatever we need to use it for. We anticipate adding a set of removable axles to it so it can be used during the out of season months as well. Should be a handy item to have around the clubhouse. Also, in July, we installed our secu- rity system that allows us to monitor the clubhouse remotely. As many of you know, the clubhouse was vandal- ized and the culprits attempted to set it on fire multiple times in October of last year. While we don’t think this is some- thing that will happen again, we also recognize the need for a camera system and feel more at ease having it. So, next time you come to or enter the clubhouse you can smile, you’re on camera! I can’t end this newsletter without mentioning a major milestone for the clubhouse. We are very honored and thankful to all that made it possible for Washburn Trail Runners to finish 4th overall in MSA Memberships for the 2019-2020 Season. With 200 MSA members we feel like we accomplished our goal of surpassing our previous year’s membership. This recognition brings us great joy because we know memberships are not mandatory and you join because we have earned your trust to be a member of our club. We are thankful for your faith in us and we hope with your help we will surpass last year’s number! Lastly, club meetings have changed and are the 2nd Wednesday of every month. Pot Luck/Social Hour starts at 6 with the Business Meeting starting at 7 pm. We will be sending out renewal applications soon so be on the lookout for that. In the meantime, stay safe and with any luck we will see you all very soon. Respectfully Submitted Timothy Stitham – Club President 2020-2021 EASTERN REGION

However, as the Fall rolls in, we are optimistic that we can get bingo back up and running. Club meetings have started, and elections will be held during the first meeting of September. We meet every second and fourth Monday of each month at 6:30pm. We are always open to new members joining us and we certainly would never turn down any help offered. We continue with our goals of making our trails system bigger and more enjoyable, and our club house bet- ter as well. Add us on Facebook as that is the best way to see up to date activi- ties and trail conditions. Enjoy the rest of the Summer, stay safe and hopefully we will be seeing you on the trails soon. Sincerely, Vice President Elijah Brazier. Cheers to Fifty Years First, I want to hope that everybody had a great spring and summer despite what is going on in the world! Waiting to find out what the new normal is going to be is starting to get old. With that said sadly it also affects our snowmo- bile club and the MSA. Funds are low and fundraising is almost non-existent because of meeting restrictions, but we will not let that stop us! Our annual lobster feed on August 16 th was a go! We did it while remain- ing within the rules of social distancing! This was our first fundraiser of the sea- son! We sold out of Lobster and also sold 5 hotdog meals for the non-seafood lovers! Thank you to all that helped make this a success! What a great kickoff to our 50 th year! We once again we will ask if club members and friends have paper goods, kitchen supplies or anything they would like to donate to the club to help offset the costs of running the club it would be greatly appreciated. Upcoming events are... September 13th is board of directors meeting at 6 p.m. September 20th will be our annual open house which includes a barbecue lunch which is complementary on your paid new membership or renewal. also on that day we will have snowmobiles and trailers from local area businesses to show off and help get people in the spirit! We are currently working out the logistics and plan for our annual land- owners supper..please be on the lookout on the website or the Facebook page for details and updates on that . We really hope we can make it happen to celebrate these gracious landowners that keep this club a club! We would be nothing with- out them! MSA super raffle tickets are out already and ready for sale. This year it is especially important if you can buy some extra tickets and take some extra Eastern Maine Snowmobilers 263 levenseller road Holden Maine 04429 Find us on Facebook

tickets to sell. $1 from every ticket sold goes directly to the selling club! and you have a chance to win some great prizes including a full size snowmobile and a snowmobile trailer. 300 club tickets are also ready to go for the season! Thank you and thanks for supporting our club ! Here’s to another 50 years! Troy G. Trail grunt Greetings from Ellsworth....What a crazy year this has been. What a monkey wrench Covid-19 threw into our 2019- 2020 season. Our thoughts go out to all who have been impacted by the pan- demic. We have been very fortunate in our area and exposure has been limited. Sadly, we lost a member this spring. Mark Webber a member since 2015 died in a car accident in May. Mark was 51. Our heart goes out to Tanya. After a less than stellar snow season along the coast last year, we are gearing up for a better 2020-2021 season. With experienced leadership in place the Ells- worth Snowmobile Club is ready to go! Meetings will be the second Wednes- day of each month starting in October. Social time is at 5:30 with the meeting starting at 6. All are welcome, we are always looking for new members to sup- port snowmobiling in our area. Weekly work bees will start later this fall. Work bees are on Sundays 8-12. Don’t forget to register you sled at City Hall before you hit the trails. Ask for your ITS trail map when you are there. Please renew your membership and join us for our monthly meetings. We always welcome new ideas and enthusiasm! Think Snow!! Pushaw Lake Snowmobile Club has lost a true friend and one of our longest serving members. Dale Pineo passed away August 1, 2020. Dale was always there to help not matter what was needed. He was a Past President, Trail Master as well as the I can make anything happen member. He made the annual Fishing Derby what it is today and was still checking trails for us last season. Dale was instrumental in mak- ing all our fund-raisers successful and could be counted on to be at the club whenever we opened. He was always helping, and it will not be the same without him. We miss you Dale. The club is in Covid-19 mode. We have had to adjust to our Riverfest Fundraiser being cancelled as well as the possibility of cancelling our Hunt- er’s Breakfast. We are still planning trail workdays and getting ready for grooming. Thanks to Jason Durrell for maintaining the grass at the clubhouse Ellsworth Snowmobile Club 160 Bangor Road Ellsworth, ME 04605 PUSHAW LAKE sc Whitmore Landing Road Hudson, ME

Blue Ridge Riders sc Rockwood, ME

NORTHERN REGION

Greetings from Blue Ridge Riders in Rockwood, Maine! 2020 has been an interesting year, and we sincerely hope everyone is safe and healthy. BRR Snowmobile Club had its last meeting for the 2019/2020 season in June. The meeting was delayed for sev- eral months due to COVID-19. Plans are underway for trail improvements as well as increased grooming for the sea- son. We are hopeful to purchase a new groomer as well.

Hi Gang, I hope you are all staying safe through this Covid 19 crap and that things will change for the better real soon. It’s hard to believe that it is time to start to think of snowmobiling when it is 90 degrees out, but here we go again. The Snowgang has completely taken out the canopy on ITS#81 and all of our club trails with the use of an excavator with a buzzsaw head -- what a difference!! Plans are in the works to do the same on ITS#83 to Whetstone Falls in a few weeks. This issue of the Maine Snowmobil- ier is going out to everyone who regis- tered a machine last year, so I hope you will read through it and get some ideas on what the MSA is all about. Please consider joining the MSA and your local club, remember that there is safety in numbers! Until this pandemic subsides there will be challenges for the club, such as holding meetings and events. We are strongly leaning towards virtual meet- ings using Zoom, and limiting events to “outdoors” only. I will keep you all posted as we go. We will hold our annual Caribbean Cruise Raffle, the tickets are out, let me know if you want one! Well, that’s a start, stay safe and enjoy your Fall!! Time for a cold one! Jim Splan, Reporter @ Large P.S.-- GO REDSOX! P.SS -- WHAT ELECTION?? P.SSS -- GRUMPY’S OK!! P.SSSS -- 30 YRS. SNOWGANG!! WASHBURN TRAIL RUNNERS sc Washburn, ME washburntrailrunners.org Like us on Facebook Wow, what a crazy 2020 we are hav- ing! We here at Washburn Trail Runners hope you and your loved ones are doing well during this unprecedented time in our history. We have taken additional precautions to do our part to hopefully slow/end the spread of this horrible virus. This included not renting our clubhouse out over the summer as well as closing down a few weeks early back in March. It was a tough decision and certainly cost us donations, but at the end of the day it was the right thing to do. We did resume monthly meetings in May, but did so with Social Distanc- ing in mind. As the saying goes… “The Show Must Go On.” Over the summer we have added a few new items to the clubhouse to hopefully provide our members with a better experience. In May we purchased a couple vending machines to provide members with a drink/food option when the kitchen is closed. All members can access the clubhouse and purchase cans

Our biggest fundraiser, the Annual Pig Roast, was discussed at length. By the time this goes to print, we’re hopeful that our plans to have the Pig Roast were successful and you were able to join us! We discussed ways to keep guests safe while raising money for our club. This is our 11th year! We’ve seen tremen- dous support for this event from our community and local businesses. We’re grateful for all of them!

BRR is anticipating a great snow sea- son. Please be mindful of riding safe, respecting landowners, and supporting local businesses wherever you ride. We truly are all in this together as we navi- gate a new normal.

Think snow - and safety! Respectfully submitted, Emily Bodemer, Secretary

Carmel sc Find us on Facebook Hello fellow snowmobile riders,

Hard to believe as it is 90 degrees out with a high humidity point, that snow will be on the way soon. The Summer has flown by and with Covid keeping things low key, a Wintertime enjoyment just might be the best thing. Carmel has been pretty quiet this year as we had to close down bingo earlier than expected.