St Helen Power Sports Newsletter

----- Original Message -----
From: St. Helen Power Sports
Newsletter

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Apr. 22, 2009

Local News & Events

Richfield Township ORV Access Update




On Tuesday April 21st, the following motion was passed for ORV Access in Richfield Township. Although this motion does not include residential areas, it does provide access to additional food & fuel in the St. Helen area. The attached .pdf file shows the existing all-season routes in green, and the additional all-season routes in purple. The motion also establishes an ORV Safety Patrol to provide education and supervision in the township.



ORV Access Motion



1. ORV Patrol

Establish a Volunteer ORV Safety Patrol within the CERT Program under the Richfield Township Public Safety Department.



2. Expanded Year-Round Road Access

The following roads be opened for Year-Round Access.



F-97 from Wolverine Drive (southern township line) north to Artesia Beach Rd.
Ash Street from Artesia Beach Rd. to Lakeview.
St. Helen Rd from I75 trail north to Trail Crossing.
F97 from Central Drive north to the Marl Lake Rd. (Township line)
F28 from F97 east to the township line
Airport Rd. from Old M76 east to Township Campground Trail (10mph speed limit).
3. An application should be filed to the DNR to open the trail running parallel Artesia Beach Rd from F97 (west township line) to the corner of Artesia Beach Rd & N. St. Helen Rd. This trail would keep ORV traffic off Artesia Beach Rd.



We extend a special thanks to the following for their comments and long travels to support this issue:

Dick Ranney, Chairman State of MI ORV Advisory Council;

Bob Hetherington, Chairman Ogemaw County ORV Safety Patrol;

Bob Grace, and the Group from the Jackson Trail Riders;

Justin Plunkett and the group from JP's Great Outdoor Adventures.



This Township Motion is just the first step in opening these roads. The recommendation now moves to the county level for Roscommon County Road Commission & Sheriff Department input and finally to the Roscommon County Board of Commissioners for approval. This process will take some time.



Please let our County Commissioners know that you are in favor of increased ORV access and the Richfield Township request.

Roscommon County Commissioners



Ed Nellist – Chairman, Roscommon County Commissioners

ednellist@roscommoncounty.net



Bob Schneider – Vice-Chairman, Roscommon County commissioners

bobschneider@roscommoncounty.net



Ken Melvin – County Commissioner

kenmelvin@roscommoncounty.net



Marc J. Milburn – County Commissioner

marcjmilburn@roscommoncounty.net



Pam Stephan – County Commissioner

pamstephan@roscommoncounty.net





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Rose City Trail Head Sign!

Here is a picture of the new Rose City Trail Head Sign. It is in the process of being finished but I thought I would give you a sneak peek of it. As I stated in prior postings, the new trail head will be located in the City Limits of Rose City. It is on Rose City Rd. Turn right off of M-33 go approx. 2 city blocks and you will see it on the left (north) side of the road. We are hoping the ground work will be started soon! Keep your fingers crossed.
We had a large group of riders up that one of the patrolers ran into at Ambrose Lake parking area. Other than a slight injury the riders enjoyed their time in Ogemaw County and are really excited about the new trail head opening up in Rose City.
Looks like the gas prices are steady and we hope you all enjoy the woods in Ogemaw County!
See you on the trails!!

The Start of 2009

Well we still have some snow in the woods, but it is looking better. 62 degrees today so that should help alot. I have to remind you that Roscommon County DOES NOT have an all year allowance for ORV's on their roads. Which also means you can not ride on the sides of the roads in St Helen.
I don't know how many times I have to repeat how important it is to follow the laws for the county that you are riding in and be observant when crossing into another county. You MUST wear required gear for the appropriate ORV/Motorcycle that you are riding. You CANNOT ride double or MORE people on a single riding ORV. We had two patrollers run into two men and two young boys all riding on a single person quad. Not only is that not legal they also did not have helmets. I have to warn you that the DNR are out and looking in Ogemaw County. We have a big Bulls Eye painted on our county. The DNR would love it if we could not ride on the sides of the roads here. Please help us keep our laws and rights. OBEY THE LAWS!!!
I have been told that the fine prices have risen this year and with us all digging farther into our pockets to make the money stretch I am sure that a costly fine would really put a damper on your trip. I know that most fines are starting out at $150.00. So lets say you had two people on a single person Quad and neither had a helmet on which one of our patrols ran across two young ladies like this, it would cost you approx. $150.00 ea for the helmet missing, then another $150.00 for riding double on a single person quad. So if my teenager came home with a ticket from the DNR or police for $450.00. I think I would think twice about what they were doing before I let them take off on the quad.
On a lighter note, it looks like things are starting to slowly move on the parking area in Rose City. Hope you all will be able to enjoy it soon!!!

Local News & Events
Yamaha Awards GRANT of $18,750 to
Rose City-Lupton Area Chamber of Commerce
GRANT “Guaranteeing Responsible Access to Our Nation’s Trails”


Rose City, MI -- Rose City-Lupton Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce it has received a Yamaha OHV Access Initiative GRANT of $18,750 for development of a Trail Head & Staging Area within the city limits of Rose City. The GRANT was awarded as part of Yamaha’s OHV Access Initiative promoting safe, responsible riding and sustainable, open riding areas. Steve Murad, Yamaha Motor Corporation representative, presented the grant check to Denny Nurski, treasurer of the Rose City-Lupton Area Chamber of Commerce at the Rose City council meeting February 3rd.





Pictured above (l-r) are Rose City Mayor Dave Reasner; Rose City DDA Board member and Yamaha grant applicator coordinator, Marge Nurski; Bent Wheels Club member, Ron Sape; Rose City-Lupton Chamber of Commerce treasurer, Denny Nurski; Yamaha representative, Steve Murad; St Helen Power Sports owner, James Lyttle; and ORV Patrol Committee Chairman, Bob Hetherington.


This project is a collaborative effort between the Wes Ramsden family, the City of Rose City, the Rose City-Lupton Area Chamber of Commerce, and St. Helen Power Sports. The Wes Ramsden family donated three acres of land on the east side of town to Rose City. The actual development of the site will be done in three stages, the first stage is to provide access off Rose City Road and a parking area for the OHV enthusiast. “Rose City is virtually surrounded by OHV trails, yet lacked a Trail Head and Staging Area for the enthusiast to more easily access these trails. Although our county roads are all legal to ride, there was not place for the enthusiast to leave their vehicle and trailer unless as a guest of a local motel” according to Marge Nurski, administrator for this project.

Yamaha has been supporting local efforts to encourage safe, responsible off-road riding and providing trail access. According to Steve Murad, “Yamaha is excited about Rose City-Lupton Area Chamber of Commerce’s efforts and we are happy to contribute to its success.” Other local Yamaha GRANTS include Richfield Township ORV Campground improvements in St. Helen, and South Branch Trail Head improvements.

The Chamber and ORV Committee hope to have the OHV Staging Area opened by Memorial Day weather permitting. An actual opening date has not been set.

Please Pay Attention!

I have posted this before but I guess it needs to be reposted. You MUST read the rules for each county on their rules for ORV usage in their area. YOU CANNOT RIDE YOUR ORV IN THE CITY OF PRUDENVILEE OR HOUGHTON LAKE!. They have a VERY strict policy. You can only ride your ORV in certain areas and in certain months. Their law only benefits local ice fishing season.
We did get ALOT of rain last night. Our schools are cancelled today due to our roads being nothing but ice. We need some new snow. Of course we still have alot on the ground but it is getting packed so some new snow would be great for those who are out riding sleds or ORV's.
Have a great day!!!

Hurry up Spring!

There are alot of things that we need to go over before the spring comes and people really start getting out on the roads and trails. PLEASE remember to always check with the county that you are riding in. Not all counties have the same rules for ORV riding. Roscomon County has a very limited riding law. PLEASE make sure you look at their law before you ride. We still in alot of areas in Ogemaw have aprrox. 2 or more feet of snow on the ground.
We have some EXCITING news. There will SOON be a staging area in the City of Rose City. You will be able to park your vehicles and trailers and leave from that area to ride . There will be access to the ORV trail through the back of the parking area. To find this staging area. You will travel North on M33. When you come to the light in town you will turn Left on Rose City Road. You will go approx. a city block. It will be located on the right (north) side of the road. You will find at the back of the lot a bulletin board that will have the ORV laws for Ogemaw County and a map. Trail maps are available at several bussinesses in Rose City. So keep checking with this blog and I will try to keep you up to date on the process of the staging area.
There is a club, Cycle Conservation Club of Michigan. If you go onto their website, www.cycleconservationclub.org you will be able to get a schedule of their Events for 2009.
May 16-17,2009 ORV Safety Patrol Trail Tour~ Mio
August 8-9, 2009 Tri-County Chapter Trail Tour ~ Mio
October 3-4, 2009 40th Annual CCC Color Tour ~ Rose City
They also have a magazine that you can inquire about, it is called Great Lakes TrailRider. I have been reading the January 2009 magazine and it has alot of really good information and and good things to read. You should check it out!!!
Well Mr. Groundhog says 6 more weeks of winter. Looks like it might be a little longer up here!
Hope to see you all on the trails. This is the time of year to make sure you have all the kids signed up for training courses. Make sure the bikes and quads are all oiled up and plugs changed and last years dirt and grime cleaned off so that you can start out fresh this year. Have fun on the trails up remember there are RULES and you are expected to follow them. We will be out patroling again this summer. We have new memebers joining us this year so we will have a few more wondering around. We will have our Orange vest on so we will be easy to spot. REMEMBER to stay off the snowmobile trails that are not marked for ORV use. You will get in trouble and result in a ticket. Remember the helmet rules and if you have a two up, you can ride 2 people, if you DON'T have a LEGAL two-up you will get a ticket if you have two people on a single rider ORV.
Remember we are out there to help you! So get ready ya all for a nice and warm SUMMER!!!
See ya soon!!!

12/26/2008

Well we have about 3' to 4' of snow on the ground. I don't think you will get to much ORV riding in right now. Remember that if you do come up, Ogemaw County has a few trails that you do share with the snowmobiles. Snowmobiles do not look out for anyone so be very careful if you are out there. We won't be out on ORV or Snowmobiles this winter with me having a hip replacement but I am sure other patrolers will be out there. If you need any help, just ask one of them to help you out! Have a Happy New Year!!