8178-R1_MSA_November2022_MaineSnowmobiler

The Maine Snowmobiler

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November 2022 • Vol. 54 • No. 3 MSA, PO Box 80, Augusta ME 04332 United we trail, divided we fail www.mainesnowmobileassociation.com

An Official Publication of the Maine Snowmobile Association

The 2022 Maine Snowmobile Show Thank You to Vendors and Attendees! By Mike Grass

The 2022Maine Snowmobile Showwas held at the Augusta Civic Center back in October. Snowmobile riders, Christmas list shoppers and snowmobile dreamers from all over the state, made their way to the Maine Mecca of Snow. Walking in this year, it was obvious that MSA President Al Swett, Liz from the MSA office and the MSA volunteer crew had brought the look and feel of the Maine Snowmobile Show back. Yes, we came back last year, but Covids lingering effects gave last year’s show a different feel. The only real Covid drawback this year was a lack of Yamaha snowmobiles. Unfortunately, Yamaha dealers are struggling to get products this year and were not able to have any at our show. Arctic Cat, Polaris and Ski-doo had strong showings this year and we thank them for their strong commitment to our show. Prinoth, Tucker, Piston Bully and Mountain Grooming (Soucy Tracks) brought their equipment to make the Trail Masters drool as always. Many trailer manufacturers were represented with some even having booths inside the hall to sell trailers and accessories. Clothing and gear were well represented with 201 Power Sports, Judged, Rave X, Trailside Performance as well as Ski-doo, Polaris and Arctic Cat dealers providing their products. Areas to ride were represented with booths like Jackman Border Riders, East Branch Sno Rovers, Aroostook County Tourism, Shin Pond Village and VAST (Vermont Association of Snow Travelers). There were also Insurance Companies and a Credit Union to take care of those necessary evils we need sometimes to make a snowmobile happen in our garage and make sure nothing bad happens to it. A shout out to Sharkey Graphic Solutions who set up at the show and made lots of contacts for future business. Finally, a big thank you to Charlie’s, our title sponsor, who had lots of great vehicles on display from Toyota and Jeep.

The MSA Trails Workshop on Saturday morning had about 75 Trail Masters, Grant Writers and Club Volunteers in attendance with speakers from IF&W, CMP, Prinoth and DOC, SnowmobileDivision talking about their respective areaswith great questions and feedback. AMaine Snowmobile Advisory Council meeting was held after lunch, with members talking about some rules changes for the Capitol Equipment Grants application for next season and an MSA Trails Committee meeting was held in the afternoon with coordinators from all over the state chiming in on issues in their areas, related to trails, signage and landowner permission. The MSA has held the Maine Snowmobile Show every fall now for over 25 years. It is one of the two big fundraisers for MSA and helps keep the Augusta office doors open. These funds are what will pay for our next Executive Director, which we are in the process of hiring. We hope to post this position in the coming weeks. Every year, folks ask, “how is attendance” or “how many Super Raffle tickets did we sell”, so here is a little insight from this year and last year’s shows. Due to the summer-like weather of this October, our attendance was down about 450 patrons, we sold about 800 fewer Super Raffle tickets and a few less memberships. Some would say “that’s bad” but it all averages out as we have good years and bad, depending on the weather, just as with snowmobiling and snowfall. The show was definitely a positive event, seeing all the smiling people, sitting, looking and drooling over the new sleds and gear. The MSA Scholarship Committee booth raised almost $1000, which is one full scholarship for an MSA member student who applies next year and the MSA hit the budget line with the show, making it a definite success. MSA would like to thank the Augusta Civic Center, all our patrons, vendors, speakers, guests and volunteers for making this year’s show fantastic.

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The 2022 Maine Snowmobile Show Vendors See our 2022 MSA Show Vendors who returned to the show, and be sure to visit them all year long.....

Bowlin-Matagamon-Shin Pond Snowmobile Club came back to us with maps and regional information to join the excitement in their area. https://bowlin matagamonshinpond.wordpress.com

Central Maine Powersports were here again with the toys you love and the winter clothing to ride them! centralmainepowersports.com

201 Powersports joined us once again bringing their high quality clothing and accessories for snowmobilers every where! http://201powersports.com

Charlie & Son were here again with their lat est snowmobile trailers. They carry a wide range of trailers for many other uses to fit all of your hauling needs. Check them out in Mad ison, Maine. www.charlieandsontrailers.com

Chase Toys were back and yes, they’ve got the

East Branch Sno-Rovers were back to pro

Charlie’s Toyota did it again, bringing us one

Maine Agriculture, Con servation & Forestry were

toys you really want from power equipment to 4-Wheelers and snowmobiles. Hope you saw them at the show. chasetoysinc.com

vide maps of their region and promote their club. It was great to see them again. sno-rovers.com

of their hottest Toyota and Jeeps. If you are looking for a serious truck, Charlie’s Toyota is for you! www.charlieandsontrailers.com

here again to promote proper safety and land trail use for the benefit of land own ers and riders. www.maine.gov/dacf/

Judged was back at the show with their wide variety of fabulous snowmobile gear. Hope you saw them at the show to see what they had to offer for your self? www.judgedgear.com

iGrip Stud returned with their studding for snow mobiles, automobiles, bikes, boots, and much, more! If you need to get a grip talk to these guys. www.igripstore.com

Jane Bell Allstate came back to the to protect you and your toys whether your on the trails or not. Jane specializes in snowmobile insurance. agents. allstate.com/jane-r-bell-gorham-me.html.com

Kramer’s Inc. It was great to see Kramer’s again this year and some of their great power equipment. If you are ever in Sidney, ME, they are worth the visit! www.kramersinc.com

Liberty Mutual came again for your

Mack Studs Back this year with studs for everything. Mack Studs off some great pack ages to keep you on the trails and on the road. www.mackstud.com

Lincoln Powersports was at the show again this year. They offer a huge line of snowmo biles, ATVs and more! Check out their web site for details. www.lincolnpowersportsme.net

Lifeflight of Maine is always an honored guest at the show as they are the unsung heroes that save lives when things go terribly wrong. www.lincolnpowersportsme.net

snowmobile insurance needs as well as any other insurance needs you me need. www.libertymu tual.com/insurance-agent/maine/augusta-0280

Mountain Grooming Equipment were back to provide some of the best groom ing equipment available today. mountaingrooming.com

Moosehead Motorsports It was exciting to seeMooseh ead Motorsports back at the show again this year. See their great line of sleds and more! www.mooseheadmotorsports.com

Maine State Credit Union For low interest loans and other banking services, Maine State Credit Union was at the show again for all of your banking needs. https://www.mainestatecu.org

New England Outdoor Center was at the show again booking ultimate vacations and events at some of the most incredible resorts in Maine. To schedule your ultimate get away, get in touch with NEOC! www.neoc.com

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The 2022 Maine Snowmobile Show Vendors See our 2022 MSA Show Vendors who returned to the show, and be sure to visit them all year long.....

North Branch Camps were back promoting great camps in the Eustis Maine area.

Pelletier Restorations was at the show dis playing an amazing variety of examples of their incredible painting and lamination work. For high end professional metal painting, Pelletier Restorations is phenomenal!

Northeast Motorsports and Recreation were here again offering snowmobiles, trailers, ATVs, jet skis, boats, motorcycles, Generac Portable Generators and more! nemotorsportsofmaine.com

GPS Trailmasters was at the show again bringing high tech mapping and GPS guidance and tacking. www.gpstrailmasters.com

Ravex Motorsports came back with their extensive line of clothing and accessories. Thank you Ravex for making our announcements at the show. www.ravexmotorsports.com

Pisten Bully was here with their super impressive groomer. They manufacture and sell state of the art trail groomers that are beyond powerful. aww.pistenbully.com/en

Reggie’s It was great to see Reggie’s here again. Reggies carries a wide range of snow mobiles, ATVs, clothing and accessorries www.doitatreggies.com

Prinoth joined us once again to promote their wide range of trail groomers. It was great to see them again. www.prinoth.com/en/

Rustic Retreat was back promoting their lodge and displaying their furs and other items. www.rusticretreatlodge.com

Scott’s Recreation returned promoting the sale of their snowmobiles, RVs, trailers and more! www.scottsrecreation.com

Sled Trex was back at the show promoting their interactive trail mapping system and merging the link between riders, clubs, organizations, and businesses. sledtrx.com

Sharker Hill Outdoors returned brining helmets, apparel and accessories for all of your snow mobiling needs. www.shakerhilloutdoors.com

Snowmobile Jackman returned again to promote Jackman area snowmobile clubs and activities. Happy to have you back with us again!

The Birches onMoosehead Lake was back again promoting their beautiful resort and offerings which include but not limited to lodging, dining, snowmobile rentals, boat rentals and much more! www.birches.com

Vermont Association of Snow Travelers

Track Inc. Track was back with their outstanding line of trail groomers. It was Great to have them again. www.trackinc.com

was at the show again this year promot ing snowmobiling and tourism in the state of Vermont. vtvast.org

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MSA Would like to welcome our new Vendors to their first appearance at the 2022 Maine Snowmobile Show

Pine Tree Society was here for the first time this year. They are deeply involved in helping individuals overcome their dis abilities and leading productive lives. It was great to have them join us this year. www.pinetreesociety.org

Sharkey Graphic Solutions joined us for the first time this year and felt very suc cessful with the show. If you need graph ics & printing we suggest SGS for their quality and timely service. www.sharkeygraphicsolutions.com

Trailside Performance Back again with a full outdoor clothing line and offering Trac tors and trailers for all of your needs. www.trailsideperformance.com

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2021 Groomer of the Year - Travis Roderick

Maine Snowmobile Association

Drawing on December 13 th , 2022 Location: Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine 205 Church Hill Rd, Augusta, ME 04330 Time: 5PM to 9PM

TICKETS $2 Each or 6 for $10

GRAND PRIZES

Ski-Doo Renegade 600 Sport 136 Black & Yellow

2022 Polaris 850 Switchback XC 146 Black

2023 Nitro X Sport xs 101x12 Two Place Trailer

Arctic Cat Z120 Snowmobile

GIFT CERTIFICATES

2022 Sno-Pro 101x12 Aluminum Hybrid 2-Place Snow Trailer

Bingham Motor Inn 2 Nights Lodging for 2 Central Maine Powersports Chandler Farms, Inc Chandler Farms, Inc Corriveau Arctic Cat Plus

North Country Rivers Whitewater Rafting for 2 Northern Door Inn One Night Lodging for 2 Northern Outdoor Adventure Resort 1 Nights stay for 2 Overlook Motel 1 Night Lodging for 2 Pisten Bully USA to Shaker Hill Outdoors $100.00 Rev-it-up Sport Shop $50.00 Richardson’s Boat Yard $100.00

$100.00 $50.00 $50.00 $50.00 $100.00 $100.00

GIFT CARDS

Huff Powersports Huff Powersports

Inn by the River - 2 Night Lodging for 2 International Motel,Calais One Night Lodging Jackman Powersports $100.00 Jackman Powersports $100.00 Kramers Arctic Cat $50.00 Kramers Arctic Cat $50.00 Long Lake Inn One Night Lodging for 2 Moosehead Motorsports $50.00 Moosehead Motorsports $50.00 NEOC - 1 day sled rental

Sally Mountain Cabins 2 Nights Lodging for 2 Shaker Hill Outdoors Shaker Hill Outdoors Shaker Hill Outdoors Shaker Hill Outdoors Shin Pond Village Wallingford Equipment Wallingford Equipment White Rock Outboard

Kittery Trading Post

$500.00 $250.00 $250.00 $100.00 $100.00

$50.00 $50.00 $50.00 $50.00 $100.00 $50.00 $50.00 $50.00

LL Bean LL Bean LL Bean LL Bean

Raffle proceeds benefit the MSA & participating MSA snowmobile clubs. Grand prize winners will be notified by telephone. Gift and lodging certificates will be mailed to the address on the winning ticket. Maine Snowmobile Association, P.O. Box 80, Augusta ME 04332 www.mesnow.com

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From The Executive Board

From the President

and The Cancer Center. Thank you Steve Shuman and crew for all that you do! On Saturday afternoon, the show was honored to have 16-year-old Blake Pettengill from nearby Belgrade. The Make a Wish Foundation asked him what his wish would be. He said a new snowmobile! Well, before he get a new sled he needs to be out fitted. Yeah, you guessed it. Many vendors at the show came out big time for our new friend Blake! He got helmets, oil, a complete suit, gloves, goggles, socks, t-shirts, a large gear bag and other goodies. What a day indeed. No dry eyes that afternoon! We, the snowmobile family came through and made that young man’s dream come true. Thank you to everyone who made Blake’s day. Just love this MSA family. We had a director’s meeting at the SAM building in Augusta for October. Our new zoom feature is working out well. Bob and Lori have it nearly perfected. Our next meeting will be in Lexington at their clubhouse. November 15 th I believe. With the holiday approaching, we have some MSA clothing items at the office for sale stop by to check them out. Also, I hope you all have a great start to this busy time of year. ITS maps are in along with more raffle tickets; Lori designed a new Guide to highlight the different parts of our snowmobiling in Maine. Make sure you thank the landowner(s) that our trails go on without them we’d be out of business. Thanks for all you do, I really appreciate it! Call me if I can help. AL discount the loyalty of your Southern, Eastern and Western clubs. Guess who are the people that are riding in your Northern and Western areas when they can’t in theirs…. Yep, it is one big cogged wheel! I guess I was floored as well, as one very young attractive couple actu ally drove to the show…. From Pennsylvania. Throughout the weekend, my wife and I cherished the many volunteers that crossed our paths along our snowmobiling and MSA journey. Some of these people were the very ones sitting in their volunteer chairs and also shouldered the weight on their backs. Some of those relationships even began with not easy conversations of what does MSA do? Yet they were standing in front of us looking to keep on the great tradition. We left that show with such a sense of warmth of the fellow friends that we saw knowing they are looking at and using the same MSAmap we do year in and year out. Just Wow…. and Thanks On another very recent online post, a dedi cated volunteer posted up a picture of a couple hazard signs he had proudly installed. With respect, he had improperly placed the orienta tion of them, unaware that there was actually a proper way to install them. Let’s be fair here, who is the poor sap that is going to pick up the ball and cast the first stone and tell some one that they voluntarily installed sings incor rectly. Everyone knows the universal one-fin ger answer that generally follows, right? Well two well-respected people in addition to me chimed in instructing him on where to get a signing manual in addition to telling him the thanks they appreciated of him taking the time to do it. This particular post went incredibly different to most as positive vibes from both sides surfaced with words of “Thanks for the tips and thanks for the constructive criticism (instructions)”. What resonated even more, this volunteer proved his engagement and called out his trail inspector by name in the post, and showed appreciation of his, his inspectors, and his club’s involvement to improve things. This is how this is supposed to work, and I salute all involved in the post that resided with the Winterport Riverside Riders. Thirdly, I would like to thank the volunteers that attended and worked the show. Many of the great MSA members just need to be more verbal of their willingness to help as guess who are the ones that do the scheduling? Yep! Vol unteers! I heard from more than one that truly enjoyed, you guessed it, VOLUNTEERING! In legislative news, a formal letter has been sent to Senator Russell Black asking for his spon sorship for a bill for snowmobile trail enforce ment. We will follow up on this very soon. On to some more trail work and if you are interested in helping your club, now is the best time of the year! Thanks Folks! John Monk

The group of Mike Grass, John Monk, Roland and Beth Bowie, Larry and Eileen LaFland, Bob Flagg, Mark Chinncok and Ms. Lori the lady that wears all the hats took off to the New Hampshire Grass Drags for a weekend showcasing MSA under the big top! A great job indeed by those folks making it happen and spreading Maine Snowmobiling. ITS maps were handed out. Our friends at Franklin Printing in Farmington made some adjustments at the publishing factory and bailed us out so maps were available. Off to the Fryeburg fair the club sold another huge amount of tickets over the weeklong event. The Polaris and Nitro trailer were on display so the fairgoers could see them! Thanks to those folks and every club in the state selling the tickets. This is the easiest way for you clubs to make money. This is our second year putting together the annual snowmobile show in Augusta. The Civic Center staff as always were gracious and made us feel very comfortable. You volunteers make it happen! Volunteers staffed the show and I can’t thank you enough for all your hard work, and taking time away from normal family duties to make it run smooth. We had nearly all but two booths filled. We reached out to get more vendors along with Chambers Of Commerce. Charlies Auto Mall came through again being the major sponsor. They are a great friend to have throughout our community with monetary donations and time to the likes of YMCA, Boys Club, The Hospitals

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

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

H i Snowmobiler’s Welcome to November! First off, with a heavy heart I have to let you all know if you don’t already that past President David Stevens has died. David was a fine man and truly loved the MSA and all its members. A true gentleman he will be missed. We have been very busy getting the show together. Now that it has passed, we can concentrate on the raffle and other business .October was a statewide event month, from Benedicta twice, Bridgton, Leeds, Fryeburg, Wiscasset, and a landowner meeting in Bingham.

Monthly Income Monthly Expense

$109,752.80 $ 57,321.72 $ 52,431.08 $258,142.57 $ 99,421.06

Net Revenue

Checking (10/31/22)

DedicatedAccount (10/31/22)

Pay Pal (10/31/22) - Special EventsAccount (10/31/22) $ 4,987.53 Credit Line (10/31/22) $ - Building Fund 10/31/22) $ 53,917.35 BrianWass Safety Fund (10/31/22) $ 1,285.29 MSA Scholarship SavingsAccount $ 1,832.16 MSA Scholarship CDAccount $ 60,133.63 $

From the Executive VP

Steering Committee

Scholarship Committee

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

N ow that another successful MSA Show has come on gone I would like to take a minute to thank everyone involved starting with all the dedicated and hard-working vol unteers, all the vendors that spent three long days at the Civic Center and finally the snow mobile loving community that showed up and supported the show, our vendors and the MSA. The Scholarship Committee once again held a 50/50 Raffle, special thanks to Bob LaFon taine for working all 3 days; Ken & Estelle Carey, Marion Pinkham and Terry Majors also manned the booth. The weather was a little too nice to break any attendance records but we still had a great time and raised almost $600 for the scholarship fund. Also, a shout out to President Al Swett for making sure we had a new banner, we were long overdue to have a new one. The committee has always regarded the Show as a great way to get our message out, the funds we raise are great but getting in front of a couple thousand people over the weekend is even better. Often someone will stop by to get more information or this year a gentleman donated because he said his daugh ter won one of our scholarship a few years back or even to get more information to take back to their club. Speaking of clubs, the committee is always looking for donations to help build the schol arship fund bigger so that someday we can give out more scholarships and increase the amount of the awards. Anything helps, maybe your club has an extra $25, $50 or $100 it might like to donate. Or maybe hold an event to help us all promote the scholarship, if any one would like help, ideas or even have a committee member attend you club meeting all of our committee members are willing to do whatever we can. With the holiday season fast approaching, we hope others might consider supporting this wonderful opportunity to help families as they work hard to pay for the ever-increasing cost of post high school education. On behalf of the scholarship committee, let’s hope everyone has a safe and happy holidays. Harvey Chesley, 207-314-0637 25 Hillcrest Dr, Clinton ME 04927 harv.chesley@gmail.com

John Monk Chairman of Steering Committee monksdoomopars@hermon.net Volunteers of the MSA

H ello Folks,

I hope everyone had a good October and had a chance to take in the Maine Snowmobile Show in Augusta. There was plenty to see with lots of great informational booths, clothing and gear, trailers and of course snowmobiles. November is here and that means tons of Snowmobile related things going on. I see many posts of clubs out doing trail work and getting preventative maintenance done on the grooming equipment the past few weeks along with landowner events and open houses. Once again, October saw the MSA on the move, not only at the Show but also at several Club events and meetings across the State. Trails Workshops and mapping meetings are scheduled for this month on the Trails Committee side of the MSA, and the ITS maps are out and can be picked up at the MSA office or by contacting an MSA representative. There are several important MSA and Dept. of ACF applications and Club forms that need attention and that are time sensitive with deadlines. Below you’ll find a quick checklist to help your Club make sure that they are submitted on time, as some are crucial to Clubs receiving Grants and other funding. Something to remember is that the MSA is here for the Clubs to use as a tool, so please if there is anything that a Club in the membership needs, by all means reach out to me or your local MSA Rep, we have many resources available and are here to help. One more thing, Super Raffle tickets are out and going fast! This is a no brainer fundraiser for your Club and encourages community involvement. ✔ Club Grant Applications ✔ Municipal Grant Application ✔ Club Grant Final Submittal for Reimbursement ✔ Municipal Grant Final Submittal for Reimbursement 4/30/23 ✔ Capital Equipment Grant App. 6/15/23 Important Club Deadlines - MSA ✔ Officer Update Forms 12/1/22 ✔ Super Raffle Deadline 12/6/22 12/1/22 12/1/22 4/30/23 Important Club Deadlines - DACF

H ello All,

I kindly like to share incredible apprecia tion for the astounding support so many people throw at this great avenue we call snowmo biling. My wife and I are just coming off the whirlwind weekend of the annual MSA show in Augusta, and we can’t fathom the incredi ble people that make up this great industry. We were very fortunate to have been handed the task of selling admissions and placing bracelets on the people attending the show. As small talk early on, I started asking “Did you come up, did you come down or did you come over”? The answers, as one can imagine were all over the place, with a surprising number stating, “We came up”. I truly felt I may have needed to change my cling-on phrase, as I was stifled as to the number of people who actually “came over” from the coastal areas traditionally that do not have extended riding seasons. My modification next season may have to include “coming over and from which direction”? Not to get off topic, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it and ended with a statement such as “Thanks for taking the time to come and support the MSA”. Not once, not twice, but in excess of 10 to 15 times, the people pur chasing tickets stated, “Thanks for having this and taking the time to volunteer”. I share this gleamingly as who wouldn’t of enjoyed being outdoors washing their car, putting up firewood or a last motorcycle ride, but the fact that oth ers showed appreciation of the volunteers lock ing down the weekend was truly worth every second of being there. The second take-a-way from this was “The coming up, and the com ing overs”. This is truly “the proof of support, dedication and loyalty from the people that are not as blessed to have extended seasons in their own back yard”. This tidbit is a shout to the people of extended seasons of don’t be quick to

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From The Executive Board

Secretary’s Report - Brad Barker 577 th Directors Meeting - Sportsman Alliance of Maine - Augusta - October 18, 2022

The meeting was called to order at 6:37 PM. Al started us with the pledge of allegiance President’s Report Al stated Past President Dave Stevens had passed away the night before this meeting. Al asked for a moment of silence for Dave. Some MSA members went to the New Hampshire Grass Drags and Water Crossing show and manned a booth for MSA. There was much interest and many maps were handed out. Al told everyone he has been attending many meetings and has been many places. He went to Millinocket / Benedicta and got a good feeling about getting everyone on the same page trying to get the trails set before the last minute and not move them in the middle of the season if we don’t have to. Regarding the new land purchase in this area near Katahdin Woods and Waters, we have been assured by Senators King and Collins and it is in writing in the bill that our trails will remain. Brad invited him to landowners’ supper in Leeds. There was a whole wall of homemade food and everyone had a great time. The MSA Show is coming together nicely. There may be six vacant booths at this time and they will probably be filled by the time the show opens. There will be a Toyota Tundra on display and some of the trailers will be hooked up to other trucks. There are still some volunteer shifts that need people 12-3 Sunday ticket gate booth 7:30 on Friday is when vendors can bring in stuff. The 2022-23 ITS map order came in yesterday. Trail signs won’t be in by the time of the show so they will be late due to a state holdup. Super Raffle update The Polaris snowmobile has a recall on it and it’s being taking care of it. Alcom trailer will be picked up this week so it can be shown at the show. Fryeburg sold a lot of tickets at the fair this year but not as many as last year. There are more tickets available, just contact the office. We waiting for the Skidoo. The trailer will be ready before the show. There are still posters available. Al stated that he really appreciates what we do. We are one team and we all want the same thing. We have the best snowmobiling in the Northeast. We all work together. Every

club has a piece of the puzzle that makes us successful. We a all count on each other. There are obstacles in every part of the state. We came close in the western mountains. Those businesses count on the snowmobilers to get them through the winter and pay the high fuel bills. Executive VP Report Mark told everyone we do have maps now. They came in just in time for the grass drags in Epping. He thanked Liz and Al for working 24/7 on the show and it’s coming together well. BIW is going to make a bunch of signs for us like they did last year. About 900 Super Raffle tickets were sold at the NH show. Mark also mentioned he met Dan Gould the NH Snowmobile Association’s executive director. Mark told everyone to MAKE SURE YOU LOCK YOUR STUFF UP AND CHECK WITH YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE FULLY COVERED. Regional VP reports Jim Boyce- went to Bingham to meet up with big landowners and a bunch of clubs. They called on MSA to get the troops together to work things out. He stated Anson and Lexington are now on board with trash cans and how much landowners appreciate it. Kingfield/Sugarloaf, Lexington, New Portland clubs are getting it done. There has been a lot of rain so everyone is out checking their bridges. It’s a no go for Carrabassett trail this year. Lexington has been out with an excavator to get their trail up, so plan B is working. Eileen Lafland- Eastern region clubs are holding meetings, hosting landowner suppers, selling Super Raffle tickets and getting memberships out. Eastern region clubs are submitting memberships at a good rate. Keep up everyone! PineTree SC has a new to them groomer which was purchased with a capital equipment grant. They can’t wait for snow so they can get it on the trails. Thanks to Glenburn Lakeside Riders for hosting a ten-club meeting and thanks to Mike Grass and Barry Ryan for attending this meeting. Also, thanks to Larry Lafland and Barry and Gail Ryan for attending letter of credit and deduct that amount from what you owe. Some people who join at the show are renewing their membership and have chosen to do it there for a few reasons. One reason we hear is they haven’t received their renewal information from the club they were a member of last year. Another reason we hear is they live a great distance from the club they join and want to renew before going there to ride. Some people also choose to renew, but not with the club they joined the year before because they never heard anything from that club and are trying a different one. For whatever the reason, they are MSA members and are supporting a club so, please make them feel welcome. Membership total as of 10/25/22 Total family memberships - 2270 Total business memberships – 445 Break down by region Coastal- 57 clubs, 390 memberships, Central-56 clubs, 404 memberships Northern- 34 clubs, 479 memberships Western – 62 clubs, 482 memberships Eastern- 74 clubs, 949 memberships At this time, 141 clubs have submitted memberships and four clubs have over 100 memberships in the system. These clubs are Washburn Trail Runners, Moosehead Riders, Northern Timber Cruisers, and the Blue Ridge Riders. Keep sending those memberships in everyone!

the Bradford SC meeting and explaining the grant process and answering questions they had. Jack Lord was at the meeting and reported on the Central region. The meeting they attended with Weyerhaeuser was constructive and some of the landowners understand what the snowmobilers do for the town and the businesses around. One large landowner doesn’t understand that you can’t lock the gate on Friday night and walk away. It is beginning to sink in how the whole thing works. Is it always going to work in our favor. There is a mess to clean up after the last two storms. ITS 87 will stay intact. If we can’t work things out, we will have to put up a ton of signage for directions because there isn’t a place to gas up. We must have signs so that people know to gas up before you make the run to Jackman. There is gas sometimes in the Forks but not all the time. Matt Stedman wasn’t on tonight Dave Watson Coastal Region- 4 inches of rain in the last couple days has clubs checking bridges. The winds caused blowdowns so they Al reported there will be a Safety course on Sunday at the show Put on by DACF. A few clubs have asked for trail checks for the upcoming season. Scholarship committee- Barry Ryan reported the following figures- CD at $60,037, and Savings $1251. Scholarship booth will be beside the MSA booth at the show and all shifts for the show are all filled. Donations from club to scholarship can be done. There will be MSA Scholarship supporter hats for sale at the booth, with proceeds going in to the fund. The Scholarship Application has been revamped to include involvement with snowmobile clubs. Beth Bowie - start thinking about the Hall of Fame people you want to bring to the front this year. Think of people that have made a big impact on your club and MSA. Feb 28, 2023 is the deadline for this. Contact info is in the paper and online. New members would be great on the Hall of Fame committee. If you have a little time, it’s not a huge commitment and it would be helpful for all the input in selecting recipients. are being checked for as well. Standing Committee reports

Let Beth know if you are interested. Membership- Eileen thanked Liz for working her fingers off entering memberships to this date, Total family memberships 1,665 total business memberships 404 broken down by region Northern 303, Western 285, Central 321, Coastal 312 and Eastern Region 838 Top four clubs as of this date Blue Ridge Riders, Moosehead Riders, Northern Timber Cruisers and Washburn Trail Runners Old business John Monk -Our letter has been sent to Russell Black to get our off-trail bill on the docket. After the show we are going to get the search for an Executive Director going again because we have a couple bills that are going in and we need someone to keep an eye on these and be a legislative representative. New business Pine Tree Camp ride in is Feb 2-4 It will start in Hermon head to Levant. They are hoping to have MSA on board this year. The East Branch Sno-Rovers in Medway are hosting a groomer rodeo on Jan 28th. Flowers will go out for Dave Stevens tomorrow Hospitality- Gail Ryan Has sent out cards to different people. If you have nay that need sending, contact her. It can be for happy events or anything. Trails- Mike reported there were boxes of the new map are at this meeting for clubs to take some. The Secretary’s reports from August and September need to be accepted. A motion was made and seconded to accept them as presented which was voted on and the motion carried. Treasurer’s Report Read a copy, placed on file at the office. This month’s paper should be this week The next Directors meeting will be in Lexington on Nov. 15th. They are located at 1343 Long Falls Dam Road, Lexington. Supper will be served at 6:30 PM with the meeting being held at 7:00PM. There was no more business to discuss so a motion to adjourn was made at 7:29PM which was seconded and passed. steer ok? Your manual should have a specific area with a checkoff list to help you along. Any breaks on the frame of your trailer? Check this carefully. Maybe you should buy new tires. It’s not much fun on RT 11 in The County changing a flat! Do all the lights work! Check over the trailer before colder weather gets here. Does your coat and snow pants fit ok? Boots, helmet, goggles and gloves? I know I’ve been eating it up at a few Landowner Din ner’s lately! Home cookin’ nothing like it! We have many great dealers in our state they are all qualified to help you with your sled and trailer. Be patient though their very busy. Watch for more IF&W snowmobile safety courses we’ll keep you posted. Let me know if you need me to talk safety at your town school or at a club meeting. And by the way if you’re out there doing trail work make sure your wearing blaze orange on account of hunting season. Also, check your home smoke alarms and change the batteries plan an escape route out of your home or cot tage with the family. Extra smoke alarms save lives and their cheap money. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving! Ride Right Be Safe Out There! AL

From The Membership Corner

Safety Committee

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

Alan Swett, 207-872-7282 234 County Rd, Waterville ME 04901 snowtraveler@roadrunner.com Hi Rider’s, Well November is here. A good time to check over your sled(s) and trailer. Your snow mobile should be in tiptop shape before the season starts. By doing this a potential break down can be prevented. Have a skilled dealer ship or a mechanic who knows how and what to look for. You can check the carbides on your skis and slides on the rear suspension for wear. Maybe there could be a bad bearing in a boogie wheel or two. Do your lights all work? Have you changed the oil if you own a four stroke? Any rips or tears on the track? Does it

O ctober was a goodmonth for memberships coming in to the office. Please remember your last season’s memberships have run out and members who have not renewed by now are not receiving their MSA paper. Memberships paid at the MSA Show in October are processed by now and those people are recorded. If your club receives a letter from MSA stating someone joined your club at the show and you have credit, please do two things. First, acknowledge the member who joined you by welcoming them to your club. Second, the next time you submit a membership transmittal form include the

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From The Executive Board

Central Region VP Jack Lord Home: (207) 672-3915 / Cell: 207-717-7131 17 Dinsmore St. Bingham, ME. 04920 Email: jacklord5256@gmail.com I hope everyone in the Central Region got their membership packages. It took me 4 weeks to do one weeks work. People look at you funny when you are trying to give them a package from the MSA and they don’t have a clue who that is. Barbara is compiling all the information in a book so I will have the information to deliver anything I need to get to you, so as you can see I’m asking one more time for the following: • A drop off address (no PO boxes) • President : Name and phone number • Trailmaster: Name & phone number • The address your club meeting place • Day and Time of meeting I would like to make it to your meeting if possible. This should make it easier to accomplish. Trail work has started, there will be some rerouting of trails. Read the signs please, I would hate to hear that someone got lost. I’m writing this the night before the Snowmobile Show starts. I hope by the time you get the paper I will have seen many of you at the show. While out working to get the trails ready for the season please be safe. After all the work you put in for everyone to be able to enjoy the trails we want to see you out there having a good time also. Please remember if you need me feel free to contact me. You can also use any of the following information to send me the information we need for my book. KEEP SMILING, Jack Lord October They do this each year to give clubs in their immediate area and chance to sit and talk. Mike Grass and Barry Ryan were in attendance from MSA to answer any ques tions they might have. Also, thank you to Larry Lafland and Barry Ryan for attending the Bradford SC meeting in October to answer questions they had about grant processing and other MSA related questions. I had a chance to talk to a few Eastern Region club members and/or officers at the MSA Snowmobile Show in Oct. I always enjoy hearing what is happening in their area and offering to attend meetings they have if they want me too. The eastern region covers a large portion of this state and it is difficult to get to all areas but I like to see and hear from as many clubs as I can. I am in the pro cess of setting up some regional meetings, and may have already held one or two before you receive this paper. This gives me a chance to see more clubs all at once and allows neigh boring clubs to talk to one another. These regional meetings were put on hold for the past two years, so hopefully we can once again get together and talk. November also means you only have a short period of time to buy those super raffle tick ets. This fundraiser for MSA is also a good one for clubs. All they need is manpower to sell tickets and people to buy them. If you haven’t gotten yours yet, don’t wait too long. The drawing is coming up in December, just in time for the holidays. Thant’s it for November everyone. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families. It won’t be long before we can see each other on the trails and find those destinations we all like to go to. Until December, Eileen H i Everyone,

Eastern Region VP

the time to explain what the club is asking for, and how the trails help snowmobilers connect to other areas in our region and state with this trail system. I thank you for the efforts put forth to keep finding connections, helping landowners understand the liability law, and educating people on what it is that we do. There is plenty to do so make sure you promote your trail days, work events, meetings & social gatherings. With the new folks moving into the area there should be some new people in your area to help. Some schools require community service hours for high school students to graduate, reach out and engage the younger riders in town. The Northern region (Gary Marquis & I) put on a club workshop in April and are hosting another one in November, your trailmaster should have received an invitation. The focus of the fall meeting will be signage and grants. Signage is a place where we can always improve, it is the only way to communicate to riders once they are on the trails. I would encourage your club to ask someone who isn’t familiar with your trails to come for a ride and give some honest feedback. If you would like to do a trail side safety check or help host a snowmobile safety class, please reach out to me, these are great ways to spread the message of snowmobiling safely to the community. Lets get some set up for the winter! If you have a question, problem, concern, or idea on snowmobiling in “The County”, get in touch with me. You can contact me at the phone # or email below. I look forward to meeting as many folks who help drive snowmobiling in the Northern Region as possible, you are a hard-working crew and should be proud of the jobs you do. Matt Stedman I’m hoping for a cold December to freeze up swamps and water holes and generous January snows. Have a warm and friendly Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas to all, Mike communication with their respective clubs to find out if they have any trail changes for the upcoming season that will affect the MSA ITS map. If your club has any known changes, Last month’s snowmobile show in Augusta was an absolute blast for me. So many snow lovers all in one place. Lots of great friends to see and talk with, shiny new sleds and trailers and of course groomers. Want to give a shout out to Kris, Greg, Brian and Joe for making the MSA Trails Workshop another success. Lots of great info and interaction from speakers and the crowd of close to 75 people. Thank you all. This season, the MSA has partnered with BRPGo and Polaris Ride Command. Our MSA ITS trails will be included in their respective on-board systems to help riders find their way around Maine using the latest in technology. I had a chance to check out the Polaris system at the show with the help of Polaris Ambassador Matt Stedman, who showed me how it works. Pretty impressive with lots of cool features to make riding that much safer and fun. There might even be a picture of me sitting on that Polaris, which I rarely do. BRP’s new gauge is just starting to hit dealers so check that out when you get a chance as well. Trails committee is ramping up to hopefully start inspecting the ITS system after clubs have a couple weeks to get up and running on a “normal” schedule. Mapping meetings are underway to make sure everyone knows their respective route and club contact information. Trails committee coordinators build a relation ship with all their clubs and work with them to promote safe trail maintenance (signs, brush ing and grooming). Finally, to Al, Liz, Lori, Barry and all the crew who volunteered at the show, thank you for a spectacular event. Job well done.

Trails Committee Chair Report

Eileen Lafland, 207-843-7813 PO Box 733, Holden ME 04429 L.andE.lafland525476@gmail.com W ell, we are one month closer to the rid ing season and may be by the time you read this the ground will be freezing and we will have seen some snow some places in the state. We can only hope that Mother Nature and Ole’ Man Winter decide to bless the entire state this year with freezing temps early and feet of snow late into the season! It is time for all of us to have a chance to ride locally if we can. The snowmobile club trail crews have been working so hard to get trails brushed, bridges re-built or built and re-routes open so we can ride All these men, women and children who do the work all fall long deserve and BIG ROUND of applause for all they do to make the trails safe for everyone. Some clubs struggle to get people to help so please, if you can donate a few hours, find a club, and offer to help. Even though it is November, I know some of them are still working trails, putting up signs and getting things done before snow comes and they switch to grooming mode. Thank you goes to Glenburn Lakeside Riders SC for hosting a ten-club meeting in

Mike Grass, Jr., 207-368-2316 249 Condon Rd, Plymouth ME 04969 mgrassjr@gmail.com H ere we are, frosty November mornings, hunting season and turkey day. All great precursors to our favorite season. I’m hoping you all have your wood pile done, oil/propane tanks full, pool covered and your sled/trailer ready to go. Now is a great time to register that sled(s) and trailer. You made sure to check the spare tire air pressure, correct? Now is the time to make sure the checklist is complete as finding an issue on I-95 in January when it’s -10 degrees, snowing and blowing. No fun, so double-check that list now. The Trails Committee is still going strong with its group of volunteers all over the state, who work with clubs to make sure the ITS trail system is in place, brushed, signed and groomed to the highest standard possible. A standard, which you clubs seem to raise the bar on higher and higher each year. Trails Committee members are currently in

Northern Region VP

Western Region VP

Matt Stedman 207-557-1921 (call or text)

PO Box 621, Ashland ME 04732 Stedman.matt@jdirving.com

James Boyce, 207-265-6512 1168 Fosterhill Rd, Freeman ME 04983 Jboyce1168@gmail.com H ello Everyone, Here we are in November everyone is in full trail mode. Clubs are getting set for holiday fundraisers. Check with your local clubs and support them, with the way fuel costs are this year they will need every penny. We all want great trails to ride and with your support, we can continue to give you the best trails in the country. So most people ask what can we do? It’s pretty simple - get in touch with your local club and see what the big projects are or find out if there is a section of trail that needs to be cleaned up. If you live out of the state and can’t make it up for trail work, think about donating or buy raffle tickets but most importantly join your local club or a couple where you ride. Also with a lot of reroutes this year, please pay attention to the signs. From what I’ve seen the clubs are gearing up for a great season. Remember support clubs we are all volunteers and take a lot of pride in what we do. As always, enjoy the ride and stay safe. Jim

H fellow snowmobilers, Just home from the MSA snowmobile show, WOW what a great event. If you have never been, make sure you mark you calendar for next October. A great collection of snowmobile dealership displays, clothing, accessories, trailers and gear from multiple vendors as well as workshops/presentations from the State of Maine snowmobile program. Thank you to all who came out and/or helped make this great show happen. Is has been a warm & wet fall, and clubs are likely to find water laying in places we haven’t seen it the past couple years. If you have an issue to fix more than normal, reach out to Joe or Candice at the State office to ask if you qualify for Disaster Relief help. Please reach out & meet with the landowners on your system, there are many new faces in many of our towns and there may have been changes to ownership. Whether it be a phone call, text, email, or a drop in visit all landowners need to be asked for the privilege of using their property. Take

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