Eastern Division NSP's News Magazine
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OET Fundamentals and Senior Program Updates
OET has been working hard all summer to prepare for the upcoming season. This winter we will introduce new initiatives including the first version of the Toboggan Fundamentals, updating some components of the Senior OET assessment, new online Moodle School course offerings, and version 2.0 of the OET TE Handbook. This December, OET Staff will meet with Regional and National ski and toboggan leadership at Killington for our annual training. The updates will be communicated through patroller schools and regional clinics.
Unseated Passenger – A Scenario
Happy fall almost winter fellow patrollers. As the Chair of the Eastern Division Certified Program, I am pleased to report that we remain active in developing the division’s program for the 2024/2025 ski season. Your team of certified patrollers participates in every aspect of NSP from active year-round patrolling to being on our National Board. It is hard to account for the manhours that go into running the NSP and its programs. One might question the sanity of it all. In the end, our job is to assist our employers and ski areas to provide a safe and fun experience for all their guests and to make the work environment safe for our fellow employees. The behind-the-scenes work does not start and stop with the snow!
Honoring First Responders
Brant Maley and DiamondBack Covers Team Up to Honor First Responders
The team at DiamondBack Covers proudly expresses their deep gratitude to first responders. Their dedication and courage inspire us all, and we’re honored to recognize the heroes who keep our communities safe.
They produced a video featuring Certified Patroller Brant Maley from Roundtop Mountain Resort. He has worn many hats over the years and is currently a 24-year veteran serving as a police officer in Penbrook Borough, PA.
Alumna Saves a Life!
Roberta Fox’s heroic actions were celebrated with a Purple Merit Star presentation at the Royal Mountain refresher on October 24, 2024. She has retired from active patrolling but remains an OEC Instructor and Instructor Trainer. Her 50+ years of patrolling spanned five patrols in three regions. I am pleased and proud to be able to share her summary of the event with everyone.
“On Wednesday, July 17, 2024, I attended an event at The Highlands Community Center in Johnson City, NY, that ended at 6:30 p.m. We were waiting for our weekly walking group activity. At about 6:45 p.m. a resident came back and yelled at me to get the bag. I asked, “What bag–the AED?” She replied “Yes” and I grabbed the bag and headed to the parking lot. I asked if 911 had been called 911 and she replied, “Yes.””
67 Years of Service!
Richard (Dick) Massucco, a patroller at Stratton Mountain, VT was honored for his 67th year of service to NSP. Division Director Grant Fullman personally presented Dick with his Service Award at Stratton’s refresher held on November 2. At the presentation, Grant commented that he was only three years old when Dick started patrolling!
Dick started on the ski patrol at Otis Ridge in Massachusetts in 1957 and passed his Senior test at Mt. Tom, Holyoke, MA. Dick skied on the Otis Ridge Patrol in Otis, MA through 1970. Then it was off to Pittsburgh, PA for work and a stint on the Seven Springs Patrol in Champion, PA. In 1972 Dick joined the Stratton Mountain Patrol after meeting a woman who just happened to have a Stratton season pass!
CNY Region Officially Kicks Off Winter
On October 16 in Utica and October 18 in Syracuse, the Central New York Region welcomed winter with Warren Miller’s ’75’ – the 75th-anniversary film. On hand were Mike LaPoint, Jodi Butterfield, Rich Pietrafesa, our National Chair, and me, Scott Launt.
Our goal was to recruit interested riders in patrolling, hand out NSP SWAG to our kindred spirits, promote goodwill, and have a good time. Mission Accomplished!
2024 National Board Election Closes December 1
There are less than two few weeks left to vote in the National Board of Director election. Currently, 13 candidates are running to fill four open seats.
You are encouraged to read the platforms of all of the candidates at www.nsp.org on the Access Your Ballot page and participate in the election. There have been three forums to meet the candidates and ask questions. If you missed them, they are available to watch on the NSP website.
If you have not yet voted, please go to www.nsp.org, sign in, and click the Access Your Ballot button to see the candidate platforms and the election ballot. The election closes on December 1.
Start Your Resilience Workout Plan
As patrollers, we train physically and mentally to be ready to go when the snow finally flies. How many of us train to be ready emotionally for the possible stress injuries resulting from the bad scenes we may encounter? During my 30-year career as a ski patroller, I always had a pre-season skiing-specific training program to prepare physically for the demands of patrolling. Annual OEC refreshers provided an opportunity to mentally revive the knowledge and skills necessary to care for injured skiers. It wasn’t until late in my career that I began to pay attention to training for the emotional resilience needed to effectively confront potentially traumatizing events. Now I make it a point to regularly engage in what the All Clear Foundation calls “resilience workouts” as a way to be ready for life’s daily challenges and those high-stress rescues encountered on the hill…
In Memoriam – Peter Landon Hawley
Peter Landon Hawley of New Hartford, CT died on “Kilobyte Day,” October 24, 2024. Even though he loved and understood how digital machines work, Peter would have cared little that his earthly life ended on 1024. He was practical and not sentimental. Peter cared deeply about others and lived for three things: To race, to ski, and most of all, to be helpful to others. The meetings of the Hartford Track Club, of which he was president for over 20 years, and of the Hartford Marathon Foundation will be a little shorter, without Peter to remember the nuances of the myriad details of conducting a road race.
In Memoriam – Rick Finch
With deep sadness and a very heavy heart, the Titus Mountain Ski Patrol had to say goodbye to fellow patroller Rick Finch. On Thursday, January 18, 2024, Rick was involved in a fatal accident on a ski lift at Titus Mountain while on duty. Rick was loved by all on our patrol as well as all the staff at Titus Mountain who knew him. Rick was born on November 7, 1955, to George and Virginia Finch. He married Sherry (Deaton) on September 1, 1979. They had two children; a daughter Adria Finch (Patrick Engle) and a son James Finch (Brittnie Finch). He has left behind his beloved grandchildren, Alesandra, Serenity, and Lilah Finch; and Anderson Finch Engle and Elin Finch Engle.
In Memoriam – Regina Frydryk
Regina was called home on May 7, 2024, surrounded by family and friends. Born in Ludlow, MA to Edward F. and Evelyn A. (Siarkowicz) Siwicki, Regina grew up in Indian Orchard and married Daniel A. Frydryk on May 9, 1981. They moved to Feeding Hills where they lived the rest of their life together. She graduated from Cathedral High School, Springfield, MA in 1976. Reg’s career was in the ophthalmology field for 45 years working seven years for Dr W.F. Donohue, Office Manager/COA of 30 years for Dr Larry Litscher, and eight years for Dr Andrew Jusko. She took pride in her profession and formed special bonds with all her patients.
