Snodeo weekend marked a milestone for the Inlet Barnstormers Snowmobile Club, as their list of snowmobile safety students educated through their Snowmobile Safety Course program grew to over 1,000.
The snowmobile club offered its first New York State Snowmobile Safety Course in December 1999 at the Old Forge Fire House.
Area residents Jeff and Phoebe Greene, Ron and Sandy Nihill, Bob and Linda Gordon, and Sandy Richardson were the first five New York Snowmobile Safety Course instructors certified in the area.
Each snowmobile safety instructor must be certified by the state of New York to teach in the classroom and must go through an application process with the Snowmobiling Unit of the New York Parks and Recreation Department.
A safety course must then be completed and followed by assisting in two eight-hour courses before being approved by the office of the snowmobile unit.
Each instructor must teach a minimum of one course per two years in order to keep his or her certification.
Because of the number of courses being given across the state, the Barnstormers are currently accepting both youth and adult registrants.
Today, the Inlet Barnstormers have twelve certified instructors.
The team includes the Nihills, Gordons, Don Bartel, K.C. Kelly, Nancy and Brian Ouellette, Ernie Gilbert, Mike Greco, Cindy Beckley, and Rich Ferland.
The club’s next safety course is scheduled for Saturday, January 19 at the Inlet Emergency Services Building on the corner of Route 28 and Limekiln Road.
Adults and children ages 10 to 17 are welcome to take the eight hour course, which is free of charge.
Registrations will begin on January 4 by calling Ron or Sandy at (315) 357-5233.
The current Board of Directors for the Inlet Barnstormers includes Bob Gordon, president; Bob Gates,vice-president; Don Bartel, treasurer; Ginny Rosteck, recording secretary; and Sandy Nihill, corresponding secretary.
Trustees include Ron Nihill, Ernie Gilbert, Dick Rosteck, Howie Dailey, and Barb Winslow.
