I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

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1 COSSA Bulletin December 2017 A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to Keep and Bear Arms shall not be infringed. The Constitution of the United States of America Second Amendment PRESIDENT S CORNER Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you great Americans! We want to thank you for all of your support and commitment to our beautiful range and to the family atmosphere created by individuals acting for the greater good to promote the shooting sports. It s been a tough year for us with the unprecedented closures we ve endured due to snow and the worst fire season to date. We appreciate your continued commitment while we all lost precious time at the range. We hope that 2018 s weather will be more kind to Central Oregon and we can get back on track with our work parties to continue projects that provide you a fun experience. I want to thank all of our volunteers that tirelessly give to the cause of making COSSA GREAT! We lost a $35,000 grant from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, ODFW, for our training center. The United States Fish and Wildlife, USFW that ultimately gives out the grants tried to mandate our hours of operations to be open to the public for walk-ins with absolutely no orientation or understanding of where to shot, what to shot, our Standard Operation Procedures, Safety Manuel Protocols etc. This exposure to liability was too great for COSSA to bear and may jeopardize the entire grant program from ODFW moving forward. It is my opinion that gun ranges are being attacked and left open for liability by the USFW. The grant dollars come from the Pittman-Robertson Act collected from Federal Excise tax. You may click on this link for more information: TML Funds from an 11 percent excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition [Internal Revenue Code of 1954, sec. 4161(b)] are appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior and apportioned to States on a formula basis for paying up to 75 percent of the cost approved projects. Project activities include acquisition and improvement of wildlife habitat, introduction of wildlife into suitable habitat, research into wildlife problems, surveys and inventories of wildlife problems, acquisition and development of access facilities for public use, and hunter education programs, including construction and operation of public target ranges. We will be discussing other ways to raise the funds for the training center including developing a 501.c3 so that we may take donations and be able to give the donors a tax deduction receipt. Under our current 501.c7 their donations are not tax deductible. Selling a limited number of lifetime memberships will also be considered. If you have any other ideas, I d like to hear from you. Merry Christmas, Sharon Preston, President I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E 2 Who was Bill Fockler? 3 Future Projects 7 Work Party Information 8 Calendar Find us on the web at Central Oregon Shooting Sports Association COSSA Bulletin 1

2 WHO THE HECK WAS BILL FOCKLER? His feet were in the Old West and his head was in outer space William R. (Bill) Fockler grew up in the then small central California town of Turlock (Pop. 4,000) where his father was manager of the Woolworth store. Bill acquired his work ethic partly from working for his father in the stock room. He was a regular at the Saturday afternoon Western matinees. And he would sometimes attend church, not because he was religious, but because he was fascinated by the stories the missionaries would tell about their adventures in darkest Africa. After graduating from Turlock high school in 1950, Bill joined the U.S. Army just in time for the Korean war. As part of his first overseas travel adventure, Bill worked in a motor pool and delivered movies to wherever projectors were located. After four years in the army, Sergeant Fockler attended Modesto Junior College and then University of California at Berkeley where he met and married Shirley Maas. Bill and Cal did not get along, so he tried Laney Trade School in Oakland where he became a certified airframe mechanic. From there, he went to the Lawrence Livermore Lab where, as a machinist, he helped build atom bombs. That was OK, but he once had to miss a weekend of deer hunting to observe a test blast in Nevada. fishing, backpacking, and scuba diving/spear fishing while providing a haven for their favorite animals CATS. Bill was an avid reader of both military history and science fiction. By the time the first Star Wars movie came along, he was so hooked on space travel that he took a family leave day from teaching to attend the premier showing of the first Star Wars in San Francisco. Later, he would apply for the teacher in space project in which teacher Christa McCauliffe perished along with the rest of the crew of the space shuttle Challenger in In one of his classrooms, Bill built a space capsule replica that the kids got to sit in on special occasions. A former student of Bill s showed up in his classroom one day to thank Bill for being the inspiration for the young man s becoming a history teacher. When Bill and Shirley retired in 1988, they settled on a 20-acre spread east of Bend on Rickard Road, which soon became a haven for several adopted horses. The shop (aka The Bunker ) at Chipmunk Ridge Ranch was where Bill installed his milling machine and continued doing amateur gunsmithing the rest of his life. He had a special interest in Spencer carbines and restored a couple. For a time, Bill and Shirley were both active in Oregon Equestrian Trails, and Bill was part of a Civil War reenactment group for which he sewed his own uniform. While building bombs, he took up fencing and became so proficient that he became an instructor in the sport. That inspired him to become a teacher, so he went to San Francisco State to get a teaching credential. That led to 25 years of teaching middle school social studies in the San Mateo area. Shirley was a travel writer and photographer specializing in Asia and the Pacific. Bill and Shirley did not have children, so they spent time and money on outdoor adventuring bicycling, motorcycling, sailing, deer hunting, duck hunting, COSSA Bulletin 2

3 Bill joined COSSA in 1992, and for the next 20 years it was the focus of his volunteer activities leading work parties, planning construction, clearing land, and serving as president for five years all because he was a believer in people having safe places to shoot. His last major effort was seeing the 1,000 yard Nosler range to completion. Like many of today s volunteers, Bill spent more time and effort making COSSA Park a better place than he actually did shooting or going hunting. But deer hunting continued to be his favorite outdoor activity. And he would never turn down the opportunity to instruct neophytes in outdoor skills. Two favorite stories Bill would tell on himself: Bill was an accomplished cook, whether at home or in camp. But he was best known for his deer camp cookery. When a fellow California hunter first sampled one of Bill s famous one dish baits, he said, Bill, this is shit... but it s g-oo-o-o-d shit.! Caught up in the Old West romance of a lone cowboy huddled by a campfire, one late afternoon Bill put some gear together, saddled up his favorite horse, and rode off into some adjoining BLM country. He made camp, started a small fire, and prepared to settle down for the night. He d only been stretched out on his bedroll for a short time before asking himself, Why am I doing this when I could be home in a comfortable bed. He was back home before midnight. Both Bill and Shirley were voracious readers of history and fiction and had a library of about 1,500 volumes. Bill died in 2012, age 80. Shirley died in 2017, age 84. Their ashes are spread on Pine Mountain overlooking COSSA Park. The author of this tribute was a close friend of theirs for 60 years. FUTURE PROJECTS FOR COSSA PARK BUFFALO RANGE NEW BUILDING AND COVER The new building and the line cover is now going up at the Buffalo Range. Construction will continue through the end of the year. Check the calendar for closures. GONG RANGE EXTENTION The first project we are planning for COSSA Park is extending the Gong Range out to maybe 1300 yards. This will require some tree cutting and brush burning. We are working with the Bend Fire and Rescue to use the tree cutting as a training class. We do not know at this time when this will be done. However, this should be done before the full winter sets in and we can cut and burn the brush as it is cut. When we coordinate with the Bend Fire and Rescue for a date for the class, this will be put on the COSSA web site. If you are planning on using the Gong Range, check the web site before going out. The Gong Range may be closed at times without prior notice when burning is being done if the weather is right for burning and these times will not be listed on the web site. NEW TRAINING CENTER We are trying to find a new training center that would replace the old single wide trailer. It would be about 1000 square feet and would be set up with heat and lights. This is in the planning stage. NEW CONEX STORAGE CONTAINER In the planning stage. COSSA KIDS COVER The cover has been in need of painting for years. However, the siding had deteriorated to the point that painting is not possible. Therefore, hardie board will be put over the existing USB and then the cover will be painted. Input from members for projects or improvement for COSSA Park is welcomed and encouraged. Contact Bill Lewis-lewis.w.l@hotmail.com COSSA Bulletin 3

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5 To Advertise in the COSSA Bulletin, contact Bill Lewis at Trading Post The trading post is a benefit that we provide for our members. Each ad will run for one month and then be deleted, unless it is resubmitted. To run an ad, content to lewis.w.l@hotmail.com by the 15 th of the month Gun books for sale: The following books are out of print and are hard to find; 1. The Powder Flask Book by Ray Riling-Hardback, first edition, 1953, in good condition-$ Winchester, the Gun that Won the West by Harold Williamson-Hardback, 1962, in very good condition-$ The Pennsylvania-Kentucky Rifle by Henry Kauffman-Hardback, 1960, with dust cover in very good condition- $ Handbook for Shooters & Reloaders, Vol 1, by P.O. Ackley, hardback, 1970, very good condition- $ American Gasoline Engines, Since 1872, by C. H. Wendel- Hardback,1983, in very good condition-$ Contact Bill Lewis or lewis.w.l@hotmail.com FOR SALE-Bullet casting outfit consisting of Magma Engineering Masterpot 40 pound bottom pour two orifice lead pot, Star lubricator/sizer with dies for 9mm,.40 S & W,.35 caliber, LBT bullet molds in 9mm,.40 S & W and.35 caliber, two RCBS mold handles, a LBT cast bullet hardness tester and a few lesser items. The whole lot for $ contact Calvin Weissenfluh at or calvon@bendbroadband.com FOUND: Stapler. Call or Rich Fleming to identify and describe where lost. rfleming@bendbroadband.com or If you have any questions about your membership or would like to receive an copy of this newsletter, please send an request to: COSSAmembership@gmail.com COSSA Bulletin 5

6 COSSA Disciplines The range is located ¼ mile east of Mile Post 24 on Highway 20 East. GPS location of turnoff road is N , W COSSA GENERAL MEMBER MEETING Meetings are held at the VFW Hall on 4 th Street and Olney on the 2 nd Thursday of each month at 7PM. There is no meeting in October. COSSA Kids Regular Shoots: Third Saturday of every month regardless of weather. Contact: Don Thomas COSSA Practical Shooters (CPS) USPSA-First Saturday of every month. 3 GUN-Third Saturday of months April thru October. IDPA- Second Saturday of months April thru November. Mixed Steel-Third Saturday of months November thru February. Contact: Dave Webb deployed_dave@hotmail.com Cowboy Action: Horse Ridge Pistoleros (HRP) First, Third & Fifth(if one) weekends of every month yearround. Contact: John Merritt Cowboy Action: Pine Mountain Posse (PMP) Second Sunday of every month year-round. Check our website or Facebook page for more information. Contact: Dave Romine or stonewoodkid@ymail.com Lady Hawks: Women s Defensive Shooting (LH) Second Saturday of months April thru October. Contact: Sharon Preston Central Oregon Precision Riflemen (COPR) Long distance high performance rifle shoots. Contact: Walt Angle Handgun Silhouette (HGS) First Sunday and third Saturday of each month, Matches begin at 9 am. Contact: Dan Butala Great Basin Sharpshooters and Pine Mountain Riflemen (GBSS and PMR) Fourth weekend of every month April thru October. Friday 8:00 am Lever Action Rifle Caliber, Military Bolt Action, Military Breech Loading, Single Shot (Friday p.m. range open for sighting in.) Saturday 8:00 am.22 Match, Buffalo match out to 1,200 yards Sunday 8:00 am Quarter Bore Match, Lever Action Pistol Caliber. Contact: Brownie brownienash@centurylink.net, Butch Butcheast2020@gmail.com, or Rod rj_camp@msn.com Great Basin Precision Rifle (GBPR) First Saturday and Sunday of months April thru October on the Buffalo Range. These shoots are set up for the beginner and experienced shooter to know their rifle, scope, judge distance, windage, working together as a team, keeping up your skills and to have a fun and challenging shoot. Match fee Saturday $ ,760 yards Match fee Sunday $ If you do both days $30.00 Targets: Steel, reactive targets, military infantry, iron maiden, IPSIC targets and more. Ammunition: NO steel core, green tip or military surplus. Saturday: Precision Rifle - 7:30 a.m. 1,000 1,760 yards. Shooting rounds. Rifle caliber up to.338 Lapua. Approximately 10:00 a.m yards. Shooting rounds. Rifle caliber up to 300 WM. Sunday: Semi-Auto 9:00 a.m yards rounds. Please Pre-Register. gbpr@cossapark.com Rod Campuzano, Match Director. COSSA Bulletin 6

7 WES KNODEL GUN & KNIFE SHOW The Gun show will be held at the Redmond Fairgrounds December 16 & 17. We hope to see you there. BRUSH BURNING Brush burning time. There is a lot of brush along the road for the Gong Range that was generated by the building of Gong Range and the Hi-Power Nosler Range. The dead brush and limbs is very unsightly and should have been removed long ago. Now is a good time to get that burned and we have a volunteer that will head that up, Eric Brown. Eric and Fred Newton, along with some others, usually have been taken care of burning the word pile behind bay 3 each year. This year, Eric has volunteered to take care of the burning of the brush along the Gong Range road. If member would like to help, please contact Eric or Bill Lewis. Conditions are such that we should have no problem with the burning. However, members may see smoking spots where the brush has been burned and the fires are out but still smoking. The vegetation has been checked to see if it will burn in those areas and it will not sustain a fire. We will start with small piles and when we get some snow, the larger piles will be burned. Some of the larger piles contain some large pieces and may burn for a while. Any member that sees a smoking area is requested to just drive by and check it out and ascertain that the fire is out and there is just smoke. If there seems to be a problem, please contact Bill Lewis WORK PARTY-NOVEMBER 2017 The weather cooperated for the November work party. It was cool and windy but we managed to get a lot of things done. Someone, will not mention names here, went crazy on the tractor with the brush hog and hogged a lot of brush. We also got some shelves built in the storage container so we can get some of our tooling and equipment organized. The repair of the steel targets and the birth of a new buffalo went well also. The usual things, garbage and trash, that need to be done each work party were taken care of also. The repair of the siding on the COSSA Kids cover was started and should be completed before the year is out. Since the old Public Range has been closed, people have been climbing over and through the 3 wire fence and it has been repaired several times. Therefore, a fence of Sheep wire, 4 X 4 squares, was put up to try and keep out trespassers; we will see how this works. We had a good turnout for the work party and the volunteers that attended were; Gary Estes, Roger Peterson, Larry Confer, Ed Ludwig, Mike Conley, Bob Lanter, Roy Shirakata, Don Thomas, Jim Crittenden, John Skovran, Bill Herrick, Jules Wetzel, Eric Brown, Mick Briscoe and Bill Lewis. In addition to the work that Eric Brown did one the work party day, he has since emptied the trash trailer and started burning the tree limbs that we had in the shotgun area. Thanks to all of the volunteers that came out. The next Work Party will be on December 6 and because it is now officially Winter, the work party will start at 10 AM. Bring a good lunch, gloves and warm clothes. See you there. COSSA Bulletin 7

8 DECEMBER 2017 CENTRAL OREGON SHOOTING SPORTS ASSOCIATION PO BOX 1606 BEND, OR COSSA Bulletin 8