Meeting Minutes:
This season:
2/17/10 - No meeting the prior week. Not much attendance this week either. The shock needs to be replaced in the Arctic Cat, the drag hitch is also being rebuilt and Fieldstone's is fixing the small drag that was broken a few weeks ago. Brandon needs a check ($500ish?) to pick up the parts from Auburn. (Belt, gear reducer, etc.) The Falmouth Highland Lake ride in may be postponed until 3/13. The Blanchard Road bridge that's been out all year we hope to have put back across the stream within the next few days. Brandon is going to call CMP to start the communication process. He is also going to inquire about the Route 9 powerline right of way. The field between Bruce Hill Road and Range Road was re-signed today to keep the sledders closer to the tree line and further away from the farm house. Please slow down when crossing this connector trail, or it may be lost. Lots of signs were put out in the last few days, now we just need some snow!
1/20/10 - Not many folks showed up to this one, kind of a bummer compared to last meeting! A few folks rode over for the meeting, the trails were looking good with the foot of fluffy powder we received. The guys are still dragging toward J Bros. on the powerlines and are keeping up with the trails pretty well. We need to repair the small drag, after Shawn broke the rear 20% off and cracked a center post. Brandon will send the pole number of the CMP discussion from Paul Fecteau and the continued "issue" on the 102 line with a resident. We got $600 in gas cards, NY Variety has one for us at the register. We received $1200 from Cumberland (1/2 the registrations) and we are still waiting for NY. Our balance is $3214. Paid Shawn $16 for filling up the Center sled. Motion carried for a $500 debit card for parts, we'll need to bring receipts to Mike.
1/6/10 - Meeting - Lots of folks there, could be our biggest crowd in quite some time! Thanks for all those attending!
Trail Report - Brandon dragged West Cumberland, NY to Toddy Brook tonight! Woods are still soft, nothing is frozen over, lots of open water. He had a minor mishap with putting the sled on it's side, but no harm done. Blanchard Road bridge is still out, unclear of the date to get it fixed. The Haskell Road gate is open from Pownal Club. Slight Range Road deviation from Turkey Lane, stay to the left when you cross over Range Road. Scott Verrill, the land owner on the other side of Range Road may want a drag. We voted to give him the small one, if he plans on dragging that side of Town, that would be a big help. (Note, on 1/10, Shawn broke a section off the small drag, we may not want to give him one, as we may need a backup.) We pulled the cable for Rhines forest trail a couple weeks ago, not sure yet on the logging operation. In North Yarmouth, near Dougas's Pit - keep on the trail, please do not ride up the driveway. There will be a Loring Lane bypass on right in North Yarmouth, Hodgdon road trail closure has effectively closed the Dessert Road loop in Freeport. That was a nice ride, it's a shame, as the landowner closed it due to ATV damage, claiming the snowmobile clubs own the trail, so it's our fault. We have nothing to do with what occurs in the summer.
Misc - Need real lights for sleds, beyond strobe lights. The Right of Way Rep for Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline would like to become members of the club. Part of the trail runs along the pipeline. They would like to attend a meeting, maybe January 20th, and give a short presentation (15 min) about riding safely on the right of way and be available for any Q&A. There was a recent issue where the Town of Cumberland decided to place the rescue snowmobile (housed a the Cumberland Center Fire House) down at Twin Brooks to drag for the cross country skiers. (Snowmobiles are not even allowed to ride at Twin Brooks.) The Club donated this sled to the Town for rescue purposes only. Luckily, the Town determined that it was not big enough to drag the trails for the skiers and it is back where it belongs in the Firestation trailer. Think of the issues this would have caused, if there were additional delays to the rescue of one of your loved ones injured on our trail system, or any other local town. This piece of equipment is not to be used to drag ski trails!
Treasury report - Balance was $3602, -$900 for insurance, 3, $250 gas cards, misc. expenses will bring us down to about $2000. We expect about $2000 back from Cumberland and North Yarmouth. We have bills for $180 in parts to Ames from Wayne for the Arctic Cat dragging sled gears. 1/2 of reimbursement to Shawn for Topo8.0 was $36. $59 for an electric drill to be kept at the clubhouse for putting together signs, sign holders and drill bits. Also had a receipt for screws and staples for $14, each dragging sled has extra staples for signs now. Mike will work on submitting the capital for the Cat sled last year, hope to see a check in June from the State. We need a belt or two for the Bearcat, $125 or so each. There is no battery for red sled (stolen?) which will probably be $60ish.
Events - Dan is working on the first weekend in February (5th, 6th, 7th) for the Stratton club trip, he will get details on a location. The Falmouth Club would like to put together a multi-club ride to Highland Lake on 2/20. May do a fishing derby, motorcycle races, etc.
12/16/09 - This meeting is always hard to make, but we cancelled due to low turnout. One new member showed up, sorry! We'll get back on schedule first Wednesday in January. Any info you want to pass on, do so by clicking on the "contact us" page. We'll get the e-mail.
12/2/09 - Toddy Brook meeting. No notes from prior two meetings.
Finances - $$3965 balance in our account. Mike paid Shawn $14.95 for the website annual bill. We plan on getting three gas cards, one for each of the three sleds at $250 each.
Trail Report - The logs are still on the Route 9 powerline, but will be gone by first snow or 12/15, whichever comes first. Removal will be done by the ATV club. Shawn and Steve spoke to Russ Theriealt and Joe Hamilton a few weeks ago about the public right of way coming down the powerline from Harris Road to Route 9, near Falmouth. A couple days later, Someone in a white Jeep drove illegally down the powerline, through Joe's yard and got stuck. Joe is putting up a fence on the Harris road side of his property, but will open it for snowmobiles when it snows. Thank you!
Shawn and Steve and two other young men fixed up the Abby's Way wet area with the existing pallets that were displaced when it flooded. There are changes to the Val Halla/Greely Road crossing as the prior crossing is now not able to be used. However, now it's nearly .2 miles to the crossing. Mike is going to ask the Town if they will "shelf" plow the right side of Greely Road, heading down toward the rail road tracks. Brandon is going to visit with Toby Young at Val Halla, as we are going to reimburse them $225 in supplies for signs, posts and fencing material, as they have signed the golf course very well.
The 1996 bridge is not yet done, we still need to build a ramp, as one side is about 2' off the ground, We'll need some 2x4's, etc.to fix it up. The Blanchard Road bridge (across from the Fairgrounds) needs to be placed across the stream. Mike will call CMP, so that Brandon can use his equipment to move in the bridge in place when the ground is frozen. The Town sent out a letter to snowmobilers from the Rines Forest Committee reminding us to stay on marked trails this winter.
We still need to put up the remaining signs. We still need some more plywood squares and stakes.
Misc. - The big drag is being moved to Brandon's house from Bruce's. We need a power drill and a circular saw for the clubhouse. (We're hoping for a donation.)
9am work detail on Sunday 12/6, meet at the clubhouse behind the Town Garage.
10/21/09 - Not many notes, but here they are: We are going to install 2 new strobe lights on the drag, Bruce has them. Will put one on each of the other dragging sleds. $71 each for two lights.
We still want to get a Winch for the big drag. Need roll of reflective tape for drags $1/foot.
Switch "thumb" rocker to be installed on the Cat to raise and lower the drag, $60 estimated cost.
Need to weld brackets for shovels. Might have some culverts coming to help with wet spots with a combo with the ATV club.
North Yarmouth and Cumberland tax maps were discussed to bring to the meetings. West Cumberland brush cutting possible, near J Bros. Dan stopped by and there could be a Stratton club trip - last week in January? 11/1 - Sunday after Halloween - meet at cluhouse at 9am to fix Blanchard road powerline bridge and do some brush cutting. Shawn and Steve (thanks for coming to the meeting) will try and fix up Abbey's Way in the wet area.
10/7/09 - First meeting occured this past Wednesday at Toddy Brook.
Trails - Shawn is going to try and put together a checklist for what needs to be done prior to the season, signs, bridge checks, etc. We most likely still need to fix the 1996 bridge. There could be logging going on in Rhines Forest, if so, we'll properly sign it on either end. Looks like the ATV club had an "unamed abutter" to the powerlines shut down the trail until snow time. The trail will be opened upon first rideable snow, or December 15th, whatever comes first. We might keep one sled at Clubhouse to drag center area, the other two sleds will be kept near North Yarmouth for the powerlines, like last year.
Misc - There might be no power at clubhouse? Shawn might create a Moonlite Twitter account. Not sure if anyone else but he and Brandon had interest? We have MSA Superraffle tix for sale $2 each, or 6 for $10. 1/2 the money goes to the club, the other 1/2 to MSA.
Memberships - We have had a few folks send in their memberships, Mike got those all in the mail a couple weeks ago. Please send in your "large card" portion back via mail and please fill in your e-mail address. Without the big section of the card, we can't send into the MSA. If you have paid your membership and come to the meeting, you will get a complementary safety kit for your snowmobile, provided by Atlantic Regional Credit Union. Thank you very much for providing our members a safety kit. Members, should you need financing, please keep them in mind, they will be neighbors in Cumberland soon. Mike will try to get some MSA pamphlets at the Cumberland Town Hall.
Finances - We paid Bruce the $1000 from last year to complete the dragging sled transaction. We had $308 at the end of last season, got $1061for our capital purchase grant for the drag. $3750 received for this year's trail grant. $4096, now in the checkbook, after paying our incorporation fee, which is $60. $4096. Plus some recent membership dues. The 4 stroke needs oil change. We also owe Wayne $100 for prior service. We might gear down Arctic Cat for this season. Probably need some new carbides. $14 for website bill, Shawn will bring in a receipt.
Next meeting, Wednesday, October 21st at Toddy Brook.
Last season:
4/15/09 - Last meeting of the year, small group, knights of the "round table". If there are any signs still out, (West Cumberland), let's pick them up and get them to the clubhouse.
Treasury Report - No money until May? Trail grant will be the end of september, should be $3700. $3k in April/May for new drag. $734 was received from North Yarmouth. Now a line item in their town budget. Paid Fieldstone Welding for the drag repair, $480. $308 total now. $258 credit on gift cards. Owe Westscott'ss $165, that leaves a $402 balance.
Misc: Polaris' are beomg stored in clubhouse, Artic Cat is at Warren's.
Trail Report: Greely Road ext. driveway looks like it's going through. This would extend the road, we will work to cross the new road for continued access up Blueberry Hill and over to the powerline.
Have yet to hear from RRATV club.
First meeting for 2009/2010 is Wednesday October, 10/7 then first and third Wed, check calendar.
4/1/09 - We had about 10 members tonight, one of the lowest turnouts of the season, but the snow is gone until next year. Without speaking for Mike, we decided to keep the same officer group as this year, for next season.
Equipment - The four drags went down to Fieldstone Welding - $400-$500ish to fix them up for next season. Joe will remind them to get loops on top of drags. We still need to get the sleds to Warren's to get them preped for storage. Joe got the two at his place ready to move. Brandon has one at his house that is ready to go.
Treasury (no Mike) We believe we got the North Yarmouth check, some $700ish. Discussion about NY sidewalk maint. as a possible budget item.
Trail Report - The trails are officially closed for the season. Joe and Brandon picked up trash and signs the other day from the powerline. (North Yarmouth would not allow them to place the trash they picked up in the town dumpster, but did provide them a town trashbag. Need to review fixing 1996 bridge. Powerline from 231 to Penny Road was closed down in New Gloucester due to someone messing around in a field.
Misc - $50 registration fee next year possible? Brandon mentioned that the Jo Mary club is supporting it. The principal is more money would go back to the snowmobile clubs. Club house listing to it's side behind the Town Garage? Think about moving it to North Yarmouth? Relocation possibilities?
Work detail - Please pick up any road crossing signs this weekend and drop them off to the clubhouse behind the Cumberland Town Garage.
Last meeting is in two weeks on Wednesday, April 15th. (We're hoping you pay your taxes by then and we get our grant money by then.)
3/18/09 - We had about 10-12 people at the meeting, the "usual suspects".
Trail Report - Trails are getting soft, ride them while you can. After this week's warm temps, the snow is leaving quickly. One more positive from the new groomer is that hardly a water hole has opened up early. The new groomer just packs the snow in and it freezes solid in the usual water hole areas. Joe stated they did some recent grooming. The drags all need to be fixed and we'd like to do this prior to storage, but with the financial situation, we may need to wait until fall. Both sleds are in good shape. Have Warren service them for the summer prior to put away. New drag rocked! It needs a new up/down switch. Maybe a thumb switch. Need new drag straps/Tow straps. Need two new hooks on top. There is a hole near Smith's old RR bed across from North Yarmouth Variety. The washout is by Marks. This may assist the North Yarmouth/Pownal Club to keep the trail. Possible work party coming up. We'd need some 3x5's (Bruce has some) and a yard of dirt. We may store the new drag at Bruce's for summer, so we can get all three sleds stored in the club house behind the Town Garage.
CMP Permit Process - Mike left Joe Higgins a message about the CMP process. Cumberland gave 97 labels for landowners, 27 North Yarmouth, Yarmouth has about 35 landowners. Mike can put in the letter and and send them. Close to sending in paperwork for this year. Towns helping out very well. No response from ATV club. Mike going to ask State for guidance.
Misc - We owe Dan for a tow strap. Insurance papers need to be looked at by Mike. He'll call our insurance company, as he was not sure if he received a "scam" bill from another company.
Treasury Report - Same total as last meeting, $163.42. The spindle on one of the sleds is fixed, $110 bill due to Westscott's. We should use the remaining ATM gas card to pay bills. Mike attended the North Yarmouth Selectman's meeting, there was an issue with the repaying of the 1/2 of the sled registrations to the two clubs. Ther was no prior paper trail. The registrations go to the State, 26% of this money comes back to the town. In the past, NY gave 1/2 to club. They have created a "misc fund" and will split 2 ways. When Debbie comes back about $700 will be paid to us. (1/2 of that will go directly to Bruce as we still owe him $1000 on the Bearcat.) We should be back to $8000 when the cash comes in. The town of Yarmouth does not reimburse our club, but Cumberland does.
3/4/09 - We had about 10 people at the meeting.
Treasury Report - Hey, we made 12 cents in two weeks! We had $163.32 last meeting and we paid some bills and got two new members, paid our MSA dues, etc and ended up with $163.44! We're still working with the Town of North Yarmouth as they still have not decided to pay us the normal, historical monies from snowmobile registrations. Seems like it may take an act of congress, or the Selectman's Meeting. It may be an agenda item on the meeting two weeks from now. If so, the suggestion would be that many members attend. It would be Tuesday, 3/17, we think. Pownal has also not been paid. We're still waiting for our $3,000 grant money from the State. We think when we submit our CMP info, we'll get it. If not, game on!
Misc - Mike got a letter out to the ATV club for the dual purpose trail. There were 37 landowners in North Yarmouth alone that we need to do a mailer to. Mike is working on the Cumberland and Yarmouth tax records for more info.
Trail report - Brandon and Joe did some dragging Wednesday. He also cleared a lot of the snowbanks and cut them back from the road way. Watch out, these are a hazard, watch for traffic please! With the warm temps this weekend and possible rain, it could be the last good weekend for riding. We might sneak out a couple more weeks around town.
Elections - Brandon would like to hold 2010 elections at the 4/1 meeting. Last meeting of the year is 4/15.
To do: Get our $3,000 for the grant from the groomer and get the $3,000 grant for the purchase of the Bear Cat from Bruce. (We still owe him $1,000.) We are hoping to also get our normal $3,700 trail grant money, depending on how we shake out the trails going forward.
Toddy Brook Comedy - Not that it's not funny enough to just hang out there, but on 3/9 at 7:30pm Steve Guilmett and Tom Hayes will be doing a show. Dinner is from 5:30 to 7pm. Tickets are still available for $25. Call 829-5100 for more details.
2/18/09 - Club meeting - Toddy Brook - We had about 12-15 folks there for the meeting.
DOC recap - Our ride with Joe and Jeremy went very well on 2/9. They had some great things to say about our trails. We are working on getting approval from CMP on the powerlines. There are some things we need to work on with the ATV club that Mike is going to address. We had to take down the signs on the powerpoles, as they workers who climb the poles don't want to get stapled. That was done on the afternoon of 2/9.
Membership - Higgins Carpet is a new business member, be sure to support them, thank you. Bill Brasier is a new member who came to the meeting, thanks for joining.
Treasury Report - We have about $163.32 in our account, close to going into the red. The Town of North Yarmouth is still holding the registration monies from us, due to a meeting hold up. We still have yet to see our grant from the State of Maine, due to a complaint that our trails were not being groomed by our new groomer. As you can see from the picture on the front page, that thing is kicking butt. Time to settle up please State of Maine. We owe Bruce $1000 on the Bearcat that was purchased, which we will pay him when we get our grant. We owe $37.88 to Westscotts for oil.
Activities - No more planned trips for the year, we should get something together local. Warming hut maybe?
2/4/09 - Club meeting - Toddy Brook - We had about 15 people there for the meeting.
"Issues" - We are riding our trails with Joe Higgins and Scott Ramsey from the Dept. of Conservation, the Wardens and whomever else Monday, as they have had a member of the club report that our groomer is not able to drag our trails, our trail milage is not accurate and there are some issues with the 102 power line. The DOC will begin the process to work out the liscensing needed, although we have had a 30 year handshake agreement with CMP. We will continue to answer any questions the State has regarding our club. It's unfortunate that one "nameless" person is appearing to try and sabotage the club and the hard working individuals that are trying to keep snowmobiling alive in Cumberland and North Yarmouth. Please meet at Bruce Crockett's house at 154 Cumberland Rd at 9am on Monday and show your support for the club.
Editorial - Any sportsman who read the "My Column" from Patricia Nelson in the 1/27/09 edition of The Notes, must have found it as humorous as we all did. In another attempt by a member of the club to sabotage relationships with local government and landowners and misinform the public. Here were some of the quotes used in her column. Most of the column centered around ATV usage (why during the winter, I don't know), but it did not shed any real positive light, nor support for snowmobiing. "(ATV's have)...damaged bridges, toppled building foundations, tore apart underground piplelines, aboused, tortured and killed wildlife..." ARE YOU SERIOUS? "Will North Yarmouth allow its town to be held hostage by criminals who damage trails and private properties-simply because they can? Or will it actively seek a demonstration of the town's will to preserve the community and regard for its peoples labors, thus aggressively seek to bring these trail criminals to accountability?" Patricia seems to be a bit misinformed on these "issues". The column centered around some $400,000 needed to "catch its trail criminals. Certainly from the snowmobile club's view, we are responsible citizens, trying to enjoy the outdoor sport we all love. It's too bad a member of our club continues to work against this process. In our view, if you are not with us, you are against us. Any negative press, negative reports, negative misinformation to the DOC, the State, the MSA or anyone else is not helping anyone, snowmobiles or ATVs.
Trail Report - We bought two new $250 gas cards, as we have about 200 hours in grooming so far this year, most of it with the new groomer, which is working great. Warren said it fills in holes a foot deep and does a great job on the trails. Warren is still looking for more folks to groom. The trail behind the Fairgrounds has been resigned and reopened. The bridge on the other side of Blanchard, across the street from the Fairgrounds is passable. Ed, the President of the Pownal Club gave us some updates: There have been some complaints on the trails, namely a late night rider, 1am-3am in the morning, with a loud pipe near the Freeport Loop near the Desert of Maine. Loring Lane had someone hit the drain sump pump at high speed. The club is working to make sure folks use the bridge and not go across this section that was broken. Stay on the trail near the water district. They are still working on the suspension bridge and a replacement option.
Activities - If you are not in Bingham by now, you are missing the club trip. Some 8-10 folks will be up there this weekend.
Treasury Report - The town of North Yarmouth has decided to hold our club hostage by not sending us 1/2 the registration monies for snowmobiles, as they have in years past, due to an issue regarding "riding on the sidewalks". It's unfortunate that this same member of the club mentioned above, continues to try and cause issues for the entire club. (Does anyone else see a pattern here?) That's $598 that we will not receive due to the mis-information the Town of North Yarmouth has received. We did purchase Bruce's Bearcat for $2,500 and will pay him the remaining $1,000 when we get our grant money from the State. We paid our normal $1,200 for the insurance for the sleds, etc. Peerless gave us a cancelation notice, prior to the bill being due. Mike took care of it.
Membership - We have 29 Family Memberships and 7 Business Members. Not bad...could use some more.
Misc - Mike still needs to order and purchase the Winch for the sled.
1/21/09 - Club meeting - Toddy Brook
Great turnout tonight, several folks sledded over to the meeting. About 20 folks in attendance. Two new members also showed up, thank you for attending.
Media Relations - Read the minutes from last week. Mentioned the new map added to the website. You need to save it on your computer and then print it as a picture. We still have some 10-20 visitors per day on the site. Mentioned the AAA and Ethenol e-mail from the MSA, as well as the Landowner Liability Laws that are strong on the State of Maine.
Treasury Report - We have about $2,500 in the checkbook. We have $3,436, plus a few dues received, but have $980 in bills for insurance and grade stakes. We are still waiting on the Cumberland and North Yarmouth town money, the North Yarmouth check has been sent, around $500 estimated. We approved, pending funding, to purchase Bruce's 2005 Arctic Cat Bearcat 4 stroke for grooming. It was estimated at around $6,000 book value from Warren. Bruce would take $3,500 for it. $2,500 up front and $1000 after our grant comes in. We have had three sleds for grooming in the past and gave away the older sled last year to Yarmouth. Bruce has let Warren, Brandon and Joe try it out and they all agree the 4 stroke power works well. It also has an 18 gallon tank and uses about 1/2 the oil of the other sleds. It was unanimous to purchase the sled and will look at this again in 2 weeks at the next meeting. We paid Harry for his 4x6 we used to brace up the 1996 bridge. Mike planned on ordering the Polaris $350 winch at Westscotts.
Trail Report - We've used up the two gas cards, doing about 25-30 hours in grooming, about 125 miles. Two more $250 gas cards are going to be purchased by Mike. Warren was asking for more folks to groom. Several folks gave their license number for the insurance purpose. Warren is moving the grooming sleds from his house to Joes. Peter repaired one of the pipe drags and it was $35, in exchange for a membership. The trail behind the Fairgrounds is closed. We'll need to place a bridge on the powerline next year. You also can't get to the Pizza Joint anymore. Mike said the Storey Bros. were going to go look at the Blanchard Road bridge on the other side of the road, opposite the Fairgrounds to put it back in place.
Activities - Dan stated the Bingham Motor Inn trip is for February 7th. $75 per room for two, $65 for one person.
Misc - The daughter of one of our members complained to the North Yarmouth Selectmen about sleds being parked on the sidewalk and causing "damage" to the sidewalk. The Maine Law states that you can go down a road up to 300 yards when there is no trail available. We had to sign an agreement that stated we would go across the sidewalk at a 90 degree angle. It's unfortunate that this concern was not voiced at one of our meetings for resolution, prior to the complaint. There was also a note sent to the website about the Smithwood Drive property. There was some discussion with the Town about this and Mike was going to speak with the owner. Mike will talk with Scott Ramsey about our options.
Thank you - Tailgates gave us a $35 donation. They are located on Rt 100. Stop by and say thanks.
1/7/09 - Club meeting - Toddy Brook
Limited folks tonight, might be due to the first meeting of the year, maybe due to the snow. About 8-9 folks there in total.
Media Relations - We were in the Forecaster during the 12/25 issue. Link is here. Sarah did a good job capturing most of what I had relayed to her. The old website is officially blown up. We continue to see about 7 new visitors to the website a day and about 3 repeat visitors per day.
Membership - We got two memberships paid tonight and three more in the mail the other day.
Trail Update - Need some snow! Mike is going to talk to Brandon or Storey Brothers to drag the Blanchard Road Bridge near the powerline back to it's correct spot. (See Project List link for details.) Aspen Crest temp. bridge was holding up as of the last snowstorm. Trail maps were sent to MSA.
Treasury Report - Bank account is about $3,500ish. Last balance was $3,580.97 prior to some payments and membership dues coming in. Trail grant should be around $3750, as long as we get out paperwork in by 4/30/09. Work orders need to be updated by Mike. 20% of the snowmobile clubs in Maine may be audited this year, so we need to keep our stuff in line.
Activities - Bingham Motor Inn still is the club trip for February 6th and 7th. Rooms are limited, so call ahead.
Misc. - Warren is going to purchase some good tow ropes for the grooming sleds and affix the rotary light to the groomer. The groomer was tested during the last storm and it panned nicely. He may also setup a set of backup lights for the groomer. Owls Head Transportation Museum sent us a memo about the February 14th and 15th WinterFest. They have antique sleds, plows, ice boats, etc. on display. There will also be a "used snow vehicle marketplace" where you can buy or sell your winter items. There will be a parade at noon on Runway 17. Jeff McAninch provided a discount on Liberty Mutual Insurance. If you are interested, call him at 871-9000 x 50186 for details.
12/17 - No minutes
12/3/08 - Club meeting - Toddy Brook
Another good turnout of members at the meeting, probably about 20 people there. Shawn read the prior meeting minutes (below these). We were pleased to have Jim Brown, Recreational Trail Coordinator for the Department of Convservation, Bureau of Parks and Lands, Off-Road Vehicle Division of the State of Maine at the meeting for observation and input. His role is to assist wiht all the clubs in keeping private and public land open for recreational use. (Which is all our goal as well.)
Media Relations - The old website will be officially dead as of 12/16. We continue to have some 8-10 hits per day. Starting to get a few hits from the Town of North Yarmouth and Cumberland Rec page links. Most links to our site are from Sledmaine.com and Mesnow.com. Shawn put up a sign on the Toddy Brook bulletin board pointing folks to the website.
Membership - No new info to report. We probably should update the "who has not paid yet" spreadsheet. Shawn and Mike can work on this together. Shawn needs to get the business membership info so he can put them on the website under the Business Sponsors link.
Trail Update - Prior to the meeting, Shawn asked Joe Jordan if he could "shore up" the area down on the backside of Aspen Crest. They wanted to make sure we signed that pole line side better, as they get some folks coming down the backside of their driveway, not knowing where the trail was. Joe mentioned he put in a new culvert (somewhere?). He said it was ok to do "whatever we needed to" to maintain that trail and get something across the stream. (This was a huge hazzard last year, with several folks getting stuck up to the waist in water and muck.)
As last meeing there was a lot of question and debate surrounding the ATV club and how it may effect the trails in the winter. Progress appeared to be made on this front, with Harold Stoddard, also member in the Sno-Skimmers as well, defining the efforts of the Royal River ATV Club. Harold described the municipal grant (I hope I have the majority of this correct in the notes) with $61,000 going to Robert Anderson for work done on the 374 power line (from Rt 100 to the 102 line), $3,900 in materials purchases, $9,400 in donated materials and 592 manhours put into the ATV trail system. work was also done on on the 102 line (Rt 9 to the Gray Plaza). On the 374 line there was 3 miles of work done of the 9 miles of trail and I believe line 102 was referrenced at being 3 miles long.
Harold talked about the ATV contract with CMP and the some 80 manhours of meetings regarding parking lot placement, trail updates and approval, etc. Shaw Brothers worked on the Long Hill rockwall at the request of a Judge due to litigation stemming from 4x4 damage. There can be no trespassing on this area until the litigation is resolved, or CMP opens it back up. There is a 14' fence up, with a 60" access gate. There was concern about the new groomer/drag barely being able to fit, but it needs to be no wider than 60" so 4x4's can't access the trail. There was also a fence put up near Rt 100. However, due to running out of time and man hours, many of the projects were not completed this year:
- Wild Turkey gravelpit was not completed.
- Pownal area trail closed.
- Suspension bridge was taken apart by the Pownal snowmobile club and Ed McElaine (spelling?). No news on if it will be repaired.
- The 166 line (where is that?) will be repoled by CMP with some major work going on coming up.
- CMP plans on some 15-20 new poles on the 102 line.
- There is a new crossing at the pole line near Chadsey Road (spelling?). There were berms removed keeping the trail down one side of the pole line.
- Other bridges 95% done? (Don't remember where, but this was a question from the prior meeting.)
There was a lot of discussion and concern regarding the multiple dirt and mulch piles still on the ATV trails. The club was nervous that not only are these a hazard and hard to see at night, covered with snow, these may become "ramps" and the concern was that some kids could be injured with either rolling over their sleds on these piles or trying to do a jump and landing on a pole. We stated we would assist the ATV club and take care of these and either push them off to the side, or smooth them over so they were no longer a hazard for the winter. I believe this will be done this week, or during the work detail on Sunday, depending on if they have frozen or not.
There were comments regarding the alleged inappropriate use of some of the trails this fall by ATV riders. There was a video that Jim has that may show ATV riders urinating in view of a resident. It was mentioned in today's world of technology, cell phone cameras and video cameras, if you see someone doing something wrong, get a picture and report it. It was stated that there is an inability for the Sno-Skimmers or the Royal River ATV club to police renegade riders. Harold stated that in the CMP contract, it does state a stipulation of reporting damage and trespassers to the trails. The Sno-Skimmers view overall is we all have ownership of this, but when it comes to policing, we need to call either the Warden Service or Cumberland Police and have them work it out. However, as with Val Halla or any other area that is looking for an excuse to close the trails, we should do our part to speak to those individuals not following the rules and work toward getting them to join the club and use the trails as intended. Keeping ourselves organized and unified is a key to our survival.
Harold stated several times that the ATV trails will be open for snowmobiles upon the first snowfall and that the Sno-Skimmers would get a key to these gates within the next week. CMP, Royal River ATV club and the Sno-Skimmers would all have a key to the locks. It was assumed that Joe would be the key holder. It was discussed that on 12/15, ATV's can no longer travel on the snowmobile trails. Mike stated he believed that this date can be sooner, if there is "groomable snow" which means when the first track hits the snow (but does not have to be "officially groomed") this ATV closure starts.
Although the discussion did get "heated" a little bit, everyone remained fairly calm overall and it would appear this is a good first step to combining the efforts of both clubs that needs to continue. Communication between the two clubs is key! Brandon kept us in line and on task, thank you. Both clubs are trying to do the same thing, in a town where private trail access continues to shrink, we all want to work toward keeping the trails such as the CMP powerlines open to all so we can enjoy the outdoors. There may be some personality conflicts involved and some prior history, but we are all going to try and treat this as a very positive step in the right direction. Harry thanked Harold and Jim for attending the meeting, thank you Harry.
There was a question about the trail across from North Yarmouth Variety and the possibility of gaining access to this trail again. (I was not sure as to the update here.) Mike gave Shawn an update on where he believes our trails are located. We may need to call Scott Ramsey to see where other clubs have stated their trail system begins and ends and if there are gaps, however we will most likely still be reimbursed for the same or similar number of miles, up to the limit (which is $3,600?). Shawn will work to color code the map to define these trails. There may be work needed to define more of the trail system with the other area clubs, depending on the notes above from the ATV club.
Sunday, December 7th at 9am - Work detail, please meet at the clubhouse. See Project List page for possible projects this Sunday. Bring your tools and your time.
Treasury Report - $4428 in the account after paying MSA dues. Lee Auto Mall made another nice donation this year, thank you!
Activities - Bingham Motor Inn appears to be a club trip for February 4th? (That's a Wednesday, did you mean February 7th, as Saturday?)
Safety - Jim reminded everyone not to drink and drive.
Donations - Mike is going to work with the schools to donate the $500 and if I've got this right, $200 will go to North Yarmouth Elementary School, $200 to Mable I Wilson School and $100 to Drowne Road School. Whatever Mike is going to do is fine with us. (Can't remember now if it was $600 or $500.) Thank you Mike for handling this.
Misc - The sleds are at Warren's place and there is still some wiring to be done, but the preseason checkups have been completed.
11/19/08 - There was a good turnout at the meeting tonight, 17 people were at Toddy Brook.
Media Relations - Shawn has signs up at the North Yarmouth and Cumberland Town Halls. The Rec. Dept. in Cumberland also has handouts for the website link to pass out to folks looking for maps, info, etc. The website had 29 visits today and is starting to get quite a bit of visits. North Yarmouth linked out website on the town site. The Cumberland Rec. Dept. has also linked our website on their page. The Falmouth Forecaster Reporter, Sarah Trent, will be invited to the 12/3 meeting.
Membership - No new info, a couple new folks joining. Need to get membership checks back to Mike.
Trail Update - Mike Creamer talked with Medley Watson and he has decided to close his field for good. He has it signed on both ends, cutting off Turkey Lane and Blanchard Road. It would appear the closure may be due to the Town fixing the bridge this fall. This is unfortunate, as the club can not police the field from "renegade" riders. The entire point of the club is to maintain organized trail systems and signage. Mike is going to talk with Dick Anderson in hopes that he does not post his field also. That closure will cut off the Mobil Station and the new Turkey Lane Bridge. Folks would have to run the road in the right of way to get to Turkey Lane, with the blind hill on Route 9, this would be quite dangerous. Joanne reinforced friendly partnerships with landowners. The topic came up of identifying our trail network and where the trails start and end. Shawn can then mark those trails in a different color on the GPS map when it is determined.
There was a lot of discussion about the Royal River ATV club and what it is currently doing with the power line/CMP multi-use trails. It seems that there are gates and boulders going up "closing the trails" until snow. This was due to the club trying to prosecute some 4x4 drivers. It is also undetermined at what point the trails will be reopened to snowmobiles by the ATV club. The boulders blocking the trail may be on the Gray club's trail, near Long Hill Road. The suspension bridge across the Royal River was taken apart by the ATV club, as it was determined it was "unsafe" for ATV's. There are two other bridges that are 95% done, but the ATV club may not open them, it is undetermined at this time. The individual in charge of these decisions for the ATV club will be asked to come to the next meeting 12/3, to provide us understanding of the trail closures, etc. This weekend is supposed to be the last weekend for ATV club trail work to be completed. We are hoping the dirt and mulch piles in the middle of the trails will be taken care of. We may need to call Scott Ramsey at the MSA to provide some insight to the grant, etc. and work with North Yarmouth and Cumberland to assist us with what appears to be a difference of oppinion with one member of the ATV club. It would appear there may also be some confusion around the grant money the ATV club is working with North Yarmouth on.
We are hoping the Planning Board will contact the club depending on the development of the Route 100 strip mall plans and potential trail changes. There was an inquiry about doing trail work after 8am. Brandon was going to consider it and determine if there was going to be a work detail this Sunday, 11/23. There is a bridge in that area of the strip mall that needs to be assembled and the 1996 bridge still needs to be leveled. There are also signs that can be put up.
Treasury Report - Mike is still looking for the Royal River ATV Club to provide a receipt for the $1000 we donated last year to assist with the dual use trail work. A motion was made and approved for the purchase of a wench, up to $300 for the new groomer to assist if it were stuck. Mike took in $120 in membership monies. We now have $4,536 in our account.
Activities - Calls will be made to see about reservations for the proposed club trip dates. Mike Lovering will contact the North Yarmouth town rec folks about a potential multi-club ride in and BBQ. Robert Anderson will open the warming hut anytime for a ride in and BBQ.
Donations - Joanne will check with North Yarmouth, grades 4-5 and Mable I Wilson, grades K-3 to see if there are some families in need. In years prior, we have donated $250 to each town to go towards assisting families for Christmas.
Misc - The dragging sleds did get to Warren's for a tune up.
11/5/08 - There were a few more faces at the meeting tonight, thanks to all that attended.
Media Relations - Channel 2, Cumberland Local Access is up and running with our reminders of meeting dates, web link, etc. The website has had 60 visitors over the last week or two. Still looking for feedback. Shawn is going to try and put some info at the Town Halls. We're linked up to mesnow.com, sledmaine.com and will be linked up to some other local clubs and Kenistons site, etc.
Membership - Mike stated we'll have either the now combined individual/family memberships for $30 or the business memberships for $40. He passed out membership cards, please bring your checks to the next meeting so he can process your MSA membership. $12 of the individual/family goes to MSA, $20 of the business membership goes to the MSA.
Trail Update - There will be another work detail on Sunday, 11/9 at 8am. Meet at the club house behind the Town Garage. Mike had talked with Bill Shane, the Town had cut back the trail from the club house to the Town Garage. We voted last year to spend the $450 to widen out the trail from the clubhouse to 8'-10' wide. As we already approved this, John Daigle will brush cut this once the ground gets a bit more solid. The Town is supposed to fix the mud holes they created. As a reminder, folks can print the trail maps out from this website. Mike Creamer is going to talk with Medley to see if he can determine what his needs are in an effort to keep that trail open.
Treasury Report - We have $4,434 in the checking account. Joanne is turning over the checking account info to Brandon and Mike so they are the authorized users of the signature card and the account. Anyone who had check writing priviliges prior will not be able to write checks going forward. We should see our grant money from the drag in May of 2009. We need to get a receipt for the $1000 donated to the Royal River ATV club so we can submit that this year or next.
Activities - Nothing solid yet, but some possibilities. Once they are determined, we'll put them on the calendar here on the website. Possible local ride ins - North Yarmouth and maybe the warming hut that the club built a number of years ago behind Toddy Brook. Club trip could be to Bingham, possibly February 6th, 2009. There is also an option of a Poland trip to Oxford. More info to come...
Misc - The dragging sleds and drag will be headed to Warren's sometime in the next week. He'll tune them up for the season and fabricate the hitch for the new drag. (We'll get a picture on here soon.) That's it for now...if anyone heard anything else, let me know. We hope to see you the next meeting, Wednesday 11/19 at 7pm at Toddy Brook.
10/22/08 - First meeting of the year...
Mike was going to speak with Bill Shane, Cumberland Town Manager about who may have done the brush cutting on the club trail from the club house to the Town Garage trail, heading toward the RR tracks. There at two huge mudholes there now:
The Town did an excellent job on the new Turkey Lane Bridge. Rails are supposed to go up this week:
We talked about keeping the new drag on one side of town, with one of the snowmobiles. The other snowmobile and pipe drag may stay in the club house.
There was discussion about the $1000 we provided to the Royal River ATV club, however there was some confusion as to what we may see out of that donation. Our understanding is that some of the ATV trail on Route 9 was "shut down" this summer. There are still chip piles on the snowmobile trail that will have to be taken care of.
There was talk of trying to re-open the Warming Hut trail near Toddy Brook.
Shawn talked about (this) upcoming website and the chance to put our info on the Cumberland Town Access Channel 2. He had placed an article in the last edition of the Maine Snowmobiler, but missed the November issue (due to lack of new article info). We'll get it back again for the December issue.
Mike said he would hand draw a map to provide to the State. That would satisfy their demands. Shawn said he can estimate the milage on the GPS program if Mike provided him the trail sections to look at.
That's all I can remember off the top of my head...who took notes anyway?