Post Eel-Pout Update March 1, 2018

Woodtick Wheelers ATV/OHM Club  

Post-Eelpout Festival Update

February 26, 2018

 

Save The Date: May 5th - Spring Meeting & Pancake Breakfast  Come for the pancake breakfast, stay for the club updates, 2018 club ride schedule, and lots of new men's and women's clothing. Following a short meeting, a group ride through Chippewa National Forest to Huddle's Resort for lunch, and Adopt-A-Highway cleanup for those willing and able to help (need 12 people, takes about 30 minutes, lunch paid for volunteers). 

 

Ride or trailer your ATV or SxS to the meeting. Large trailers park on Stony Drive. Small trailers watch for sign in driveway.

 

Directions from Hackensack: East on Cty 5 for 2.5 miles, left (north) on Cty 122 for 3 miles, road turns west (Stony Drive), 1 mile to 3879 Stony Drive (before the Y). Watch for signs. For more information: dvhalsey@gmail.com or 612-723-1987. See you there!

 

S&R ATV Team Assists At Eelpout - Four members of the club’s Search & Rescue ATV Team assisted the Sheriff’s Department on Friday and Saturday. They were assigned to go door to door of the wheel houses, and pass out litter bags to keep the trash problems down out on Leech Lake. They had a great time visiting with all the ‘pouters’. Our team hasn’t been called on an S&R mission yet, but we continue training, and volunteering at community events as needed. Thanks to Ralph and Jean Cram for their work on Friday, and Mike Bohanon and Craig Wadzink for heading out on the ice Saturday. 

 

Woodtick Wheeler 

Ron Potter Is Named ATVAM 1st VP

 

The ATVAM Executive Board appointed Ron Potter as interim 1st VP. He accepted the appointment during a recent meeting of the executive board. For many ATVAM members and ATV clubs, Ron is our go-to guy for starting clubs and building/funding sustainable trails. Ron retired from the MN DNR a few years ago, after working on OHV and snowmobile programs and trails for 37 years. But he hasn't slowed down one bit.

 

Ron lives near Tower, MN, and is leading a number of trail projects, including the Prospectors Loop Trail, and the Border 2 Border Touring Route. He serves on the boards of CRTU and MMTC, works on trail inventory and design projects for NOHVCC Management Solutions, and works for Polaris as project manager on the Polaris Ride Command mobile app trail program.

 

AND he is a member of the Woodtick Wheelers.

Thanks Ron! -- For adding this new role to your long list of advocacy work on behalf of all of Minnesota's enthusiasts of motorized recreation.

 

Polar Bear Ride Attracts 75               Dozens of riders — including some hardy Woodtick Wheelers — trailered their machines to Outing on Feb 24 for the 4th Annual Polar Bear Ride, hosted by the Over The Hills Gang ATV Club. Scott and Theresa Meyers report that everyone had a great time, they rode 18 miles and ended the ride with a hot meal at Granny’s Grill. You can see their Polaris General in the photo — the one with the Woodtick flags flying (and  heater on in their enclosed cab to keep them toasty warm).

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ATVAM Region 3 All-Club Meeting, 

April 21, 9 am - 1 pm. American Legion Post 443, 232 4th St., Ironton, MN 56455. This annual meeting is always a good one. It's attended by members of 10 ATVAM Region 3 clubs, plus the MN DNR and County land commissioners. We share information about our clubs and trail systems -- and how to connect them in the future -- and discuss common club challenges and opportunities. Coffee, juice and rolls provided.   All Woodticks are invited to this meeting, to get more involved in building new trails and connecting existing trails in central Minnesota. 

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Announcing the ATVAM 35th Anniversary Celebration! 

It's called the “MN ATV Ride & Roast,” and this year will be on our schedule as a club ride. It’s May 19, at McQuoid's Inn, located in Isle, MN, and right next to the Soo Line South ATV Trail.  

It will include a President's Ride, guided rides starting at 10 am, and a pig and turkey roast at 4 pm. Registration is now open on the ATVAM website (atvam.org), where you can pay the $15 per person registration (kids under 10 are free). If staying overnight, mention ATVAM when making your reservation at McQuoid's to get a special price (note: event discount may require a 2-day minimum). Questions? Email Dave Halsey, who also writes the twice-monthly ATVAM newsletter, at dvhalsey@gmail.com. Not an ATVAM member? Join at atvam.org. 

 

Did You Know There Is On-Line 

Safety Training For SxS Drivers?

(Reprinted from the ATVAM newsletter)

 

"ATV rollover in Yavapai County injures 7, including 3 children"

 

That was the headline in an Arizona newspaper, with this photo. I set up my laptop to receive Google Alerts for news reports of "ATV Accidents." Each day, an email arrives with 5-10 newspaper and TV reports from around the U.S. Many news reports are tragic. And a lot of them involve children allowed to drive SxSs (which are only for ages 16+). The cause is usually given (high speed, cornering too fast...), which points out that most accidents are preventable. Industry experts call them "warned against behaviors." The SxS shown here rolled when the driver went around a corner too fast. Seven people, including 3 children, one just 3 years old, were in it. No one had a helmet on, all were injured. Some had seat belts on. Fortunately there were no fatalities.

 

SxSs drive, handle and respond differently than regular ATVs. ROHVA has a free online e-course specifically designed to teach SxS owners how to ride safely. It’s a great course, especially for those buying their first SxS.  It’s at this link: http://www.rohva.org

 

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2017 Summary Of Fatal ATV Accidents 

 

At ATVAM's quarterly meeting with the MN DNR, Bruce Lawrence with Enforcement passed out the annual summary of ATV fatalities in Minnesota, with a few details on each accident. 

 

All are tragic. And highlight the importance of youth and adults attending ATV Safety Training, provided throughout the riding season by ATVAM clubs.  The summary reported:

 

23 - Total ATV Fatalities 

Highest since 2004 

Average for previous 10 years is 16

 

17 - ATV Class 1 Fatalities

6 - ATV Class 2 Fatalities

0 - Listed as having ATV Safety Certificate (2 listed as "unknown")

 

0 - Occurred on State ATV trails

10 - On private property or private trail

13 - On a Road ROW or driveway

12 - Machine rollovers

  6 - Thrown from vehicle

  2 - Machine-car collision

  3 - Struck a fixed object

 

48 - Average age -- 20 of the 23 fatalities involved riders who were outside the age required to have an ATV Safety Certificate (19 were older than 30; 1 was younger than 12; youngest was 9 on a Class 2, oldest was 88 on a Class 1)

7 - Involved alcohol

 

To download the full 2017 Summary, go to this page of the MN DNR website: 

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/enforcement/incident_reports/atvfatal_accidents17.pdf

 

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Where to mail renewal dues:  A couple members asked that we post the club’s mailing address, so they can send in their annual dues for last year. If you haven’t renewed for 2017, please do. We will send out our annual dues notice for 2018 in early spring. The club address is: Woodtick Wheelers, PO Box 83, Hackensack, MN 56452.

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Thanks for supporting the club and all we do in the area!

Contact us with your questions, comments and new ideas for the club, and let us know what ATV trails you’d like to ride this year.

 

Your Woodtick Wheelers Board:  

Dave Halsey, President  dvhalsey@gmail.com,  612-723-1987; Andy Becker, Vice President, hackbilly1@gmail.com; Sherrie Gayken, Secretary; Dave Shaw, Treasurer; Ed Anderson, Dick Buche, Scott Meyers, Stacy Strand, Paul Vashro

  

Woodtick Wheelers ATV Club

P.O. Box 83

Hackensack, MN 56452

 

Thanks to a Polaris Trails grant, the Woodtick Wheelers were able to purchase a Polaris Sportsman 110 EFI to be used for youth safety training. 

Our club's ATV Safety Education Trailer was purchased with a $10,000 grant from the Polaris TRAILS program. Thousands of people have visited it at community events, where we passed out over 5,000 ATV maps, reg books and safety handouts. Thanks Polaris!
Our club's ATV Safety Education Trailer was purchased with a $10,000 grant from the Polaris TRAILS program. Thousands of people have visited it at community events, where we passed out over 5,000 ATV maps, reg books and safety handouts. Thanks Polaris!
Every new member gets free club logo stickers for their ATVs and off-highway motorcycles.  Extra logos: $1  Also available in an embroidered patch to sew on your favorite gear. $3 each.
Every new member gets free club logo stickers for their ATVs and off-highway motorcycles. Extra logos: $1 Also available in an embroidered patch to sew on your favorite gear. $3 each.