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March April May 2012
Newsletter
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OFFICERS: Daniel Stysh, President; Robert Ely, V.P.; Liz Miller, Treasurer;
----------------- George Capron, Rec.Sec.; Elizabeth Haig, Corr.Sec./Editor;
DIRECTORS: Anthony Albanese, John Bailey, Mark Devins, Michael
----------------- Howard, John Pfeiffer, Christopher Taylor
Contacts: Stysh 942-4749; Ely 397-2068; Haig 942-4464;Pfeiffer 942-2431
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We finally got it…it arrived October 3, and was very welcome. We are waiting for the Grant money now to pay off the loan…Lost Trail’s portion of the purchase was $38,523 and OPRHP Grant will pay $129,876.
When we put in for the Grant the machine cost somewhat less, but because it took so long for the wheels of government to turn, the price went up considerably.
The difference was $6,000, and had to be paid by Lost Trail, not the Feds. It’s a fine machine with a lot of ‘nice to have’ options built in. Let’s hope we get some snow this winter to give it a good run for its money. We were able to sell our older 2003 Pisten Bully to a neighboring club who were very anxious to upgrade their groomer .. the Lee Center club now owns the PB Edge. With the extra cost we now have to watch our pennies so we have enough to cover trail maintenance…and that includes the high cost of diesel fuel. Where does it end?
Since Lewis County has been the ‘guinea pig’ for trying GPS units in the groomers, we have another added expense – the cost of the GPS and the use of them. There will be no mistaking the number of hours/miles we put in for trail grooming. We just hope this trial extends to ALL clubs in the system and not just the 9 from Lewis. We are in it only because we have trail mileage in Lewis .. most of ours is in Oneida… so we are governed by 2 county associations. The GPS is costly and has already used up a couple thousand of our 30% check which we don’t even have yet. Because of the low registrations last season it is projected the 2012-13 funding will only be $175. a mile, last season (2011-12) gave us $500. per mile. So renewing memberships/registrations is very important – and doing it early.
Another bit of news is that Charlie Brown’s Restaurant on the West Leyden trail (on Jackson Hill Rd.) is being refurbished by Julie Stanbro and her partner Jeff Brown (yes, it’s Charlie’s son). Charlie Brown’s Too hopes to be open for business by November 1, and will welcome snowmobilers.
We almost had a large problem on the West Leyden trail … a longtime Landowner had decided to shut us down. He’d been harassed by hunters and ATVers who have shown no respect for his property – so he was shutting everybody out. This meant we needed to figure out a re-route … these aren’t easy to do. It was like a punch in the gut, just when we thought things were finally going smooth and we’d have a year of easy trail maintenance to start. We stewed and chewed over the problem for a day or so, and then we got a follow-up phone call from the Landowner who brightened our day. The harshness of the Landowner was more or less due to ATVers and hunters, and after sleeping on it a couple nights, he gave us the go ahead to use the trail as is. What a great relief. We did, however, come up with a solution to help him with his problem of the trespassers and that was to install gates and signs and he accepted this solution. The project is getting underway immediately. With incidents such as this, it would help a lot if anybody knows they are available to work the trails at certain times, to please call Dan Stysh or John Pfeiffer (phone numbers above).
With the above in mind, we cannot begin to stress enough to BE CONSIDERATE ON THE TRAILS TO EACH AND EVERY – BUT MAKE CERTAIN SURE YOU RESPECT THE LANDOWNER’S AND THEIR PROPERTY!
As said before, early membership renewals help with the trail funding (so try to do it prior to December 1). We appreciate those of you who have done this early renewal even though the moisture we are getting isn’t white yet. But if this rainy Fall keeps on, then there should be a decent snowfall as the temps get colder. Big game hunting season ends December 2, so the trails can be opened on December 3, if there’s enough early snow.
FUNDRAISING: Seems like we are always crying ‘poormouth’, and looking for money. But it does take a considerable amount of cash to maintain trails and the equipment to maintain smooth trails. Therefore, we are hoping that those of you who have not paid their dues yet, will remember to send in the money raffle ticket enclosed with the last newsletter. We haven’t yet reached the break-even point for the prize money offered.
And, now it’s time to send out the Super Raffle tickets that are sponsored by the state organization NYSSA. As you know we get to keep half the amount of the cost of this ticket. Last year we earned $715* and we thank those of you who returned the tickets last year. We hope you will do the same this year – only more. We sold 285 tickets last year, not all of them came from the Newsletter…only about 200 – and we mailed out 963 with the Newsletter. We hope for a better return this year. I know you think you never win … that’s what I always said, but I made my ‘donation’ anyway in support of the trail system. Then if you recall, I did win a sled a few years back and I still can’t believe it. So it does happen. *Just as a side note, it just cost us $718 to repair the sprockets for the #3 Groomer. So you see the money goes fast.
EVENTS: SHOOTOUT: We anticipate taking part in the SHOOTOUT again this year, rumors had it being held in Old Forge, but this rumor is not true. It will again take place in Woodgate on December 7 so we hope to see you there. Doors open at 8 am. On this same weekend, C.J. MOTOR SPORTS is thinking of holding their Open House in the new building just across the street which houses an extremely large display area with a much larger parts room and many other added facilities. Stop in when in town to see this new facility. We will be at their Open House, when and if …..
POKER RUNS: January 25 & 26 with the Elks Lodge as host. February 23, with the Boonville Hotel as host
BOONVILLE SNOW FEST: February 8, 9 & 10.
SAFETY COURSE: Our annual Safety Course run by Certified Instructor Ron Davies is scheduled for Saturday, December 1, at the Elks Lodge on State Rt. 12, just a mile south of the Boonville line. Pre-registration is a must, Ron’s cell # is 272-8384 or home phone is 315-392-6902.
DONATIONS: No, we don’t mean money here, we are looking for donations of ‘things’. We could use a few more folding chairs, any spare hand tools you might have, a little better Air Compressor than what we have brooms, and any tools you don’t use any more would be helpful in the Barn. We could also use: building posts, pipe (galvanized, drainage, etc.), iron posts, angle iron, any spare pieces that might help with trail maintenance.
The difference was $6,000, and had to be paid by Lost Trail, not the Feds. It’s a fine machine with a lot of ‘nice to have’ options built in. Let’s hope we get some snow this winter to give it a good run for its money. We were able to sell our older 2003 Pisten Bully to a neighboring club who were very anxious to upgrade their groomer .. the Lee Center club now owns the PB Edge. With the extra cost we now have to watch our pennies so we have enough to cover trail maintenance…and that includes the high cost of diesel fuel. Where does it end?
Since Lewis County has been the ‘guinea pig’ for trying GPS units in the groomers, we have another added expense – the cost of the GPS and the use of them. There will be no mistaking the number of hours/miles we put in for trail grooming. We just hope this trial extends to ALL clubs in the system and not just the 9 from Lewis. We are in it only because we have trail mileage in Lewis .. most of ours is in Oneida… so we are governed by 2 county associations. The GPS is costly and has already used up a couple thousand of our 30% check which we don’t even have yet. Because of the low registrations last season it is projected the 2012-13 funding will only be $175. a mile, last season (2011-12) gave us $500. per mile. So renewing memberships/registrations is very important – and doing it early.
Another bit of news is that Charlie Brown’s Restaurant on the West Leyden trail (on Jackson Hill Rd.) is being refurbished by Julie Stanbro and her partner Jeff Brown (yes, it’s Charlie’s son). Charlie Brown’s Too hopes to be open for business by November 1, and will welcome snowmobilers.
We almost had a large problem on the West Leyden trail … a longtime Landowner had decided to shut us down. He’d been harassed by hunters and ATVers who have shown no respect for his property – so he was shutting everybody out. This meant we needed to figure out a re-route … these aren’t easy to do. It was like a punch in the gut, just when we thought things were finally going smooth and we’d have a year of easy trail maintenance to start. We stewed and chewed over the problem for a day or so, and then we got a follow-up phone call from the Landowner who brightened our day. The harshness of the Landowner was more or less due to ATVers and hunters, and after sleeping on it a couple nights, he gave us the go ahead to use the trail as is. What a great relief. We did, however, come up with a solution to help him with his problem of the trespassers and that was to install gates and signs and he accepted this solution. The project is getting underway immediately. With incidents such as this, it would help a lot if anybody knows they are available to work the trails at certain times, to please call Dan Stysh or John Pfeiffer (phone numbers above).
With the above in mind, we cannot begin to stress enough to BE CONSIDERATE ON THE TRAILS TO EACH AND EVERY – BUT MAKE CERTAIN SURE YOU RESPECT THE LANDOWNER’S AND THEIR PROPERTY!
As said before, early membership renewals help with the trail funding (so try to do it prior to December 1). We appreciate those of you who have done this early renewal even though the moisture we are getting isn’t white yet. But if this rainy Fall keeps on, then there should be a decent snowfall as the temps get colder. Big game hunting season ends December 2, so the trails can be opened on December 3, if there’s enough early snow.
FUNDRAISING: Seems like we are always crying ‘poormouth’, and looking for money. But it does take a considerable amount of cash to maintain trails and the equipment to maintain smooth trails. Therefore, we are hoping that those of you who have not paid their dues yet, will remember to send in the money raffle ticket enclosed with the last newsletter. We haven’t yet reached the break-even point for the prize money offered.
And, now it’s time to send out the Super Raffle tickets that are sponsored by the state organization NYSSA. As you know we get to keep half the amount of the cost of this ticket. Last year we earned $715* and we thank those of you who returned the tickets last year. We hope you will do the same this year – only more. We sold 285 tickets last year, not all of them came from the Newsletter…only about 200 – and we mailed out 963 with the Newsletter. We hope for a better return this year. I know you think you never win … that’s what I always said, but I made my ‘donation’ anyway in support of the trail system. Then if you recall, I did win a sled a few years back and I still can’t believe it. So it does happen. *Just as a side note, it just cost us $718 to repair the sprockets for the #3 Groomer. So you see the money goes fast.
EVENTS: SHOOTOUT: We anticipate taking part in the SHOOTOUT again this year, rumors had it being held in Old Forge, but this rumor is not true. It will again take place in Woodgate on December 7 so we hope to see you there. Doors open at 8 am. On this same weekend, C.J. MOTOR SPORTS is thinking of holding their Open House in the new building just across the street which houses an extremely large display area with a much larger parts room and many other added facilities. Stop in when in town to see this new facility. We will be at their Open House, when and if …..
POKER RUNS: January 25 & 26 with the Elks Lodge as host. February 23, with the Boonville Hotel as host
BOONVILLE SNOW FEST: February 8, 9 & 10.
SAFETY COURSE: Our annual Safety Course run by Certified Instructor Ron Davies is scheduled for Saturday, December 1, at the Elks Lodge on State Rt. 12, just a mile south of the Boonville line. Pre-registration is a must, Ron’s cell # is 272-8384 or home phone is 315-392-6902.
DONATIONS: No, we don’t mean money here, we are looking for donations of ‘things’. We could use a few more folding chairs, any spare hand tools you might have, a little better Air Compressor than what we have brooms, and any tools you don’t use any more would be helpful in the Barn. We could also use: building posts, pipe (galvanized, drainage, etc.), iron posts, angle iron, any spare pieces that might help with trail maintenance.