Mi-TRALE Meetings

Mi-TRALE meets the first Monday of every month. Our meetings are at 7:00 p.m. EST/6:00 p.m. CST. Our meetings are open to EVERYONE…members and non-members.

Next Mi-TRALE Meeting: Monday Night, May 3rd, at the Konteka in White Pine, 7:00 pm EST/6:00 pm CST.

Recap of February 1st Meeting
Thursday, February 4, 2010

Congratulations to our newest Board Member!
After Mi-TRALE members voted to change our Bylaws to add up to 2 new Board Members in January, it was at this past Monday Night's meeting that M-TRALE members elected Bob Brownell of Watersmeet to our Board of Directors. Bob joins Beckie Faulkner, Keith Meyer, and Greg Rogers as Trustees. Bob’s term will run till the Mi-TRALE Annual Membership Meeting in October of 2011.

Mi-TRALE continues to work with other Trail User Groups!
A good contingent of members of the White Thunder Riders Snowmobile Club of Watersmeet attended our Feb. 1st Meeting. Warren Kubilca of the Iron County Snowmobile Club was also in attendance. Mi-TRALE is PROUD to have a close working relationship with many snowmobile clubs in the Western UP.

Also at our meeting was Alan Peele, representing the interests of Mountain Bikers and Hikers. Mr. Peele addressed our membership to discuss working together on a portion of the LL Trail, south of Watersmeet. It was good to have another Non-Motorized group looking to Mi-TRALE to expand our alliance of Trail Users.

Ottawa National Forest Off Highway Vehicle Connector Trails.
Mi-TRALE members met with representatives from the Ottawa National Forest and representatives from the Eastern US Forest Service Offices. Our meetings were to find out what the process is to get the OHV Connector Trails that Ottawa NF Supervisor approved in October of 2009. The Supervisor’s decision was appealed by the Northwoods Alliance and one Iron County Indvidual. That appeal was upheld. While the Mi-TRALE members that attended those meetings feel the meetings and discussion was productive, time will only tell if the work Mi-TRALE has done for the past three years was ‘fruitfull.’ Keep watching for more information.

Mi-TRALE continues to work on the 2010 Girls of Grit Ride.
This ride will be a fundraiser for the Motorsports Enthusiasts that Care (METC) Foundation. The METC Foundation, started by Mi-TRALE, is an autonomous foundation. The METC Foundation is raising money for families fighting Cancer and families in need. The Girls of Grit ride will be July 31st. The ride is FOR WOMEN ORV RIDERS ONLY. The gals will ride 50, 75, or 100 miles. We’re asking that the gals acquire sponsors at $1.00 a mile. Then donate that money to the METC Foundation. Girls participating will receive a special T-Shirt (50 mile riders), or Sweatshirt (75 and 100 mile riders). The ride will leave the Ontonagon County Fairgrounds in Greenland, and ride the Bill Nichols Trail.

Mi-TRALE is looking for business sponsors to pick up the costs of the prizes, shirts, and sweatshirts for the 2010 “Girls of Grit” Ride. If you can help, please contact me.

Mi-TRALE to be a part of ”Bridge to the Clouds“ National Recreation Route.
As an organization that has an excellent ‘track record’ of working with different recreational stakeholders, Mi-TRALE will be a part of the process of having some of our popular Multi-Use Trails in Ontonagon County to be a part of the “Bridge to the Clouds” National Recreation Route. This includes the popular P (Pioneer) Trail. Now all we need to do is finally get the P Trail as a MiDNR Designated ORV Trail!

Did you know that you will not find A SINGLE ORV Trail Crossing Sign on any US, Michigan, or County Road/Highway?
While we have asked for help from the State to put up important ORV Trail Crossing signs on highways, we have been unsuccessfull in our efforts. Mi-TRALE is looking at using our own Membership money to purchase these signs BEFORE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT happens.

Special thanks:
Mi-TRALE was thanked for their support of the recent Winternationals Snowmobile Hillclimb, of which Board Members Darrell Grams and Greg Rogers donated to the event.
The club also acknowledged the work that our Secretary Dudley Pierce is doing to try to get a grant from Lac Vieux Desert Tribal Community.
Thanks also went to Darrell and Cindy Grams for donating copy-paper for Mi-TRALE business.

Upcoming Events:
Mi-TRALE members will be helping the Snow Valley Riders Snowmobile Club at the Feb. 13th, 2010 Snowmobile Drag Races at the Sidnaw Airport.
The club is working on a proposal for the 2010 Lac Vieux Desert Wheel Fest. Proposed date for this would be Saturday, July 10th, 2010.

Next Meeting will be a Mi-TRALE Board of Directors Meeting at Lac Vieux Desert Restaurant. This will be on Monday Night, March 1st, 2010 at 6:00 pm CST/7:00 pm EST. EVERYONE is always encouraged to attend any and all Mi-TRALE meetings!