7333-R1_MSA_Oct2020_MaineSnowmobiler

The Maine

Snowmobiler An Official Publication of the Maine Snowmobile Association

October 2020 • Vol. 52 • No. 2 MSA, PO Box 80, Augusta ME 04332

United we trail, divided we fail

www.mesnow.com

St. Francis SnoAngels Fundraising Success

Capital Equipment Grants & USDA Rural Block Grant By Mike Grass, MSA President

M any people ask about buy- ing new equipment for their respective clubs. Every year lots of clubs purchase new or new to them power units and drags, which combined we call groomers. Some clubs purchase both units together and some just purchase one or the other. New equipment from these purchases hits the snowmobile trails of Maine, which is why the Capital Equipment Grants and now the USDA Rural Block Grants are so important to Maine Snowmobile Clubs. First off, let’s talk about the Capital Equipment Grants. The Capital Equipment Grant Fund is funded by a portion of each

snowmobile registration fee. Each year, any and all snowmobile clubs in Maine, have the opportunity to apply for a Capital Equipment Grant (CEG). It’s a fairly easy application form that asks ques- tions of why your club needs a new power unit or drag. Does your club have a groomer barn and so on? These applications are submitted to the Dept. of Agriculture, Conser- vation and Forestry, Snowmobile Division where they are reviewed and compiled and sent to the Maine Snowmobile Advisory Council. The Maine Snowmobile Advi- sory Council is a volunteer group, appointed by the Commissioner of the Dept. of ACF. These volunteers

New Snowmobile Sales Data for Winter of 2019-2020 International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association snowmobile.org 1640 Haslett Road, Haslett, MI 48840 A strong economy during the Autumn and Winter of 2019- 2020, along with excellent snow conditions in many parts of North America, helped to support the snowmobile community, manu- facturers, and dealers. Continued interest and enthusiasm in snow- mobiling this winter helped sales to remain steady at 123,862 new Continued on Page 29

From left to right, Loretta Thompson, Keith Michaud (Winner), David Connors (SnoAngels President), and Roy Thompson (Master Carpenter) A nd we have a Winner!! Keith Michaud of Fort

Continued on Page 30

snowmobile season and finally the winning ticket was drawn at the Annual Landowners Appre- ciation Chicken BBQ. Thank you to Roy and Loretta Thomp- son for the amazing donation and to all who helped make this fundraiser a huge success!

Kent was the lucky winner of a beautiful homemade gun cab- inet donated to the St. Francis SnoAngels by Roy and Loretta Thompson of St. Francis. Raffle tickets were sold throughout the

Roxbury Groomer

2021 Calendar, Help Wanted, Member of the Year, Picture of The Year, Tributes to Past members, And more...

What’s Inside

Eastern Maine Snowmobilers’Award 2019-2020 Member of the Year

It is with sadness that we announce Susan Carver has resigned due to health reasons from her position of Office Manager. We are incredibly grateful for all of Susan’s hard work and dedication. We wish her all the best in the future and hope she knows that she will always be part of our Snow- mobiling Family. That being said The Maine Snowmobile Association is a non-profit organization based in Augusta that represents 288 snowmobile clubs statewide. We are seeking an OfficeAdmin-

istrator to handle all day-to-day aspects of the Association. Position will be responsible for mail, bank deposits, phones, club assistance, accounts payable, maintaining records, organizing and staffing events, material preparation for meetings, and all other facets of daily and weekly office operations. Experience in office management, strong communi- cations skills, Microsoft Office, and Quick Books are required. Some evening, weekend and overnight travel may be required. A working knowledge of Maine’s snowmobile industry would be very helpful. Competitive salary, benefits and working conditions, including the possibility of flexible time seasonally. Please send letter of interest and resume to jobs@mesnow.com

E astern Maine Snowmobilers of Holden awarded their 2019-2020 Members of the Year to Jan Logan and Eileen Lafland. This was the first time in its history that there were co-winners. Congratula- tions to Eileen & Jan.

The calendar features pho- tographs from across the state, contributed by MSA members whose work cap- tures the beauty and and excitement of snowmobil- ing in MaineMaine. It includes information about the MSA, the list of MSA-affiliated snowmobile clubs, and marks major holidays throughout the year. The price of the calendar is $10, plus postage. Calen- dars are shipped USPS/Pri- ority Mail - please include your US Postal Service mailing address. Calendars are also available at the MSA Office, 7 Noyes Street Place, Augusta. The calendar is produced by the MSA; proceeds ben- efit the Maine Snowmobile Association. Thank you for supporting the association through your calendar purchase.

Here’s my order for the 2021 Snowmobile Maine Calendar

Number of Calendars: ________ x $10.00 = _____________ + Postage (1 Calendar): $3.00 _____________ (2-5 calendars): $7.75 _____________ Total Payment: _____________ Checks payable to the Maine Snowmobile Association Mail Calendar(s) to: Name: __________________________________________ Address:_________________________________________ City/State/Zip:____________________________________ If paying by credit card: Name:__________________________ Ph:_______________ Address:__________________________________________ Card Type Check One: MC_____ VISA_____ Discover _____

Card #___________________________ CVV Code:_______

Signature: ________________________________________

Mail form and payment to: MSA-Calendar, PO Box 80, Augusta, ME 04332 Credit Card purchases may be faxed to: 207-622-7669

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Quill Hill Alan Swett

Q uill Hill is a very special place, located in the Western Mountains between Rangeley and Stratton. It tow- ers over 2,800 feet and has a spectacu- lar view. The mountain ranges of the Bigelow, Saddleback, are in plain view. Flagstaff, Rangeley, Kennebago, Sad- dleback lakes and Tim Pond are in the picture too. This site is the brainchild of Mr. Adrian Brochu. One of the best friends a snowmobiler could have, his generos- ity letting us use his land to ride on goes way above and beyond the normal. He wanted to build a mountain that people could access to enjoy for years to come. He did it and every snowmobiler that’s been there talks about its beauty all year

long! It’s a destination point. People make their trips to include this scenic outpost. Mr. Brochu was a fine man, and is sadly missed. At 72, he passed a year ago after a short hard cancer battle. Mr. Brochu and his family owned much land and a logging business and now a cou- ple of lumber processing plants. Pretty good with just a 8th grade diploma! His big heart always was with his loving wife, sons, daughters and grandchildren. Adrian Brochu, thank you for the smiles you are putting on all of the snowmobilers faces, we will always think of you as we ride the trails you generously let us use. And thank you for Quill Hill a year round happy place!

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From the President

I ts official, it snowed in Northern Maine today, so the ramp up to the 2020-2021 season just got moved up a notch. Frosty mornings and falling leaves are starting to be the norm here in Maine. Complaining about scraping the windshield will soon turn to complaining about shoveling the front step, I hope. Clubs are now on full throttle trail brushing, bridge decking and landowner communications. October and November are the true “get ready” months for most snowmobile clubs even though most will say they work all year. December is usually reserved for the “things we weren’t planning for” that need to be done no matter what and clubs always get it done. Every club statewide makes sure their respective trails are ready for snow and this year, even with Covid, it will be no different. We all know our season is dependent on snow, and this year I’ve seen every kind of forecast for this season there is. From Mild and dry to Frigid and tons of snow, I

can only hope we get a normal, or above normal snowfall winter. Many clubs in the southern half of the state were “cheated” last year as what looked like a great start, never happened in actuality. Covid 19 and the closing of the Canadian border may be a blessing in disguise for Maine this winter. Many riders from all over the northeast make the track to Canada to ride their trail system. This year, at this point, that is not going to happen. With that said, we could be in for record registrations if we can get the snow and those people ride in Maine. Why not? We have the trails and services, which in my eyes are second to none and we want them to come here and enjoy our trails, scenery and hospitality. We can only hope Mother Nature helps us in the snow department. Good snow statewide would help “spread the load” as this potential record number of snowmobilers come to our state. Grants will be tight this year, as Joe Higgins office has told events. I’ve attended a few and they went on in good old Maine snowmobiling style. The Ripley Snowmobile Club had an outstanding auction and bridge dedication in September. The snowmobile bridge was dedicated in honor of the Seavy family who’s contributions go above and beyond expectations! Also, I went down to the Cochnewagan Trail Blazers in Monmouth for a landowners supper, it was delicious! And the hospitality was second to none, great team there and they’ve been around since 1970! The area VP’S are doing an awesome job getting raffle tickets out to the clubs and doing extra things in these troubled times, Thanks! If you folks need raffle tickets and posters, they are available at the office too. Just give a call or email. It’s an easy way to make money for your club. This winter we will have lots of traffic from our neighbors from From the Executive VP

has left us due to health issues and Al Swett is volunteering in the office as much as he can. Al is answering the phone and holding down the fort until Susan’s replacement is found. Thanks Al, don’t know what we’d do without you. We are currently seeking applications for a new office manager. If you are interested, please follow the link at mesnow. com. A lot of memberships rolling in and Eileen Lafland has stepped up to that task and doing a heck of a job. I think Larry is helping here too. Thank you Eileen and Larry. Treasurer Lori is spending at least one day a week at the office, making sure accounts are kept current and bills are paid. I think she’s a workaholic. Thanks Lori. Bob Flagg is covering a lot of bases keeping up with the IT side of MSA and more. A recent scam/fishing incident has kept him quite busy. Thanks, Bob. John Monk is keeping an eye on the legislature and is working on our proposed registration increase with a survey of Maine

snowmobile clubs. Thanks, John. Mark Chinnock has been doing his normal job as Trails Chairman, making sure all his coordinators are ready for this season but also has taken on the MSA ITS Map. Working with Joe Higgins office, he should have the map ready for the first of November. As for me, I’ve been attending meetings, answering questions and trying to keep the team focused and not get overwhelmed. MSA is truly blessed with some great volunteers. Speaking of volunteers, we had one step-up at the last MSA meeting in Palmyra. Brad Barker has volunteered and I appointed him Secretary at that meeting. Welcome to the MSA family Brad. I’ve rambled on enough for this month. I’m getting excited and hope you all are too for the upcoming season. The band is warming up and soon we’ll be doing our snow dances. Until next month, Think Snow, Mike

Mike Grass, 207-368-2316 249 Condon Rd, Plymouth ME 04969 mgrassjr@gmail.com MSA that our funds are down due to a drop in gas tax revenue. Clubs need to keep this in mind, especially with the lack of revenue generating events that most are used to having but with Covid 19, aren’t allowed to. Make sure your club has MSASuper Raffle tickets to sell, as this is a great revenue maker for your club. The Steering Committee continues to work hard making sure the office is running as smooth as possible. Susan Carver other states, the phone calls and emails have begun to show up at the office wanting to know where to go and how to get there. Lots of interest in lodging, food, gas stops, registration fees, maps and just people wanting to talk about our trails. Many folks that usually go to Canada have shown interest in us which will be great for the businesses and registration fees to fund new equipment. Well fellow snowmobiler’s that’s about it from me. Call me if you need anything Thanks for your support, Al

W elcome to the October issue! Hope you all enjoyed last month’s paper. Lori and Bob did a great job getting it done. And thanks to all the folks who made it happen with your articles and pictures. This month we would have had our big Snowmobile Show, but like all the other events around us, things were cancelled. Hopefully next year we can get back to a normal life. The clubs are chugging along with Covid restrictions at their Alan Swett, 207-872-7282 234 County Rd, Waterville ME 04901 snowtraveler@roadrunner.com

The Maine Snowmobiler is an official publication of the Maine Snowmobile Association

The Maine Snowmobiler

207-622-6983 • fax. 207-622-7669 msa@mesnow.com • www.mesnow.com

Vol. 52, No. 2 October 2020 • ISSN-0195-2870

To purchase Advertising Space in The Maine Snowmobiler, contact Susan, 207-622-6983, msa@mesnow.com The Maine Snowmobiler welcomes submissions from MSAmembers, including but not limited to, club news, calendar listings, pho- tographs, letters to the editor, articles of general and technical interest. Submissions may be edited. Address to: Editor, Maine Snowmo- biler, PO Box 80, Augusta, Me. 04332, msa@mesnow.com All opinions expressed by contributing writers in the Maine Snowmobiler are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this publication. POSTMASTER:Send address change to: The Maine Snowmobile Association, PO Box 80, Augusta, Maine 04332 The Maine Snowmobiler (USPS #859-920) is published four times a year by the Maine Snowmobile Association, Inc., 7 Noyes St Place, Augusta, Maine 04330. Periodical postage paid at Augusta, Maine and additional offices. Seasonal subscription provided to MSA members as a benefit of their annual dues. $3.00 of the $15 membership fee is applied to the cost of the publication. Subscriptions are available to non-members at a cost of $30/season.

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Trails Committee Chair Report

wheels, ski’s any other obvious items that could be a windshield, seat, any bent parts that need to be straightened? Spark plugs, leaking fluid anywhere? Ripped out track studs too. How’s your battery? It really spoils your day when you have a break down. So, take the time and get your sled checked over. And while you’re in the checking over mood, let’s do your trailer. First look underneath with a flashlight and search for cracks in the frame. Yes, they will crack around the tongue area and where the axle meets the frame. Mostly due to our Maine roads, frost and potholes. Check your lights; do you have a spare tire? Safety chains, light plugs ok? Tighten bolts and check over the ramp and door(s).Check this stuff over before you head out you’ll have a much better snowmobile fun time! We will have lots of traffic this year, most folks know we have the best trails in the Northeast and with the summer recreation The E-board and it’s aforemen- tioned members are also responsi- ble for being the liaison between the MSA and the 280 some clubs through the Regional V.P.’s and Directors and assist all the clubs with any issues. They are a source of information and needed mate- rials that is handed down to the clubs. The legislative represen- tative is responsible for lobbying strued and be a bit confusing. Therefore, to simplify things or “make it clear as mud” the MSA is made up of four entities, the Executive board, legislative rep- resentation, the Trails committee and the membership. The Exec- utive board is comprised of all of the current officers, Regional V.P’S, Directors and a designated number of past presidents. They are responsible for governing the Executive Director or the “Steer- ing Committee” in the absence of the Director and voting on any directives or suggested changes brought forth by the Executive Director or “Steering Committee”, decisions are ultimately voted on by the E-board.

Safety Committee for bills concerning the sport and generally being the eyes and ears in Augusta, As well as anything that might be of interest relating to our sport and reporting it back to the membership. The Trails Committee is more the “Boots on the ground” part of the association and is responsible for the wellbeing of all snowmo- bile trails within the State more especially the ITS or Intercon- nected Trail System. The Trails Committee is comprised of 40 snowmobile-minded individuals. They are also a liaison between the MSA and the Clubs working largely with the Trail Masters and Presidents of the individual clubs on anything Trail related, for in- stance Trail grooming, Signage, maintenance, landowner issues etc. The Trails Committee works closely with Joe Higgins office at the Dept. of A.C.F., Snowmobile division. The forth part is the membership, without the support of the 288 clubs and the members that support each one we the MSA would have no purpose. Think of behind us and the season they had, from ATV’S to hiking to camp- ing to bicycle riding, the Maine outdoors had a record summer/ fall season. Already folks from other states are checking us out. With Canada being off limits, those folks are coming to our trail system. So we got to be careful we need to be safe this year. Twelve deaths last year in a shortened season was terrible. Let’s show people how to be cautious and enjoy the beauty of our trail system without being race car drivers. Signage with Mark Chinnock head trail master, leading the way having updated classes in parts of the state have already been successful. With more to follow, take time to attend one of his meetings. I attended a safety meeting put on by the Brookfield power group, IF&W along with some local club members. Brookfield wants to partner with us on safety issues involving the bodies of water they

it as a bicycle wheel, the hub of the wheel is the MSA, the spokes are lines of communication and the outer portion of the wheel where all the spokes attach are the clubs. This I feel over the years has slowly been lost and I think I can speak for the E-board and the steering committee when I say this has been a priority goal to reattach the spokes of the wheel. Letting the clubs know that we are all part of the same association and have the same passion and goals for the sport, because at the end of the day we ALL do what we do for exactly the same reasons. Ok so just when you thought you understood how the Association and the Snowmobile program works, there is a very important fifth part to the equation which is in no way part of the MSA but works hand in hand with the association on a daily basis. That is the Dept. of A.C.F. (Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry) Snowmobile Division. Joe’s office is instrumental in Land Owner Relations, land acquisition and is the major source of funding for all control. It’s going to be a great relationship and I’m looking for- ward to be working with them. Please be safe it’s a good time to get new batteries for you smoke detectors, get your chimney(s)

grooming and equipment grants for all clubs. As the MSA does not pay out any monies or fund any grants to the clubs, Joe’s office is a wealth of knowledge and information and is a vital piece in making the WHOLE snowmobile program work. So there you have it in a very condensed version how it all works, and hopefully clears up some questions that you might have. I hope I haven’t mudded up the waters too bad. One last thing before I part, when ordering signs please remember that like the insert next to my column outlines, all ITS SIGNS are ordered through Mike Grass Sr. and all other CLUB SIGNS are ordered through the Dept. of A.C.F. Both of their contact information is listed in the insert. Again, if anyone has any questions or just snowmobiling information of value please email or call me I would love to hear from you. Until next time thank you for reading, Mark

H ello Everyone, This is the time of the year when I am supposed to talk about everything “Trail Related”; what the Trails Committee has been doing and stumbling blocks that we might be having Or maybe what we should all be doing to get ready the snowmobile season. But this month I would like to talk about what makes up the MSA and a little bit about how it all works, as this can sometimes get miscon- Mark Chinnock,Trails Committee Chair 207-754-9874 435 Poland Corner Rd, Poland ME 04274 napadude66@hotmail.com

cleaned and your other heat sources.

Ok folks that’s it for now! Be safe wear your PPE!!! Ride right ride smart… Al

Treasurer’s Report

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

Alan Swett, Safety Committee Chair 207-872-7282 234 County Rd, Waterville ME 04901 snowtraveler@roadrunner.com H ello Snowmobiler’s, This is a good month to get things ready for your season. Get your sled into a certified dealer that can give you peace of mind that the sled will be checked over by a knowledgeable mechanic who can find problems before you get on the trail. If you can do it and you know what to look for bad wheel bearings new carbide ski runners, headlight tail light brake light, track condition boogie

Respectfully Submitted, Lori Hemmerdinger, Treasurer

Monthly Income Monthly Expense Net Revenue Checking (9/30/20)

$14,340.97 $ 7,118.15 $ 7,222.82 $ 20,466.39 $ 19,807.87 $ 53,637.42 $ 1,284.75 $ -

Dedicated Account (9/30/20) Credit Line (9/30/20) Building Fund (9/30/20) Brian Wass Safety Fund (9/30/20)

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Director’s Meeting 559 Secretary’s Report September 15, 2020 Waterboro October 20th no dinner. Fence building, brushing, signing started down South. Great to see so much activity, so early. Great winter, good times, Mike Grass added technology is new tonight, webcam and computer up front. This is our first meeting broadcast for anyone to view. Thanks to Bob Flagg. Standing Committee Reports Trails Committee, Mark Chinnock Told this is an early season by the number of emails and phone calls. Have all the mapping changes in by today’s deadline. Contract has been signed between MSA and DACF Joe Higgins. Will get the new maps ordered. Scheduling workshops staying Covid correct. Mentioned other area issues and working through their issues. In the absence of Beth Bowie, Mark Chinnock made a Hall of Fame presentation to Gerry Major and Warren Emery. Paving the way since the 70’s with 36” pipe drags. A video was shown of the two of them, showing pictures of the good ole days. Nice job John Monk for putting this together. Maybe viewed at MSA’s sight. Scholarship Harvey Chesley Look for the article in the upcoming paper. Thanked the many people and clubs that have helped this grow. SafetyChairAl SwettConcerned with the anticipated increase in traffic, maybe more safety checks. IF&W will be laminating more posters. Unsure of the challenges faced with Covid and training in schools. Recognized that the snowmobile group is a unique bunch like no other in the state. Spoke of the dedication of the steering committee, bunch of hard workers and a very special bond between them. Optimistic that through these difficult times that we will become even stronger for the betterment of MSA. Unfinished business: The motion was read as it stands. (previously motioned by Brent

A t 7:00 PM Mike Grass Jr. called the meeting to order. Pledge of Allegiance President, Mike Grass Jr. welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked everyone for attending. Thanked Jack Lord for making arrangements for the meeting. Motion was made by Larry Lafland and seconded by Dave Watson to accept the secretary’s report as distributed, motion carried. Treasurer’s Report was read by Lori Hemmerdinger. Mike stated the credit line should not be needed if the membership funds start coming in as anticipated. Copy to be filed at the office. Steering Committee consisting of eight members meeting almost weekly to take care of day-to-day business of MSA. Now running without an executive director, while gaining knowledge how the MSA will be managed now and in the future. With the effects of Covid it has been a blessing that we didn’t have the expense of the executive director. Lori has done a lot of cost savings with the budget, Susan is doing a great job managing cost savings in the office. Chairman of the Steering Committee, John Monk stated that the Legislators are not currently in session due to Covid. Because of the state of emergency, Governor Mill has proposed a 10% reduction in funding of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s many programs including the snowmobile trail program for the next year, (2021) budget. Our $606 million dollar snowmobile industry is funded by $4.8 million and the benefit work of so many volunteers. John encouraged everyone to contact their representatives and senators to try to curb this action. The MSA has discussed a $10.00 increase for residents with $5.00 being allocated to the trail system and $5.00 to the Capital Equipment Grant and a $20.00

increase for nonresidents with a $10 trails system and $10 Capital Equipment 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/acceptable, club voted and supported registration increase. Your input is important to establish an average, which will be proposed. Mike added that the Capital Equipment grants had 33 applications, and all 33 awarded, funded with $430k from capital equipment andUSDAcontributing another $411k, 7 new groomers going to Aroostook County, the others spread all over the state, all different sizes. All 33 being funded has never happened. If we can get the registration increased, it will be that much better for more reliable equipment. Executive Vice President, Alan Swett thanked everyone for attending the meeting. Thanked Jack Lord for distributing 30 of the club packets. He attended Lexington Highlanders cookout and enjoyed the best barbecue chicken over a grill and sold 300+ Super Raffle Tickets. Went to Kingsbury Off Grid Riders to check out their grooming equipment, “Quite the operation going on there”. Al is anticipating another great year, even though things will be different. A lot of outside activities. Northern Region, Matt Stedman gave his report from the comfort of his own home. Leaves are changing and picking potatoes. Distributing club packets and raffle tickets. Trail inspection and work has started early, really dry, where it normally has to wait until frozen. Eastern Region, Eileen Lafland- Some clubs are meeting, some are not, doing things online, membership packets and tickets are out, and working on their February showcase ride. Coastal Region, Dave Watson- Next meeting is Coastal Region Ossipee Mountaineers, East

Spaulding, second by Dave Watson March 14, 2020 directors meeting.) Section 1. A. The Executive Committee shall meet monthly at a location agreed upon by Executive Committee members or by conference call. Motion carried. Few changes are coming with the newspaper; advertising rates, costs have gone up, MSA goals is to break even, not a make money tool, but a form of communication. Super Raffle: Eboard voted to have another 20k tickets printed. Easy way for the clubs to make money. Mike reiterated that Governor Mills is proposing to cut our trail funds capital equipment funds and

reminders for your clubs input of what you would like put in the next funding (registration increase to help clubs function) proposal. Please gather round the members of your club and discuss this in depth. Write your thoughts on paper and send it to the MSA for us to log with many of the clubs that have already submitted their thoughts. By all means, email is acceptable and preferred. We know of no clubs that couldn’t benefit from a shot in the arm and without normal fundraisers, this year only complicates the matters. Please reach out to MSA before November 1st so we can tally the results and move on some legislation uniformly. We look forward to hearing from YOU ALL! Bring on the White! And then bring the legislature back! Thanks John Monk our catastrophic funds (2021)! Our catastrophic fund of $100k that is available for a weather related event that happens. This is our funds, we pay to play. Concerned that our volunteers will lose their enthusiasm if their funding is cut, because they are already spread thin and make their money go a long way. New business: Our goal is to do seven papers this year. Brad Barker has been appointed as Secretary for the remainder of the year. 50/50 Bob Flagg, who turned it back to Eileen. Pot-O-Gold Bowlin- Matagamon S. C. Not present. Motion to adjourn seconded and carried at 8:04 Respectfully submitted, Brad Barker

Steering Committee Has your club’s voice been heard? Please act quick!

I n the September paper, MSA detailed the “on the table” proposal of a future funding bill to try and get introduced this legislative session While no one has an idea of what bills will be discussed this season, we do not want to get shuffled to the bottom and not have our voice heard. As a result, this will be one of the last John Monk Chairman of Steering Committee

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Eastern Region VP

Northern Region VP

H ello fellow snowmobilers, Well the leaves are falling, the farmers are harvesting the summer crops and there have been some hard frosts already, so we must be headed towards winter. Fall trail work is underway; many clubs have scheduled work dates for projects of all shapes & sizes coming up, so check in and see how you can help. As we head out on the trails this fall to do maintenance, please remember to check in with the landowner first. They are the reason we have trails to ride on! Also, as hunting season is in full swing, remember we are not the only users of other people’s land, be respectful of the hunting community and aware of their presence too. I have heard & seen a lot in the last few weeks about online membership sign up. I know this is a way to help drive up membership numbers and make it simple for folks to join online, but it is also another task for clubs to take on. Some clubs have people knowledgeable, ready & willing to tackle it while many simply do not. If you are one of those who is willing & able, please reach out to a club and help them through the process. Do you have new people joining your club? If so, make sure to get them involved. Find a skill they can bring to the group to help. Today’s clubs have many needs, not all include power tools or manual labor. It can be very Temps are dropping, leaves are changing, we are seeing some frost. Soon our favorite time of year will be here!! Super Raffle is in full swing I hope you have bought your tickets, if you haven’t give me a shout I’m selling them. Clubs are preparing trails and equipment. If you have, any friends who are not club members please bring them to a meeting ask them to join a club and support our sport. Happy Halloween Enjoy yourselves!! G reetings to FALL!!!!

H ello everyone, I’m writing this article here on Long Island New York. I’m down here for a family wedding and I’m reminded how lucky we are to live where we do all I think about is trails. It’s been a busy month I’ve meet with a few clubs. Over in Phillips they had a crew together to build a bridge. In strong they have been out brushing. Also Salem has been out doing the same. We got some great news from J.V. Wing Many Eastern region clubs are just beginning to figure out how to hold meetings under the guide- lines and keep everyone safe. Some have been meeting outside, some have limited the number of people inside and others are look- ing for a different place to meet. The one thing I have been hearing though is that clubs are out look- ing over trail situations and doing trail work in advance of the win- ter season to come. As is the case every fall there are trails that have to be re-routed due to landowner changes, housing developments and other reasons, but one thing is for sure: when it’s time to ride these dedicated men and women who do the trail work will have trails ready to go. PLEASE if you can spare a few hours some- day, contact your local club and N ine months into the year and it is beginning to be cooler at nights with the leaves chang- ing fast. That means our time to shine can’t be too far off, can it? It seems like many people are thinking about those nice cold days with plenty of snow under the tracks and machines that are geared up and ready to go. Bring it on!

Western Region VP in Carrabbassett that the Indians have given them permission to use their land. Which gets me to this how important it is to make sure we reach out to our landowners. The season is only around the corner think snow. And as always ENJOY THE RIDE AND STAY SAFE Jim see how you can help. The fall is when they really need you and would love to have more hands to make the workload easier. While you are at it, if you know a landowner why not reach out and thank them for letting the club use their land. These people deserve our gratitude for all they allow us to do. Remember- with- out them we would not be able to enjoy the beauty of riding. Have you renewed your mem- bership(s) yet? Time is running out to pay your dues and remain on the Maine Snowmobiler list to receive your next paper. I say memberships because if you are like many of us you belong to more than one club. All clubs need your support so don’t for- get to join them. While you are at it, why not buy some Super Raffle tickets to support the club and MSA? $10 will get you six tickets on some really nice prizes that will be drawn just before Christmas. Can you think of a better present than a new sled, new trailer, or gift certificate to a snowmobile destination? EASTERN REGION CLUBS- If you need something from the MSA office or more raffle tickets,

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

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

daunting as a new member to join a tight knit club, sometimes we are not the very welcoming to new members & their ideas. If folks are willing, find a way for them to help, if not the resource will go elsewhere. Remember, we are all volunteers working to make snowmobiling better; it takes everyone to make it a success long term. Is your club selling MSA Super Raffle tickets? If not, you are missing out on an opportunity to support your club & the MSA financially. There are still a few weeks left to sell and submit your tickets so let’s make a big push before December to make some new winners. If you need tickets call or email me and we will get you some. 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.

give me a call and I will try and get it for you. MSA is attempting to keep postage costs down, so if we can meet up and deliver things to people we are trying to do so. That’s it for October. Take a look at the calendar of events in this paper and see if any clubs near you are holding an event you could attend. Then go check them out, and join if you do not already belong. This year more than ever, clubs and MSA needs your support.

Stay safe everyone! Eileen

Coastal Region VP

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

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

Thanks Dave

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MSA Club News to the pandemic. Tuesday night Country Music Jams and Dinners came to a screeching halt, along with other activities we used to take for granted. Any meetings that were necessary were held while keeping a distance of 6 feet or more. Club volunteers did work safely on outside projects. Brush was cut, fire- wood was brought inside, trail work along with bridgework was done, and the outside of our clubhouse has been freshly painted. The garage is set to be painted, too. The Trailmaster thanks everyone who pitched in on snowmobile trails, ATV trails, bridgework, firewood, and all the things that needed to be done. Yes, a lot of outdoor work was com- pleted, while we hope for better times when we can safely gather with our friends again. Nancy C. Deschene Secretary ndesc@myfairpoint.net SHIRLEY BOG TRAIL BUSTERS SHIRLEY, ME Check out our web site https://sites.google.com/site/ shirleybogtrailbusters Like us on Facebook Shirley Bog Trail Busters Get in touch with us at ShirleyBogTrailBusters@gmail.com

snowier winter and for that, we are grateful. Low snow coverage for some of last winter was hard on the equipment. We do not anticipate any change in our trail system including providing continuous access to the B-52 crash site that is on the bucket list of almost every rider. “Final Mis- sion, The North Woods” a book by Joseph Wax documents the historic and fateful day in 1963 when this crash occurred on Elephant Mtn. in Piscataquis County now part of our trail access. Bob Ludwig, Secretary raludwig184@gmail.com EBEEMEE SNOWMOBILE sc EBEEMEE TOWNSHIP, ME Find us on Facebook: Ebeemee Snowmobile Club @EbeemeeSnowmobileClub · Sports & Recreation Happy Fall from Ebeemee Snow- mobile Club! I hope this finds you all safe and healthy and thinking about win- ter sports! The days are growing shorter, docks and boats are coming out and our talk around the campfires has turned to the upcoming winter. Another sure sign that winter is on the way, I hear from our Groomer of the Year, Trailmaster Traci, much more frequently now! Our board members went to Wild- woods (Thank you again Cheri for all of your support!) and met with some members from the MSA to receive our two awards! Club of the Year and Groomer of the Year! Again, I am so proud of this little club! We have accomplished so much in the recent years. Thank you again to all who have helped us and thank you to all the people who show up for trail workdays and lending a hand with repairs as they come up. We are working on lining up groomer opera- tors for this season so Pete will not be the only one in the BR seat! Speaking of the BR, time to start opening that up and doing some maintenance. I have two gallons of bright red paint for the drags. Anyone out there love to paint? Come on down! In the works – Traci has started meeting with our landowners regard- ing upcoming trail improvements we wish or need to make. Please, please, please reach out to Traci and sign up for trail work. There is once again, much to do this year! We are looking at widening/improving the Schoodic Mountain trail to make it not only safer but also wide enough for the BR to come through as a short loop trail back over Al’s Alley. The 111 will be brushed as well and will be hired out

ing these tickets in your membership envelope. Please do try to sell them to support both MSA and our club. If you need more tickets, give us a call. Debi Lynne, Baker Secretary

PORTAGE LAKERS sc Portage Lake, ME Contact Us! portagelakersmembership@gmail.com

NORTHERN REGION

BENEDICTA SNOWGANG Benedicta, ME

Or visit us on the web: www.portagelakers.org Find us on Facebook!

Hi Gang, The Snowgang is really starting to “gear up” as I write, with some trail work is being done, and bridges are being checked. We are looking for a busy season. I need to let you all know, as many have not heard, that Trailmaster, Stuart Kelley and wife Becky, have retired, sold their business (Kelley Shell) and their home in Sherman and relocated to the Bangor area to be closer to family. Stuart took the job of Trailmaster very seriously, and per- formed his duties very well for many years. He will be missed, but has told me that he may still be seen in a groomer from time to time this winter. Our new Trailmaster is Patrick Joyce. If that name sounds familiar it’s because Pat and his wife Kim are the hosts of the Plunkett Pond Fish- ing Derby for the Snowgang, and they do a great job with it!! Pat is orig- inally from Benedicta, spending his childhood on Plunkett Pond. His is directly related to the Robinson fam- ily as his grandparents were Gene & Linne Robinson and his Mom’s name is Barbara. He is also directly related to the Guiggey’s & Qualeys. Pat was Assistant Trailmaster of the Hermon Snowmobile Club for five years and has been Trailmaster of the Orrington Club for 16 years. He and Kim are in Benedicta almost full time now and we look forward to working with them. Patrick’s cell# is 478-5284 if you would like to volunteer and ask questions. Looking forward a little, we are still working on how to hold club meet- ings safely during the tough times and what our agenda will be for the sea- son. Club applications have been sent out, so please re-up as soon as possi- ble - safety in numbers right. Our Caribbean Cruise Raffle is in full swing and they are going at a record number, so if you want one let me know and I will get it to you. Well, the leaves are turning and there are deer in the back field, so I’ve gotta get cracking!! DON”T THINK SNOWYET!! Jim Splan, Reporter @ Large P.S - Great job “Superseller” Randy Bates! P.SS - On to the Patriots - YAY!! P.SSS - How many deer am I allowed!!? P.SSSS- I Think 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MOOSEHEAD RIDERS sc Find us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/portage.lakers Here we are again, gearing up for another great season of snowmobiling. We hope you have had a wonderful summer. Winter will soon be upon us so the annual trail work fun will begin soon. If you are able to help PLSC this fall please get in touch with Beech Ken- ney or Glenn Cusack. Help is greatly appreciated so please reach out to us if you have interest in joining the work crews! If you received this edition of the Maine Snowmobiler Newspaper that means you registered a snowmobile in Maine last year. But did you also join a club? If so, Thank You for your sup- port! Our local clubs wouldn’t exist without you. If you would like to join, please contact us at portagelakersmem- bership@gmail.com - or visit www. portagelakers.org ($15 for an Associate Membership, $30 for a Family Member- ship, $50 for a Business Membership). The Portage Lakers are very excited to announce that we have a brand new 2019 Pisten Bully!! We can’t wait to get this beauty out of the trails! We owe a huge thank you to our grant writer Sue Rogers for successfully landing us the USDA Rural Development Grant and Maine Capital Equipment Grant! We couldn’t have done it without you Sue! The weekend of the September 19th we held a groomer reveal to our local community. In attendance, we had a rep from Senator Collins office as well as Representative John Martin and Senate President Troy Jackson and members of the MSA. We had lots of memberships brought in with this event, so once again don’t forget to join! Our club meetings are held on the first Friday of the month, 6:30 PM at Dean’s Motor Lodge, October-April. The dates for this season’s meetings are October 2, November 6, December 4, January 8, February 5, March 5 and April 2. We are looking forward to another great season of snow and fabulous rid- ing! Make sure to keep an eye out for any of our events happening! See you on the trails! Chelsea Stratton

PO Box 1145 Greenville, ME. 04441 This year we are faced with chal- lenges as never before. Many of our seasonal visitors have stayed on in an attempt to enjoy the relative isolation of the Greenville area and to take advantage of our exceptional school system that presently is utilizing tra- ditional in-class learning. ATV traffic was way up in the summer and we expect a similar increase in snow- mobile activity in coming months. Many will be new riders and/or new to our trail system. Some will be surprised but hopefully prepared for the severe weather conditions riders may encounter if this is their first exposure to the North Maine Woods. We will need to place heavy empha- sis on educating the riding public on permitted trails and in-town access points respecting private landowner requirements. Keeping everyone safe is always a challenge in areas around vehicle traffic, sidewalks, gas stations and restaurants. Luckily, our local PD and Warden Service have expressed an eager willingness to work with us to the satisfaction of all involved. The club will continue to place emphasis on good directional trail signage this year. The “Greenville Fire Rescue Bog- gan Fundraiser” on “gofundme.com” is gathering funds to purchase a back- country rescue sled. Consider a dona- tion for this piece of equipment as an insurance policy should you need to be transported to medical care in the unfortunate event of a crash. While crashes are relatively rare, this rescue sled will save lives and minimize fur- ther transportation injury. We also endorse the view that every rider should belong to a club as your meager dues goes a long way to support the grooming and snowmo- bile promotion activities of the local club. Clubs are a group of volunteers that groom trails, post signage, clear downed trees rebuild bridges, trim overgrowth, receive the input from any dissatisfied member of the public and are the ambassadors of the sport negotiating with land owners. Your primary or associate membership allows us to communicate with you on important issues and adds to our leverage when negotiating on behalf of snowmobilers. Early reports are for a colder and

Photo By Peggy Daigle

Photo By Peggy Daigle

We are still waiting to have our first meeting. With Covid and all it has been, we are trying to figure out how and where to have our ‘safe’ meetings. We will keep you all up to day via emails. Our 2020-21 membership packets have arrived from MSA and have been mailed. As in the past, we will include six MSA Super Raffle tickets. We also have had a nice donation of a new pair of Yukon Charlie’s Pro II Hike Adven- ture Series Snowshoes complete with bindings, Trekking poles and a snow- shoe gear bag. We will also be includ-

EASTERN REGION

EAST BRANCH SNO-ROVERS & ATV CLUB

MEDWAY & EAST MILLINOCKET, ME Along with all of you, our club has experienced many changes due

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MSA Club News Monthly meetings held 1st Wednes- day of each month @ 7:00PM Join a club, Volunteer, that’s what makes it all happen! Patti Rioux, Recording Secretary Hello, everyone I hope you are ready for the coming season. The leaves are changing and the tempera- ture is dropping. We have started a lot of trail work already. We have bush hogged many of our trails that needed it. We are working on finishing our reroute on the ITS 84. Please remem- ber more than ever we need people to purchase a club membership or renew for the new year. Any possible money that can be raised should not be forgotten about. We are for sure in unprecedented times. Remember to save the date as the Penobscot Snow- mobile Club will hopefully be having a winter snowmobile race in Febru- ary. Stay tuned for more to come on that. We have definitely had a busy fall, which included a visit from Sena- tor Susan Collins, and The USDA. We were proud to host the press confer- ence where Senator Collins released to the press the great about of USDA grant money that was awarded to sev- eral clubs. Let’s all get the work done this fall so we can enjoy riding this winter! Andrew Jackson, Board of Directors Well, it’s beginning to look and feel more like fall in the state and we are still all trying to stay healthy. CASC has not met in any way since March, but we are moving closer to a meeting date and place as we cannot meet at our usual spot at Nancy and Dola’s house due to gathering restrictions. Possible by the time you read this we will have been able to secure a place and have held our first meeting of the season. Membership renewals have been sent out and club members are asked to send them back. While you are at it, please consider buying six Super Raffle tickets to assist the club and MSA this year. This may be the only fund-raising event we can hold for quite a while, so any help will be greatly appreciated. At this time, our trails have not been completely checked to see what shape they are in. This will be done soon to find any areas of concern and get trail people out to work on them. With a few exceptions, many of our trails are road systems so that makes it easier. Connector Trail 107 does need some work on it, and hopefully that PENOBSCOT sc HERMON, ME CLIFTON AREA sc CLIFTON, ME

by machine to get that trimmed back. Traci wants to widen the trail heading up over Ebeemee Mountain to con- nect with the Gauntlett/Saddleback trails. Anyone who has not taken this ride, it is beautiful! I know Kathie and Scott Lee spent a lot of hours grooming that trail last year and it is such a pretty ride! (My dream is to have a scenic turnout up there where you have an incredible view of the mountains to the north!) I just received an envelope in the mail from Al Swett with photos from our awards ceremony! Thank you Al! Quite a year, let’s all hope and pray for a great winter this year! Rain in October to fill our ponds up, then cold temps in November to freeze the ground, followed by early snow in mid-December to start establishing a beautiful white base! Come on every- body… START THE DANCE! Thank you for your support! Laurie Plourde, President PO Box 630 Brownville, ME 04414 EASTERN MAINE SNOWMOBILERS 263 LEVENSELLER RD HOLDEN, ME EasternMaineSnowmobilers.com Find us on Facebook This is our 50 th season! We began in 1970 and are one of the oldest continuously meeting clubs in the state! And this has been one of the most interesting seasons in our his- tory. With the covid pandemic etc. we couldn’t hold any meetings, we lost all fundraising and rental income from renting out the clubhouse etc. However, we did not let that stop us we decided to go ahead with our annual lobster dinner using approved social distancing and that was a suc- cess. Next was our annual open house in September. This event at the club- house was also done with approved social distancing guidelines it was a chicken barbecue meal. We want to thank Bangor Motorsports and TBA Incorporated in Bangor for bringing over new snowmobiles and trailers etc. for everybody to look at while we’re having our meal. For those that don’t know if you show up that day and renew your membership or get a new membership your meal is free! Trails This year presents some challenges, as two major reroutes need to be taken care of. Bush hogging and mowing has been started and mostly completed by trailmaster Larry. Weekly trail work started with the first Sunday in October and contin-

ues every Sunday from now until we can start grooming trails. Meet at the clubhouse around 7:30 a.m., the cof- fee will be on exclamation point and we like to be in the woods for an 8:00 a.m. start! Fundraising Now more than ever it would be really good for the club if everybody would pay their memberships and consider buying the MSA super raffle tickets as $1 from every ticket sold goes directly to our club ! We also have 300 club tickets. The 300 club is 300 tickets sold it’s $5 per month for a 6-month draw for information on these tickets you can contact Don Noble at 207-356-7182. And again I will say it is our 50th year! And we would like to acknowl- edge three current active members that have been there the entire 50 years since the beginning. They are as follows: Carl Gerow, Charles Mitch- ell and Dick Crawford! So to com- memorate our 50 years we have made some new aluminum insulated coffee mugs with our logo and the 50th year on them! These will be given out to all of our generous landowners on our system as a token of appreciation. They will also be available for pur- chase for $12 at the clubhouse. Troy G., Trail grunt NORTHERN TIMBER CRUSISERS MILLINOCKET, ME Fall is upon us the trees are getting colorful. Still could use some rain as we are still at or near drought condi- tions here in the state. Our MSA memberships have been mailed as registrations expired 9-30- 2020. Complete and return yours so we can submit them to MSA. Our volunteers have done some bridge work and are planning on get- ting the Rainbow trail opened up so we can keep it groomed this winter. There is some building maintenance and property work being done at the clubhouse as well. As we look forward to winter 2021 we plan on holding the annual cancer fundraiser, Snowball Run on January 16th there will be magnets for par- ticipants and a prize for the largest donation. The Winterfest scheduling is being reviewed and tentatively will kick off with the antique snow sled parade on Friday February 12, 2021. Watch out Facebook page for more information as date gets closer. Stay safe and get those machines tuned, get your gear together hope- fully we will be blessed with lots of snow so we can get out there and ride these great trails we have in the Katahdin region.

will be completed before snow flies. We didn’t get a chance to do much grooming last year, but if the Farmers Almanac is correct, that will change this year! That’s all for October. Stay healthy and safe everyone! Eileen Lafland COCHNEWAGAN TRAILBLAZERS MONMOUTH, ME Greetings Trailblazers. Hard to believe another snowmobile season isn’t that far away. I hope everyone enjoyed their summer. The club held most of it’s usual events. We took advantage of the nice weather and went on many ATV rides. Eight of them were day rides and two were overnight trips to Eustis and Beaver Cove (Moosehead Lake). We also took our annual camping trip, with three families going to Mt. Blue State Park. Now we are preparing to start trail work, hold our landowner apprecia- tion dinner and start our membership drive. We are also holding our annual fundraiser, the snowball raffle. Check out our Facebook page (Monmouth Cochnewagan Trailblazers) and our website, (www.cochnewagantrail- blazers.com) for updated information. Lastly, I would like to wish Ray and Joan Heyse a happy 65 th wedding anniversary. Ray and Joan have been members of our club for over 25 years and even though they no longer ride, they participate in events whenever they can. Again, happy anniversary to two special people. Roberta Kemp Our September meeting was held on the 17 th at Lumberjack Lodges in Harmony. Election of officers was held with the same slate of officers from last year being voted in again. Normally we vote on our officers in April, but like so many things in our lives today, COVID 19 postponed that agenda. We voted to keep membership fees the same as before: Family $25 and Business $35. Status of bridges and water cross- ings were discussed as well as the landowner’s appreciation activity. We will be having a cleanup day later this fall to get the clubhouse and equipment in top-notch shape. We are all anticipating a great season and looking forward to getting the trails ready for all of you. HEART OF GOLD sc HARMONY, ME CENTRAL REGION

Please follow us on Facebook: heart of gold snowmobile club or email us: heartofgoldsc@yahoo.com Do you have questions about join- ing us or helping with trail mainte- nance? Feel free to call our president at 612-8484 or email us. We welcome the help and membership. Marie S. Lougee, Recording Secretary Not much news to report. Our first meeting was on Oct. 14th as the Sep- tember meeting had to be canceled. Memberships have gone out. Thank you to everyone who joined our club and bought the raffle tickets. All of our fundraisings had to be can- celed due to covid-19. Our pancake breakfast in March and now our craft fair in November. Half of the ticket sales come back to the club. Trail work has begun! New bridges have to be built and some repaired, trails and signs need to be checked. Don’t forget all meetings are on the 2 nd Wednesday of the month at 7:00 pm. Check our Facebook page for more information! It’s a good time to join a club and get out and enjoy the snow and do some snowmobiling. Help support the clubs who maintain the trails. Stay safe and we’ll see you on the trials. ANASC Once again, it’s an exciting year for the Lexington Highlanders Snowmo- bile Club! After only two years, we have outgrown our new clubhouse. “What a great problem to have!” We have broken ground on putting an addition that will double the size of our new clubhouse. We are hoping to have it completed, or at least weather tight by the time our annual Christmas party comes, usually the first Saturday of December. At our last year’s party, we had a wall-to-wall attendance of over 45 members. “We were elbow to elbow, literally!” The entire club is SOOOOO EXCITED! We hope all of you will stop by this snowmobile sea- son and see all of our improvements and maybe have a cup of coffee. Although different, our 36 th annual chicken BBQ held on Labor Day weekend at the Happy Horseshoe (Continued on Page 10) ANSON-NORTH ANSON sc ANSON, ME WESTERN REGION LEXINGTON HIGHLANDERS sc 1654 LONG FALLS DAM RD. LEXINGTON TWP

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