Outdoors training, education aid safety Cell phones used for emergencies

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Hikers, campers, boaters, and fishermen debating whether to carry wireless phones into the wilderness may want to consider the following pointers from U.S. Cellular on how to mix technology with safety and tranquility. With more and more people actively enjoying the outdoors, sensible cell phone usage will add to everyone’s enjoyment and can prove to be a valuable tool in an emergency situation.

“Wireless phones can save lives, but as in any situation, we ask cell phone users to be aware of the people and places around them,” said Eric Conlon, director of sales for U.S. Cellular in New England.

According to Steve Curtis, Southern Region Parks Manager for the Maine Bureau of Parks & Lands, residents and visitors to Maine should get trained on outdoor safety, enjoy the parks safely, and keep the wireless phone for serious accidents and emergencies.

To make the most of wireless technology while enjoying the great outdoors, Maine Bureau of Parks & Lands and U.S. Cellular offer the following safety tips:

. Prepare for your adventure with proper knowledge, gear, clothing, and trip planning.

. Tell someone where you are going, what you are doing, and when you will return. Do not deviate from your planned route without updating friends and family.

. Stay together if hiking in a group or with others.

. Prepare to turn back if poor weather occurs during your trip.

. Keep your wireless phone accessible, but have the ringer off or on vibrate.

. Do not use your wireless phone in the wilderness unless it is an emergency. Remember that others may not want to hear wireless phones in remote areas.

. Properly plan and prepare for your trip, as cell service may be intermittent in some remote areas.

. Have the local emergency phone number and, in remote areas, plan ahead and know where you can get a signal.

. If you need to call for help, be prepared to give specific detailed information about your hiking party, location, and current situation.

MWSC holds racer camp

Eighteen middle-school age ski racers from around Aroostook County gathered in Presque Isle last weekend to participate in Maine Winter Sports Center’s second annual Middle School Racer Camp.

The first day’s activities at the Nordic Heritage Center in Presque Isle included team-building games, ski technique drills, roller-skiing and shooting practice on the biathlon range.

Overnight lodging and meals on the University of Maine-Presque Isle campus provided athletes with a chance to experience living on a college campus.

The camp wrapped up on Sunday with strength testing in the morning and a couple of exciting hours on the climbing wall at Gentile Hall in the afternoon.

Coaches Eileen Carey, Austin Ross, and Melissa York were pleased the level of participation at this year’s camp and the high level of enthusiasm from the middle school athletes.

“I was really impressed with the skiers,” Ross said. “Everyone had fun and worked hard. It was a great camp.”

The next adventure for the ages 11-14 group is a wilderness canoe trip on the Fish River on July 15-17. Participants need to be proficient swimmers. Those seeking more information may call the MWSC office at 492-1444.

Scarborough Triathlon filling up

Only a few spots remain available among the full field of 300 athletes that will compete in the first-ever Scarborough Triathlon on July 13. The sprint distance event will start from the state park beach and race along the coast and into the heart of Memorial Park, where the 350th Anniversary Celebration will be under way.

Beginning from Scarborough Beach State Park, athletes will embark on a one-third-mile out-and-back ocean swim, followed by 15-mile bike ride through Pleasant Hill neighborhood, along the coast, and over some of the most popular cycling roads in Portland (including Black Point, Sawyer, and Thorton Roads, Fickett Street, and Highland Avenue).

The race will finish with a 3-mile point-to-point run on the town’s newly updated trail system, heading in at the Eastern Road access point and winding around Scarborough’s scenic marshes.

Racers, comprised of first-time athletes and professionals, will come from Maine and the greater New England area, as well as from states in the Midwest, South, and California, to compete. Awards will be given to top three male and female overall winners as well as top three winners in each age and relay category.

“We’re thrilled that the first year of the Scarborough Tri has brought out so many athletes,” Nicole Pisani of Tri-Maine said. “The setting offers a great race venue, and finishing the event in the middle of the town’s anniversary celebration will definitely make the day a memorable one.”

There will be no parking at Scarborough beach on race day. Morning parking will be available in the Camp Ketcha and middle school lots with shuttles running back and forth for the duration of the race.

Those seeking more information on the event or Tri-Maine, may contact Amy VanHaren or visit www.tri-maine.com.