8576-R1_MSA_December2023_Newsletter

From The Executive Board Secretary’s Report - Brad Barker 587 th Directors Meeting - Madison American Legion - Madison, Maine - November 13, 2023

Commission meeting coming up. Going to be a bit heated I think, looking to get some legislative proposals going. Town view vs Snowmobile view of what a discontinued road is needs to be cleared up. Your best bet is to ask the abutting landowners not the towns. LD296 increased snowmobile and atv registration by $4 up to $5. Disappointed because we didn’t have representation on this issue. IF&W didn’t have time to support the bill. Hospitality report given by Gail Ryan. Please contact Gail with your card requests. Scholarship Committee: Berry Ryan - giving away two $1,500 scholarships. Committee is working on revamping the scholarship applications etc. Details will be in the December paper. New Business - Al - have a new club we need to accept into MSA Northeast Carry welcome to the MSA. M/S/C Sandy Patrcick promoted running a beauty pageant with the intent of getting younger people involved in the MSA. Perhaps a yearly representative, like an MSA Snow Queen, could be elected who would act as a liaison for the snowmobile industry, attending fairs, shows, etc. Perhaps they could start with a coronation. Applications by October 15 th . There should be an incentive for winning the crown. Back to Al - MSA will be acquiring new furniture, projectors, a trailer for putting supplies in to bring stuff for shows. Credit Card - had a fraud alert a couple weeks ago. It might be easier to protect us by having a credit card. The Yamaha Vector stored Al’s house - thinking it might be a good time to sell if anyone is interested in buying it. Pine Tree Camp egg ride coming up. A large piece of land is being sold to the Penobscot Nation, details to follow. Some trail signs just came in, they are being divided out. 50/50 - $113 - John Monk Pot of Gold - Chesterville County Ramblers - no one present so $400 forfeited. Meeting adjourned at 8:17pm. Respectfully Submitted, Brad Barker We have had 2 virtual meetings and 1 in person meeting since beginning. We did a brainstorm ing session at the show and gathered a handful of ideas there as well. An e-mail blast has been sent out to clubs asking for ideas. We need all your help to get ideas from folks who are in the trenches working everyday to keep the clubs going. Once we have ideas from our membership, we will combine them with our own, group the ones that are similar, ensure we understand them & begin to sort them into categories to deep dive into how they could/would work. Work through your club at the next meeting to have this as an agenda topic then get your ideas to us. Email your regional VP at the link below: David Watson - dwatson6841@gmail.com Eileen Lafland - L.andE.lafland525476@ gmail.com Jack Lord - jacklord5256@gmail.com Jerry Major - mrfun101jem@gmail.com Matt Stedman – stedman.matt@jdirving.com Have a great Christmas, hope you get the chance to enjoy it with family and friends and maybe even a little throttle therapy. Matt Stedman

newspaper and on the website. Please fill out the form online. December 12 is the MSA meeting at the Civic Center where they will do the Super Raffle. Northern Region Vice-President: Matt Stedmen - club trail work is going wide open and fundraisers are happening. Eastern Region Vice-President: Eileen Lafland - Called attention to the eastern region clubs that were there. Clubs are pushing memberships, there’s a regional meeting this Thursday at East Machias. Thank you Gary Dowling and the Downeast Trail Riders for setting that up. Trailwork is being done between the raindrops. There is still a lot to do with a small number of people. They are doing the best they can so bare with them they are working hard. Western Region Vice-President: Jerry Major: Sent out an email blast to the eastern region but it didn’t work. January meeting will be turkey pie and held at Norway fire station. Someone donated them a truckload of telephone poles. Trailwork is going well. Central Region Vice-President: Jack Lord - Glad it is in Madison because I get to see people that I haven’t seen in a long time. The issue in Bingham is being worked on and seems to be moving in a positive direction. I need a trail inspectors and received a volunteer from the audience. A lot of clubs do stop sign IDs for roads and logging road crossings are including a GPS 911 location. The trail from Oakland to Bingham is open. Coastal Region Vice-President: Dave Watson - everyone is out doing trail work and building bridges. Waiting for snow! If we don’t get snow we don’t ride. Start doing snow dances. Old business - Al Almost 4,000 people attended the show. It was a wonderful show and a great turn out. Every vendor booth was full. Vintage show is going to have a bigger space next year. Off trail riding - signs are on order still. Other signs have come in. Safety - there are classes coming up, we did one at the show last month. A lot of awareness advertising in our Newspaper, guide and online. They offered to pay for the eight Safety posters we’ve had for the last few years. We had some made coated with laminate. We will soon receive another batch mounted on a hard backing material. We will have around 800 when the order is complete. Thank you Mr. Mike Hammond! Also, if you have any of the BIW signs I gave you would you please send me a picture of them out in the field? I need to show the BIW folks where they are. They’ve offered to make more. 24 hr. grooming and the curvy logo. We’ve developed a great friendship, I never asked them for anything they came to me with the offer. We had 10 people die on our trails last year at the start of every year I preach nobody dies this year! Please folks we have 10 fellow rid ers that won’t be home for Christmas. Ride smart and safe don’t drive drunk, these new sleds are so quiet smooth and fast, if your new to snowmobiling try to take the IF&W safety course you can do it online now. And if you have not been on a sled for a few years beware they giddy up fast. Watch out for wildlife and obstacles on the trail. Stay off the frozen bod ies of water. If you have to go on it ask the locals first. Practice safety at home watch out for ice on your decks, steps and your driveway keep in mind of black ice. Be careful under foot. When it snows and your car is left outside, brush it all off not just the windshield! Make sure your smoke detectors /C02 detectors work, if you’ve had them awhile buy new ones. Change your batteries Wear your PPE when running equipment. It only takes a second or two to safety up!

is happening. Now is the time to get stuff ready to roll, please check everything and be careful when you’re doing all the work. Please use your personal protective equipment. If you need anything let me know. Membership Report: Eileen Lafland: 186 out of 285 clubs have submitted memberships as of today. Numbers at this time: Family memberships 3424, business memberships 726, TOTAL 4150. TOP TEN CLUBS as of today Washburn

Mooshead Riders Blue Ridge Riders Northern Timber Cruisers Pleasant Mountain Fryeburg East Branch Sno Rovers

Poodunck Penobscot Rockabema

A ppreciate all that came out tonight Anson North Anson SC. Secretary’s report accepted as read. M/S/C The treasurer’s report was read and placed on file at the office. President Al Swett opening comments: Eboard meeting - we voted to upgrade office furniture, projector set, easy up, and banners so that we have enough to share through the state. A new credit card may be acquired in order to protect the MSA financial assets. Discussion on selling the MSA sled, lightly used Yamaha with split cowling. Executive Vice-President: Mark Chinnock - thank the North Anson SC for meal We’ve been really busy doing the show in Epping. Awesome show in Augusta. Headed to West Springfield, Mass. next weekend to the Big E show expo. We have some deadlines coming up, Dec 1st grant applications are due. Officer update forms need to be in so that the MSA is able to contact the appropriate officers. Park and Ride database - if you have a P&R and you want it on the map it will be in the Brad Barker, Secretary 207-524-3301 155 Fish Street, Leeds ME 04263 barkerbrad155@gmail.com

Totals by region: Central 633, Coastal 527, Western 775, Eastern 1435, Northern 775. Out of the top 10 five of them are from the eastern region!!! Trail Committee Chair: Brent Spalding - Bridges. Clubs have been out doing bridges. Decking and new bridges, clubs are really hitting it great. We’ve been really busy, and had a great turnout for the presentation. There were a lot of clubs. Mapping regions has been happening all over the state. Another workshop in Madawaska Dec. 3rd and the Rodeo on Jan 27 th will have another workshop. If you want a workshop in your area just let me know. Skidoo and Polaris are all squared away for maps. Carrabassett is on hold for now. We moved the trail to the east side of 27 and that is on the new maps. Rangely – some issues going on in this area due to logging. The 68 miles lost has shrunk down to about 38 so far. Matt Stedman - formed a committee to discuss legislation to help get more funds back into the clubs hands. Will be sending an email blast to solicit more ideas so that we can fundraise less and focus on landowner relations. Steering Committee Chairman: John Monk - Thursday is an Abandoned Road

Safety Committee

Funding Legislation Committee

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

Matt Stedman 207-557-1921 (call or text) PO Box 621, Ashland ME 04732 Stedman.matt@jdirving.com D ear MSA snowmobile club members, The MSA has put together a committee to determine legislation that needs to be brought in front of the 2025 session to better finance our clubs trail maintenance & equipment funding.

Well, Safety looks like it’s on the head end of the trail this year. Matt Stedman and I are on an IF&W committee to promote safety and getting extra help from the Wardens in high traffic areas. Just those folks being at a road crossing will make rider’s wonder. The Com missioner and all the top shelf Wardens are on board. Myself and Anson North Anson SC Presi dent Jon Nelson put on a Snowmobile Safety Awareness Class at the Anson Middle School last month. It was well received the kids thought it was cool to see a snowmobile in the gym. This month I’ll be putting one on in Medway sponsored by the East Branch SC. I’ve been helping out the IF&W Safety team attending and displaying safety information when they have a certified course so the adults and youngsters can receive their safety certif icates. The course take almost all day but it’s worth it. Hammond Lumber based in Belgrade approached me wanting to get involved with

CLUB MEMBERS Once grooming begins submit your trail reports to: EDITOR@MESNOW.COM Please include your name and club affiliation

Please be safe out there! Call me if I can help out, AL

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