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2017
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| October 7 - 8 |
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Homecoming Weekend |
| October 20-22 |
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Bar Harbor |
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2018
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| January TBD |
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Board/Member Meeting |
| January 21-28 |
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Copper Ski Trip |
| February 6-13 |
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Banff/Lake Louise Ski Trip |
| March 1 |
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Full Moon at 7:51pm - hike, walk? |
| March 3 |
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Annual Winter Social and Dance |
| March TBD |
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Annual Meeting |
| June 9 |
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Coastal Bike Trip - Mere Point |
| June 14-17 |
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Sky Lodge of Moose River, Maine |
| June 21-24 |
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Quebec City Bike Trip |
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Range
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Events
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| Saturday Mornings |
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Five Stand Shoot |
| Sunday Mornings |
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Trap Shoot |
| October 8 |
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Turkey Shoot |
| October 8 |
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Five Stand Open House - noon 'til 3 |
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Your membership is valid through December 31, 2017.
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It is not too early to renew your membership for 2018 . . .
There are four ways to renew your membership:
- Join online using a credit card: Click Here
- Join online and pay with a check: Click Here
- Print this form, complete it and mail it with a check
- Renew by cash or check at the CVOA booth at Homecoming.
~ Cindy Foster, Secretary
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Future Events & Adventures
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Sure, and we will promote them for you!
It is not too late to add an event to the fall calendar; here are some ideas, we only need some leaders:
- Reed Falls hike and lunch in Kingfield
- Fall bicycling day trip
- Fall foliage hike
- Day in Camden and climb/drive Mount Battie
- Something else?
Plan a trip like one of these on short notice! We will send out an email to all members for you.
Also, we are looking for folks to lead and host our annual holiday cookie swap and hike or snowshoe.
~ Betsy Chapman, Events Coordinator
cvoa.adventures@gmail.com or 207-944-3264
PS - New to leading events? We can offer you guidance on how to manage a trip or event successfully.
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October 7th and 8th
Sure hope you are planning to attend Sugarloaf Homecoming this year!
As you are enjoying all the fun activities and meeting up with friends, stop by the CVOA booth in its usual spot by the stairs in the base lodge to say hello and check on our full list of upcoming events for 2017/18. Better yet, volunteer to sit a spell and visit with old and new friends coming by.
We are still looking for four friendly volunteers to help us at our booth Saturday afternoon from 12-2 and 2-4. It's a great chance to see old friends, share your great CVOA experiences in the outdoors, answer questions and sign up new members.
If you are willing to volunteer a couple hours to chat with people about your experiences with CVOA, please contact Bonnie at cvoa.vicepresident@gmail.com or call her at 207.735.3984.
~ Bonnie Farrar
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Annual Bar Harbor & Acadia Excursion
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October 20, 21 and 22
It is not too late to make your Cromwell Harbor Motel reservation.
We've got the whole Mt. Desert Island reserved for the weekend of October 20 - 22 (well not really, but it kind of feels that way) and you won't want to miss this popular CVOA event. You already know how special the Park is, especially with the fall foliage. Add to that a nice motel to stay at, lots of good eats in Bar Harbor, the infamous COVA happy hours, and to top it off, you get to enjoy all this with your CVOA friends. Feel free to bring guests with you as well.
We will be staying at the Cromwell Harbor Motel once again. It is in easy walking distance to downtown Bar Harbor. The rooms are $88 or $98 per night, subject to availability. We have not pre-booked any rooms, so it is recommended you make your reservation with the Cromwell Motel ASAP. You can cancel the reservation up to 7 days in advance, with a $20 cancellation fee. First night deposit is required at the time of booking. Be sure to tell them you are part of the CVOA group.
Cromwell Harbor Motel
359 Main Street
Bar Harbor, ME 04609
Reservations: 1-800-544-3201
Our weekend goes like this: arrive Friday, hopefully early enough to get in a bike ride, a hike, or just a stroll through town. Friday is the traditional Al Diamon Memorial pub-crawl. We will meet up for happy hour around 5 pm at a local watering hole, or maybe we will do our own happy hour at the hotel. After happy hour, people head out on their own to find that perfect meal in one of the 40 area restaurants (see www.barharborinfo.com/dining for a list of restaurants). The motel does not have a restaurant so you will want to head into town for breakfast and lunch, or bring your own. Some of the rooms have kitchenettes; so inquire when booking your reservation. Saturday night plans are up in the air at this point, but we will have some sort of group get together for sure.
- There are literally hundreds of miles of hiking trails, some more challenging than others, but all are spectacular.
- The Carriage Trails are great for walking or biking and pass through some of the more beautiful sections of the Park.
- Biking the Park Loop is a great experience, probably one of the most scenic rides in the state.
- Kayaking around the many islands in the harbor is also a fun activity.
- Golf at one of the outstanding golf courses on the Island including Kebo Valley and Northeast Harbor Golf Club.
- Shop in the town of Bar Harbor as the stores are offering end of season deals.
- Farmer's market on Sunday morning just down the street, with lots of great local produce.
- Get up early and catch the sunrise on top of Cadillac - it is worth the effort!
Make your reservation at the Cromwell Harbor Motel, and let Pete Weston know you are going to attend. It is that easy!
~ Pete Weston
cvoa.adventures@gmail.com or call 207-831-8565
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Copper and Banff/Lake Louise
Our ski trips to Copper and Banff/Lake Louise are full, but you can add your name to a waiting list in case someone drops out. More information about the trips is on our web site.
Copper: Cindy Foster, Trip Leader, cvoa.secretary@gmail.com
Banff/Lake Louise: Gail Miller, Trip Leader, treasurer.cvoa@gmail.com
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Annual Winter Social and Dance
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March 3rd, 2018
For several reasons, we have decided to move the Annual Winter Social, traditionally held in January, to later in the season - there will be more members in the area, and fewer conflicts with other events. Joe has secured the
Stratton Community Center for Saturday, March 3rd
, and is working
with the band Delta Knights
on a contract for that night.
Now all we need is someone to organize the event! If you might be interested in leading this very popular event, give Joe a shout. He'd love to hear from you.
Joe can be reached at cvoa.president@gmail.com or 650-3099.
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The Fall Season is upon us and the shooting is fine!
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Weekly shoots:
- Five Stand Shoots every Saturday from 9am to noon, rain or shine!
- Trap Shoots every Sunday from 9am to noon, weather permitting.
How about them apples! Our shoots will continue until the snow flies.
Homecoming Weekend:
Saturday morning - the regular Five Stand Shoot
Sunday morning - a Turkey Shoot with games and prizes! The fun starts at 9am and goes til noon. If the weather is bad, we will change the Turkey Trap Shoot into a Turkey Five Stand Shoot, so don't let poor weather ruin your Homecoming Weekend! [Don't worry, no turkeys are shot! The prizes, however, are gift cards to purchase turkeys.]
Sunday afternoon - Five Stand Open House from noon 'til 3.
12:30 pm - Dedication of the new building
1:30 pm - Demonstration of a five stand shoot
We hope you will join us at the Range!
~ Diane Stone, Range Secretary
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CVOA to dedicate its new
Five Stand
Sporting Clay System on Sunday, October 8
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John McCatherin, on assignment from the Irregular
CARRABASSETT VALLEY - CVOA will formally
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kick off its new $70,000, five stand sporting clays operation at the CVOA range on Sunday, October 8. The new system, in the planning and construction phases for over a year now, will bring a whole new level of shotgun shooting, and some say a level of difficulty, to area gunners.
The operation utilizes six computerized clay throwers to simulate different bird and animal flights, such as upland birds and ducks and rabbits. Five shooters take positions spaced out along a 72 x 10-foot building, taking turns at clays thrown from six different positions, including one from a tower mounted on top of the building to simulate a bird in flight from behind the shooter. The building includes an operator's and scorer's bench where the various shooting combinations are programmed, and permits shooting in inclement weather conditions.
The five stand building was designed and built principally by CVOA members, including Peter Weston of Scarborough who designed it and donated most of the lumber for it; Harvey Packard of Eustis who built it; Neal Trask, chairman of the CVOA Range, who managed the entire project; and 30 or more volunteers who helped in the construction at various stages.
The new building is reportedly the only one in the northeast that meets all the standards for five stand shooting. It joins a long-standing trap system and rifle, pistol and archery ranges at the 16-year-old range. The need for a safe place to shoot was among the priorities when CVOA was formed in 1999.
Funding for the project included grants from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife and the Town of Carrabassett Valley, with in-kind donations of materials and labor from CVOA members making up the difference.
Open to the public, the open house for the new five stand project will run from noon to 3 p.m. the Sunday of Homecoming Weekend with an official dedication ceremony scheduled for 12:30 p.m. A five stand demonstration shoot will
take place at 1:30 p.m.
~ John McCatherin, founding member of CVOA
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Shown are three of six electronically-controlled clay throwers (black covers protect them from weather) positioned in front of the new Carrabassett Valley Outdoor Association's five-stand sporting clays building. One of the throwers is located in the tower on top of the building to simulate game bird flights from behind the shooter. The $70,000 project includes five shooting positions, a station for the computerized operator and scorer, storage and spectator space and can be operated in inclement weather. The new system will be officially dedicated starting at noon Sunday Oct. 8 as part of CVOA's Homecoming Weekend activities.
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NRA Range Officers Safety Training and Certification
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Looking for 10 Range members to attend
CVOA has arranged to send 10 members to a one day NRA Range Officers Safety Training and Certification course. The course will be held Friday, October 27, at Howell's Gun Shop, 81 W Gray Rd, Gray, ME. This will be an all-day course, from 9am to 6pm. CVOA will pay the cost of the course and provide lunch. We are hoping to entice some dedicated Range members to volunteer and become certified. This will be of great value for our ever growing range.
If you are interested in becoming a Certified Range Safety Officer or would like further information about the course or regular Shoots, please
contact Diane Stone.
~ Diane Stone, Range Secretary
(207) 240-4752 or cvoa.range@gmail.com
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A wonderful day at the Range for the Masons
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The CVOA Range hosted a Masonic fundraising event.
Excerpts from their letter of thanks:
Sept 25, 2017 -
Dear Neal,
On behalf of the Maine Lodge #20 Square and Compass Club I am enthusiastically extending our thanks to the Carrabassett Valley Outdoor Association for its generous contribution to our
Masonic Trap shoot fundraising event. We had a blast... literally. The competitors, guests and volunteers enjoyed a beautiful day at the CVOA Shooting Range.
A very special thanks to you and other CVOA members who volunteered their time and expertise to help us stage a safe, memorable and thoroughly enjoyable event.
The proceeds from this fundraiser will go a long way in enabling the Lodge to continue our community efforts and outreach with programs and other lodge functions . . .
Sincerely,
David S. Keith, Senior Deacon ML#20
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Any input? We'd love it...
The CVOA Facebook page appears to be well liked by those who visit it. I've been monitoring activity for the past few months. Monthly, the page reaches several hundred people who have previously "liked" it, and several dozen people go to the page and view it. The page has 384 "Followers" and this number has grown slightly most every month.
CVOA wants this page to best serve its members' needs and continues to seek input on the content and usage of its Facebook Page. Please send comments regarding why you viewed the CVOA Facebook Page and what information you found interesting or useful. If you do not visit our FB Page please tell us why. Thanks for your input which will help us make the CVOA Facebook Page more valuable to members and the public.
~ Steve Smith, Facebook Manager
cvoa.secretary@gmail.com or send him a message via Facebook.
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Results of the surveys
This project, that is gathering data from time spent fishing, was reasonably successful. Sonny Pierce, a retired state biologist, had taken on this project, to determine the sustainability of the fish in the pond.
Since it was first brought to CVOA's attention, there have been far more people fishing and filling out
the evaluation form, and many are CVOA members.
The reports gave Sonny the data he needed to make the determination that the pond is capable of supporting growth, and should continue to be stocked. We accomplished our objectives.
Thanks, Joe, for getting this community project out there for our support.
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Clickable Links:
OR Reply to this email newsletter, and your email will be forwarded to the appropriate person.
Why all the cvoa.....@gmail.com addresses, you might ask? Using these gmail addresses has allowed us to better protect our own personal email addresses from spam and unwanted emails. Thanks to Cliff George for setting us up.
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Past Events and Adventures
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Skydiving!! A report by Greg Foster
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September 8, 2017
I am kneeling at the door of the airplane
looking down 14,000 feet to the greenery below....do I really want to do this... "Ohhhhh expletive, expletive"... then BonBon, my guide, tipped us forward out the door, and down we went at breakneck, earsplitting speed. But more about that later.
The morning had begun around 9:45 for 4 adventuresome people (and understanding spouses) at the Skydive New England airport in West Lebanon, Maine. Our party included Joe Loughran, me, and Gail Miller's son Bill from Sanford and daughter Christine from Philadelphia. We signed in at the office and waited for our 10:00 scheduled "dry land training", which consisted of signing our life away on disclaimers, receiving some instruction on how the program of tandem jumping works, then watching a video of a jump. I was glad to have watched Joe Loughran's video of his first jump last year.
We waited a short while then were called to the Guide/Instructor room and were introduced to our guides for the day. Mine was BonBon, who has made more than 7000 jumps over the last 18 years. He got me some sneakers (he didn't like the tread on my boots) and a jump suit to put on. He next explained about the harness and how to properly step into it, and get it arranged, and adjusted. He then explained that we'd be attached together in the plane, just before the jump. He gave me an eye shield, but no helmet so he wouldn't get whacked in the face as I might thrash about as we left the plane. BonBon introduced me to my photographer, who started some of the filming.
A short time later, with the wind and clouds now favorable, we climbed up onto the shuttle vehicle that whisked us to the airplane at the end of the runway...four guides, four of us, two cameramen, and two or three licensed solo jumpers. We climbed into the plane and settled on the parallel metal benches, our two teams on each side, then the cameramen, and lastly, the other jumpers. Off we went, up through the puffy clouds, to settle at 14,100 feet. The last ones in were the first out, then our cameramen, one of whom hung onto a handle on the plane, then the right side bench emptied, then it was my turn...so I crab walked off toward the open door, with BonBon gently easing us toward the door, with his easy words of encouragement, until I was at the open door, looking down 14,000 feet, thinking to myself, "do I really want to do this...", then "OH ..EXPLETIVE..." and out we go...
Then a slight upward tug as the stabilizer chute was released to cut our speed slightly...but still a fast descent. Our cameraman giving us a thumbs up and big smile, to be mimicked. Still going fast, and very noisy, face feeling distorted and hair blowing. Lots of pressure building in the ears, so I started chewing my gum and swallowing. Then BonBon released the main chute, and up we went with a big tug on the harness which held me to my guide.
And then we began floating, and suddenly it was all quiet and we began our slow descent, turning left to see the ocean, then right to see the White Mountains. Slowly, slowly we continued our descent for a number of minutes toward the airport from where we had begun this adventure. As we neared the ground, BonBon told me to extend my legs straight out, then a small bounce, then a smaller one and we settled onto mother Earth. With a big exhale. A lifetime memory, captured on film. What a ride!!
~ Greg Foster
Check out the video Greg had made by Skydive NE.
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| Skydiving - a bucket list item. |
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September 17
On a sunny warm day in September, a dozen CVOA members and guests met for the quarterly board meeting at the Town of CV Park. The meeting began at 1:00 pm, and here is a summary of the meeting; you can read the complete minutes HERE.
- We began the meeting with a presentation by CVOA member Jim Wilson, from Cole Harrison Insurance. Jim gave a very well done presentation of the insurance CVOA holds: Directors and Officers, General Liability, and Property. He answered a number of questions that came up.
- Secretary Cindy Foster's report notes that we ended the membership year (effectively September 30, with renewals starting October 1st) with 477 memberships representing 896 members. Of those, 281 memberships include at least one range member, and 391 people are range members.
- Treasurer Gail Miller reported on the progress the newly formed Finance Committee has made in setting up policies and procedures that will insure the financial health of CVOA. She also gave us some details about our banking accounts, and how they are used and safeguarded.
- Range Secretary Diane Stone reported that the Five Stand project is nearing completion; Neal Trash has done an excellent job managing the project, and Harvey Packard and Pete Weston have made particularly significant contributions. There will be a Turkey Shoot (no turkeys are shot) during Homecoming Weekend. In October, there will be a training program for range safety officers, and they are looking for volunteers to attend.
- Bonnie Farrar reports that our booth in the base lodge at Homecoming has a few slots empty for volunteers to staff the booth.
- Cindy Foster will become the Keeper of the Calendar; anyone interested in running an event can check with Cindy for available dates.
- Joe Loughran reported on the Outdoor Center Pond surveys; see the article in this newsletter.
- Facebook Manager Steve Smith gave us a few stats on FB use, but would very much like more input from members.
- Bonnie Farrar initiated a discussion about the CVOA Hiking Guide, which we recently voted to discontinue printing until it is revised. Joe reviewed the reasons the guide was initially created in 2012: to provide a service, to make some money, to promote CVOA. Those will be under consideration in future talks or action.
- Joe is interested in moving the annual Winter Social and Dance to March; he will look into the possibilities, and welcomes input.
- There was no new business and the meeting was adjourned at 2:50pm.
Interested in reading the complete minutes? CLICK HERE.
~ Cindy Foster, Secretary
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AOEC presents Blacksmithing Demo
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Saturday, October 7
The Adaptive Outdoor Education Center is
hosting a blacksmithing demo by The New England School of Metal Work on Saturday, October 7th, from 10:00am - 2:00pm.
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$10 discount
Maine Huts and Trails offers a $10 discount on the cost of an annual Maine Huts & Trails membership to all CVOA members. Use the code "CVOA" online, or contact MH&T.
To see the benefits included with a MH&T membership, CLICK HERE.
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Do you have a photo suitable for "Photo of the Month"? Are you a CVOA member? If so, send your photo to: Cindy Foster, Newsletter Editor -
cvoa.secretary@gmail.com.
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Carrabassett Valley Outdoor Association
Valley Crossing #6
Carrabassett Valley, ME 04947
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