9245-R2_MSA_January2026_Newsletter

From The Executive Board

H appy Winter to All Central Region Members! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and holiday season. Now that winter is here, let’s pray for good snow and cold temps! Our hardworking members have been busy preparing trails, so now it’s time to enjoy them. Be sure to monitor your local clubs, ride responsibly, and participate in the great events they host-ice fishing derbies, club rides, ice drags, and more. I say this often because it matters: join a club, support a club, and support the MSA. Without these groups, there would be no trail system. Remember, there are many ways to help beyond working on trails-grant writing, fundraising, and other support are vital to club operations. We’re due for a great winter, so let’s get ready to help our amazing volunteer clubs succeed. Thank you for all you do! As I sit here typing on Christmas Eve morning at 9:30am, it is still snowing, (due to be done soon), we have gotten 10 inches, so far. A couple more of these and we could have our ride before the January meeting here in Norway. Regardless of snow I URGE ALL WESTERN CLUBS TO SEND A REPRESENTATIVE TO THIS MEETING, on January 24th at the Norway Commons. Not a lot of news, the clubs have been out in numbers getting the trails ready. It is so sad, we know a dedicated FEW does so much for so many. Wouldn’t it be nice if every sled owner joined a club, and all clubs were 100% in with the MSA. WE (the MSA) need your support to finance our staff and our lobbyist. What a great job he is doing. And our officers are working tirelessly to keep us running smoothly and finding more money for the trails. OK enough babbling, I hope everyone had a great Christmas and wish you all a HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR. GOD BLESS Jerry Major PS: congratulations to all the SUPER RAFFLE WINNERS.

three Eastern clubs were Quad County, Glen burn Lakeside Riders, and Moosehead Riders. Also, congratulations to the winners of prizes. For the first time, we believe, we had a person win twice and he was present at the drawing: John Spence of Millinocket. MSA Secretary Shanna Towle also was a winner and was present. The top prize went to a lady from the Lexington Highlanders SC. The first round of grants for the Maine Trails Program has been announced. Congrat ulations to the snowmobile clubs that received one of these grants. Again, Eastern Region clubs were chosen to receive some funding for some large projects. Great Job: Dennys ville Snowmobile and ATV Club, East Branch Sno- Rovers and ATV club, E-Ville Riders, Kokadjo Roach Riders, and Twin Pines SC. These clubs will be doing some trail rehabili tation and some bridge replacements with the funds they received. REMINDER TO EVERYONE- The Febru ary MSA Directors meeting will be held Sat urday, Feb 7th at the Northern Timber Cruis ers SC in Millinocket. Weather permitting there will be an Eastern Region showcase ride that morning starting at the Timber Cruisers. Eastern Regional Director Charlie Hunting ton will be leading the ride from there down to the East Branch Sno- Rovers club for their Groomer Rodeo and a chance for riders to pur chase lunch. Then the ride will proceed to Jo- Mary Riders trail system and back to Northern Timber Cruisers. If you plan to join the ride, PLEASE be at Northern Timber Cruisers by no later than 8:30. The ride will leave at 9:00. With the stops at East Branch included, the ride should return to Timber Cruisers in mid -afternoon. The MSA directors meeting will begin with a social hour at 5, dinner at 6, and the meeting to follow the dinner. If you plan to attend the meeting, PLEASE go to the MSA website and make a reservation. I hope to see many people join the ride and at the meeting. That’s it for January everyone. Please be safe out there and enjoy the season. Eileen David Watson • 207-205-1558 412 Roberts Ridge Rd, E Waterboro, ME 04030 Dwatson6841@gmail.com O ur season is off to a pretty good start, with colder temps and Snow, I actually went riding already and hopefully it will continue for all of Maine. Once again, I’m hearing from clubs that they don’t have enough help to maintain trails, put up signage or grooming. More & more we struggle with this. To all the hard-working volunteers, Thank You for all you do. For all people reading this who are not helping, we need your help..... We also need you to reach out to “free mobilers” join a club, help if you can. If you’re on a trail and there’s brush or small trees stop and move them out of the trail. This is our sport, our time to enjoy the great outdoors Please get involved.

Western Region VP

Eastern Region VP

Eileen Lafland 207-843-7813 PO Box 733, Holden ME 04429 L.andE.lafland525476@gmail.com W elcome to the year of 2026 Everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with family and friends and that the new year finds you all well. This article is being written on Dec. 20th in order to make the deadline. I can honestly say these few days before the hol iday have been a roller coaster ride of weather. We had freezing temps in the single digits to teens with below wind chill temps, snow that left six to eight inches on the ground in The County and other parts of the state, then temps in the 40’s and 50’s and rain, high winds with 60 mph gusts, then temps back down in the 20’s!! Who ever made Ole Man Winter and Mother Nature mad, can you please apolo gize? The cold temps and snow on the ground got everyone excited for a good ole fashion Maine winter. There were clubs packing trails in early December and people were out rid ing. Then the bottom fell out. I hope by the time you read this; the forces of Nature have decided to bless us again with snow, snow, and more snow! I want to say great job to all clubs, and East ern Region clubs in particular for all the work you did selling Super Raffle tickets. The top

Jerry Major, Cell: 207-838-0892 137 Morrill Rd, Norway ME 04268 mrfun101jem@gmail.com W ell, we don’t have to dream about a white Christmas, IT IS Here.

Central Region VP

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

Coastal Region VP

MSA CLUBS: TO ORDER CLUB TRAIL SIGNAGE

TO ORDER NEEDED ITS & JCT SIGNS Contact Mike Grass Sr. MSA Trails Committee

Contact Vanessa Haas DACF/Snowmobile Program Phone (207) 287-4957 Fax (207)287-8111 Vanessa.Haas@maine.gov

252 Condon Road, Plymouth, ME 04969 207-368-4914 home • 207-745-2745 cell Grasslands252@gmail.com

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

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