Oswego County ATV Club Past News

December 4, 2007

Happy holidays! The latest newsletter is posted in the news section. The legislature contact information has been updated also.

November 6, 2007

Things are winding down for the year. People are getting ready for winter. Hunting season is in full swing. Stay safe.

October 1, 2007

The trails are now closed for the season. We will not be accepting membership applications until January for next year.

September 4, 2007

Mark your calendar! The Oswego County ATV Club Poker Run is coming up fast on September 15th. The run is held in association with the ALtmar Fire Department to help pay for an ATV Rescue unit. Participation is HIGHLY encouraged.

July 31, 2007

The August newsletter is out. Don't forget about the club camp out and Hospice Ride coming up!

June 27, 2007

Well the Tradeshow / Rodeo / Craft Fair was a great success! Many people attended and everyone had a great time.

The July Newsletter is out. This month it will only be available on the website.

May 23, 2007

The June Newsletter is out! Added the Trade Show application.

May 12, 2007

We have added an additional trail duty for Tuesday mornings, 9 to 12. This time slot is in addition to the normal Tuesday evening duties, so now you have no excuse not to chip in! Contact Brad Hilton at 298-3261 for details each week.

May 1, 2007

The trails are officially open as of today! The May Newsletter is out.

March 25, 2007

The April Newsletter is out! Added a page for the Tradeshow Craft Fair & Rodeo.

January 14, 2007

New website design. Click the links, check it out, let me know if anything is broken.

October 28, 2006

Thunder Alley Motorsports has opened their new facility located on Rt 57 directly across from Nissan North. Still only 500 yards from the old shop! They are one of our sponsors and also sponsor the Granby Center Fire Department Bog & Grog to be held in 2007. Check out these pictures of the new facility:

October 1, 2006

Trails are now closed for riding. There will be a work detail to get the trails ready for winter. All are encouraged to attend. For details, see the newsletter.

September 3, 2006

The Annual Landowners Steak and Chicken Bake will take place on September 24th from Noon to 3:00 PM and is Open to the public. There will be a ride to Benefit Hospice at 3:30 with a donation of $5.00.

August 2, 2006

The August Newsletter is out!

The September meeting is changed to September 24th at 11 AM. There are more details in the newsletter.

July 8, 2006

The next meeting will start at 10 AM on July 15th at the Altmar Hotel. Following the meeting will be the Annual Pig Roast.

June 15, 2006

A benefit ride is being held for Brenda O'Neil, daughter of Jr. and Sye O'Neil, the club trail coordinator and handler of clothing, hat, and map sales respectively. The ride will take place on June 24th on the West Extension trails. We will meet at noon at Old Man's Place convenience store on Rathburn Rd., Fulton. The location is right off Rte. 3 going west. There is a big salt dome on opposite side of road. The store is a few miles down road. Donations will be accepted.

A Steak Bake will be held at the American Legion in Parish on July 8th at Noon for Brenda also. Donation is $15.

June 15, 2006

The Tradeshow, Craft Fair and ATV Rodeo was a huge success. Many thanks to all the sponsors, workers and attendees.

May 4, 2006

The May newsletter is out. You should be getting yours soon if you don't have it already. In addition to the great news is an excellent article by the Atkinsons about their ATV vacation.

April 8, 2006

The April newsletter is out. Look for your copy in the mail. We have a big trail truck presentation next weekend, starting at 11 AM. The Annual Meeting will follow the presentation. We will have a guided ride after the meeting if there is enough interest.

March 21, 2006

As you are all probably aware by now, the ATV registration fee has been raised this year. Let's get together and write our legislators to tell them we want the government to use that extra money to start an ATV trail system in New York. Here is a link to a page to help you format a letter to your legislator to let them know our feelings. Check out our Affirmative Action page if you need the address for your representative.

February 16, 2006

West Extension meeting on March 14th, 7 PM at the IOOB Club, Old Rte. 3, Fairdale.  We will be working on the events calendar and organizing a trail committee. We are looking for a large attendance to start off the year right.

The events page has been updated with the latest club event info.

December 27, 2005

The Spaghetti Dinner tentatively planned for the West Extension will be postponed until spring. Watch this space for further details.

There will be a meeting March 18th at the Town House Restaurant and on April 15th at the Altmar Hotel, both at 11 am.

November 11, 2005

The latest newsletter is out.

October 30, 2005

As you may be aware, the ATV Club is doing a raffle to help fund the new trail truck we are buying. We are now selling tickets at $5. each for a raffle at the April 15, 2006 regular club meeting. The winner will be given $500.. one prize only. If anyone would like to buy tickets please contact Don or Nancie Hildreth at 298-4267.

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A special thanks to everyone who worked on the trails, signs, meetings and anything else that has made this club what it is today!

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Follow all NO ATV signs. If you are caught beyond one of these signs you will be suspended immediately. Those areas are not open.

STAY ON THE TRAIL OR STAY HOME

Safety first:Helmets, lights, brakes, responsible speeds

October 1, 2005

Trails have closed for the season. We have a meeting on October 15th at 11 am at the Salmon River Inn. The Spaghetti Dinner is on October 5th, at 5 pm until 7 pm.

I would like to thank Arlene Barnard for all her work with the newsletter. It has become a great resource for information regarding the ATV Club.

September 20, 2005

Please note: The date for the Spaghetti Dinner at the Townhouse Restaurant is October 5th, the newsletter was incorrect.

August 8, 2005

Lacona Fire Department ATV Rodeo & Family Fun Days

September 10, Rain date September 11

Pre-registration is strongly encouraged

Pick up forms at Widrick Implements
Entry fee is $25.00, but you get $5.00 back with a valid Club Membership card.

80% payout for 180 degree weight pull and a timed obstacle course.

Games for the kids, chicken BBQ, hamburgers, hot dogs, hot sausage and much much more

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July 25, 2005

I was sent information for a couple of ATV rides scheduled by the Tug Hill Wheelers. The first is on July 30th. Details here. The next is on August 20. Details here.

July 18, 2005

The next meeting will be held on August 20th at 11 am.

June 13, 2005

The next meeting will be held at the Redwood Motel in Pulaski in the "Chinook Room" at 11 am on June 18th.

Senator Jim Wright has issued his public opinion on the recently released "Draft Policy" from the DEC.

June 1, 2005

The sponsors list has been updated. The TRADE SHOW is coming soon. Stop by the Town House June 9th and 10th to help out with the setup.

May 17, 2005

Our new PR person has provided us with contact information for our State Legislators, the Governor and several different news sources. When you contact your legislator to talk about ATV related issues, you should handwrite your letters because it will carry more weight than a computer generated "copy" letter for everyone to sign. A phone call is also a great way to let the legislators know what you are feeling about any ATV subject.

May 9, 2005

The meeting this month will be held at Charlie's Happy Valley Inn at 11:00 on May 14th. This is one week early due to the Benefit Ride on May 21st. The Benefit Ride will help with costs associated with fighting the DEC to get state trails open in the north country.

April 21, 2005

If anyone did not get the letter from Senator Jim Wright concerning the recent ATV registration legislation, I have obtained permission to reprint the letter here. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.

April 14, 2005

Our Trails will not be open for a few more weeks except on week-ends only. This is due to the fact some of our landowners are doing some work on their property and do not want four-wheelers running through during the week. Please bear with us a little longer. Steve Cronk, President.

April 14, 2005

The meeting on Saturday April 16th will be held at the Altmar Hotel.

March 17, 2005

Brad Hilton sent me a link to the NYS DEC website which outlines a proposal to allow ATVs on certain roads for the purpose of letting disabled people access the land for hunting and fishing. Thanks, Brad.

March 10, 2005

The March newsletter is out. Read it online if you didn't get yours yet.
A reminder: Memberships are due in April.

February 14, 2005

Senator Jim Wright sent me a letter stating that the budget proposal for 2005-2006 is calling for an increase in All-Terrain Vehicle registration fees with no agreement on a dedicated ATV trail fund, much like last year. Senator Wright went on to say that he will oppose this fee increase given the lack of a dedicated ATV trail fund. A quick note to your Assemblyman or Senator could help to establish an ATV trail system.

January 17, 2005

New site design.

December 15, 2004

Here is a link to an article about the funds given to the snowmobile clubs recently.

October 4, 2004

There is a new Official Registration Form. Make sure you are using the new form when registering for next year! You can find the form on the About Us page.

Trails are closed for the season. The next meeting will be in March 2005. Look here for news, information and upcoming events. Have a great winter.

September 3, 2004

September 25th @ 1 pm:
Oswego County ATV Club Steak and Chicken Bake for Members and Land Owners Only. Land owners eat free!
Members can have steak for $11.00 and chicken for $6.00
The dinner will take place at the Altmar American Legion on Church Street. RSVP before September 20th.
I hope to see you all there!
Mary Gaffey
Club Secretary

August 29, 2004

The Oswego County ATV Club race event at Fulton Speedway scheduled for August 28th was postponed due to rain. No race was held. The event is rescheduled for Saturday, September 4th and your tickets will be good for this date.

August 7, 2004

The Pig Roast was a success. Many people attended and everyone had a great time. Added a few more photos to the photo page.

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July 6, 2004

Added some more photos to the photo page.

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June 1, 2004

The photo page is up. I still need many more photos, so keep them coming!

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Queensbury, NY - May, 25, 2004

TrailPass, LLC, a private ATV trail network based in New York, has secured a $2 million dollar general liability insurance policy to cover its affiliated ATV clubs and landowners with coverage similar that of the New York State snowmobile trail system.

The policy covers all TrailPass™ affiliate clubs throughout the U.S., including those that host trails in the trail network and those that do not.

The cost for a club to become a TrailPass™ affiliate is based on the club’s membership numbers. Basic affiliates pay $1,000 flat rate for their first 50 members and $17.50 for each additional member. Clubs that host trails in the TrailPass™ trail network receive funding directly from TrailPass, LLC to offset the cost.

TrailPass, LLC opened its first private ATV trails in New York in July of 2003 with approximately 100 miles of trail and has grown to better that 300 miles of trail in only 8 months with over 500 miles in the works. The network is supported solely by its pass holders which purchase an annually renewable TrailPass™ for $50 directly from TrailPass, LLC on their website or through local ATV dealers and other retailers across New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Clubs interested in becoming a TrailPass™ affiliate should contact Lee Ann Harris – Vice President of TrailPass, LLC for complete details at 1-800-381-2260 x72

May 19, 2004:

Here is the agenda for the club campout on Memorial Day Weekend:

• FRIDAY NIGHT: Settle in, get acquainted and play some cards
• SATURDAY: Leave for ride at 10 am.
  Everyone wishing to do so--bring a covered dish for a 6 pm feed and bon fire to follow.
• SUNDAY: Leave camp at 8:30 or 9 am for breakfast at the Trestle Pool Cafe.
  Ride leaves from camp at 11 am.

THERE WILL BE STORE RUNS WHEN NEEDED-------------AND ALSO MORE RIDING!
FOR MORE INFO CALL STEVE AT 298-3312 OR MARY AT 298-5444

May 10, 2004:

Check out this article about the ATV Safety class given by the ATV Safety Institute.

I are looking for pictures from club events, group rides, or whatever to post on a new pictures page. If you have anything you would like to see posted, email it to me and I will put it up.

April, 2004

Board meeting night has been changed from Tuesday to Wednesday night at 6 pm.

We are now holding work details every Saturday at 2 pm and Tuesday at 6 pm. Meet at Little Lukeys.

The chicken BBQ scheduled for May 1 has been cancelled.

March 11, 2004:

We are in need of trail workers this spring. If you are interested, please call Steve Cronk at 298-3312, Mary Gaffey at 298-5444 or Bill Wilk at 964-2916. We have big trail plans for this year and we'll need all the help we can get.

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For Details, Contact:
Steve Cronk
President
Oswego County ATV Club
Direct Phone: 315-298-3312

Rescue Vehicle and Trailer Dedication in Altmar, NY

Altmar April 2, 2004

The Oswego County ATV Club has made arrangements for Wheelaway Motorsports, 570 South 4th Street, Fulton, New York 13069 to donate a 2004 Yamaha Bruin 350 Automatic 4x4 ATV to the Altmar Fire Department in Altmar, NY. Also being purchased is a new special rescue trailer designed for ATVs. Funds for the rescue trailer made available through the Oswego County ATV Club and the Altmar Fire Department. The Oswego Club will be donating their 1/2 of the trailer to the Fire department. The rescue vehicle and trailer will be housed at the Altmar fire station and will be used for all types of off road rescue through out the county.

Dedication of both units will be at the, Altmar Municipal building, Bridge Street, Altmar, NY on April 17, 2004 at 11:00am.

Senator James W. Wright, Assemblyman Will Barclay and Assemblyman Dave Townsend as well as the majority of the Oswego County Legislators who helped to get this club off the ground will be in attendance. Local newspapers, representatives from TrailPass and members from various ATV clubs across the State will also be attending the dedication.

This rescue vehicle and trailer represent the combined efforts of the Oswego County ATV Club and the community. This is a HUGE accomplishment for the club as it is this first club unit of its kind in New York State.

Please make the time to attend the ceremony to show your support for the ever-growing family sport of ATVing.

ATV Riders Deserve Money For Trail Development And Education Programs

by Assemblywoman Dierdre Scozzafava

Beginning in the mid 1980s, New York state required ATVs, all-terrain vehicles, to register with the state for a fee of $10. Half of this revenue was to go towards trail development within the state; however a budget crisis in 1990 forced registration revenue to other spending needs. Since then, registration fees have gone into the general fund and trail riders everywhere are left without a state trail development program. It is time that ATV riders once again receive a share of their registration fees. In response to this need, Gov. Pataki proposed $850,000 to be allocated for ATV trail development, education and enforcement in his executive budget.

The governor is taking a step in the right direction in his effort to make ATV use safer and friendlier to the environment. Trail development will ensure that riders use designated trails deemed safe for ATV usage. Today, ATV owners have very limited areas where they can safely and legally en-joy their sport. Additionally, it is important that we contain ATVs to legal trails, and away from ecologically sensitive environments. The state development of trails would accomplish this.

With ATV usage growing in popularity, and the state in the middle of a fiscal crisis, it only makes sense to support this great source of revenue. ATV riders spend money in New York in the form of gas, food, lodging, entertainment, and tourism in general. I think that if trails were developed, even more revenue would be collected through an increase in ATV riders that live in New York, and from ATV riders traveling to the state to use the trails. New York is actually losing money because not all ATVs are legally registered. A common argument heard from ATV owners is that they do not receive any benefit from paying the fee. Although there is no excuse for riding illegally, I feel that more people would register their ATVs, thus generating more revenue, if they knew that a portion of the registration fee was support-ing their sport and pastime.

Part of the registration money would also be used towards ATV education programs. ATVs are not just ridden by adults anymore. In fact, the sport has become a family activity. Educating riders, especially new and young riders, on how to safely operate and ride an ATV will make the sport more fun for all. What ATV riders really need is a dedicated trail fund supported by revenue collected from the ATV registration fee. The governor's budget does not propose the creation of a permanent ATV trail fund, but, I think the $850,000 for trail development, education, and enforcement could be the beginning of a positive, long-lasting relationship between ATV riders and Albany.

(Reprinted with permission from the Oswego County Weeklies and Assemblywoman Dierdre Scozzafava)

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November, 2003

Parade!

NYTRO of NNY will be taking part in a parade in Watertown on Sunday, November 30. They are asking for our support. If you wish to ride your ATV in this parade, they will be meeting on State street up towards Thompson Park onto Indiana Street and unloading there. Then they will be parking the trailers on Washington Street, behind Holiday Inn. They ask you be there by 12PM, noon, to get organized.

New roads open!

We recently lobbied to get some of the roads in the Happy Valley Game Management Area open for ATV use. These roads are:

• Happy Valley Road
• White's Hill Road
• Church Hill Road
• Garcia Road

The State truck trails are NOT OPEN! None of the trails that go into the woods are open for ATV use either! ATVs must stay on the designated roads. We need this road system to remain open so that we can connect a large trail expansion that we are working on. We all need to ensure that we follow all the rules. Please do not be the one person that ruins it for everyone. Too much work has been put in to make these trails a reality.

October, 2003

We are going to get very strict with trail system violators. Those who violate the rules will be subject to fines and suspension. We must strictly enforce the rules, regardless of who violates them.

Please help keep our trail system open. Stay on Trails. Don't blaze new trails and do not make wet holes bigger. Go through the holes and if they become too deep the trail maintenance crew will fix them. Do not cut corners, go into unmarked fields, or be destructive. Leave private property alone, such as beaver dams, gates, cables, ribbons, POSTED signs, etc. Obey all trails signs or be suspended.