Last update: Sun Mar 16 12:21:51 EDT 2008

Region News and Information

On March 9th the Ski Patrol Completion was held at Jiminy Peak. Jiminy did a terrific job hosting the completion and everybody had a great time -- thanks Jiminy. In the spirit of the event this picture is of Jiminy Peaks' Pro Patroller, Robin McGraw, taken by Pierre from Blandford. Robin is just back from an European tour and reflects the European style of patrolling. (I wonder if he shaves his legs??? )

This competition was significant for Jiminy Peak. Jiminy Peak was attempting to retire the Frank Munn Trophy by wining their 3rd competition in a row. With home slope advantage I would have put my ski pass on them taking the trophy. But, Blandford, always competitive, beat Jiminy by ONE point to take the trophy.

What a terrific competition, good job Jiminy for the competition and hosting, and congratulations Blandford.

Next year the competition is planned for OTIS. See you there.

[Thanks to Pierre Catellier for sharing his artistic skills. Check out the photo gallery for some shots of the competition provided by Robin Sobieski.-- Ed.]

Another successful Western Mass Region Alumni Day was held at Butternut Ski Area on February 8, 2008. It was a great day of camaraderie, shared experiences, great skiing and a lovely meal. While Rick Andriole, Alumni Advisor, was not able to attend, his great planning set the stage for a very enjoyable day. Everyone that participated in the Strut Your Stuff and GS race events succeeded in showing us that Ski Patrollers never lose their ability to perform under pressure. Our thanks go out to the Butternut Ski Area and its patrol for their wonderful hospitality. We are hoping to increase participation next year. To see how much fun was had by all please go to the Photo Gallery and check out pictures from the day.

Once again it is time to begin preparations for the Annual WMR Ski Patrol Competition to be hosted this year by the Jiminy Peak Ski Patrol at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort on Sunday March 2, 2008. I would like to extend to all of the region's patrols an invitation to come and participate and have a great time as we have done in the past. We will be using the same format as we have in the past. Jiminy Peak will be providing lunch for the participants and there is no registration fee. I would like to have all the registrations by Monday February 25, 2008. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns that you may have.

Home Email: Paul.Descoteau@Verizon.net
Work Email: Paul.Descoteau@Cranecurrency.com
Home Phone: (413) 684-9908
Work Phone: (413) 684-7445

Ed. - You can download a zip file of the competition rules, registration form, and a description of all the events by clicking here.

CHEAP!! Butternut will once again host the WMR Alumni Day on Friday, February 8, 2008.

The day's activities include coffee and doughnuts from 9 AM until they last. Skiing and socializing and lunch on your own preferably in the Upper Lodge.

• 1:30 PM: Assemble at top of Main Street Race Course for the STRUT YOUR STUFF run for drawing for prizes. The starter (current RD Trish Watson) will explain the rules.
• 2:30 PM: Assemble at top of Main Street Race Course to cheer on all GS Race entrants. The Starter has complete control over all aspects of the race!
• 4:30 PM: Assemble in Upper Lodge for awards ceremony, wine and beer social to be followed by sumptuous buffet courtesy of Butternut.

For more information contact: Richard Andriole, 10 Sherman Dr., South Deerfield MA 01373, 413 665-3030 (H), RCA-NSP@comcast.net

Heavy snow that progressed into sleet, followed by freezing rain and high winds set the stage for this year's Final Evaluation of the senior EMM.

After 11 weeks of clinics, the day of the evaluation finally arrived. The candidates and TE's (Trainer Evaluators) had put in a tremendous amount of time and effort throughout the entire autumn and early winter, and the candidates' progress was visible on many levels.

Each candidate was presented with three scenarios. They had to assess, come up with a plan of action and then competently lead their team to the conclusion of the scenario. Not a mean feat with the stopwatch going and three TE's and a site-coordinator staring intently at you.

The Senior EMM program is designed to perfect a patroller's management skills, develop confidence in problem solving and leadership skills. The program also helps fine tune how a patroller reacts at an accident, as well as ability and adaptability to do well under pressure. Having said so, I now would like to take a moment to congratulate Eric Clark, Gil Fagley and Robin Sobieski for the successful completion of the Senior EMM program. Well done, indeed!

I especially would like to thank Scott Rockefeller for his expertise and trailer of gadgets, and Jim Higgins for helping me at almost every clinic. Your input and training was invaluable!

As it takes about 30 people to run the final evaluation, I would like to thank all of the TE's, site-coordinators, patients, transport and moulage gurus. It would not be possible to do this without all of your help!!

I wish everyone a terrific season and invite anyone interested in attending next years EMM program to contact me. (nicky_ep@yahoo.com)

Nicky Enhorning-Picton, OEC Senior EMM Coordinator, WMR

Thanks to Scott Rockefeller's photographic skills, we have some photos of this years Senior EMM Evaluation. Check 'em out in the Photo Gallery.

Congrads to all and thanks Scott.

Come join us for Student Patrol Day at Bousquet. January 13 at 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM. We will work on OEC and S+T, however, we will focus on having FUN. This will be an opportunity to sharpen skills and meet students from other mountains.

Please contact David Childs (dchilds@epri.com or 413 499 5707)or Laura Tucker (muthrtuckr@yahoo.com) if you will be attending.

The Arcadian Shop will be at Bousquet hosting the 4th annual telly night on January 10th at 6:00 PM. Pros from various telemark equipment companies will be on hand to answer any questions and allow you to demonstrate boots and skis.

Patrollers will not be required to purchase lift tickets if Patrol Jackets are worn...

The Eastern Division Finance Committee has been working hard. Their latest offering is Division and Region Expense Reimbursement Guidelines. These guidelines help define who, what, when and how volunteer instructors and staff get paid for their travel expenses. The guidelines can be found at http://www.nspeast.org/html/expense_reimb_guid.html. Happy reading!

THE DECEMBER 15TH MAKE-UP REFRESHER HAS BEEN CANCELLED!

The Western Mass Region will be holding a Make-Up Refresher for Cycle's A and B. Participants need to contact either Paul Descoteau or David Benoit and must have proof of completion for Cycle C. The Refresher will be held at Jiminy Peak Ski Patrol on December 15 at 9:00am.

Check the contacts page for phone numbers and e-mail.

I would like to announce the new candidate patrollers who just passed their OEC Training test today. Please make them all feel welcome, as they have been working very hard since September 7th. I am very proud to congratulate the following people:

• Michael DeFilipi - Berkshire East
• Molly Fox-Bryant - Blandford
• Brian Field - Blandford
• Mark Piacenti - Bousquet
• Jake Mitchell - Bousquet
• Jay Ely - Bousquet
• Thomas Hultine - Butternut
• Timothy Eglin - Jiminy
• Rob Webber - Jiminy
• Maria Cruz - Jiminy
• Jim Bonesteel - Jiminy
• Jeffrey Slaga - Jiminy
• Sarah Woodyard - Jiminy
• Ryan Christensen - Mt. Sunapee

Once again we had a wonderful showing for the OEC Class, which began in September. Some of you are familiar with it as you participated as instructors, and evaluators for classes and tests. This year we had another very informative session with the Stride people, who were kind enough to explain to us some of the disabilities they deal with and the adaptive equipment they use.

New this year was an XRAY presentation, which helped the students with some of the bone assessments, and injuries we are presented with. Our thanks to Colleen Halvorsen for her work on gathering and presenting the information to the class.

I'm sure the class would like to join me in thanking the following people, who volunteered their time to help out with the classes, and pass on some of their knowledge. My sincere appreciation goes to Rex Channell, Trish Watson, Dave Childs, Chris Cruz, Mike Noyes, Don May, Linda Clifford, John Migliaccio, Ann Migliaccio, Gerry Pollard, Bryan Sinclair, Mike Gagnon, George Heitzman, Ben Katz, Stuyvie Bearns, Fran Biagini, Laura Schneider, Ken Jensen, Jim Schatz, Robert Karandy, Laura Tucker, Keith Pomeroy, Jaime Pomeroy, Gary Trudeau, Russ Sweeney, John Fioroni, Rik Mcclave, Robin Sobieski, and of course, Scott Rockefeller, Dave Benoit and Paul Descoteau for all of their guidance.

My patients: Mark Loehr, Page Biagini, Micaela Biagini, Henry Teller, Diane May, and Devin Lamke.

And lets not forget, the Lee Ambulance Garage, Jiminy Peak, and Bousquet for their use of rooms to hold the classes and testing.

If anyone you know is interested in taking the course next year, please tell them to watch the website in August 2008 for the announcement, and preregistration.

Thanks everyone for another very successful class.

Karen Mills - Instructor of Record

More photos of the OEC class are in the photo gallery. -- Ed.

I would like to spread the word that we are having a student ski patrol planning meeting December 1st at Bousquet. As most of you know this will be the Candidates test day. We expect the testing to be done some time after 3:00 PM. I also assume that many of you will already be there to help Karen with the evaluations.

This meeting is open to anyone. I would especially like to have people there who have a vested interest in the student program. By attending this meeting you will have the opportunity to shape the Western Mass Student program. I will also say that I am currently working with national folks who are looking for guidance in shaping a Young Adult Program. What we develop here in the WMR may influence the national program. This is an exciting time to get involved.

I will not only make an effort to address students between the age of 15 and 18 but I will also be making an effort to find a way to address students between the age of 10 to 15. We have considerable work to do but who can call it work when it is this much fun!!!

Dave Childs - WMR Student Advisor

The Western Mass Region of the National Ski Patrol has it's very own logo. Check it out. Click on the image for a larger version.

We have two more patrol jackets for sale:

• Hard Corp, Size 40, $40.00 - Contact: Laurie Briggs at toodles5683@hotmail.com or 413-663-7730
• Hard Corp, Size 40 ,$40.00 - Contact: Dave Cimini at hawkcim@aol.com or 413-441-7174

A size Small Patrol Coat is for Sale. Rachel Tomlinson is selling hers from last year.

I got it brand new last year and it is was so very gently used last year that it is still in brand new condition. It's a size small, 'Patrol Jacket Mid' as shown on this web page (Mountain Uniforms): http://www.mountainuniforms.com/patrol.html

The only reason that I want to sell it is because it's acutally too big for me. I would like to order a size smaller but obviously don't need two coats. The cost for my coat last year was $194.00 ($189 + shipping which can be very expensive from this site, especially if you only order one thing). I am hoping for at least $150.00 for it, seeing as how it is basically brand new and in excellent condition.

If anyone is interested please have them email me. In addition, I would also like to know if anyone is in need of placing an order with Mountain Uniforms. Last year Karen Mills and I did one order together, and it was much cheaper because we split the cost of shipping and handling which otherwise would have been more expensive (if I ordered my coat by itself). So, if anyone would like to place a joint order with me, I'd be pleased to do it that way.

Anyone interested in buying my coat or placing an order with me can email me at zinklet@hotmail.com.

Thanks! Rachel

It's short notice but -- and I/T Class will be held at Lee Ambulance on October 14,2007. Start time is 9:00 AM with sign-in is 8:45 AM. Please check with David Benoit for approval. Anyone interested must let him know by Thursday Oct 11th.

The Eastern Division held its annual meeting of Avalanche, Mountain Travel & Rescue, and Nordic (AMN) instructors at Northfield Mountain in Northfield, Massachusetts, over the weekend of September 7-9. Thirty-eight instructors and trainees registered, most camping out for two nights on the banks of the Connecticut River.

The indoor program included items of business and presentations on mountain bike patrols, instructional techniques, and the new Nordic Master designation.

Outdoor stations for the three AMN disciplines gave participants the opportunity to demonstrate skills in avalanche beacon use, snow density measurement, map and compass, and improvising nordic rescue toboggans.

Rick Toman, Civilian Search and Rescue Administrator for the Massachusetts State Police, discussed the Incident Command Structure, preservation of evidence, and transition from patrol to public safety.

Two dozen major manufacturers and retailers of outdoors equipment contributed catalogs, demo items, and giveaways to the event, making possible a large display of avalanche safety gear, a generous schwag bag for each attendee, and a raffle drawing with door prizes for all.

Bruce Sysyn, rep for several companies, demonstrated the NTN boot and binding system.

The Northfield Mountain Nordic Ski Patrol was presented a Certificate of Appreciation for organizing logistics support.

For further details, visit the event web site, http://amn07.nmnsp.org.

Bill Schweikert contributed this report.

Bill Schweikert annouced that the AMN Instructors will meet 7-9 September in Northfield, MA, for a business meeting and a skills refresher. For more information, visit the website http://amn07.nmnsp.org.

The Western Mass I/T Refresher will be held at Lee Ambulance on September 8, 2007 and the Instructors Refresher will be held on September 30, 2007 at Butternut. Sign In for both sessions will begin at 7:30 am. Contact Paul Descoteau for more information.

Two people have collided, causing a snowmaking hydrant to snap. How would YOU deal with this situation?

Join us this autumn by taking the senior Emergency Management course. Western Massachusetts Senior EMM is here to support and propel you forward with our tireless team of Trainer Evaluators. The self-confidence that will be gained by attending this course is unmatched and you will never approach an incident the same way again.

Using your OEC skills, learn how to prioritize patients and how to manage the overall incident. It is time to see the "Big Picture!" If you are interested in advancing your patroller skills, this is a course for you!

The course will run from October through December, please refer to the schedule for exact dates. Feel free to contact me with any and all questions at "nicky_ep@yahoo.com".

I am very much looking forward to seeing you in October!

Nicolette Enhorning-Picton, Senior EMM Training Coordinator

Preparations for next season's OEC class are underway! Karen Mills is attempting to prepare for the 2007-2008 OEC (Outdoor Emergency Care) class. She asks that individuals interesting in the course download this form and mail it to her. This will allow her to get a better estimate of the class size and better coordinate the resources necessary to put on this course.

Here is a copy of the preregistration form. [It's a .doc file. -- ed.] Karen's mailing address is on the form. If you have any questions, you can email Karen at "kmills1@berkshire.rr.com."

After 6 years of representing the Western Mass Region (WMR) as the Region Director (RD) at the Eastern Division (ED) level, Fred Leukroth is stepping down.  As our RD, Fred represented us on the Eastern Division Board of Directors and was responsible for chairing the ED Finance committee which developed a consistent financial accounting system across the Eastern Division. The result is a system in which program teams are held accountable for the expenditure of your dues.  He represented us at the division level in the development of the Eastern Division Bylaws, and spearheaded the development of Bylaws for the Region.  As an RD, Fred put many hours into his representation of the region. Fred was awarded the Distinguished Service Award for his dedication to us and to the Eastern Division.  Fred is not retiring from the NSP; you can find him lounging around the new top shack at Butternut most Saturdays during the winter.  Good Luck guy.

As a result of a popular vote, Trish Watson has assumed duties as Western Mass RD.  She has assembled the following staff of Assistant RD's: Chris Cruz (Jiminy Peak), Jim Fessia (Blandford) and Bryan Sinclair (Bousquet.)  Trish and her team will be visiting the different ski areas through out the winter to talk to patrols about what is going on in the Eastern Division and the National Programs. The team will also be soliciting each patroller for what they would like to see incorporated into programs and what support the region can provide to them.  In the mean time, if you wish to contact any of these folks, their email addresses may be found on the Contact list on this site.

Send your suggestions to the webmaster -- jellmers@gmail.com.