Monday's surpise snowstorm and seasonably cold temperatures have at last launched our winter here in Portland, a point underscored by two very different events, one yesterday and one tomorrow.

Yesterday the Portland Ski Club hosted its first competition of the season, a 3K freestyle event at Riverside golf course. Portland Ski Club sponsors a team comprising boys and girls from the city's three middle schools -- King, Lincoln and Moore -- coached by Anna Louise Englund, a former Bates College cross-country speedster.

Anna Louise is a real nordic Pied Piper who emphasizes broad-based involvement over results. Put it this way: Anna Louise measures her success by the number of kids who turn out, not by the times they turn in.

Boys line up for Portland Ski Club's 3K middle school race, held yesterday at Riverside golf course
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Competitors start in waves one minute apart
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Crossing the finish line yesterday at Portland Ski Club's 3K races
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While hanging out at the races yesterday, I met Mike Yeo, the roving coach for Maine Winter Sports Center. Mike's the southern Maine rep for the Caribou-based organization that's spreading nordic fever all over Aroostook County.

Mike told me that he's got 600 kids in various school programs spread across his vast territory, which runs from Eliot to Greenville. Throw in his own personal racing schedule, which included last weekend's White Mountain 30K, and Mike drives 3,000 miles a month for nordic skiing.

Tomorrow WinterKids, the Portland-based organization devoted to getting children active in the snow-season months, hosts "Welcome to Winter" at Payson Park. The free event, to be held between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., targets southern Maine's growing immigrant communities. Many of these people had never seen snow until they arrived in Maine.

As in the past, Governor John Baldacci will join the group, along with wife Karen, a former school nutritionist. They will arrive about 1 p.m. and a short speech is slated about 1:30 p.m. Governor Baldacci has declared this January to be Winterkids Month In Maine, recognizing the non-profit organization's 10th anniversary in helping Pine Tree State youngsters.

Introducing Portland's growing immigrant population to winter activities is the objective of "Welcome to Winter," now in its third year
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This will be the third time that Governor John Baldacci has joined the fun at "Welcome to Winter"
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The big idea behind "Welcome To Winter" is to expand immigrants' comfort zones by teaching about appropriate outdoor clothing and proper nutrition. And getting the kids involved in fun, healthy outdoor winter activites, such as snowshoeing and skiing.

Participating sponsors include Hannaford Supermarkets and L.L. Bean. WinterKids is also helped out mightily by TD Banknorth, Weight Watchers of Maine and Healthy Maine Partnerships.

WinterKids executive director Carla Marcus will be on the Kids First Radio Show tomorrow morning, promoting "Welcome to Winter" and her cause in general. The show, heard on WJAB 1440 AM and 95.5 FM Saturdays between 8-10 a.m., advances the idea that kids' sports are intended for kids -- first and foremost.

Regis Tremblay, host of the Kids First Radio Show, and Carla Marcus, executive director of WinterKids, will be heard tomorrow on WJAB 1440 AM and 95.5 FM
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The show is hosted by Regis Tremblay, the founder of The Center for Kids First. Yours truly, the Ski Bum, will also be a guest on the show, pointing out some of the myriad opportunities for kids to get involved in nordic skiing. We'll also be giving away a family pack of four cross-country day passes to Carter's XC ski centers. That's plural, because David and Anne Carter run two nice ones, in Oxford and Bethel.

Ski 40 km in Oxford and 55 in Bethel. Plus their Oxford location has a really excellent cross-country ski shop, too, where I've bought plenty of gear over the years.

The Ski Bum will also let listeners know that Maine Handicapped Skiing's Junior Volunteer Program gets started this Sunday. Twelve high school kids will be participating this year in a six-week training program. In total, MHS counts about 300 volunteer instructors -- including the Ski Bum -- who work with about 250 physically handicapped children and adults.

The non-profit organization is currently in its 25th year.

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