Greetings and welcome!
Not a lot has changed since yesterday, but we still have stuff to talk about.
First up the trails are in poor condition. For the most part they are either bare or ice. We will want snow before I ride or tell anyone else to. That doesn’t look good for the short term.
A look at the forecast shows a chance for an inch or two Wednesday and maybe some light snow over the weekend. Temperatures are expected to start off near 20 and dip into the teens late week, with a return to the 20s for the weekend.
The GFS does not show a lot of promise for snow over the next 16 days. For the most part the high pressure coming out of Canada will keep us out of the snow. It verifies as we see the Arctic Oscillation dip sharply negative over the next week or two. Hopefully after that we see a storm.
We have a few events this weekend. First up this Saturday is the drawing for the Near North Trail Riders Poker Run up at the Northwoods Bar. I also have a Kelly Lake Sportsman’s Club Fishoree listed as this weekend on the recurring events list.
Next weekend (1-15) I show a radar run on High Falls Flowage and a Christmas tree burning with the Town of Riverview VFD.
As long as we don’t have snow to talk about it is a good chance to catch up on a few things. First up is an e-mail that Slug forwarded. It is from the DNR Snowmobile Administrator introducing the new DNR Secretary and staff. Apparently they are pretty snowmobile friendly.
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From: Eddy, Gary D – DNR <Gary.Eddy@Wisconsin.gov>
Subject: ANNOUNCEMENT – New DNR Secretary and Staff
Hello all,
Here’s the information on the new DNR Secretary and her staff. Have a safe New
Years! – – Gary
Secretary Cathy Stepp.
I served as Racine’s State Senator from 2002 to 2006, but most of my experience has been in the private sector. As a former homebuilder, I became aware of Wisconsin’s regulatory climate and how it affected small business owners.
In 1998, Gov. Tommy Thompson asked me to bring this perspective to the Natural Resources Board, and I was on the board for three years. This experience encouraged me to run for the legislature where I was chairman of the Senate’ Job Creation Committee and co-chair of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee.I chose not to seek re-election and returned home at the end of the four year term to rejoin my husband in our family business.
I am an avid outdoorswoman. I enjoy Wisconsin’s snowmobile trails each winter and I have hunted turkeys in western Wisconsin. I appreciate the tremendous hunting opportunities our state offers to residents and tourists.
I strongly believe job creation and environmental protection can be mutually supportive. As a small business owner, I understand the importance of customer-friendly relations. The best times in my life have been spent outdoorswith my husband, Paul, and two children, Hannah and Mitchell.
Deputy Secretary Matt Moroney.
Matt was raised on a small family farm outside of Masonville, Iowa. He graduated from Loras College in 1991with a major in Political Science and Economics. He graduated the University of Iowa College of Law in 1994.
He is married to Linda Moroney and has a 7-year-old daughter, Olivia, and a 1-year old son, Mason. They reside in Waukesha.
He has been attorney at DeWitt Ross and Stevens the past two years, and was previously the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Builders Association of Greater Milwaukee. He enjoys playing basketball, fishing, and spending time with family and friends.
Executive Assistant Scott Gunderson.
Scott grew up on a farm in Racine County. He has owned and operated a hunting and fishing store in Wind Lake for 26 years. For the past 16 years, he has represented the 83rd District in the Wisconsin State Assembly. He has been on the Assembly Natural Resources Committee all eight sessions, serving as vice chairman and for the last four years as chairman.
He authored the state’s Constitutional Amendment protecting the right to hunt, fish and trap, and negotiated the legislative approval of the Great Lakes Water Resources Compact to protect the interests of Wisconsin’s residents and industries.
He lives in Waterford with his wife, Lisa, and is the father of three adult children.
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Good luck & best wishes.
That is about it for today. Have a good week and thank you for visiting!
RJB