This season brings a number changes.  It started with a positive sign; 100% of our active patrollers attended the local ‘on hill’ the last week of September.  The patrol’s OEC team of Kim Buell and Dawn Wright, assisted by Kelly Monsma, challenged the group with multiple injury scenarios keeping in line with our hill’s past medical emergency experiences (and of course weaving in that special ‘OEC cycle A content’.  A very well organized event. Thanks team!   The patrol also congratulated Dawn Wright as the recipient of the Harry Rich/Patroller of the Year award for the 2016/2017 ski season.  The award is presented at the end of season banquet in April, however Dawn was not able to attend this year’s event.  At that time, the patrollers attending agreed to not announce the award’s winner in hopes of surprising Dawn in the fall.  Mission accomplished.

Continuing with a busy fall, the patrol has been able to fit in a work party to ready our facilities and equipment, followed by a successful chicken barbecue fund raiser during the Hill’s Open House and Ski Sale in early November.

The patrol welcomes Jeff Martinez to the Brantling roster this season.  Jeff completed his OEC this fall and was an S and T candidate last season.  Jeff and his family live in Sodus and are active skiers at Brantling.

Sadly, Brantling patrollers Roger Holtz and Kathy Madison have opted to retire and won’t be returning to our patrol this season.  Roger was an active member of our S and T candidate training team.  Kathy generously gave her time, flexibility and creativity assisting her fellow patrollers in filling voids in our monthly patrol schedule.  Both Kathy and Roger were stellar Brantling patrollers and will be missed.

Recently elected APD/Scheduling, Greg Bernhard, expects to publish his (and our first of the season) shift schedule at the time of this writing as the weather appears to be turning wetter and colder.  Many thanks to Cindy Showman for her two terms of duty as Scheduler and an equal thanks to Greg for graciously taking on this challenge.

With Greg’s new duties, he is leaving his long time, shared post as APD/Ski and Toboggan to his co-instructor Dave Vinke.  Dave will be taking the lead in working with our S and T candidates this season making them “hill ready”, anticipating their successful completion of the Region OEC next fall.

Hoping for that December snow,

Brian Mayou
Brantling Ski Patrol, PD