By Terry Karkos, Staff Writer
Sun Journal, Lewiston, ME
Roxbury, ME - Four Western Maine all-terrain vehicle clubs have each pitched in $250 to help the Roxbury Riders ATV Club repair trail damage from Tropical Storm Irene.
Roxbury Riders Club President Michael Worthley said he had anticipated area businesses donating money since the club's trail system brings thousands of ATV riders to the River Valley region annually.
So, he said he was surprised when a check for $1,000 was dropped off at a Roxbury club member's house from the four ATV clubs the same day that a story about the damage was published in the Sun Journal.
Worthley said the clubs are the Western Maine ATV Riders Club of Wilton and Jay; Mountain View ATV Club of Mount Vernon; Brettuns Wheelers ATV Club of Livermore; and Canton Trail Riders of Canton.
"They come to all of our rides and ride all of our trails, so they figured they'd help us out," Worthley said.
"It's something they didn't have to do. If anything, I thought it would be some of the businesses around, but whatever. Any little bit helps."
So far, the only storm-damaged trail that has been repaired and reopened is the Mine Notch Trail, which opened earlier this summer.
Worthley said the Tower Hill Trail on Tower Road up Black Mountain is expected to be closed until sometime before winter when authorities that use the communications tower atop the mountain repair the road.
The only other trail still closed is ITS 82, which is the major snowmobile and ATV trail from Rumford to Roxbury.
Irene's 6-inch rainfall in just a few hours on Aug. 28 turned a brook into a raging river that carried away topsoil and deposited two large boulders on a crushed culvert on ITS 82.
The flooding created a huge washout that may require relocating the trail.
"All of our trails are open right now except for the one to Rumford and Black Mountain Tower," Worthley said.
tkarkos@sunjournal.com
