Did you hear the News?
page last updated: November 14, 2008
IMPORTANT NOTES:
November 15 - First Aid/CPR 9-5 at the Montgomery Ambulance Bay. CANCELLED DUE TO LACK OF SIGN-UPS
Raffle tickets must be returned to Rick Bonita by the November 19 meeting - contact Rick at 845-542-5423 if you cannot attend to arrange return of your tickets and money.
If you are planning to attend the Holiday Party please contact Mark Heinzelman at 845-494-7884 with how many are coming. We need to give the restaurant an accurate head count.
IMPORTANT DATES:
November 1 - 11 am - NYSSA Board Meeting and Hudson Regional Meeting, Clarence Fahnestock State Park Hubbard Lodge, Route 9, Cold Spring (just north of Rte. 301). All members are welcome.
November 15 - First Aid/CPR 9-5 at the Montgomery Ambulance Bay. CANCELLED DUE TO LACK OF SIGN-UPS
More dates on the News page.
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 7:30 pm
Scully's, Route 207, Rock Tavern
Download Flyers for our 2008 Sled Raffle here:
Trail Clean Up at Stewart State Forest!
View photos from our trail clean up on Sat 9/27 & Sun 9/28.
Other important dates: here
6/26/08 -
Raffle Tickets are in!
Help Support your Club!
Please call Rick Bonita to get yours to sell. 845-542-5423.
6/10/08:
PLEASE read and sign the online petition:
"Restore all snowmobile trails in Perkins Clearing and Speculator Conservation Easement"
hosted on the web by PetitionOnline.com, the free online petition service, at:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ilsnow/
If you can spare a moment, please take a look, and consider
signing yourself.
~~ Thanks ~~
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 7:30 pm
Scully's, Route 207, Rock Tavern
Have a great summer!
Election Results: Your 2008-09 Officers are: Mark Heinzelman, President, Eric Miller, Vice President, Jocelyn Lange, Secretary, Sue Heinzelman, Treasurer. Rick Bonita is going to run the raffle again this year.
The raffle drawing will take place at our Holiday Party, to be held on Saturday, December 6, 2008, location TBA.
5/28/08: A message from Jim Jennings, Executive Director of NYSSA, concerning the $1 million dollar trail fund theft:
"Here is a letter that needs to be faxed to your assemblywoman. For your information legislation to restore the $1,000,000.00 has stalled in the Assembly-we are asking clubs to contact key legislators. Assemblywoman Gunther is one of these. Please fax this letter to Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther at either 518-455-5239, 845-794-5910 or 845-343-9847.
For the members that live in Rockland County please fax the Rockland letter to Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski at 518-455-5561 or 845-634-1091.
Thanks all for your support!!!"
Jim Jennings
Senator Larkin responds to our letters regarding the theft of $1 million from our Trail Fund: read his letter - and writes to the Governor on our behalf - page 1 page 2
SCATV to Co-Host Smallwood Mongaup Valley Fire Dept. Run
June 7th 2008 SCATV will be Co-Hosting a Fundraising ride for
the Smallwood / Mongaup Valley Fire Dept.
It's a 30+ mile loop on a completely new trail
system
located in the Monticello NY area.
Cost for the Run is $60 a person and includes
Breakfast and Lunch plus door prizes etc.
Ride Limit is 300 people.
Please visit this link to sign up and get more info:
Smallwood Mongaup Valley Fire Dept Fundraiser Ride
Dudes on the Hill:
1/26/08
..you just never know who you'll run into up there!
Mark checks out Kelly Makuen's new F6.... wheeee!
Coming Soon
the Rock Tavern Sno Riders
Business Directory
watch this space for details!
New Jersey Bill
would outlaw off-highway vehicle use on ALL STATE LAND!
Read this
and take action before this cancer spreads to NY!
visit www.njohva.com for more info.
NYSSA Director Kevin Makuen (Orange/Sullivan Counties) presents NYSSA Director Jason Kowalczyk (Lewis County) with the Rock Tavern donation.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 8, 2008
Contact: James Jennings, Executive Director, 518-624-3849
ASSOCIATION URGES SNOWMOBILE SAFETY
Early Season Accidents Prompt Safety Message.
Long Lake, NY – With the snowmobile season underway, state association officials are concerned about several recent snowmobile accidents, including some that resulted in fatalities. The New York State Snowmobile Association (NYSSA) wants to remind snowmobilers to take proper precautions to have a safe ride.
“Snowmobiling is a rewarding and enjoyable sport,” says Jim Jennings, NYSSA Executive Director, who adds that “observing speed limits and taking the proper safety measures will help ensure that it stays that way.”
Jennings notes that officials from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) blame excessive speed for many snowmobile accidents. The maximum allowable speed for snowmobiling in New York is 55 mph, unless otherwise posted, but paying attention to local trail conditions is paramount to safe riding. “Many trails are routed on terrain where slower speeds are prudent, so exercising caution in unfamiliar areas is important” Jennings says.
NYSSA member clubs are responsible for installing signs along snowmobile routes to provide direction to riders as well as noting hazards along the trail. Many of this season’s accidents occurred along local roadways or other areas away from the official trails. In fact, according to the American Council of Snowmobile Associations (ACSA), only about 10-15% of snowmobile incidents occur on well maintained and designed trails where as much as 80-90% of all snowmobile riding takes place. Snowmobiling on roadways requires additional caution in order to avoid collisions with other motor vehicles, and riding in unsigned areas may expose the operator to unseen hazards. “Know where you ride, and ride where you know,” Jennings advises, adding that conditions change constantly.
One recent fatality occurred along the Erie Canal towpath in Canastota, NY. The preliminary report from NYS Parks Police indicated that imprudent speed was the chief factor in that accident, causing the operator to lose control of the snowmobile and strike a tree. The Erie Canal is one trail area that is posted at 25 mph. Other routes have reduced speed limits, and many towns and villages have adopted ordinances that set maximum snowmobile speeds within their jurisdictions.
Dave Perkins, NYSSA Trails Coordinator, agrees that attention to safety should not be overlooked. “The best was to ensure a safe snowmobiling experience is to pay attention and ride within the appropriate speed,” and adds that “additional care should be taken when riding at night.” Perkins stresses that riding at excessive speed at night can cause snowmobilers to outrun their headlights. By the time the rider sees a hazard, it might be too late to avoid.
Perkins offers the following tips from the ACSA:
- Respect and obey trail, speed and other signs.
- Respect land owners’ property when a trail runs through their private property.
- Respect others who use the trails, like other snowmobilers, cross country skiers, hikers, snowshoe users and dogsleds.
- Use slow speeds to prevent injury to yourself and others who may be ahead of you, around turns, corners and over blind hills.
- Speed limits should be obeyed at all times. This is not only for your safety, but for the safety of others.
- Respect the groomers, the machines that plow the snow and restore the trails you ride.
- Be safe and courteous at all times. Each time you ride your snowmobile, you should portray that snowmobilers take safety seriously. Snowmobilers may visit the NYSSA Website at www.nyssnowassoc.org/ for more information.
January 13-19 is International Snowmobile Safety Week, for more information go www.snowmobile.org.
A reminder about ice safety - lakes and streams, and indeed even big puddles may not be frozen early in the season.
Click here for tips on how to survive if your sled breaks through the ice. Please be careful out there!
A big Thank You to our sponsors:
- Cycle Motion, 1296 Dolsontown Rd., Middletown, NY 10940,
(845) 343-2552 - Loughran's Restaurant, 10 Schoolhouse Road, Salisbury Mills, NY 12577 (845) 496-3615
- Napa Auto Parts, Goshen, (845) 294-8197
- Sculley’s, Rock Tavern (845) 496-9807
(845) 564-5400 - Showalter Equipment, Florida (845) 651-7569
- Stewart’s Tax Service (845) 342-5972
- Strawridge Rock & Tape, Wallkill (845) 895-1072
Help Keep Stewart Open for Snowmobiling!
Our Fearless Leader, Mark.
Read:
Read the Latest Club Newsletter here
Did you have a great ride last year?
Send us your photos!