8988-R5_MSA_March2025_Newsletter_Web

From The Executive Board

I want to give a BIG THANK YOU to the East Branch Sno-Rovers in Medway for their hospitality on Feb. 15 th . Ken Osborne led eight riders on a ride through the area, with a stop at a trail dedication and lunch at the Northern Timber Cruisers before returning to Medway. That evening the Sno-Rovers hosted the MSA February Directors meeting. With a large snowstorm predicated the next day, turnout at the meeting was low but those there were feed a wonderful meal. Eastern Region clubs have been amazing at turning in memberships and recruiting new members. As of February 20th, this region is the number one region in the state mem bership wise. Way to go everyone! You are the best! By the time you read this, MSA will be tallying club memberships and choos ing membership recruitment awards for the annual meeting. Keep them coming through March though as they will still count until April 1 st . Speaking of the annual meeting, please plan to attend and support all the award win ners. There will be a new award this year to honor a trailmaster or trail worker for their dedication. By now, applications should be submitted for all the awards to the MSA office. The annual meeting will be April 26th at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer. PLEASE NOTE- We are looking for auction items for the annual meeting silent auction. Please contact the Office or Eileen Lafland to donate items. My condolences to President Mark Chin nock and his family on the loss of his father. He will be missed in the Millinocket area. Safe riding everyone! Eileen Since the last time I wrote to you, we have received a little more snow, so we have all been able to groom and make the trails rideable. By the time you read this, we may be at the end of this season due to rain and warm weather but for now, “Ride Like Crazy!” I know I sound like a broken record, but we must support the clubs and the businesses that support our sport. I urge all the clubs to watch very carefully for any information forthcoming regarding the question 4 bond grant process, MSA is working hard to define the process. To all the club members and supporters in the Central region, “Thank you for all you do!”“Keep up the great work!!!!!!” Ron H ello Central Region Riders, The Snowgang membership was 106 as of last week, so get those reups in, tell your fam ily members and friends, because we finally have good snow and great riding. We are on a regular grooming schedule and trails are MINT!! Looking ahead a little, our Regional MSA ride/dinner/meeting will have come and gone, will update you on it as time allows. If you have an interest in being a Benedicta Snow gang club officer, or just have some ideas or thoughts, please consider coming to our April meeting as all offices are up for election/ re-election. Date and time will be posted on our website - www.benedictasnowgang and our Snowgang FB page. I guess that gets us up to speed for now, ride safe & too the faaarr right!! Jim Splan, Reporter @ Large P.S ~~ 109!! P.SS ~~ Great job Snowgang!! P.SSS~~ He’s got game, Steve Neal!! P.SSS~~ You didn’t win Muttsy!! Drumroll.......... And our lodge is open for bMy grandfather used to tell me a very long time ago, that it only snowed when an angel was shaking its wings. Well after this week end there must have been an honest to god WWF match going on somewhere in the heav ens because I really doubt if the angels have ST. FRANCIS SNO ANGELS St. Francis, ME

bership as a way of saying “Thank You”. The Northern Region showcase ride and din ner meeting is right around the corner taking place March 15th and is being hosted this year by the Benedicta Snow Gang. The ride will start at 9 am and leave from the Irving gas station in Sherman. We’ll take a nice loop ride around the area and then head over to the Rockabema club house for lunch. Afterwards we’ll make our way back to Sherman. The dinner portion of the event will start at 5pm with a social hour followed by a spaghetti dinner at 6 and then the director’s meeting starts around 7pm. The din ner and meeting will be held at the Benedicta Parish Hall which is located at 1063 Benedicta Rd. in Benedicta. Anyone looking to attend either the ride and or the dinner is encouraged to RSVP with Liz at the MSA office. I highly and strongly encourage all clubs from around the region to attend as this is a great time to ask any questions you may have. I hope everyone is enjoying what the 2024 25 riding season has to offer us now and are getting those miles of smiles on and enjoying the great memories that can be made together this time of year. Lastly I’d like to end on a different note by saying congratulations to all the high school girls and boys basketball teams from around the region and state who punched their tickets and participated in this year’s high school basket ball tournaments, I’ve spent the past two weeks sledding The County and the Katahdin area and driving up the 95 to support my local home town team the Caribou Vikings who brought home not 1 but 2 Class B State Championship gold balls. My congratulations to them!!!!! Remember to always RIDE RIGHT!!!, RIDE SOBER!!! & RIDE SAFELY!!!

Eastern Region VP

Northern Region VP

Nick Morrill, 207-554-0074 406 Main Street, Stockholm ME 04783 landscaper9791@gmail.com G reetings once again from the Northern Region!!! Well mother nature finally decided to show up and deliver not one but two good dumplings of snow to our area of the state. She hasn’t stopped yet with another delivery this past weekend as well. Clubs and groomer oper ators have been in full swing around the clock getting the trails opened fully and putting out the remainder of their signage. Some area clubs have also been having to work through mechan ical breakdowns while trying to complete these tasks. It’s been great to see clubs helping their neighbors out while they dealt with these issues. Considering the early season conditions this late into the riding season the trails are in great shape. So, when you’re out riding and cross paths with a groomer make sure to give them room to get by and give them a thumbs up or a big arm pump in the air for the top-notch job these operators have been doing. Better yet stop by their club’s house or get in contact with them and leave a donation or buy a mem

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

W elcome to March everybody! WOW!! Ole Man Winter sure showed his stuff the first part of February, didn’t he? Just in time for school vacation statewide received significant snow fall in a series of storms that seemed to come every two-three days over two weeks. Along with that he also showed his stuff with freezing temps and wind chills in some cases well below zero!! Those high winds didn’t help in open areas as the drifts were so big, groomers couldn’t keep up. The main roads in a large portion of The County had closed because snowplows couldn’t keep them clear. Too bad these storms hadn’t come in December and stayed with us, but we will take what we can when we get it.

Central Region VP

MSA CLUBS: TO ORDER NEEDED ITS & JCT SIGNS Contact Mike Grass Sr., MSA Trails Committee 252 Condon Road, Plymouth, ME 04969 207-368-4914 home • 207-745-2745 cell Grasslands252@gmail.com TO ORDER CLUBTRAIL SIGNAGE Candice Pinkham, DACF/Snowmobile Program 207-287-4957 Office • 207-878-8111 Fax • Candice.M.Pinkham@maine.gov

Ron Nunes, 401-527-5370 260 Last Round Up Rd, Lexington Twp, ME 04961 Thelastroundup2018@gmail.com

MSA Club News

any wings left to shake. We were blessed with 8 inches this last Thursday and another full 12 inches of wind whipped snow that make our landscape look like a frosted world of possibilities. The moon reflecting off the snow makes the whole world look like a scene inside of a snow globe. It’s beyond words, white, serene, crisp, and cold. The animals on the trails eyes glow like embers when the lights of your snowmachine invade their homelands. You know you want to come north!!!!!!! Leave the trails where you can’t really open up your machines, just too much traffic and come learn what true snowmobiling is. Our lodge is open and ready for business. We’ve now served 5 weeks of hot meals on Saturdays and the snow gods willing; we should have another 5. Plenty of time to make your reservations and come to Northern Maine for” The way Life Should be.” We recently had our Second Annual Pig Roast and it was a tremendous success due to each and every person who attended. We are eternally grateful for each and every one of you. If you came and had a meal, if you just rode by and waved at your fellow man, if you came in and warmed up by our wood stove, each and every one of you has made our little club a place to remember and come back to each and every time you visit us. Visit our stores, Joe’s Country Store, Chamberlain Mar ket. Have a meal at one of our homey, unique restaurants on ITS 92, The Forget Me Not Diner in St. Francis, Two Rivers lunch in Alla

gash. See what everyone is talking about! And then tell everyone about your trip!!!! Adven ture awaits!!!!!! Kim M Ouellette Secretary

Deadlines for club news is the 25 th of the month prior to the publications. Please submit articles to editor@mesnow.com

ROCKABEMA SNOW RANGERS Patten, ME

NORTHERN REGION

It’s Finally Here!!! The ground is white with fresh snow and the groomers are out and about ensuring safe and fun snowmobiling is happen ing for all. The temps have finally come out of the negative numbers making the snow more manageable and creating some great trails for our sledders. With that in mind, I would like to put out a friendly reminder - With these great trails comes the need for speed - First, remember, we do have a speed limit on our trails and that is for your protection and the protection of the sledders you meet. Second, when coming to a corner, I know the need to dive into the inner circle provides that feeling of the INDY 500, but please don’t!!! Stay on your own side of the trail. Meeting another sledder head on in a turn will not end well for either of you. Third, always be aware of your surroundings. When headed for a tree, don’t speed up. Slow down and get control of your sled. Finally, if you come upon a groomer, the groomer is NOT going to move for you - you pull off and wait for it. The groomer is simi lar to a snowplow - it has an object, to make the trail safe for you to travel. That’s all for

BENEDICTA SNOW GANG Benedicta, ME

Hey Gang, I’m sitting here writing on Feb. 24th, it is 35 degrees and sunny -- great day to be out there brapping. A very busy week last week, with school vacation, the basketball tournament, and every club in the region having events going on. The Snowgang held it’s $7000.00 50/50 raf fle, and here are the winners: 1st, Mike Duffy, 2nd, Juan Fernandes, 3rd Greg Desjardins,4th, Jeff Brooks. Congrats. to all the winners, and THANK YOU to all who participated!! Along that same note, the Snowgang was one of the participating clubs in the regional KAST poker run on Feb. 22. The club sold poker hands or cards at the Parish Center, and I am told that we sold the most hands ~~ well done guys. The winners of the poker run are posted on the KAST Facebook page. 1st place, with a full house was Shawn Southhard, 2nd place was James Remeschatis also with a full house -- just a little smaller! Congrats to all, proceeds all going to the Shriners!!

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