New PSDC Safety and Helmet Requirements

Information for Sled Dog Races on Snow!

With two sled races coming up in February, the PSDC wishes to remind mushers about the rules for our races. Tug Hill Challenge is Feb. 16-17 and is open to all mushers in all classes. The Canyon Sled Dog Challenge is only open to 8 and 6 dog sled teams and 3 dog skijor. Be sure to check our events link on Facebook and our website for more info on those events.

We have new rules concerning safety and helmets. Please be sure you have a properly fitting helmet for all races. If you don’t have a helmet you won’t be able to race. The only exception is in the canicross category. Here are the complete rules:

New PSDC Safety and Helmet Requirements

The Pennsylvania Sled Dog Club (PSDC) prioritizes the safety of dogs and participants at all of our events. Thus the Board has approved an updated requirement that mandates that sled drivers wear helmets at our sprint snow races. Information about our current safety requirements follows.

What’s the new helmet rule? From the Club’s Policies and Procedures, the new requirement is

“All drivers in any snow sprint class shall wear an adequate, properly fitting helmet”.

So who has to wear a helmet? Here’s the complete set of safety rules that mandate helmets in different situations:

• Anyone driving a sled in a sprint race must wear a helmet.

• Any skijor participant under 18 must wear a helmet.

• Anyone under 18 driving a sled in a mid-distance race must wear a helmet.

• Anyone on a fatbike in a snow race must wear a helmet.

• Anyone (driver or rider) on motorized equipment working as trail help, training or any other use must wear a DOT approved helmet.

• Anyone on any wheeled vehicle (rig, bike, scooter) at a dryland race must wear a helmet and protective eyewear.

• All participants are subject to any additional stricter race- or event-specific helmet and safety requirements.

Who doesn’t need a helmet? There are only three cases where a helmet is not required:

• For anyone over 18 driving a sled in a mid-distance race, a helmet is recommended but not required.

• For any skijor participant 18 or older, a helmet is recommended but not required.

• For anyone running canicross, a helmet is not required.

• For any other situation, you need a helmet!

Do the safety rules apply only to races? No. All safety rules apply to all PSDC events, including club sponsored training events and demonstrations.

What does “adequate, properly fitting helmet” mean? Race/event officials will make the final determination of what is “adequate” and “properly fitting”. Standard ski, snowboard and DOT approved ATV or snowmobile helmets are acceptable for snow races. Bike and DOT approved helmets are acceptable for dryland races. Broken helmets are not acceptable. Helmets that are too large or too small for the wearer are not acceptable. Helmets missing a chin strap are not acceptable; use of the chin strap is required. Plopping a bike helmet over the top of a knit cap at a snow race would not be accepted – it is neither adequate nor properly fitting. The objective is that the helmet fits to behave as designed in a fall.

What if I don’t have a helmet or it’s ruled as “inadequate”? You will not be permitted to start and be on the trail. If the determination is made in the start chute, you must take your team from the chute, get a proper helmet and go to the end of the start line. You will be considered a “late starting” team; your race time begins at your original scheduled start time. Intentionally disregarding a ruling about a helmet or any other safety rule will result in a class disqualification. Race officials may impose additional penalties for repeat offenses.

Do you have a recommended helmet style or brand? No, the club does not recommend a particular style or brand of helmet. We do encourage you to review helmets that incorporate MIPS technology (Multi-directional Impact Protection System).

May a race official waive the helmet requirement? No race official or club official may waive any safety rule.

How does this apply at the Tug Hill Challenge? If you are a skijor participant (skijor class or novice class) and are 18 or older, you don’t need a helmet. If you are a canicross participant, you don’t need a helmet. Otherwise, a helmet is required!

How does this apply at the Canyon Sled Dog Challenge? A helmet is recommended, but not required on race day (Saturday) for anyone 18 and over; a helmet is required for anyone under 18. Helmets are required for ALL drivers on the exhibition day (Sunday), including drivers running the entire distance of the trail.

Are there any other safety rules I need to know about? A race or event may impose additional requirements; these will be listed as part of the race/event registration. For example, kick sleds are not permitted at the Tug Hill Challenge (not permitted at any PSDC race), and sled drivers may NOT be attached to their sled by any means, including wrist wraps. For the Canyon Sled Dog Challenge, a driver must carry first aid gear, knife and spare booties.

What if I have a question? Please ask! You can email your questions to pa.sled.dog.club@gmail.com

We would also like to point out that kick sleds are not acceptable in our races, even the junior races. This is a safety issue for us and they don’t meet several requirements.

Fat tire bikes are an up and coming entry. Please be sure your equipment is correct. Standard fat tire bike with working brakes, 1 or 2 dogs. Dogs are harnessed to the bike, not the driver, by a line that is 7-12’ long and includes a shock section. Measurement is from the front tire of the bike to the harness. Choke collars and muzzles are not allowed. Driver must wear a helmet.

For all races: Driver must wear a helmet. Dogs must be current on all vaccines. (Bring your paperwork! It may not be needed, but better to have it. If you are running in pure bred class, bring paperwork for that as well.) A complete set of rules for PSDC races can be found on Policies & Procedures.

Tug Hill distances are approximate at this time. 8 and 6 dog sled class, skijor class: 6.4 miles; 4 dog sled class: 4.5 miles; Junior and Novice class: 2 miles.

Dan Rehak is the race marshal for Tug Hill. Any rules questions will go to him.

PSDC Welcomes “Fall 2018”

From all the pictures and posts, I am seeing on social media, folks are really anxious to get the fall dry-land and winter training seasons underway. With much too much rain and an extended warm weather pattern, many are off to a later than normal training schedule. Training youngsters and conditioning the veterans are in full swing.

I want to thank the folks that stepped up to organize and present the club with a very successful summer camp out, in Morris, PA. Liz and Rich Stanaitis, Diana Geitzenauer, Mary Beth Louge, all worked together to make the weekend enjoyable, informative, and relaxing. The presentation by Laura Neesse, was well received and very inspiring. To see a young musher successfully achieve her dreams was very special. Thank you to everyone who pitched in to make the weekend a great one.

We are now moving into our fall schedule. The first event will be our fall training weekend at Camp Achela in Blakeslee, PA October 26 – 28. In addition to the canine activities offered, event organizer, Luwanna Krause is planning a special event on Saturday evening. There is always lots of great food available on this weekend including our big turkey dinner that has become an annual event. Registration is available on line now. Please share this information to fellow club and non club member so many can enjoy the weekend.

Soon after the weekend look for more information on our dry-land event, (Fair Hill) and our snow race (Tug Hill). Dates and details will be available soon.

I want to wish all members who will soon be hitting the dry-land trails much success. For those who will be attending training seminars and trade fairs, may they be valuable experiences for all. I look forward to seeing many of you over the next few months.

Johnn Molburg
President, PA Sled Dog Club

PSDC General Membership and Board Meeting Notes

May 2018 Board Meeting Report

May 2018 General Membership Meeting Report

Please Cash Your Purse Checks!

ATTENTION!

Jessica, our treasurer, has many checks still out and they need to be cashed prior to June 1st as she will be closing the account.

We will be voting on a new treasurer at the May meeting and that person will open a new account closer to where they live.

The majority of these outstanding checks are Fair Hill purse checks and Tug Hill purse checks. Please folks, cash those checks. Why are you waiting? If you are not going to cash the check because you want it to be a donation to the club, please let us know! 

Checks not deposited byJune 1st will be null and void and will not be reissued. Thanks!

Upcoming Elections

The PSDC will be having elections at our spring meeting in May. Nominations are open at this time for the following positions: President, Treasurer, and two Board of Directors which are currently held by Dan Rehak and Chris Jacobs.

If anyone is interested in these positions or wants to nominate someone for any of these positions you can contact the election committee. Please send a statement explaining what position you are interested in along with some information about yourself.

Election Committee: Carolyn McKenrick: pineymt456@gmail.com
George Chianese: george.chianese@gmail.com
Laurie Stone: stonemyst2001@yahoo.com

Nominations are now open through March 31, 2018. This will allow us time to get the statements out to club members before the elections.

The Tug Hill Challenge Results

Pennsylvania Sled Dog Club wishes to thank all our wonderful sponsors for supporting our race at Tug Hill. We couldn’t have these races without their support. Please remember them when you need what they provide and thank them again:

Annamaet Pet Foods
Arctic Star Sleds
Cape Town Carts
Harris Lodging Bed and Breakfast
Jreck Subs
Paulanjo'a Pizza
Ted's Gift and Jewelry
Zeus Juice Foot Oil

Race Results

Tug Hill photos by Donna Quante

Proposed Amendments to Pennsylvania Sled Dog Club By-Laws

Hello everybody;

Several proposed amendments to the Pennsylvania Sled Dog Club by-laws have been submitted, and are included in this message.  As a member of the Pennsylvania Sled Dog Club, you are receiving a copy of these proposed amendments for your consideration.

A ballot containing these proposed amendments will be forwarded to all Pennsylvania Sled Dog Cub members in March, following the by-laws amendment procedure outlined in PSDC by-laws.

If you have any comments on these proposed amendments you wish to share with other PSDC members, you may send those comments to PSDC Secretary Carolyn McKenrick. Comments received from voting PSDC members will be included with the ballots mailed out, as required by the by-laws.

PSDC Secretary Carolyn McKenrick will be counting all ballots returned to her and will announce the results of the vote at the 2016 PSDC Spring Meeting.

Comments on these proposed amendments you wish to share with other PSDC members should be mailed to PSDC Secretary Carolyn McKenrick at  456 Pine Grove Road, Gardners, PA 17324. Her email address is: pineymt456@gmail.com. All comments need to be sent to McKenrick by March 5, 2018.

A complete copy of the current PSDC by-laws is available on the club website. 

Look for your ballot for these proposed amendments during the month of March. A deadline for returning those ballots will be included in that mailing.

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Proposed Amendments

Submitted by Dan Rehak, & Nancy Molburg, Dec 12, 2017

These amendments change the position of “newsletter editor” to “social media coordinator” and eliminate the need to send a “self-addressed stamped envelope” to obtain an absentee ballot:

1.      The Board would like to change the position of appointed newsletter editor to appointed social media coordinator to align the by-laws with our current practice of using online social media in lieu of a printed newsletter.

2.     The Board would like to eliminate the requirement to request an absentee ballot by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope and allow a ballot to be requested by email.
 

First Proposed Change:

Section VI. ELECTED OFFICERS

A. Officers and Their Duties

1. President

g. appoint the Club newsletter editor and webmaster, such appointment subject to Executive Board approval.

To:

g. appoint the Club social media coordinator and webmaster, such appointment subject to Executive Board approval.

Second Proposed Change:

Section VI. ELECTED OFFICERS

A. Officers and Their Duties

3. Secretary

a. keep complete and accurate records of all business transacted at Executive Board and General Membership meetings, all such reports to be filed promptly with the editor and/or webmaster for inclusion in club publication(s). 

To:

 a. keep complete and accurate records of all business transacted at Executive Board and General Membership meetings, all such reports to be filed promptly with the social media coordinator and/or webmaster for inclusion in club publication(s).

Third Proposed Change:

Section VIII. COMMITTEES

A. Committees and Charges

6. Public Relations Committee:

a. shall be charged with managing all Club public relations, excluding publication of the Club newsletter and the Club webpage, to include publicizing significant Club and member accomplishments, acting as a liaison between the Club and the media.

To:

a. shall be charged with managing all Club public relations, excluding publication of the Club social media posts and the Club webpage, to include publicizing significant Club and member accomplishments, acting as a liaison between the Club and the media.

Fourth Proposed Change:

Section VIII. ELECTIONS AND TERMS OF OFFICE

A.    Elections shall be conducted by the Election Committee according to the following schedule:

6. A voting member who was present at the previous autumn meeting may secure an absentee ballot by writing to the Secretary including a self-addressed stamped envelope.

To:

6. A voting member who was present at the previous autumn meeting may secure an absentee ballot by sending email to the Secretary.

PSDC General Membership Meeting Notes

PSDC GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
BLAKESLEE, PA. OCTOBER 21, 2017

1. Call to order: President Johnn Molburg called the meeting to order at 3:10 PM.

2. Secretary’s Report: A motion was made to accept the Secretary’s Report from the May 13, 2017 meeting in Denver, Pa., by LuWanna Krause. The Report was sent out through a mass email to all club members. George Chianese seconded the motion. Motion passed.

3. Treasurer’s Report: A motion was made to accept the Treasurer’s Report as presented. The checking account balance at this time is $1131.82 and the savings account balance at this time is $6883.48. The motion was made by Mary Wolf and seconded by Chris Jacobs. Motion passed.

A. Constant Contact Fee: Dan Rehak reported that he researched different avenues to find the most cost-effective way to do our online services such as registration for races and events. Constant Contact seems to be in line with other service providers online. He feels we do not need to change to another provider now. He did note that event organizers need to consider these fees in their budgets to help offset the cost.

4. Committee Reports:

A. ISDRA Reports: Johnn Molburg reported for Jessicia Borman that there was not much new on ISDRA. A discussion was held on the new rig requirements for IFSS. IFSS rules stipulate that all carts must be four wheel carts. If ISDRA would adopt this rule it would affect how we run our dryland events. At this time ISDRA has not adopted this rule.

B. Merchandise: Meredith Michner has been working to set up an online PSDC Merchandise Store. When Meredith is finished setting up the store it will be located on our web page. Insa Robinson will be managing the online store and you will be able to place your order electronically.

C. Social Media Coordinator: Dan Rehak is currently working on a job description for this position. Liz Stanaitis volunteered to take on this position. The club will touch base with Liz to see if she is still interested in the position.

D. Website: Jessica Kizmann is doing a great job on our web page. We need to keep in mind that if we want something added to the web page we need to get the information to her, so she can update the web page. All updates are done in a very quick manner.   

E.  Audit Committee: Donna Quante & Heather Walls volunteered to be on the Audit Committee. Over this past summer they did an Audit of the PSDC Finances. They presented to PSDC General Membership an Audit Report. A copy of the Audit Report has been forwarded to our Treasure, Jessica Borman so she can make the necessary corrections. They reported that all records and documentation are in good order. The Club would like to Thank Heather and Donna for doing a thorough Audit for the club.

5. Old Business:

A. Upcoming PSDC Events

1. Fair Hill – Ed Schreckner and Lynda Ninos reported December 2-3, 2017 as the race date with an alternate date of December 9-10, 2017. They gave a lineup of classes and Officials and are still working on the purse.

2. Mount Misery – Jessica Borman and Chris Jacobs reported December 16-17, 2017 as the race date with an alternates dates of January 6-7, 2018 & March 3-4, 2018. They gave a lineup of classes and Officials and along with the $750 from the club they were working on increasing the purse.

3. Tug Hill- Jan Haring and Jessica Borman reported that the date for this event is February 17-18, 2018. With no alternate date. They pretty much have all the Officials lined up and are working on increasing the purse.

4. Canyon Sled Dog Challenge- Mary Beth Logue reported she is working on getting all the Officials lined up for this event. This is an 18-mile mini mid distance race. There will be 6 & 8 dog classes with Registered Breed classes for both. There is no alternate date and she also wanted to note there is no access along this trail, any drop dogs will have to be carried in the sled bag. The Wellsboro Chamber of Commerce are helping organize this event. This trails traverses through the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon with beautiful scenery along the way.  

5. Betty Carhart Race- Jessica Borman & Chris Jacobs reported this will no longer be a PSDC event. It was co run with JSSDRA, they will continue to have this race as a fun event.

6. Spring Meeting- Jessica Borman & Chris Jacobs reported the Spring Meeting is set up for the weekend of May 12, 2018. They are planning on Samoyed dog driver Walt Herrmann as the guest speaker and planning on using the same location as last year. The Comfort Inn in Denver, Pa.

B. Club Equipment – Dan Rehak has set up the new lap top with the software Race works, so that we have a reliable source for timing races and events.  Also, the club is looking into getting helmets to use at Tug Hill as the snowmobile laws of NY require helmets to ride snowmobiles out to do trail help.

C. Updates to PSDC bylaws- Dan Rehak and Nancy Molburg will get together to draw up the upgrades to our bylaws. Since we no longer have a newsletter and are using social media for our information sources we need to eliminate the newsletter in our bylaws. This is one of the jobs the Social Media Coordinator will be doing. We may even discuss at some point to change when the election committee will be appointed.

D. Registered Breed Class Review- Dan Rehak currently handles the Registered Breed Class, reviewing dogs listed on musher reports. He reports that all PSDC Races for all classes are offering a Registered Breed Class.

6. New Business:   

A. Possible Mt. Laurel Race- Carmen Rose Sent the club information on inquiring about a race location in the Laurel Highlands. The club suggested she put a team together and do a demo type event. He also suggested laying out a 2-4-mile trail to get the feel of what would be needed to support a race. A good time for this to take place woul  be in the early spring.  

B. Election Committee: Johnn Molburg ask the General Membership for two volunteers to be on the election committee. Offices up for election will be: President, Treasurer, & two Board of Directors. Those Board positions are currently held by Dan Rehak, and Chris Jacobs. The Election Committee would help solicited nominations for those positions and ask those interested to forward a statement to the Secretary, Carolyn McKenrick to post on the web page. They also would help count ballets at the Spring Meeting and Elections. Laurie Stone and George Chianese volunteered for the election committee.

C. For the Good of the Club: Mary Wolf suggested having mileage of more than 2 miles in the canicross class at dryland events. Johnn Molburg suggested contacting event organizers to see if their races could support longer distances in this class. He also suggested putting an article on the facebook page to see how much interest it would draw. Also, Donna Quante said she was contacted by Cordorus State Park about having a race or demo at their winter festival. She will be meeting this coming week with those officials to discuss the needs of the club involving insurance and what type of course they could offer.

8. Adjournment: A motion was made by Mary Wolf to adjourn the meeting at 5:01 PM. Chris Jacobs seconded the motion. Motion passed.                  

PSDC Board Meeting Notes

PSDC Board Meeting
Blakeslee, Pa. October 20,2017
By Secretary Carolyn McKenrick

1. Call to Order: President Johnn Molburg called the meeting to order at 7:27 PM.

Members present: President Johnn Molburg, Secretary Carolyn McKenrick, Board of Directors Dan Rehak, George Chianese, & Chris Jacobs.

Not Present: Vice-President Meredith Michener, Treasurer Jessica Borman & Board of Directors Lynda Ninos and Mary Beth Logue.

2. Secretary’s Report: A motion was made by Johnn Molburg to accept the Secretary’s Report as it was presented from the August 4, 2017 meeting at the Summer Campout in Morris, Pa. The report was sent out through a mass email to all PSDC members.  The motion was seconded by Chris Jacobs. Motion passed.

3. Treasurer’s Report: Jessica Borman reported through a email to all Board Members that the savings account balance at this time is $6883.48 and the checking account balance is $1131.82. A motion was made by Chris Jacobs to accept the Treasurer’s Report as is. The motion was seconded by Dan Rehak. Motion passed.

A. Constant Contact Fee: Dan Rehak reported that he researched different avenues to find the most cost effective online service for registration for races and events. Constant Contact seems to be in line with other services that do the same and doesn’t feel we need to change what we are doing. He also noted that event organizers need to consider this and reflect this cost in their budget.

4. Committee Reports:

A. ISDRA Reports: Johnn Molburg reported for Jessica Borman that there was not much new to report on other than dryland season is now underway. There was nothing new to report on the debate of running scooters in the bike class.

B. Merchandise: Meredith Michner has been working on setting up an online merchandise store. When this is finalized Insa Robinson will be managing the merchandise store for PSDC.

C. Social Media Coordinator: Dan Rehak is currently working on drawing up the job responsibilities of this position. Liz Stanaitis volunteered to take on this new position. At this time, there was no report as of the status of this position.

D. Website: Johnn Molburg reported that Jessica Kizmann is doing a great job with the web page. If information needs changed on the web page we should get that information to her and she will get the changes made. Most changes made are done in a timely manner.

E. Audit report: This report will be provided in the general membership meeting on October 21, 2017.

5. Old Business:

A. Past Events

1. Summer Campout: LuWanna Krause reported that the turnout for the campout was light, but everyone seemed to have a good time, drag races were held and Rich Stanaitis provided the BBQ Chicken and corn on the cob. At this time, not all of the finances have been finalized but should be taken care of within a short time.

B. Current Events

1. Fall Campout: LuWanna Krause reported that the turn out for the fall event was low due to some dryland events that have been starting earlier in the season. She also reported that training for timers and race officials is scheduled for this weekend. There will also be a Halloween party along with a Turkey dinner on slate for the weekend along with teams training. The club is also looking for input to improve turnout.

C. Upcoming Events

1. Fair Hill – Organizers Ed Schreckner and Lynda Ninos reported the race date will be December 2-3, 2017. Makeup date will be December 9-10, 2017. They provided a list of officials and an itemized budget for the race.

2. Mount Misery – Organizers Jessica Borman and Chris Jacobs provided a list of officials. At this time, they have a purse of $750, and are looking to add to that. The race date is December 16-17, 2017. Alternative dates are January 13-14, 2018 & March 3-4, 2018.

3. Tug Hill – Organizers Jan Haring and Jessica Borman reported the race will be held February 17-18, 2018 with no alternate date. Jan Haring had expressed some concerns and ideas to help make the logistics of the race better. They pretty much had officials set and are working on increasing the purse.

4. Canyon Sled Dog Challenge – Mary Beth Logue is working along with Wellsboro Chamber of Commerce as organizer. The race date is February 24, 2017 with no alternative date. This is an 18-mile mini mid distance race through the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. There is no access once you are on the trail, all dropped dogs will be carried in the sled bag. She is currently putting her team of officials together along with a purse. The classes offered will be 6 & 8 dog classes and Registered Breed in both classes.

5. Betty Carhart Race- This race was previously put on by PSDC and JSSDRA. It will now be a sole venture through the JSSDRA and be held as a fun event not a sanctioned event. Reported by Chris Jacobs.

6. Spring Meeting – Organizers Chris Jacobs and Jessica Borman report that they are working on lining up quest speaker Walter Herrmann, he is a well-known Samoyed dog driver. The dates of this event will be the weekend of May 12, 2018.

7. Club Equipment – Dan Rehak discussed the new laptop that was bought to use at race locations with Race Works, to speed up the timming process. Dan set the laptop up with the correct software to enable to do this process.

D. Updates to the PSDC by-laws – Dan Rehak and Nancy Molburg will be working on updating by-laws pertaining to the newsletter, since we no longer have a newsletter it needs to be reflected in the by-laws. Once they have it all written out it will be presented to the general membership to vote on.

E. Registered Breed Class Review – Dan Rehak is currently managing this process. He reported that all races have committed to having all classes offering the registered breed class for northern breeds dogs.

F. Board Review of Club payment to Officials – There will be no change to the current pay scale for Officials. The only exception is to make the dog marker a paid position. A motion was made by Chris Jacobs to add the dog marker as a paid position. This position would pay $35.00 per event. George Chianese seconded the motion. The motion passed.

6. New Business:

A. Possible Mt. Laurel Race – Carmen Rose sent the club information on inquiring about a race location in the Laurel Highlands. The club suggested she work on getting a team together & try having it as a demo dryland event in the early spring.

B. For the Good of the Club – At this time there was nothing new.

7. Adjournment: A motion was made by Dan Rehak to adjourn and seconded by Chris Joacobs at 9:47 PM. Motion passed.  

Jim Gauger Memorial Award to Keith Flier

Following the 2017 Tug Hill Challenge, the trail crew gathered to present Keith Flier with the 2016 Jim Gauger Memorial Award. The Gauger award is given to someone who selflessly donates time and effort to the Pennsylvania Sled Dog Club. Keith has volunteered as trail crew for the past ten years at the Tug Hill Challenge and we couldn't do it without him. Thanks, Keith!

Remembering Diana May Weigert Miller

Past PSDC member and life-long lover of Siberian Huskies,  Diana May Weigert Miller, died Saturday November 26, 2016.

Diana is survived by her two daughters, Stephanie and Heather Miller, her five grandsons, two daughter-in-laws and four great grandchildren, her brothers Chuck and Michael Weigert and her friend Phillip Selover; and perhaps most importantly her constant furry companions Meyko and Lilly.

Diana and Phil, with their Bakavi kennel of registered huskies, were well-known at both gig and snow races along the East Coast in the 1970’s and early 1980’s and were very active PSDC members. Many Siberians from Diana’s and Phil’s breeding are still running and competing.  Diana was a recipient of PSDC’s prestigious Harvey Saltzer Memorial award.

While there will be no formal services, family and friends will gather at the sled dog trails where she loved to run her team of Siberians on December 4, 2016 at 1:00 pm.

For those interested in attending the directions are: within the Michaux State Forest Northern Section Snowmobile Trails. Rt 30 is crossed by Rt 233. Take Rt 233 thru Caledonia State Park into Michaux about 1 mile to Milesburn Road (go slow it is a small road and about 1 mile from 233). Turn onto Milesburn road and drive to the intersection with Birch Run Road. The spot is by the Long Pine Run Reservoir. 

The PSDC Board of Directors has voted to make a donation in Diana’s name to the Delaware Valley Siberian Husky Rescue.

Cards of condolence may be sent to: 
Phil Selover
860 South Winding Way
Dover, PA 17315

Remembering John Bilodeau-Redeye

John A. Bilodeau-Redeye, 63 of Basom, passed away unexpectedly on Friday (November 13, 2015) in Belen, New Mexico. John and the Redeye family were regulars at the Tug Hill races and known by many PSDC members.

He was born April 23, 1952 in San Francisco, CA, a son of the late Norma Poodry and Nicholas Redeye of Belen, NM.

John was employed by New York State as a Peace Officer prior to his retirement and also worked at the T.P. Deli. He was president of the TIRCA Board and member of the Canadian Sledders Inc., Siberian Husky Club of Niagara Falls, the Seneca Siberian Husky Club and the co-owner of BiliRed Sled Dogs.

Survivors include his wife,Catherine Bilodeau-Redeye of Basom. Brother, Thomas Redeye of Spokane, WA. Step-sister, Sharon LeRoy. Nieces and nephews, Jonathan, Barbara, Melanie and Robin Redeye.

He was the brother of the late Glenn Redeye.

Family and friends are cordially invited to share thoughts, condolences and fond memories on Friday (December 11th) from 7-9pm at the J. Leonard McAndrew Funeral Home, LLC, 32 John St., Akron, NY. A funeral service will be held Saturday (December 12th), 11:00am at the Tonawanda Indian Baptist Church, 565 Bloomingdale Rd., Basom, NY 14013. Interment will be in the church cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, Open Arms of WNY or Volunteers for Animals.

Expressions of condolence may be shared with the family at: www.mcandrewfuneralhomes.net.

Toboggan Sled Raffle!

This year the PSDC is raffling off a Toboggan sled donated by Carolyn McKenrick and refurbished by Johnn Molburg.

Proceeds will benefit this year's ISDRA meeting. Raffle tickets are $10 each. Tickets will be at all upcoming PSDC races. Participants may also contact Mary Lobo on Facebook or via email (womanlobo2@comcast.net).
 
Drawing to be held at the spring meeting in Denver, PA. Enter today!

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Senate Bill Impacting Field Trials, Winter Dog Events Advancing

The Pennsylvania Senate has given tentative approval to a bill that amends the state's cruelty laws to regulate tethering and sheltering for dogs kept outdoors.

The AKC strongly believes that no dog should ever be kept in a situation that endangers its health, wellbeing, or safety. 

Senate Bill 373, however, could directly impact field trials, sledding or other humane winter dog sports and winter activities, as the bill prohibits a dog from being tethered outside for more than 30 minutes if the temperature is below 32 degrees. 

The bill also sets specific standards for shelter and bedding for dogs kept outdoors.  Dog owners are encouraged to review the bill in its entirety to see how it would impact your kennels and outdoor dog shelters.

Talking Points:

Many breeds thrive in cold temperatures, and keeping them humanely tethered outside, even unattended, does not harm the animal.  Certain training for field trials, search and rescue, and other activities may also require a dog to be temporarily and humanely tethered outside in cold temperatures.

The AKC recommends that this measure be clarified to state instead that a dog should not be left outdoors in conditions where the health and safety of the dog is in immediate danger.

What You Can Do:

The bill could be scheduled for a vote in the Senate at any time.  Pennsylvania residents are encouraged to contact their State Senator TODAY and express your concerns with Senate Bill 373 as currently written.  Visit the Legislative AKC Action Center and type in your address to find the name and contact information for your State Senator.

PSDC Members Give Generously

PSDC members are very generous!  Club Treasurer Jessica Keiner-Borman presented a check for almost $1300 to members Lynda Ninos and Ed Scheckner at the Saturday night dinner during the annual summer campout.

The club established a “go fund me” site shortly after a lightning strike on June 13th started a fire which destroyed the kennel building owned by Ninos and Scheckner is Kirkwood, PA.  The building housed their Malamutes, Labs, mushing gear, appliances and work tools.

Fortunately, Scheckner was home when the fire started and was able to save all the dogs. The fire department put out the flames before the mushing gear was lost, but other appliances and tools were lost. The building itself was a total loss.

The “go fund me” site was publicized on the PA Sled Dog Club’s website, on the club’s FaceBook page and in the club newsletter. Club members started donating right away and continued donating until after the summer campout.  Hopefully these donations will help Ninos & Scheckner replace some lost items.

2014 PSDC Summer Campout

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To begin with, the weather was PERFECT !!!! Not too hot, sunny and no rain. Campers were pleased to stay dry all weekend and pack up dry tents.

Good food, good friends (both new & well-known,) and good friendly completion marked the weekend. Three campsites decorated for the title of “Best Decorated Campsite”. The magic of the Wizard bought home that title for Mary Wolf, Diane Geitzenauer and Robin Cline who shared a cabin.

The weekend started with a great home-cooked breakfast, immediate followed by the ever popular Calcutta. Twenty-eight teams ran on the short course, including gig, scooter, bike and cani-cross classes. The most popular musher was easily, junior rider Kaylee Zimmerman on a pink Barbie Hot Wheels with her one dog and Dad running alongside.

Saturday afternoon saw PSDC’s first ever Mushers Olympics. Precision poop-scooping, not so precise gig jousting, the water bucket relay and the musher obstacle course earned points for the competitors and laughs for the spectators. Again, the most applause went to little Kaylee Zimmerman, but the only musher in the Senior Division, Jane Keiner, also got cheers from her audience.

All the mushers gathered together that night for a mouth-watering pulled pork and pot-luck dinner that was followed by the Mushers Olympics medal presentation, and trophies for the fastest in each of the dryland classes. PSDC Treasurer Jessica Keiner-Borman presented Lynda Ninos and Ed Scheckner with a check for the money raised by the club to help with expenses following a fire at their kennel. 

The silent auction and a community campfire ended the evening. A few teams were seen running the course again on Sunday morning before everybody headed home with bellies full of good food and memories of good times.

See more photos from this event in our Gallery.

ISDRA Summer News

ISDRA (International Sled Dog Racing Association) news this summer includes:

1. LuWanna Krause resigned as our Regional ISDRA Director due to increased family  demands with her mother’s illness. Jessica Keiner-Borman was recruited by ISDRA  Executive Director Dave Steele to fill LuWanna’s position until elections for ISDRA  Directors are held. Jessica’s photo and a short statement were published in the most recent issue of Dog & Driver, ISDRA’s magazine.
2. There is now a proposal before the ISDRA Board of Directors to add purebred classes to the medal program. I was told if adopted, this addition of purebred medal classes would be made retro-active to include the 2014-2015 season. That means if enough purebred drivers, clubs and the correct number of ISDRA regions participate in ISDRA sanctioned purebred classes, ISDRA medals could be awarded next spring to purebred teams for the first time. The new policy would apply to both snow and dryland events.

You can contact your new ISDRA Regional Director Jessica Borman or email ISDRA Executive Director Dave Steele at dsteele@brainerd.net with your thoughts on this proposal. 

 Of course, ISDRA has requirements for registered dogs. This can be found on their website at www.isdra.org. There are blue tabs across the top of the webpage. Click on Resources and in the pull-down menu, you’ll find “Registered Breed Group Standard.” There are also requirements for each individual class to meet ISDRA medal status. They are: 

MEDALS PROGRAM 

Criteria for Medal Class qualification are as follows; 

a. At least six (6) sanctioned races per class, must take place in a single season. 

b. These sanctioned races must take place in two (2) countries and three (3) states or provinces. 

c. The minimum number of competitors shall be at least twelve (12). 

d. To qualify for a medal in any class, a member must complete at least three races in that class. “– quoted from ISDRA website 

However, given the popularity of purebreds and pure-breed racing across Canada, New England, the mid-west and mid-Atlantic regions, I think medals for, at least, some classes in both dryland and snow races are a very real possibility for spring 2015.