DEAR SUN SPOTS: The Andover Olde Home Day Committee is looking for a marching band or group for our 2023 festival on Aug. 5 to provide music for the parade.

Since you always do such miracles for people, we thought of you to solve our problem. I’ll bet the Rolodex doesn’t have a marching band in it, but we know by just asking that it will probably result in a good ending to our search. Please contact Jane Rich at jrich@twc.com or 392-3761. Thank you for your great service to the community. — Jane, Andover

ANSWER: Have you contacted high school band directors? I’d start there. Sun Spotters, let’s put our thinking caps on and help Jane..August 2023 will be here before we know it!

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I have a question for all my fellow snowmobilers. Why don’t you  join a snowmobile club?

I’ll explain how the trails are cared for each year. Our volunteers don’t stop once the snow melts. We continue meeting by Zoom or in person as we plan for the next season. There are hundreds of landowners that are contacted each year. Without their generosity, our sport would not exist. There are untold hours poured into the trails for brushing, regrading, grooming, etc.

Volunteers must constantly stay in touch with what’s going on in politics, supporting bills that benefit us and opposing those that don’t, as well as creating new bills that support our sport.

The MSA office is open 12 months, not just when it snows, and the cost of all this is tremendous. The MSA Show held each October and our super raffle are the two big fund-raisers statewide.

We have lost several local clubs in the past few years due to lack of participation from sled owners and riders and it’s a struggle for remaining members to maintain over 13,000 miles of trails in Maine.

Please join your local club and come out to volunteer. There are countless ways you can help. The number one way is to join a club or support our local fundraisers throughout the state, which are many and varied.

Remember the trails you enjoy in the winter months don’t appear by magic each year. Your help would be so appreciated. I’ve been doing this for over 50 years and would like to pass on the torch. — Jerry, Oxford

ANSWER: To learn more about the Maine Snowmobile Association, go to its website at https://www.mesnow.com/ or call the Augusta office at 622-6983.

Among the services provided by the MSA are an on-staff lobbyist promoting Maine snowmobiling before the Legislature, in-house print and online publications, the Maine Snowmobiler newspaper, the annual Snowmobile Maine Guide, ITS trail map, the forum of MSA directors meetings, production of the Maine Snowmobile Show, maintenance of an e-mail alert list and Facebook presence, production and distribution of membership materials, the MSA Super Raffle fundraiser, representation on numerous committees and organizations involved in access and outdoor recreation, and more.

Members can participate in trail work, fundraising, membership drives, social activities, etc. Contact your club and let them know how you would like to be involved. Yearly membership dues are about $30. There’s a club list with contact information here: https://www.mesnow.com/MSACLUBS.html .

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name. We won’t use it if you ask us not to. Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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