Early Winter 2018 | 5 VAST News A message from VAST Vice President Jeff Fay With Thanksgiving behind us, some unusual early November snow and the wrap up of preseason shows, it’s now finally time to ride! Weather permitting of course. All of the clubs across the state have been working for months getting bridges repaired/replaced/redecked, trees cleared, brush cut and signs put up. They have also been doing all the stuff most riders don’t see such as holding meetings, selling TMAs, organizing the season’s fundraisers and groomer preparations. Club volunteers and private land owners are the two key components that keep snowmobiling alive and well, providing the opportunity for the association members to experience Vermont in a completely unique way. Places not normally as accessible during other parts of the year, from mountain tops to valley streams, all are just a short ride away, usually with a good place to eat along the way. Another key element of our sport is local business support. Many trailside businesses have great working relationships with area clubs, often providing prizes for fundraisers or materials and equipment for trail projects. Other local businesses contribute as well even without direct trail access because they know the value of what snowmobiling brings to a community. An economic impact study was done about 12 years ago that showed snowmobiling brought over 500 million dollars into the Vermont economy. A new study is on tap for this season to update the data, which will be used to leverage additional funding for snowmobiling across the state. There is national legislation being proposed to return additional funding from gas taxes to motorized recreational associations. This would provide additional money towards equipment grants and trail projects. However, without accurate data to support the request, it’s difficult to receive additional funding. As I finished off writing this article I received the news of the passing of a long time supporter of snowmobiling, Essex club member/officer/groomer/ volunteer David Clough. David was a representative for the club at the county meetings and voluntered time, equipment, knowledge and had a great sense of humor for many years across the county and beyond. He will surely be missed by many and forgotten by few. Thank you, David, for all you have done. Rest easy, my friend. – Jeff Fay, VAST Vice President The2019SledsAreOnOurFloor- ComeCheckThemOut! IncredibleDealsOnAllLeftovers! R The Way Out. Tues - Fri 9am - 6pm • Sat 9am - 4pm • Sun 10am - 4pm ~ Financing Available ~ Wewillnotbeundersold! 501 Wahconah St., Pittsfield 413-443-0638 Ext. 13 ronniesharleydavidson.com CLUB NEWS DEADLINES Winter ‘19 - Jan. 11 Late Winter ‘19 - March 15 Summer ‘19 - July 5 CLUBS: UPDATE YOUR PAGES ON THE VAST WEBSITE There are still so many clubs that have not updated their pages with even the most basic contact information. Please make sure you get the information updated and current. When new folks come to ride in Vermont, often they start their search on our website. If your club’s page is blank, they will just move on to the next club! VAST does NOT update these pages for you as we do not know what contact information you want public. You can add your own events, officers, meeting dates, photos, videos, links and more! Contact beth@vtvast.org to have a login created for your club.