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Seven youth from the Ely area and beyond participated in a full day of Snowmobile Safety Training on March 1 at the Vermilion Campus of Minnesota North College sponsored by the Ely Igloo Snowmobile Club.
These avid young snowmobilers arrived in the morning and were led through classroom instruction by Conservation Officers Sean Williams (Ely) and Megan Franzen (Silver Bay) and volunteer DNR snowmobile safety instructors Dave Marshall, Mike Banovetz, and Lake County Deputy Adam Borchert.
After a Domino’s pizza lunch provided by the Ely Igloo Club, the group headed outside to take part in the field portion of the course involving a pre-trip check of a snowmobile and operation of a snowmobile through a driving course.
Volunteers assisting in this portion of the training included Ely Igloo Club groomer operator Bill Hane as well as Igloo Club members Dave Johnson and Ellie Marshall.
Ely firefighters Alex Povhe and Mikey Muhvich also assisted with the pretrip inspections and guiding students through the course. The driving course had been set up on the Vermilion practice football field the night before.
All seven students demonstrated proficiency in snowmobile operation and learned some great tips on how to enjoy the sport safely.
Students who participated in the class from Ely include Sawyer Anderson, Wyatt Carlson, Boden Devine, Braden Jonas and Lucy Luthens. Bryce Houde came from Winton while Connor Helgeson travelled up from Hermantown.
Special thanks go out to the instructors and volunteers, the Ely Igloo Snowmobile Club for sponsoring the training, and the Vermilion campus for hosting the class. Be sure to congratulate these young snowmobilers when you see them out on the trail!
