8843-R6_MSA_September2024_Newsletter

The Maine Snowmobiler

September 2024 • Vol. 56 • No. 1 MSA, PO Box 80 Augusta ME 04332

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An Official Publication of the Maine Snowmobile Association

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Here and Back How one Loser won big with the 1 st Annual KAST Poker Run

By Jason Johnson

minute to reflect on how I got here. I mean this wasn’t my original plan for today. When I heard about the KAST Poker Run I figured it would be a fun day of riding my Skidoo Renegade in southern Aroostook with a dip or two south to hit some of the Northern Penobscot snowmobile trails. I first learned about Snowmobile Poker Runs two years ago when I moved to Smyrna and opted to check out a local Club’s Poker Run at the urging of my friend Jared Brewer – a native of Blaine and avid sledder in his younger days before he moved downstate. “You’ve got to go on a Poker Run,” said Jared when I asked him about the various poker runs in the County. “They’re a lot of fun.” Until last year my only experience with Poker Runs was by ATV. Those Poker Runs were akin to being in a Westward Ho! Conestoga wagon train – everyone lined up their ATVS and UTVs behind a leader who very slowly and painstakingly led the group to our first stop where we spent 20 minutes or so drawing cards before loading up for the next long, slow ride to our second stop and so on and so forth. I was pleasantly surprised to find with Snowmobile Poker Runs it really isn’t a case of playing Follow the

Leader as everyone rides at their own pace and order, stopping at pre-cho sen spots where cards are drawn and recorded. In short, doing a Poker Run by sled was a lot of fun and I was look ing forward to the KAST Poker Run to the point where I plotted out a nice route by sled. That plan however was two weeks ago . . . and before I had the dubious distinction of throwing a stud into not one, but two intercoolers on my Renegade . . . not to mention having some wonky issue in the chaincase. My sled would be out of commission for awhile . . . maybe for the rest of the riding season. Never one to dwell on the negative I decided to take my proverbial lem ons and make lemon-ade and do the Poker Run by car. I mean I like driving so it could be fun to drive to a few of the stops, right? And then I thought, instead of just hitting a few of the stops . . . why not drive to all ten of the stops and kill a few hours? I’ll fast for

“What am I doing? This is crazy. I really should be doing something more productive today,” I muttered to myself as I opened my car door and sat down in the driver’s seat. I stared down at my car’s dashboard. It was 6 a.m. on a Saturday – February 24 th – and 25 degrees outside. I began to think of all the chores I should be doing around the house today . . . and the realization I would most likely instead spend most of the day watch ing Sled Neck videos, flipping through Facebook and playing Gardenscape. “Screw it, this will beat staying home” and with that I depressed the Push-To-Start button of my black Toy ota Camry TRD, punched in a Mat tawamkeag address and cranked up the radio which was playing the latest Pearl Jam hit. Time to head south to the Katahdin Area Trail System’s 1 st Annual Poker Run. As I sped south on I-95 I took a

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The 8 th Annual MSA Golf Scramble – A Hole In One By Mike Grass Jr.

T he 8 th Annual MSA Golf Scramble took place at a new venue on July 13 th , 2024. 24 teams took to the links (golf course not Lynx snow mobiles) for what turned out to be a beautiful day on the course. First off, hats off to Hermon Meadows Golf Course for pulling out the stops and chang ing gears the night before and helping MSA put on a terrific scramble. Our HMGC contact, Thea Davis, contracted Covid the day before the event and had to replace herself with Kate, another course pro at HMGC, and she did a great job accommodating all our needs. John, the course owner, was also there all day to fill in or provide needed help or info to make things go smoothly. Once a few showers cleared up at exactly 8:45 am, 24 golf teams from places like Easton, Caribou, Lexington, Skowhegan, Levant and believe it or not, New Jersey headed out to their respective holes to wait for the “shot gun” start. All those teams had a chance to win some really cool prizes from our “hole in one” sponsors, Darlings Ford/VW/Audi, Chase Toys and Coop’s. A beautiful new Ford Bronco, a Ski doo Renegade Adrenaline 900R and a Fisher Stainless V Plow were all up for grabs for the sharp shooters on the tee boxes. Sadly, no one won any of those prizes but many door prizes were won back on the patio at the clubhouse. Open and Club team winners were crowned at

days end as well as a new putting competition champion this year. Lots of volunteers made the day happen and forgive me if I miss anyone. MSA President Mark Chinnock, Exec VP Matt Stedman, Trea surer Lori Hemmerdinger, Northern Region VP Nick Morrill, Western Region VP Jerry Major, Central Region VP Ron Nunes, Eastern Region VP Eilleen Lafland all were out in force as well as Past MSA President Al Swett, MSA Past Pres ident Bob Flag, Eastern Region Director Larry Lafland, and Assistant Treasurer Barry Ryan covering hole in ones, cooking and assisting in the event. It would not have been possible without all these great volunteers. Overall, the day was a success for sure, espe cially with the change of date and venue. Our sponsorship revenue was the lowest in the events history but we had the second largest number of teams. The goal of the scramble is to get to a field of 36 teams and we are slowly getting there. We would have been close this year but the change of date had at least 10 teams with conflicts of schedule. If you have attended the MSA Golf Scramble, you already know how much fun it is. If you have not, get a team together and join in the fun for the 9 th Annual MSA Golf Scramble June 28 th , 2025 at Hermon Meadows GC. We would love to have you join us!

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Two $1,500.00 Scholarships

will be award this year by The Maine Snowmobile Association to eligible applicants.

☛ To be eligible for these awards the following criteria must be met: • Applicant and/or immediate family must be a member of the Maine Snowmobile Association for two years prior to January 1 st of 2025 • Applicant can be of any age • Immediate family members of MSA member are eligible. Immediate family is defined as legal dependents living in one household. • MSA membership can be family, individual or a business

☛ Scholarship awards are granted to MSA member or family member who is: • A recent high school graduate or holder of a GED • Any student in a one or two-year Associate or Technical School Program at a school in state or out of state • Any student in a four-year Bachelor Degree Program at a school in state or out of state • Pursuing a Master’s Degree

committee needs to raise funds. To do this we are asking clubs to consider making a donation to the scholarship fund. Some clubs in the state have held fundraising events, do a 50/50 raffle at club meet ings, send a donation directly or come up with other ways to raise the money. Whatever your club can do would be greatly appreciated and helpful. The Scholarship committee greatly appreciates your consideration to assist MSA students in reaching their higher education degree.

The Maine Snowmobile Association believes that our future depends on our children, which is why we are doing our part to invest in them. If you feel the same way, please consider helping us to raise money for the fund or making a donation if you prefer? Each year the scholarship committee gives out two scholarships to students who have been MSA mem bers for the previous two years. This year we award ed two $1500 scholarships to students. In order to continue this tradition, the scholarship

All majors and /or courses of study are eligible. Essay and completed application must be received at the MSA office in Augusta by the close of business on April 1, 2025. https://www.mainesnowmobileassociation.com/msa-scholarship-fund/

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From The Executive Board

From the President

maintenance. Clubs statewide need new active members to keep this all going. You do not have to be able to cut trees & brush or operate a groomer to be able to help your local club. There are a lot of different skills needed within the snowmobile clubs…you may just be the person they have been looking for! With ever increasing traffic load and more folks coming here from away for our consistent and long winters there is a lot of work which the same folks end up doing. Please reach out and join a club. It’s quite rewarding to help and then take a ride on the trail you have helped with. The need for new people to step up does not stop at the local club level, the Maine Snowmobile Association is always in need of folks to step out of the sidelines and take on a larger role to help keep our sport moving forward. If something piques your interest, please ask one of our members how you could help. This fall the MSA will have a small group working on getting legislation prepared for post-election 2024 to better fund our clubs. We have been brainstorming across the state to get ideas over the past year and have accumulated some great ideas. There is no one single answer, and all ideas will be needed to make sure we get the right combination. Just because we don’t tackle all the ideas to move forward this session of legislature does not mean they will not be revived in another season. One more focus for the winter, trail safety.  We hired a legislative lobbyist. James Cote was hired by the MSA. He represents the MSA and its 280 clubs. James is the eyes and ears at the Statehouse in Augusta. He represents the Trappers Association as well as the Maine Guides and has extensive understanding and appreciation of outdoor sports recreation. James has already helped us out many times with snowmobile related legislative bills. The combination of the funding committee working together with our lobbyists has brought us closer to achieving our goal of getting more money for the clubs. VP positions. Nick Morrill will take over Matt’s position as the Northern Region VP. Ron Nunes, the new Central Region VP, is stepping in for Jack Lord who has decided to retire. Matt Baron is the new Coastal Region VP who is stepping in for Dave Watson. These three new Regional Vice Presidents have been active with the MSA and I am proud to have all of them on my team along with our returning VP’s. Eileen Lafland will continue as Eastern Region VP, and Jerry Major will continue as Western Region VP. Eileen and Jerry are a wealth of MSA knowledge, and I encourage club officers to work with them to strengthen your club’s membership and operations. Another great resource at your disposal is our full-time staff at the MSA Office. Al Swett is staying with the MSA in his new role as Director of Operations. Al has one of the best understandings of how the association works. His statewide contacts and his connection with the people in our snowmobiling community are mind-boggling. Liz Mahaleris is at the office full-time. Liz is a pleasure to talk with and can answer most of your questions or refer you to someone who can. Liz can also get your updated membership lists and any other materials you may need for your club’s membership. Each year we strive to improve all aspects of the Maine Snowmobile Association. I am making it my priority to focus on funding and membership. The MSA continues to work at getting more money back to the clubs. We are doing this in a couple of ways.  We have formed a Funding Committee. This committee puts together ideas on how to get more money back to the clubs. Those ideas are brought forward to the Executive Board and then legislation is considered to bring life to the ideas.

Last winter was a lower snow winter, but we don’t want that to take the focus away from snowmobiler safety. MSA and clubs should continue to work with the Maine Warden Service to make sure folks are safe on the trails. Please reach out to your MSA regional director or district Warden to set up a trail safety check, report areas of abuse or misuse and to get a dialogue going as the season ramps up. Nothing will resolve trail safety if we do not work away at it individually and as a group. Watch for more from the MSA on snowmobile safety this coming winter. If you are a club that needs help, or a group of new officers/directors please reach out to your local MSA VP or regional directors. We are here as a resource for the clubs to help in any way we can. We may not know all the answers but will work to get you the answers or put you in touch with someone to help. If you have a question, problem, concern, or idea on snowmobiling in Maine, get in touch with me. You can call or text me at the phone # or email below. I am honored to be in this role within the Association and hope to meet more of you as the season gets going. Get out and attend a fall fundraiser, landowner dinner, go to the MSA snowmobile show and get pumped up for this coming winter season!! Matt Stedman Stedman.matt@jdirving.com 207-557-1921 I will end by telling you that writing this as your president feels surreal, but I am extremely excited to be an active part of one of ( if not the greatest ) Snowmobile Associations in the nation. It really is easy to get excited when you are surrounded by as many passionate snowmobilers that care so much about the future of our sport as I do. I truly am blessed to have been given the opportunity to lead this amazing group and pledge to do my best. As always, if you have any questions, concerns, issues or would just like to talk about anything Snowmobile related, my door is always open. Thank you, Mark Chinnock MSA President The membership part of our focus, both soliciting new members and retaining existing members for the clubs and the MSA, is without a doubt a full-time and somewhat daunting job. We are working very hard to come up with an online forum for membership that works for everyone and makes it easy for the potential member to join the MSA and club of their choice. This forum can also be used for an existing member to join multiple clubs from the comfort of the easy chair. Having a person join your club is not the end of it. Equally as important as getting new members is retaining existing members, and that is the only way that we can grow as a club, an association, and as a sport. I feel like with the advent of technology and social media presence that recruiting new members is the easier part of the equation, retaining them requires a little bit more work. And then there is this question: “How do we get more of our members to be “active members?” I would definitely be open to listening to new ideas on this topic! We are pleased to say that we are continuing the tradition of the Super Raffle this year and have three sleds, two trailers, and a host of other raffle prizes secured to help your club sell lots of tickets. +For help with this, or if you have any Super Raffle questions, please contact the MSA office or ask any MSA officer. The Maine Snowmobile Show is slated once again to be held at the Augusta Civic Center on October 18-20, 2024. Dozens of vendors will fill both the inside and outside of the Civic Center, we will have our ever popular “Trails Workshop”, and we can’t forget the fast growing and popular “Vintage Sled Room”.

Lori Hemmerdinger (207) 890-5455 544 Plains Road • Poland, ME 04274 Treasurer@mesnow.com Treasurer’s Report Respectfully Submitted, Lori Hemmerdinger, Treasurer

Monthly Income Monthly Expense

$ 5,508.14 $ 41,479.68 $ (35,971.54) $ 85,600.00 $163,747.51 $111,120.37

Mark Chinnock, Vice President 207-754-9874 544 Plains Road, Poland, ME 04274 napadude66@hotmail.com

Net Revenue

Short Term CD (8/31/24)

Checking (8/31/24)

H ello fellow MSA members and welcome to the 2024-2025 Snowmobile season! When I say that I am excited for this upcoming season it is without a doubt an understatement for several reasons. The first reason is that we have been very patient with Mother Nature and her extreme mood swings. A good old-fashioned winter is long overdue, and I am optimistic that it will happen this time around. Secondly, I feel that the MSA team that we have in place to see us through the next several years is full of experience and knows how to guide the MSA to be a positive voice and strong leader in the sport of snowmobiling and everything that goes along with it. We have several new faces to bring in new ideas and fresh insights as well as some seasoned veterans who will give us the benefit of their experience and mentor those who are willing and able to help. I would like to introduce our new Executive Vice President Matt Stedman. Matt is a forester by trade and is well versed in land management and landowner relationships. He practices seeing all sides of any situation and can offer fresh ideas and see them through. Matt is a great leader, and I am fortunate to be able to work with him. We have fresh faces within the Regional

Dedicated Account (8/31/24)

Pay Pal (8/31/24) - Special Events Account (8/31/24) $ 4,987.53 Credit Line (8/31/24) $ - Building Fund (8/31/24) $ 54,165.11 Brian Wass Safety Fund (8/31/24) $ 1,285.76 Scholarship Savings (8/31/24) $ 1,706.12 Scholarship CD (8/31/24) $ 60,066.05 $

Director of Operations

Alan Swett, 207-872-7282 234 County Rd, Waterville ME 04901 snowtraveler@roadrunner.com H ere we go again folks starting another Maine Snowmobile Association season. It’s been rainy many days of the summer so hopefully the weather pattern has changed and bring Maine some much needed snow and cold weather. People from all over the nation come and ride our trails. They know we have the best volunteers, groomer operators, landowners and supporting businesses in the industry. The results are incredible trails with breath taking scenery, wildlife and adventures that can only be had in our state, there lifelong rides that are talked about forever! The State Legislature will be meeting soon, and our lobbyist James Cote is on top of any thing and everything that is MSA related. Assisting the MSA clubs with new laws and procedures that will protect the landowners and riders for years to come. The $30 mil lion bond is supported by the MSA body and will be a great boost of revenue for our trail system. This funding will help the trails year round with the increasing number of people using them and the rain and wind devastat ing our trails this money will only help out. More than 500 organizations, business and towns have joined us to support this bill. The money will be distributed over 4 years. 25% for motorized 25% non-motorized and 50% to multi use. Bureau of Parks and Lands will administer the funds. It will be on the ballot in November hopefully it passes, and we will get some much-needed help. I hope you all had a wonderful summer! AL

From the Executive VP

Matt Stedman 207-557-1921 (call or text) PO Box 621, Ashland ME 04732 Stedman.matt@jdirving.com

H ello snowmobilers of Maine, Welcome to those of you who do not regularly get this paper. We hope you join an MSA club this season so you can enjoy this paper monthly, as well as a multitude of other benefits that come from joining a club & the MSA has for its members. All summer folks at all levels in local clubs and The Maine Snowmobile Association work to ensure that issues that affect snowmobilers & snowmobiling are being discussed and worked on so we can continue to enjoy our great sport for years to come. Landowner changes & issues, trail re-routes, capital equipment grants/purchases/upgrades as well as groomer

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From The Executive Board Secretary’s Report - Betsy Watson Directors Meeting - Sportsman’s Alliance - Augusta, Maine - August 20, 2024

Northern Region Vice-President: Nick Morrill – Not on tonight but some stuff going on in the northern region with trail work and getting ready for the season. Some trails closed because of logging and things like that. Don’t thing that you have to solve problems on your own, don’t know exactly the right person to call, or the right way to ask somebody, reach out to your regional directors or reach out to the regional VP, reach out to the office. We might not have all the answers to all the problems going on but we can work together to help find a solution. President: Mark – There are a couple of things that we have been working on. I’m going to steal some of Matts thunder. Matt is the head of the Funding Committee and one of the things that we have been focusing on is different ways getting funds back to the clubs. One of the things you will see on the back of your packet is a letter that talks about the $30 million Trails Bond. The trails bond will be voted on in November and what this is will spread out over motorized and non-motorized recreation, over 4-years so $7.5 million dollars a year. At this time we do not have any figures or how it will be distributed. If it’s passed, we will have a significant sum of money coming our way. If James Cote was here he would be able to tell you all about it. To insure that it has the best chance to pass, the legislature has put together a steering committee to get the word out there for YES on 4. They are looking for $100,000 for the advertising to help pass this bond. MSA on your behalf has put in $5,000 seed money. Any questions on the Trail Bond, ask Matt or myself. The best thing that you can do is get all the information about the bond and pass that information on to your clubs. The $100,000 is going to be used for advertising the bond to the public to get it passed in November. The good news is that James Cote is sitting on the committee to help us pass this bond. By us putting the in the $5,000 it gives us a seat at the table when they are making decisions. It puts our foot forward and not just for a hand out to work at getting this done. Al Swett – Raffle – Fryeburg has a box of 10,000 tickets for the fair. Posters are out back if you need them. If you want the sleds to display at your place let us know. Alcom trailer is not quite ready. The show is coming up in October 18, 19, & 20. We just started taking volunteers. Aileen and Larry will talk about some changes in the volunteer schedule. If you want to sell tickets it is on the MSA website under forms. Registration list – we used to be able to get the registration list from the State for free but now the State is charging for them. We do have some lists from a few years ago in the computer system. It can help send letters out to those in your town. This is something that we want to get into legislation to get this list for free again. I’m on a committee, Government Land Use Committee, that was appointed by the government and its members are from all walks of recreation. E-bikes are the new thing now. These bikers are going on the snowmobile and ATV trails. Some landowners do not want them on the trails so keep that that in mind. State Reparative is trying to get the weight restrictions changed. This would mean that the trails and bridges would need to be wider. I used to work for Sappi paper and I still know people that work there. A friend has dropped off 6 rolls of conveyer belts to use on your bridges. If you need some of the belt call Joe Higgins. If he does not get back to you, call me at the office and I will make stuff happen. Safety – we want more safety checks this year with IF & W. We are trying to get those guys to get out and make sure that they don’t have loud exhausts, up to date registrations, and just to say hi to people and let them know they are there to help not hinder. Snowmobile safety classes at schools. If there anything at

the back table that you need just go on and take it. I will be ordering more supplies soon. We did a DVD in the early 2000 and we want to update this. Maybe we can put this DVD on You Tube to get it out there for most people to watch. Funding Committee: Last year we sent out a questionnaire asking the membership where they saw the directions of increasing our trail funds. In the past years we wanted to raise the registration fee to put the increase into the trail fund but that is not the direction the membership wanted to go. So how do we put me money into the trails fund? The short term is the trails bond fund. If it passes that’s 4 years of money for the trails. Not a long term solution. How do we mimic the automobile gas tax going into the road fund? We are going to pursue this quite hard with James. Snowmobile rentals sales tax, how do we get some of that for the trails fund. Questions: -- Do like NH snowmobile systems. There are three parts, mandate that you join a club, repair fund on capital equipment, and maybe a Non trail registration for your snowmobile. WE will need to do our homework on these ideas. Membership Report: Eileen Lafland: All the packets are done. If you are a membership chairperson get the stuff back to the office ASAP. Send them in so people get there paper. If the person has been a member before, they do not need a new membership card. They are already in the system. Enter them on a blank card because we have them in the system and we will update that number. If you have any questions contact Liz or Eileen. Every club needs to go the website under membership and fill out your officer update forms. They need to be done every year. Trail Committee Chair: Brent Spalding – The big order of business is the Maps. We are way ahead of schedule. We already have a contract signed with the engineer for the overlay. Lori has been working on the back of the maps and has already done a full revamp of the front perimeter thank you for that. I have a quote from Franklin Printing. The final review should be done on Thursday for the edits to date. Friday or Monday going to S.W. Cole for the overlay. We should be able to have this to franklin printing in about 10 days from now. A Reminder to everyone that if you want a trails signing workshop in your area I have available dates contact me. Scholarship Committee: Harvey Chesley (not present) Read by Barry Ryan: We are putting a nice write up in the MSA paper, for the rest the season. This is the future, we talked about getting young folks involved in the clubs this is one way to do that is to educate them so they can make the most money for them for school. We will have different fund raisers at different clubs. Reach out to the committee if you have any questions about the scholarship fund. If you would like to make a donation through your club, you can make the check out to MSA Scholarship Fund and send it directly to the office. Bring this information back to your club. Question on the floor is “who is responsible for getting this information out to the guidance counselors out to the schools?

The local clubs will help you out with that. Community clubs can join in on the assembly at the school. Our Scholarship application is on the MSA website for any and all to print out. Eileen proposes that the 50/50 that we do at the directors meeting, for this year only, that the proceeds go towards the scholarship fund to help build that fund back up. We are trying to raise enough money to pay the two $1,500 scholarships for this year without touching the CD. I would like to make a motion that with the E-Board approval that the 50/50 money from all of the directors meetings for this year only (thru April 2025) be placed into the scholarship committee. Seconded Jerry Major, Motion passed. Hall of Fame Chair: Gail Ryan – looking for committee members. I am looking for one person from each region. Hospitality: Gail Ryan – cards have been going to some of the members for different reasons, both happy and sad. As always, Gail tells a good joke. Announcements & Events: T-bone Trail and BBQ Cook-off on 8/31/24 at 2 PM. If you want to participate in the cook-off you can reach out to Matt Baron. Proceeds are going to the MSA Scholarship fund. Rangeley: January 30-31 and February 1st, Thursday through Saturday Rangeley Snodeo, more info to come. Lexington: Chicken BBQ on September 1 st , it’s a Sunday. At the Long Falls Dam Road at the Happy Horseshoe Campground Ashland: Big Woods Grass Drags, September 14 &15, in Ashland. This is the Ashland & Portage snowmobile clubs main fund raiser. It is a two day racing event. Andover: Is having a Landowner Appreciation and Fund Raiser on September 14 at the Lone Mountain Riverfront Campground, 439 S Main St, Andover, ME. Kingsbury: On August 31 st , Kingsbury Barnstormers Snowmobile Club is having their Annual Pig Roast in one of the hangers Eustis: on August 31 st Eustis is have their cookout. Larry would like to make a couple of amendments to the show – there were two motions to modify the time slots for the clubs to work at the show to sell the tickets. The 1 st motion is the change the time slots to ~~ Friday 3-8; Saturday’s 1st slot is 9-12:30, 2 nd slot is 12:30-4, 3rd slot is 4-8; Sun 9-3. There is a motion on the floor to modify the times to sell tickets. We have a second. Motion carries. The 2 nd motion is about the clubs selling raffle tickets at the show and the drawing. You have to go to Formstack if you want to be in the drawing. The motion is that the clubs that signed up last year but were not chosen will get two tickets and everyone else will only get one that will be drawn at the September meeting. We have a second. Motion carries. 50/50 Drawing – Paul from Rangeley won the 50/50 and donated it all back to the scholarship fund. Thank you so much Paul! Pot of Gold: $400 back to the clubs September Director meeting is at the T-Bone Trail Kitchen at 92 Emery Corner Rd in Limerick on September 17, 2024. Motion to adjourn, motion carried.

P resident’s opening comments: Mark shared his committee appointments for the 24-25 seasons, the following committee chairs are appointed by the president. So the Trails Chair I picked Brent Spaulding; Funding Committee – Matt Stedman; Hall of Fame – Gail Ryan; Finance Chari – Lori Hemmerdinger; Safety Chair – Al Swett; By Laws Chair – past President, Bob Flagg; Membership – Eileen Lafland; Hospitality Chair – Gail Ryan; Scholarship – Harvey Chesley. Secretary’s report: None The treasurer’s report was read by Barry Ryan and placed on file at the office. President: Mark Chinnock – Summit was held in June and it was successful; our Golf Tournament was held in July and it was a success. So the expenses were $8,767.82, the income was $13,145.00, so our revenue was $4,377.17. A successful tournament. Great venue Herman Meadow was awesome. Now turning it over to the VP, Matt Stedman. Thanks for coming, it’s a great turnout. Get your membership packets; if you do not have your membership packet, reach out to your regional VP. Last year we did not have a stellar year last year but you will need to reach out to your district warden to get them to help with your Trail inspections safety check like we used to do. Work with your local warden or district warden to set up a safety check with your club. Check registrations, pipes, good interaction between the clubs and the game warden and riders in your area. Eastern Region Vice-President: Eileen Lafland – Starting to get moving. Gary Dowling, Craig Lemieux, Barry Ryan, Paul Bolstriddge, Larry Lafland, Charlie Huntington have gotten all of their packets for the Eastern Region. Clubs are looking at their trails, some landowner stuff going on, fund raising stuff, and some of those clubs have received their capital equipment grants. Western Region Vice-President: Jerry Major – Impressed with all the work that everyone has been doing on the trails and fixing bridges. All the work that has been done together with the ATV and Snowmobile clubs. I’m hoping that in October I will be having a Western Regional Meeting in probably in South Paris. In January the monthly showcase ride will be held in the Western Region. I would also like to nominate Brad Barker as a Western Region Directors. It was seconded. Motion passed. Central Region Vice-President: Ron Nunes – There is some stuff locally like trail work being done as well as bridges being fixed. We will be having a meeting in October Place and details are still being worked out. Coastal Region Vice-President: Matt Baron – Busy preparing for the cook off. Having great talks with my clubs, going around and meeting people, and trying to get them pumped up and ready for the season. It’s been a struggle dragging the younger crowd to get them involved. Betsy Watson, Secretary 207-205-1559 412 Roberts Ridge Rd, East Waterboro, ME 04030 watson.betsy29@gmail.com

Know Before You Go!

Always Check Local Ice Conditions

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From The Executive Board

D ear MSA snowmobile club members, The MSA has been working to determine legislation that needs to be brought in front of the 2025 session to better finance our clubs trail maintenance & equipment funding. We spent last year petitioning for ideas from our members and receiving feedback as we held meetings and through various other venues. Thank you to all who gave positive feedback. We know there is no “silver bullet” answers but are committed to the ongoing work to make sure our trails & clubs have the financial resources they need. In early January, we had a very productive call with Governor Mills and IFW Commis sioner Camuso. While nothing was decided upon, they now have a clear understanding of our financial concerns & plans looking for funding in the short, medium & long term. Our lobbyist has also been working dil igently gathering information and talking to folks in Augusta, reminding them of how season. MSA leadership and I have been diligently working on plans for the upcoming legislative session and hard at work supporting the $30 million trails bond on the ballot this Novem ber- Question 4. Our legislative strategy is still being refined, but we anticipate a busy legislative session and are looking to be proactive on behalf of the membership. We’ll continue to keep you well apprised of what things look like as we move towards the start of a new session in Jan uary. We continue to focus heavily on strate gies to enhance funding for our clubs. Most pressing right now is MSA’s support and the passage of the trails bond in Novem ber. MSA has been asked to join the leader ship team of the campaign, and we are work ing to raise money and educate voters about the benefits of a $30 million investment into Maine trails. If this bond measure passes, it Welcome back friends. It’s only Septem ber but according to the Farmer’s Almanac, we snowmobilers have reason to be excited about winter, the forecast calls for a colder and snowy winter than normal. Fingers crossed we deserve a good, long riding season. As the cochair of the scholarship committee, I would like to take a few minutes to introduce you to our program. The MSA and its lead ers had the foresight and generosity to start a scholarship in the early 1980’s. There have been a few been a few changes and adaptions along the way but the committee has awarded many, many scholarships to very deserving members of the MSA. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the committees desire to grow the scholarship balance so that we can continue to give out as much as possible. The cost of education has The Trails Committee has already had two meetings by the time you read this. Through out the summer, many clubs have been work ing to mitigate the damage caused by last win ter’s devastating storms. There are still going to be some reroutes, particularly in the west ern region, but we will persevere as we always do to get our system back in shape. The ITS Trail Map has gone to print and should be out the first of October. There were minimal revi sions, so the process was much simpler than last year. As your club gears up to start bushing and signing, remember to reach out to ALL of your landowners, old and new, to reinforce known relationships and start new ones. A good rela tionship goes a long way when it comes to keeping our trails intact. The Trail Committee will be continuing our signage workshops this season and welcomes an invitation to come to your club. Please con tact me if you have any questions or would like to set a date. Be safe in the woods and pray for an early winter… Brent

much financial gain our clubs bring to the State and our financial concerns. He has kept us up to date on issues that we need to know and asked for guidance for communications. He is also on the steering committee for the Trails bond, which is on the November ballot. We are hopeful this bond gets the voters support and will inject important funding into all types of trail infrastructure, most impor tantly for snowmobilers. Bond language: https://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/ getPDF.asp?paper=HP0728&item=3&snum=13 Bond Question: “Question 4: Statewide trail system Do you favor a $30,000,000 bond issue to invest in the design, development and main tenance for nonmotorized, motorized and multi-use trails statewide, to be matched by at least $3,000,000 in private and public contributions? This question came from bipartisan leg will provide $7.5 million per year over a four year period into a competitive grant program for motorized and non-motorized trails alike. We have joined nearly 500 other organiza tions from across the state in supporting this measure. Soon MSA will be sharing helpful infor mation about the bond proposal that you can share with your fellow club members, family, and neighbors. It is really important that this measure pass with flying colors in November so that we can get this money into our trail sys tem, and importantly create some momentum in support of trails for the future. If you, your business, or anyone in your network would like to contribute to the campaign, please con tact me at jcote@bernsteinshur.com. With only two months to go before Elec tion Day, I also hope that club leaders from around the state will reach out to local legis lative candidates for a cup of coffee. It is so skyrocketed over the years and as a group, our goal has always been to make the award be an amount that is significant and makes a differ ence for the winners. Currently we award two scholarships of $1,500 each, we have raised the amount twice in the past couple of years and hope to keep moving the total up in order to better support the future of our families. Here is where we ask for your help. Our bylaws only allows to use the interest from our CD to pay for the scholarships. We are in the final year of a long term, low wield CD, in order to keep up have had to draw money from a small savings account and the generosity of a few clubs to pull through. This year we are undertaking a major push to build our savings account, we are asking ant and everyone if they might like to help.

islation that was signed into law in April. If approved by voters, the law already lays out how the money will be spent over the course of multiple years to create what would be known as the Maine Trails Program. The law also says that a quarter of the funds would be used for non-motorized trails, another quarter for motorized trails and the other half for multi-use trails for recreation or active transportation.” We hope this provided some critical short to medium term funds for trails work outside the snowmobile season. As we prepare for the upcoming legislative season, we have narrowed the scope of fund ing options and have meetings setup with Joe from the Snowmobile Program and our lob byist to understand the details and potential financial implications of a few scenarios. Respectfully submitted, Matt Stedman important that these candidates hear from you about the needs of your club locally, and what your vision is for the future of snowmobiling in Maine. Creating strong relationships now pays dividends in the future. So please, invite them to the clubhouse, take them on a tour of your trail network, or meet them for a cup of coffee at the local diner. And if you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. For now though, please encourage your network to VOTE YES ON QUESTION 4 in November- the $30 million trails bond! We will continue to share lots of information online and through our social media channels. If you have any questions, please don’t hesi tate to ask. In snow-adarity, James Cote MSA Lobbyist We have had some awesome response and feel confident that with a good year not only can we pay the awards from our savings but also build the balance up so that we can pay out more in scholarships down the road. Our CD can be rolled into a new term next month, there won’t be enough interest this year but by next year we’ll have even more money to give out. As your clubs begin to meet for the season we ask that you might consider a donation to the Scholarship Fund, it doesn’t have to be big anything will help. Next month we hope to include some of the ways other clubs are helping out and maybe your club might find a fun and exciting way to support our cause. Remember any of our committee members are willing to help too. Thanks for all you do! Mcfarland, and to Larry and Eileen Lafland. Get well cards to: Mike Grass Sr., Dan Wilson, and Larry Lafland, and a card to Valarie Swett. A Retirement card to: Marty White A thinking of you card to Mark Chinnock his dad isn’t feeling well. And sympathy cards to Brant Winsor he lost his wife. A card to Lori Hemmerdinger she lost an aunt. A card to Darlene Kelly Dumond she lost her dad. A card to Jeff and Julie Monk her father passed. And a card to John and Melanie Monk she lost an uncle. These cards were sent since the annual ban quet in April to just before the first meeting of the season in August. Anyone who would like to have a card sent for any reason, birthday, baby arrival, get well, thinking of you, anniversary and of course sympathy cards. Please send me an email at skidoo6000@aol.com or contact me through the MSA office. Respectfully submitted, Gail Ryan

Funding Legislation Committee

Matt Stedman 207-557-1921 (call or text) PO Box 621, Ashland ME 04732 Stedman.matt@jdirving.com

MSA Lobbyist

James Cote MSA Lobbyist

H ello MSA Members! Hard to believe that summer has come and gone, and we are on the cusp of fall and another snow season. Hopefully very snowy Scholarship Committee

Harvey Chesley, 207-314-0637 25 Hillcrest Dr, Clinton ME 04927 harv.chesley@gmail.com

Trails Committee Chair Report

Hospitality Chair Report

Gail Ryan, MSA Hospitality 207-478-6821 207 Lancaster Brook Rd, Glenburn, ME skidoo6000@aol.com H i everyone, Hope you’ve had a great summer. I’ve already sent out quite a few cards for the 2024-2025 season: A thank you card to the Bowlin-Matagamon S.C. for their donation to the Scholarship Fund. Anniversary cards to: Chuck and Charlene

Brent Spaulding, MSA Trails Chairman 207-944-7762 41 Madison Ave Brewer ME 04412 msatrailchair@gmail.com G reetings from Brewer, The ’24-’25 season is already under way.

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From The Executive Board

with friends and working with the MISSION MEN of Oxford Hills, helping many others. Now let’s think Snow, the executive officers of the MSA have been busy all summer, (we have a very good group of officers). The meeting in Augusta was well attended, club packets were handed out, since the meeting, it has taken quite a bit of time and lots of mileage getting packets to clubs, and I thank area directors and others for their help. I have talked with a lot of clubs this year and am impressed by the amount of work completed, due to MOTHER NATURE, lashing out at us. I am also impressed by the number of clubs working together with ATV clubs, TOGETHER WE TRAIL--DIVIDED WE FAIL. I am looking forward to attending many of the region’s local meetings, and am planning a WESTERN region meeting in October, watch for details in your email. Hopefully we can work together on a few projects and not have conflicting dates for events. Reach out if I can help. Jerry CLUBS- Remember to send those member ships in as soon as you receive them so we enter them in the data base. That way no one misses their newspaper. Have a great season everyone!! worn. Safety glasses, earplugs, stable shoes or work boots, dust masks, good pair of gloves. While working on your drags and groomer make sure your equipment is blocked up to avoid it crashing to the ground or floor with you beneath it. Same goes for your sleds and groomers, charged hydraulic lines, electric current can give you a bath and a lift. Watch out for tripping hazards, be alert while travel ing or walking of washouts beneath you. Bring necessary tools and other gear to get you out of those situations. Make sure your chainsaw’s and trimmers are good to go. As much as most of us dislike some of the safety rules we had to live by while working, they were made to protect us and are lifelong lesson’s that most of us retirees still continue to use. Accidents happen very quickly and can be life-changing incidents. So please work safe. We have here at the office many weather proof safety posters available. The Recreation branch of the State will be conducting safety classes throughout the State for snowmobil ing and atv’s. We will have dates when they become available in our MSA newspaper or online. Call if you need anything. Snowmobile safety starts with every one of us slowing down to enjoy the beauty of the best trails in the Northeast! Be safe out there! Al which ever way you choose. Every person who is or has ever been a member of MSA is in our data base system with an assigned membership number. If you are rejoining after a year or longer or are changing primary clubs you are in the system. Please tell the membership person you are signing up with you have been a member so they can note it on their report to MSA. MEMBERSHIP CHAIRS- If a person indicates they have been a member in the past, you do not have to fill out a NEW member card. You must note on the transmittal form they were a past member and it can be of ANY club. That way the MSA office can use the existing number in the system. Please do include their personal info as it may have changed. What many clubs are doing is making a photocopy of a membership card with the number blanked out and sending that with their transmittals. You can contact me at membership@mesnow.com and I can email you a page of these without numbers if you want. There is also the option for anyone to sign up digitally on the MSA website, www. mainesnowmobileassociation.com click on the clubs tab and then double click on membership form and fill it in. Make sure you choose a club, so they receive your information as well. It’s that easy!!

Central Region VP

Safety Committee

Hall of Fame Committee

Ron Nunes 401-527-5370 Thelastroundup2018@gmail.com H ello all members in the central region I’m sure you’re all getting excited and beginning to work hard getting trails ready for the upcoming season. I’m still trying to get acquainted with my new position Jack Lord had it a long time and made it look easy. I’m working on getting membership packages out Jack and others are helping. Sometime soon, I will be reaching out to all of you with an invitation to the central region annual meeting location and date TBD sometime in October if in the meantime anyone should want to get in contact with me my email is thelastroundup2018@gmail.com I look forward to seeing all of you this season. Thank you for all your hard work Ron Nunes, Central VP months clubs have been showing their appreciation for landowners by holding several landowner events. None of this is possible without club members and volunteers, which all clubs in The County are very much in need of. I know people have busy lives and schedules but donating an hour or two of your time to a local club goes a long way. We all know that the trails don’t build and maintain themselves. If you don’t have time to volunteer then at least join a club and show your support. As we wait for the local farmers to dig their crops and the first snowflakes to fly now is better than ever to get our machines out and get them serviced and ready to go for the 2024/2025 riding season. Fingers crossed that mother nature brings us the snow this season that she barely brought us last season so we can enjoy the riding to all our favorite watering holes and riding destinations like the “Border Trail” and the Arch Hanger at Loring Air Force Base just to mention a few. In closing I hope everyone gets out and enjoys all of what Maine and New England has to offer for the fall season and keep praying to the snow god’s to bring us plentiful snow this winter for all of us to enjoy. Remember to always ride right, ride safe, and ride sober!!! Nick Morrill Northern Region V.P.

Alan Swett 207-872-7282 234 County Rd, Waterville ME 04901 snowtraveler@roadrunner.com Y es, September is here and El Nino has gone away. Let’s hope this winter is a sure hit with lots of snow and cold weather. Many clubs will be out surveying their trail system. Flooded roads and downed trees will make going rough so proceed with cau tion. You know while working at “The Mill” we all focused on not getting hurt and work ing safe. Proper PPE (safety gear) should be

Gail Ryan, MSA Hospitality 207-478-6821 207 Lancaster Brook Rd, Glenburn, ME skidoo6000@aol.com i everyone, My name is Gail Ryan and I’m your New Hall of Fame chairperson. I’m new to this position and I need help! I’m hoping to get a person from each region to help me choose the best candidates for our Hall of Fame. It will be an adventure. Anyone interested please contact me either by email at skidoo6000@aol.com or through the MSA office, or talk with me at one of the MSA’S meetings. Respectfully submitted, Gail Ryan H

From The Membership Corner

Northern Region VP

Eileen Lafland, 207-843-7813 PO Box 733, Holden ME 04429 L.andE.lafland525476@gmail.com

Nick Morrill 207-554-0074 406 Main Street, Stockholm ME 04783 landscaper9791@gmail.com G reetings from The Crown of Maine or as others call it The County. As I’m writing this the change of the seasons is beginning with mother nature bringing us cool nights and cooler day time temps which means that the riding season is just around the corner. With that being said clubs throughout the area have been busy mowing trails, grading rail beds, rebuilding and repairing bridges as well as working on organizing and updating their signage. Throughout the summer and the coming

C an you believe it is time to start another season? Summer is gone and fall is approaching which means clubs are starting to recruit members and renew members from last year. All clubs should have their membership info now. Anyone who was a member of MSA last year has a preprinted membership card in the club you joined last year packet. Please contact them to renew so we keep your same number. It is VERY IMPORTANT TO UPDATE ALL YOUR INFORMATION on the preprinted card so you continue to receive your MSA paper either in the mail or digitally,

Western Region VP

MSA MEMBERS CHANGE OF ADDRESS Let us know when your USPS mailing address has changed - so you won’t miss an issue of the Maine Snowmobiler Members Name: ________________________________________ Old Mailing Address: ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ NEW MAILING ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Mail to: Maine Snowmobile Association, PO Box 80, Augusta, ME 04332 fax: 207-622-7669 or e-mail info to: editor@mesnow.com

Jerry Major, Cell: 207-838-0892 137 Morrill Rd, Norway ME 04268

mrfun101jem@gmail.com W ell folks it has been a pretty good summer, fairly nice weather, good racing, local and TV, fun riding side by sides

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