SPORTSMEN S NOTES. The Official Publication of the Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen s Club September 2008

Transcription

1 SPORTSMEN S NOTES The Official Publication of the Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen s Club September 2008 SURPRISE GUEST LEAVES GOOD IMPRESSION WITH MEMBERS Grass Roots Candidate Monica Douglas States Her Position On Gun Legislation DMSC SHORT SHOTS At the next meeting, September 25, Lou Romito will show how to save a little money and make a couple of sports accessories at home from odds and ends. It s the start of dues collection time. New members signing up from October through December get the remainder of 2008 and all of 2009 for one price. We ve also entered into a reciprocal membership agreement with Washington Sportsmen Association regarding fees. Look inside on Page 6 for details on both topics. After her presentation, Monica Douglas elaborated on some of her points with president George Taylor. Intelligent, dynamic, articulate, knowledgeable and, most importantly, on point. Those are some of the impressions Monica Douglas left with the members at the August meeting. The members were expecting to see a commercial video about last month s Benelli shotgun exhibition. At the last minute Ms. Douglas asked to speak at the meeting, and her shots were as good as Benelli s. Ms. Douglas is running for the PA House seat from the 39 th district against twenty-three year incumbent David Levdansky. She made the November ballot because of her stunning write-in effort in the primary election. Monica shared with us that during her grass roots, door-to-door campaign she has noted that voters are frustrated with the fact that politicians have lost touch with their constituents. For instance, Ms. Douglas, whose remarks focused on gun control legislation, is a staunch second amendment supporter in her words, My The Junior Rifle Program report for the shows ten young shooters were able to benefit from this top notch experience. Instruction and practice for 2008 began September 16, but you can still sign up. We have the rifles, ammunition, and targets. All we need are the students. Call Miles Ford ( ) or Chuck Augenstein ( ) for details. Other instructors include Dave and Zach Willard, and Alan Jaworski. The entire instructor team personally cleaned the rifles, so we re good to go! Two recent events in neighboring Peters Township lottery deer hunting, and the efforts to save Canonsburg Lake may be of interest to you. Check Local News on page 9 for more information. Special thanks go out to Dick Davis and his son Richard. They took the initiative to put Inside This Issue SHORT SHOTS continued on Page 5 Dues News 6 Local News 9 League, PGC, PFBC News 10 Trading Post 11 DOUGLAS continued on Page 5

2 SHOOTING OPPORTUNITIES REMINDER: SUNDAY SHOOTING HOURS BEGIN AT 9:00AM. All shooting hours are posted on the clubhouse outside bulletin board. 2 PISTOL MONDAY NIGHT INDOOR Because the outdoor season was 12 weeks instead of 16, the indoor program began early this year September 8. The first line shoots at, the second at 8:00. Call the program leaders, George Taylor (412) or Bruce Ungar (412) , for additional information. SATURDAY OUTDOOR SILHOUETTE The outdoor program fires every fourth Saturday at 9:00AM. Call George Taylor (412) for additional information. The LAST SHOOT is September 27. NOTE: There is a FRIDAY afternoon silhouette SETUP from about 1:30 to 4. TRES BANDIDOS. Due to popular demand, there will be a shoot at 6PM on Wednesday, October 29. Call George Taylor for details. RIFLE NRA 200 YARD HIGH POWER The program fires at 9:00AM the first Saturday of each month. The program added a modified F class that permits the use of scopes. Call John Tupta (724) , or Al Jaworski (724) for equipment requirements and other particulars. The LAST SHOOT is October 4. SMALL BORE Our Pittsburgh Suburban Rifle League championship team will be starting its season soon and is always looking for additional shooters. Practices start at. Sundays. Matches shoot Wednesday evenings. Rifles are limited to 22-caliber rim fire. Practice and coaching is available in all four positions. The fee is $2.00 per session. Contact. Call Dean Trew, (724) , if you re interested in joining a winning team. CIVILIAN MARKSMANSHIP PROGRAM The regular matches are held the third Sunday of the month and start at 11:00AM, with the range available at 9:30. However, September 21 there will be the 9th Annual Garand Memorial Match starting at 10:00AM. For information, call Al Marsico at (724) For regular CMP, new shooters must contact Al for a safety orientation prior to shooting. For information, call Al Marsico at (724) CARBINE There will be a CMP sanctioned carbine match on October 12. Call John Tupta (724) , for details. BLACK POWDER. Contact Ron Watton, (724) , or watton2@verizon.net. SHOTGUN TRAP will shoot on Tuesdays at through October, weather permitting. Call Doug Gawronski, , for info. 5-STAND shoots the first and third Sundays, through September. Call Tom Kramer, , for more information. U.S.R.A. POSTAL LEAGUE DMSC will again participate in the U.S.R.A. Winter Postal League. The ten (10) week program, January thru March. The fee for annual membership in USRA is $25.00 (new), or $20.00 (renewal). Additionally, there is the cost of targets for the events in which you choose to participate. Programs are available for rim fire, center fire, and air pistol. Teams are now forming. Contact Robert Nipar (412) or rknipar@verizon.net for more information.

3 3 OCTOBER 2008 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday WP All Upper Ranges Closed During Event Lower Pistol Range Closed During Event All Ranges Closed During Event Weather Permitting 1 PSRL Smallbore Rifle :00AM NRA Highpower LAST SHOOT 5 PSRL Small bore Rifle 6 Indoor Pistol (NMC) 7 Jr. Rifle (instruct) - 10:00PM Trap WP 8 12:30-3:00 Open Pistol PSRL Rifle Match Murrysville 9 7:30PM Board Meeting :00AM CMP Carbine Match PSRL Small bore Rifle 13 COLUMBUS DAY Indoor Pistol (NMC) 14 Jr. Rifle (instruct) - 10:00PM Trap WP 15 12:30-3:00 Open Pistol 6:30PM PSRL Rifle Bye/ Practice :00AM CMP Match PSRL Small bore Rifle 20 Indoor Pistol (NMC) 21 Jr. Rifle - 10:00PM Trap WP 22 12:30-3:00 Open Pistol PSRL Rifle Green Valley 23 8:00PM Members Meeting PSRL Small bore Rifle 27 Indoor Pistol (NMC) 28 Jr. Rifle - 10:00PM Trap WP 29 12:30-3:00 Open Pistol PSRL Match Frazier 6-9:30PM Tres Bandidos 30 31

4 4 Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen s Club P.O. Box Pittsburgh, PA Next Membership Meeting: September 25, 2008 Speaker: Lou Romito Shows DIY Outdoor Accessories EXECUTIVE STAFF GEORGE TAYLOR IV... PRESIDENT THEODORE HILDABRAND...VICE PRESIDENT ELLSWORTH F. VINES...TREASURER MILES FORD...RECORDING SECRETARY GREG FINK.MEMBERSHIP CHAIR BRUCE UNGAR...EXECUTIVE RANGE OFFICER LOU ROMITO......NEWSLETTER EDITOR MEMBERSHIP CLASSIFICATIONS AND DUES Active (Full-fledged membership) $70.00 per year Senior (65 years old, 10 years consecutive membership) $25.00 per year Intermediate (18-21) $25.00 per year Junior (12-17) $ 5.00 per year Initiation fee (one time) $25.00 Computer Gate Card $10.00 CLUB DIRECTORS ROBERT L. ATKISON CHARLES R. AUGENSTEIN, II GEORGE A. DIETZ MILES R. FORD DOUG GAWRONSKI THEODORE K. HILDABRAND THOMAS H. KRAMER, JR RAYMOND C. NIST LOU ROMITO EARL L. TAYLOR GEORGE TAYLOR, IV BRUCE D. UNGAR ELLSWORTH F. VINES RONALD J. WATTON DAVE WILLARD AFFILIATIONS: National Rifle Association Allegheny County Sportsmen s League Washington County Sportsmen s League Metropolitan Police Revolver League Pittsburgh and Suburban Rifle League National Sporting Clays Association SANCTIONED BY: Department of Civilian Marksmanship Pennsylvania Rifle and Pistol Association United States Revolver Association CLUB COMMUNICATION Club Web Site: Club House Phone: (724) Membership Inquiries: DMtLSCMembers@aol.com (412) Newsletter: louromito@gmail.com MEMBERS ARE EXPECTED TO CARRY THEIR GATE CARDS AND BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES WHEN ASKED TO BY ANOTHER MEMBER OR THE CARETAKERS

5 5 DOUGLAS continued from Page 1 belief in the 2nd amendment is absolute and my support is unflinching. In the meantime, her opponent has joined forces with the Philadelphia caucus when it comes to supporting legislation that is characterized as anti-gun and anti-second amendment. This ignores the opinions of the Western PA voters he was elected to represent. Monica also pointed out his arrogance in bragging to the NRA that he is untouchable and can t be voted out. And, as the powerful Chairman of the House Finance Committee, he bottles up any legislation he doesn t agree with even though it may have been passed by the House. SHORT SHOTS continued from Page 1 pipes in the ground to hold the target frames at the lower pistol range. They also arranged, through Mendel Steel in Bethel Park, to have 6 new steel target frames fabricated at a cost of about 3/4 of what we have been normally paying. Given the rising cost of steel over the past few years, that's a pretty good deal for us. Dick also made a CAD drawing of the target frames so that we could have them fabricated in the future. Monica is a graduate of Clarion University with a degree in Political Science and History, and attended Duquesne University for Graduate studies. Currently, Monica is the Executive Director of the Republican Committee of Allegheny County. In 2003 Monica was elected to the Elizabeth Borough Council and re-elected in She has served as President of Council since 2006, quite a sign of respect for the lone Republican on the otherwise Democratic Council. A native of Elizabeth Township, Monica knows the people and will not lose touch with them. She is committed to bringing her experience and dedication to public service to the communities in the Mon Valley. She intends to serve the 39th Legislative District with the same integrity she is known for in her local community. The 39 th district spans two counties. In Allegheny it includes the City of Clairton, Elizabeth Borough, Elizabeth Township (partial), Forward Township, Jefferson Hills Borough, South Park Township, and West Elizabeth Borough. In Washington it covers Carroll Township (Wards 1 & 2), Finleyville Borough, New Eagle Borough, Nottingham Township, and Union Township. In related news, we are not able to pass along to you any information on the positions of State Representative Matthew Smith, who represents members from parts of Mount Lebanon, Bethel Park, and Castle Shannon. Although he has expressed a desire to exchange views with the Board, Mr. Smith has missed the last three appointments. Dates to remember for planning purposes are September 21. Garand Memorial Match October 12. CMP Carbine Match November 9. Antique Rifle Match Start your Xmas shopping early and check the Trading Post page for our new club logo camo baseball caps for $10. They are the current fashion rage. On August 15, two administrative law judges denied a number of applications from Allegheny Power to continue the installation of power lines through the southwest corner of the state. The judges determined the Trans- Allegheny Interstate Line Co. has not met its burden of proving its request for action is necessary or proper for the service, accommodations, convenience, or safety of the public. In all probability, the fat lady isn t finished singing. This project is just too big for the power companies to walk away from it without more legal battles.

6 6 LISTEN UP For whatever reason, some of you are still confused about the details of the membership process. Here are some reminders: You do not get a new membership card every year. Your gate card is your membership card. If you need club identification to make purchases at Camp Perry, we will provide you a special identification upon request. You do not get a monthly newsletter in the regular mail. The Sportmen s Notes is now electronic and is on the club website, with a new issue showing up around the third Thursday of every month. The dues went up a couple of years ago. The cost of an annual active membership is $ DUES NEWS It s never too early to start collecting dues for next year. Basic dues are the same. Active $70.00 per year Senior (65 years old, 10 years consecutive membership) $25.00 per year Intermediate (18-21) $25.00 per year Junior (12-17) $ 5.00 per year Do not include the one-time $10.00 charge for the gate card. Make checks payable to the Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen s Club and mail them to: DMSC P.O.Box Pittsburgh, PA NOTE for prospective new members. If you join the club in October, or November, or December your annual payment gets you the rest of 2008 plus all of We have entered into a reciprocal membership agreement with the Washington Sportsmen Association. The agreement with them is that our members can join WSA without paying the Initiation Fee. Their members can join us with the same arrangement. All that s required is to fill out the form on the next page and send it in with a dues check. The club s primary focus is trap and skeet. The grounds, located near the Arden trolley museum, are very nice and the equipment is readily available since it is a token-driven, pay-asyou-go operation. A BEFORE ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME, or at least to the club house. What do you think about the new asphalt paving job done by Fawn Valley as the first phase of our road improvement project. PennDOT should do so good. The planned work on the road from Linden to the bridge was postponed until spring, when we can get this winter s anticipated damages smoothed out. Board member Bob Atkison is heading the project and the extent of his expertise and negotiating skills are evident is this initial undertaking. Nice work, Bob. AFTER

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8 8 PISTOL SHOOTING FEES PROGRAM $FEE PER SMALL BORE Silhouette Outdoor Silhouette Indoor Monday Night 4.00 Practice Session 7.00 Competition Session 3.00 Session 1.00 Line Rifle 3.00 Session CAR TRAILER FOR SALE. $5500. AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION CALL ELL VINES FOR INFORMATION Dimensions: 7 6 center height 8 4 width 24 length Tandem axle Torsion suspension Aluminum wheels Trailer Specifications Brakes on both wheels 7000 lbs. GVW Wood grain inside finish Man door and drop door SHOTGUN Trap 3.00 Session 5-Stand Shot Round Four Rounds 2.50 Round Under 16 yrs. CENTER FIRE CMP 6.00 Round w/targets Round w/targets and 64 rounds of ammo MISC NRA 200 Yard Beginners Rifle Winter Postal 6.00 Round w/targets Week Program 2.00 Practice Session year membership Fees vary by discipline You can get daily NRA news reports in small Doses or a big chunk at NRA NEWS.com

9 9 LOCAL NEWS FUNDS REQUESTED TO SAVE CANONSBURG LAKE Slowly but surely, Canonsburg Lake is becoming less of a lake and more of a marsh land. Little Chartiers Creek that runs through the club property flows into the lake. As you cross the bridge to the upper ranges you can see the nature of the stream mud and silt. Those components are heavily concentrated in the lake. As a result the lake is getting shallower and recreational opportunities are diminishing. The Army Corps of Engineers estimates it will cost more than $4 million to dredge the lake, with 65 percent of the total to be federally funded by them. However, the remaining 35 percent must be matched locally. The lake sits on the border between Peters Township and North Strabane Township. Last year, the two townships got together and asked Washington County for $1.2 million of matching funds from the gaming revenues from the Meadow s casino. The request was not funded. That s where Peters Township comes into the picture. At its last meeting, Council was approached by members of the Canonsburg Lake Restoration and Improvement Committee. The committee has been told that county funds will not be considered unless the two townships demonstrate monetary support for the project. The CLRIC asked Peters to contribute $100,000 toward the $1.5 million they are expecting to have to raise in matching funds for the aquatic ecosystem restoration of the lake. The chairwoman of the committee, told council that CLRIC also intends to ask North Strabane Township for the same amount of money. The response from Council was positive. The Council Chairman told the group that council would take their request under advisement during their upcoming budget process, noting that some monetary contribution from the township would be appropriate. LOTTERY HELD TO ADDRESS THE DEER PROBLEM IN PETERS The carcasses you see along the roadside in Peters Township from car-deer collisions tell the story. There are too many deer in Peters about a thousand too many. To correct the situation, the township recently held its first lottery to assign 45 qualified hunters to specific locations to begin shooting deer Sept. 20. The lottery was conducted by Peters Township police Captain Michael Yanchak. (Mike is a club member and our delegate to the Allegheny County Sportsmen s League as well as being on the ACSL board. He reports on ACSL activities at our monthly membership meetings.) The hunt will not involve firearms. The hunters must hunt during regular hours and must shoot either a bow or crossbow from a tree stand or similar elevated position. This is in contrast to the Mt. Lebanon cull which is being done by contract hunters who are using night-vision scoped, silenced rifles. Each hunter must harvest a doe first. For each doe taken this fall, that potentially eliminates three deer by next spring - the doe and the twin fawns she could produce. There is no limit to the number of deer the archers can take once they get a doe. Each of the hunters, who had to meet a series of stringent testing requirements, will be assigned a spot in the 44 designated open-land locations including township-owned property and specified private land. Some of the public areas to be hunted are Peterswood, Peters Lake and Rees parks. All areas will be posted. Hunters are also assigned to Forest Lawn Gardens cemetery, but Queen of Heaven cemetery opted out.

10 MEETING NOTES FROM THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY SPORTSMEN S LEAGUE AND THE WASHINGTON COUNTY SPORTSMEN S AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE (Delegates Mike Yanchak and Bob Kirsopp) The WCSCL did not hold a meeting in August. At the ASCL September meeting there were reports on three bills. HB2205 the PGC offered testimony before the House Game and Fisheries Committee. This bill would increase penalties for a variety of wildlife violations. For example, under the law as it currently stands, a person could kill literally hundreds of deer and the penalty is a mere summary offense, the legal equivalent of a traffic ticket. This unlawful taking of wildlife is a theft of the property of the citizens of the Commonwealth and should be a felony. 10 SB1527 decreases from 180 to 60 the required number of consecutive days a member of the PA National Guard or a military reserve component days on active duty to be eligible for a military hunting license; raises the cost of a resident-adult license by $5 increments every 3 years to $35 by 2015; cost of a resident antlerless deer license to $15 by 2015; resident migratory bird-hunting permit to $5; reduces non-resident junior hunting license to $5. It has been referred to Senate Game & Fisheries Committee. Also, the ACSL will draft a letter of support of HB779 to eliminate the ban on Sunday hunting. WCO Larry Furlong mentioned the PFBC Commission is looking for a few good women and men for a career as a Waterways Conservation Officer. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age, applications, available at will be accepted between August 13 and October 1. PENNSYLVANIA GAME COMMISSION NEWS There are a number of PGC related activities this month.on Sept. 19 and 20, the 2008 Elk Expo will be held at the Elk County Fairgrounds in Kersey, Elk County. In Crawford County, the 27th annual Pymatuning Ducks Unlimited Waterfowl Expo will be held Sept in and around Linesville, Crawford County. Also on Sept , the Game Commission s Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area will host the 22nd Annual Middle Creek Wildfowl Show. On Tuesday, Sept. 23, representatives of the Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, along with several respected statewide sportsmen s organizations, will host a National Hunting and Fishing Day celebration in the East Wing Rotunda of the State Capitol in Harrisburg. On Sunday, Sept. 28, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Middle Creek will host a National Hunting and Fishing Day celebration. As of Monday, Sept. 8, applicants were permitted to apply over-the-counter at county treasurers offices in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D. Beginning Monday, Nov. 3, hunters may apply over-thecounter for unsold antlerless licenses in all other WMUs. PENNSYLVANIA FISH AND BOAT COMMISSION NEWS While most attention at this time of year is on hunting, there are still some great fishing opportunities available. The PFBC has an interactive page on its website that can pinpoint some of the fishing hot spots for you. In fact, it s titled Fishing Hotspots. From a drop down menu, you select the species you are interested in. Fish icons then appear on a PA state map ( from Google) that you can enlarge. Click on the icon and a push pin pops up. Click on the push pin and you get a description of the location the type of fish and other relative information. For example, one entry showed the following info for small mouth bass. Pool # 3 from Cheswick to Natrona, between Allegheny and Armstrong Counties. There are two boat accesses in this pool. The Springdale access is located at the lower end of Colfax Street, off Freeport Road, in Springdale You have options on the map to get a view with just street names, just a satellite photo, or a combination of both. Try it at

11 THE TRADING POST 11 For sporting equipment associated with club related activities shooting, hunting, fishing, and archery. That means no golf clubs, soccer shoes, weight benches, old tires, personal dating services, etc....you get the point. I WANT TO BUY OFFICIAL DORMONT-MT. LEBANON SPORTSMEN S CLUB APPARREL Wait a minute!!! I can get some by calling Chuck Augenstein, the DMSC merchandising program manager, at I WANT TO SELL RUGER 77 MARK II R 7mm Remington Mag. 98% bluing, walnut stock, Remington 4X12X40 Scope, Ruger rings, Ruger padded leather sling, original box, manual, and lock. Only 104 rounds through the barrel. 116 rounds of various new factory ammo. 104 once fired casings. $700 for everything. Call Marc (412) (9/08) A C D B E MARTIN COMPOUND BOW, MagCat Magnum kit, 33 inch end-to-end, 55-70# draw weight, 4 arrow quiver, never fired due to shoulder injury, orig. $450, sell $275 (additional 10% discount to DMSC members). Call Lou (412) (9/08) A. Short sleeve pocket tee shirt, $10 B. Club cap, camo, adjustable $10 C. Long sleeve denim shirt, $30. D, E. Short sleeve polo $25. Available in colors shown. State size, S-M-L-XL S&W MODEL style stainless double action 45 ACP SA pistol w/ adjustable rear sight and w/3 magazines, excellent condition, $600. Transfer fees at buyer s expense. STANDARD TRUCK TOOL BOX, 5 X 1.5, w/sliding tray, Weatherguard white, good condition, best offer. For either item contact Ted at (724) or tkhaquariusnetwk@comcast.net. (8/08) The Trading Post is a free clearing house service for DMSC members. It bears no responsibility or liability for accuracy of information, item condition, or reliability of submitter. Mail Trading Post items to DMSC P.O.Box Pittsburgh, PA 15241, or to louromito@gmail.com. Indicate whether you want to buy or sell, list the general item, then specific details, and include a contact point, as well as a picture if available. After two issues the item will be removed unless the submitter requests an extension.