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Membership renewals:
Everybody should have gotten theirs about September 1st.
How about that Trail Sponsor Trail Bonus Program!
New 2007-2008 Chautauqua County Snowmobile Trail Maps will be in our hands
Tuesday afternoon, November 13th.  We will be having a lick-n-stick workparty
Wednesday evening, November 14th at the Clubhouse from 7:00 pm until done.
The next newsletter will come with the map.
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2008 Governor's Ride in Chautauqua County!
Friday, February 8, 2008: Governor's Ride from Chautauqua Suites in Mayville to Peek'n Peak in Findley Lake for luncheon and return.  Our "south county ride".  We will be trying very hard to get Governor Spitzer and his wife back to Chautauqua County again.  As of 12/12/2007 we have not been turned down yet, but do not have any acceptance yet either.
Saturday, February 9, 2008: NYSSA Director's meeting and "north county ride".
Sunday, February 10, 2008: All-Club Ride-In at Stockton's Fireman's Grounds.
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RMR Snowcross coming to Peek'n Peak!
Saturday & Sunday, March 28-29, 2008: Peek'n Peak hosts RMR (Rock Maple Racing) snowcross.
Three of the four major snowmobile brands will be there with their new 2009 sleds on display.
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Groomer Fund Priorities:
Priority #1:
Accomplished.  Check out the picture of our 1988 Tucker Sno-Cat.
It is 100% paid for, but we are low on funds for diesel fuel for the groomers .
Our Cherry Creek Sno-Goers neighbors have 7.
Our Lake Effect Trailbreaker neighbors have 1.
    <--- click on image for a larger picture
 
Priority #2:
Accomplished.  Our BR-110 is sold and gone.
(Click here for details)
 
Priority #3:
Accomplished.  Check our new 180 horsepower 2001 Bombardier BR-180.
It is 100% paid for, but we are low on funds for diesel fuel for the groomers .
Got it home just ahead of the snowstorm.
            <--- click on image for a larger picture
               
BR-180 from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Priority #4:
Accomplished.  Get the VMC to go a little faster.  Thought we might have spend as much as $6,000 to swap-out the drive-units, but Bob Perry ("Clymer Bob") and Bob Perry (Mustang Bob") spent a whole Saturday working on it and found the right combination of pump adjustments to really make it go.

We already have two separate loans outstanding with two years of payments each.
So right now another loan is not very likely.
Several steps to raise money have started, more are being discussed. 
1)  We are asking all members to send their renewals early (now, please).
2)  We are asking all members to add on $100 to their renewal for the
      Groomer Fund.  We have something up our sleeves for those making
      a $100 groomer fund donation. 
3)  Work has begun in earnest to change the club's status from 501(c)(4)
      a "not-for-profit social club" to 501(c)(3) "a true charity".
      We hope to have this completed by the end of October, 2007.
      People can donate to the Groomer Fund and deduct it from their taxes.
4)  We will be completing all the paperwork for the 8-cent per gallon gas
      tax refund from New York State.  We should receive at least $2,000
      by the end of August.
5)  We made a Groomer Fund Thermometer which can be seen in the
      webcam pictures.  Have to move it much closer.  Each line on the
      thermometer will represent $1,000 in the Groomer Fund.  We will
      attempt to update the totals weekly.  The webcam is dead.  The timer
      was burned-out, we think the modem got cooked, the camera picture
      is almost totally white.
6)  Raffles and/or other ideas to be decided upon.
 

Website:  multi-step process for a new website
●    Jazz-up the existing website to:
        ●   to fill-in more of the white space with color
        ●   add new and better graphics
        ●   add better articles
●    The existing website is used to prototype some of the changes.
●    The whole website is being re-platformed and totally re-designed.
      Out with Microsoft's FrontPage product and in with Adobe's Creative
      Suite 3 Web Premium Suite (nine products: Dreamweaver, Flash,
      Photoshop, Illustrator, Fireworks, Acrobat, Contribute, Bridge,
      Version Cue, and Device Central)
        ●   individual web pages for messages from Club Officers and Directors:
                ●   President
                ●   Vice-President
                ●   Secretary
                ●   Treasurer
                ●   Board Chairperson
                ●   Membership Coordinator
                ●   Safety Coordinator
                ●   Finance Committee
        ●   on-line memberships
        ●   e-commerce for Trail Sponsor Bonus Program, clubhouse keys,
             stickers, club apparel, extra maps
●    The old website will be replaced.
●    It will take some time before we can replace the original, but the
      website is being totally re-built from the ground up.
      (That's 200-300 hours of work.  Will drag a lot of stuff over from the
      original website to the new website to save a lot of time and effort)
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Snowmobile Safety Classes:
Snowmobile Safety Course Offered December 27th and December 28th 2007
The Chautauqua County Sheriff's Training Academy will be offering a young snowmobile safety course for youth between the ages of 10 and 18. 
This course is free of charge and offered by PRE-registration only. 
The course will run a total of 8 hours divided into 2 four hour sessions.
Session one will be December 27th and session two will be December 28th
Classes run form 12 noon to 4pm both days. 
Students must attend both sessions to obtain a certificate.
ONLY PRE REGISTERED STUDENTS WILL BE PERMITTED INTO THE COURSE.
THE COURSE IS RESTRICTED TO 30 AND WILL BE SERVED ON A FIRST COME FIRST
SERVED BASIS. 
TO REGISTER, SEND AN E-MAIL TO BOVA@SHERIFF.US.
The course will be held above the Mayville Fire Hall,
2 South Erie Street, Mayville NY 14757.
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Saturday, October 20, 2007 at the Clymer Volunteer Fire Department
8:00 am to 4:00 pm
suggest that kids be accompanied by a parent.
At least one and possibly two more will be scheduled.
They are pending scheduling & teacher availability.
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Club Apparel 
sweatshirts, hoodies, fleeces etc.
Come see the latest in Club Apparel
Click here for pictures and to order

We are soliciting pictures of trails & scenic views from trails
Multi-Media
Pictures used will be given proper credit.  We want to gather all the pictures by trail to go along with the trail descriptions and existing pictures of trail work.

We started a 2 cents (comments/suggestions/to-do) page
E-mail us your 2-cents worth of comments/suggestions/to-do.  Got something nice to say and we will add it with: date, first name(s) only (no last names), and town or state.  Got an issue and we will give your issue priority and GIT-R-DONE.  No, you will not be able to post live, I do not have time to monitor it 24/7.  I has seen some of the snowmobiling sites that are full of trash talk.  This club will not be a party to any of that.

Guidelines for Responsible Snowmobiling

                              
As an off-road experience, snowmobiling can have risks.
Every snowmobile rider using snowmobile trails in New York
State should understand and accept the following:

Contact Info:
Current Trail Conditions          Mailing address
Dial snow phone                      Chautauqua Lake Snowmobile Club
(716) 753-2924                           P.O. Box 134
24 Hr. Answering Machine       Mayville, NY  14757

E-mail:
Membership Information:  membership@chautauquasnow.com
General Information: paulweatherlow@chautauquasnow.com
(If we do not respond in a few days, please remind us again.)

Do you want to drive or Ride?
Coming from Ohio or Pennsylvania?
Why drive all those extra hours to Ontario, Tugg Hill, Old Forge, or Quebec?  Stop here in Chautauqua County, New York and check us out!  Do you want to drive or RIDE?
    (click on image for a larger view)

What about money that two-tier was going to provide back to clubs?
OPRHP (Parks) has to set the dollars per mile trail rates based upon registrations (that is the legislation that they have to adhere to), get the rates approved in Albany, and then the rates are set in stone.  When people (like me) do not register their sleds until the middle of January, is was way too late for Parks to increase the dollars per mile rates.  Parks stalled as long as they could to try to get the rates increased, but the lack of snow affected the timeliness of registrations and we all suffered from just over 1/2 of last seasons dollars per mile.  Previously, I never realized that the rates were actually approved and set in stone. 
Our club did not receive a single cent (less than 1/2 of the total) until after the trails closed for the season in March, with the balance (over 1/2 of the total) expected around the end of calendar 2007.  Having to wait most of 12 months for registration money leaves a lot to be desired.
Please, register you sleds before December 1st so we can use the registration money this season - not next season.  We all know it will snow.
Money from membership dues is the only reason we were able to keep trails open and groomed to the end of the season.  It just about wiped-out our checking account.  If the season had lasted beyond another 10 days we would have had to park our groomer fleet and shut down everything.

Chautauqua County's Trails Snow Phone
1 (800) 242-4569
 
Our Club's Snow Phone:
1 (716) 753-2924

Current snowfall in Mayville:
http://www.madbbs.com/users/mayville/
Scroll down on their page to find it

Pick from the various places our trails connect to:

Steve Matscherz on the right and that's Tom Funovits on the left.

Laurel Highlands Snowmobile Club    <-- click here to visit their website, see their webcam pictures, and they have a bunch of good photos from our area too.

Donations accepted
Please help our Groomer Fund if you can!
August 2002:      1997 Bombardier BR-110 with an 8' wide drag.
February 2004:   1999 VMC-04W with an 8' wide drag.
November 2004: 1993 Bombardier BR-160 with an 8' wide drag
November 2004: 1994 Bombardier BR-160 with an 8' wide drag
November 2005: 1997 LMC 1800 with an 8' wide drag
In the last three years and three months we purchased five (5) large tracked groomers.
Even buying used, we have spent almost $200,000.00
Raising the money for the payments and working on fund raising ideas.
But we need your help.  You ride the trails, what does your butt think?
Surely you have seen the improvement in trail conditions.
With more new miles of trails added to our trail system in 2004-2005
and again in 2005-2006, we really needed more groomer equipment.
Please send donations to "Chautauqua Lake Snowmobile Club" using
our post office box address and identify it as "for Groomer Fund".
Every cent will go to pay off the two outstanding loans we have.
Thank You.

8' tables wanted:
Some of 8' tables in the clubhouse are starting to fall apart.  They have been used for just about everything from graduation parties, to being stuffed into a snow bank while we give snowmobile rides at Mayville's Lakeside Park during Ice Castle weekend.  Some of the laminate is breaking off and the particle board underneath is falling apart after getting wet a couple too many times. 
The nice Lifetime brand 8-foot commercial grade folding tables (model 2997) (color white) like they have at Sam's Club are what we really want.  I believe they are about $74 each including tax.  Just one from each of a couple people would be great.

As long as we are asking ---
The nice Lifetime brand folding chairs (model 2804) (color white) like they have at Sam's Club would be good too.  I believe they are about $18 each including tax.

Please let us know if you can purchase a new table or a couple of new chairs for the clubhouse.  THANKS
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Microwave found:
Would like to get a digital timer microwave to mount on the counter or mount on a shelf over the stove.  We have pop and candy bars now, but what if you could also have some of the frozen Zap-A-Snack pizza things the school kids are always selling?  Drop a couple bucks in the coffee, can take one from the freezer, nuke it in the microwave.  Pizza, pop, and a candy bar - good for another two hours of riding!
A big THANK YOU to John & Jaime Fisher from Middlefield Ohio for the donation of a brand new microwave!
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Refrigerator found:
The refrigerator at the clubhouse is not doing so well, old age is the problem.  Some of the trays in the door are broken.  Rust is starting to come through the white paint on the door.  Sometimes the pop freezes and cans burst.  Other times, it's barely cold enough.  The bottom door seal does not always seal well (maybe that is the real problem).  But it needs to be replaced.  Does anybody have a decent used refrigerator sitting out in the garage or elsewhere that needs a new home?  Call or e-mail us.  I bet we might trade for a free family membership.
A big THANK YOU to Jay Williams from Geneva, Ohio for the donation of a nice refrigerator!
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Registrations:
Please register before December 1st!!!
            Why?
The part of your registration money that comes back to the clubs for the trails has a new cut-off date this season.  Registration money received before December 1st will come back to the clubs during the 2007-2008 season.  Registration money received on and after December 1st will be held by Parks (OPRHP) until 2008-2009 season!  Do not register late and let Parks hold your trail money for a whole year!!!

Also, please mail your registrations to the DMV in Mayville, not Albany.  Mayville will turn your registrations around faster!  Do business where you ride.  THANKS
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Busti, Kiantone, Frewsburg:
We need help to put in a new trail in your area before it is too late for the 2007-2008 season.
Contact Steve Vincent @ (716) 782-3398  ASAP!
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New Tractor:
What new tractor? 
What does it look like?         
What is it?  2007 New Holland, 4WD, diesel, ...
                   a real work tractor - not a utility or compact tractor.
                   notice the big side mower deck.
How did we get it?  Recreational Trail Program (RPT) Grant.  A Federally Funded Grant administered by each state.  New York State accepts grant applications every two years. Got started on the idea over three years ago when our snowmobile club meet the Trail Manager from Chautauqua Rails-To-Trails at Allegheny State Park.  We went in together on the grant application and their Trail Manager did almost all the grant application paperwork.  The grant will pay 80% of what we were approved for.  We have to pay the other 20% ourselves.
Where did it come from?  The basic tractor came from one dealership and most of the attachments came from another dealership.
What attachments are there?  front loader bucket, large side mount brush hog, regular brush hog, offset mower, and back-hoe.
How much did it cost?  Even with lowest bids (and I am not sure that the dealerships did not take a loss) the whole deal was most of $50,000 our portion is $8,000+.  Will pay for this out of membership money.
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