Around the
ATA * May 2010
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Information for Around the ATA is provided to Trap & Field by state and provincial ATA Delegates and/or their designated representatives. Shooters and local officials: Please inform your ATA Delegate of news about shooters and clubs in your area. Southwestern Zone Missouri The Missouri board of directors has approved the following selections for the Missouri state teams. Should you see anything different, please let me know. Men’s—captain Leo Harrison III, Bobby Chambers, Ron Carneal, Dennis Whitlock, Dennis Alkire, Don Sappington, Marvin Beumer, Gary Gooch, David Deitch, Larry McKinley. Women’s—captain Dana Hoover, Beth Teegarden, Pamela Lewis, Diane Franklin. Junior—captain Rachel Hopkins, Steven Wallace, Brandon Alexander, Alan McNabb, Chris Gerber. Sub-junior—captain Lee Rucker, Collin Becker, Ryan Crump, Trevor Shockley, Elijah Bridges. Veteran—captain Fred Naugle, Karrol Hillebrand, David Williams, James Overstreet, Dempsey Gottschalk. Senior vet—captain Tom Lukomske, Curt Wakely, Norman Provow, Dale Atkinson, Jim Badaracco. Missouri State Shoot dates are May 10-16. Should you need help, please contact me or the gun club at 573-346-2449 and ask for Jennie or Robert Rush or Lyndle Pruett. See you on the trapline. Karrol Hillebrand ATA Delegate
New Mexico Dale Rechtenbach, our ATA Delegate, has resigned due to the nation’s economic impact on his company. Business before pleasure. Dale’s enthusiasm and devotion to improving trapshooting among clubs and shooters will be missed. The state thanks him for his efforts, and we look forward to his and Laura’s return. I’ve assumed Delegate responsibilities, and Rick Camp has been appointed Alternate Delegate. Jim Copsey, Mike Grady and Dyllon Drake were our state’s trophy winners at the Spring Grand. Albuquerque TC started their shooting year March 6-7 with a good turnout and relatively good weather. Thanks to the officers and members. Alamogordo TC hosted a well-attended Annual Shoot March 12-14. Plenty of food followed Saturday’s events, and a good time was had by all—especially Joe Max, who took home most of the trophies. Heads up for annual shoots in May at Truth or Consequences, Albuquerque and NRA WC. Albuquerque TC staff and members are readying for the state shoot. All club RV sites are taken, and the club has arranged for 15 sites at Isleta Lakes RV Park, 3/4 mile south of the club. Contact there is Jackie at 505-244-8126 or michellk@isleta-casino.com. I can be reached at 505-922-1392 or ata100@comcast.net. Roy Willis ATA Delegate
Oklahoma March started the registered shooting season at Oklahoma clubs. George Wise reported a great turnout of 58 shooters at Shawnee Twin Lakes TR March 7. Mike Meeks was high in the singles with 97 and Bennie Livingston in handicap with 90. Tim Mount and Charles Boyanton tied in the doubles with 91, and Tim won the shootoff. Bennie paced the HOA. OTA SP had a cool, windy March 13-14 weekend. Satruday Rick McCauley and Thomas Brooks were high with 96s. Kevin Lange won the handicap with 94, and Rick topped the doubles with 97. Sunday Larry Parsons and George Wise were high in singles with 99s. Jack Miller III from Texas and Jayton Bryant led the handicap and doubles, respectively, with 94s. Ada T&SC was not able to have their March shoot because of cold weather and strong winds. Complete scores of these shoots will be in Trap & Field and on the OTA website www.otatrapandskeet.org. Bill Nessler from the Oil Capital GC in Tulsa informed me that Eddie Todd just lost his life in a motorcycle accident. He enjoyed riding his motorcycle and shooting trap. Eddie worked at Blue Bunny Ice Cream for years. He served on the OTA board at one time and helped maintain the Pat-Traps for OTA and Oil Capital. We will all miss Eddie, and condolences go out to his family. Preparations have been made for a great state shoot June 1-6 at the OTA SP in El Reno. I hope to see you there. Tim Deister ATA Delegate
Western Zone Alaska As I write this, weather is definitely moving into spring, but we have learned the hard way not to count our chickens. A couple of years ago we got 27˝ of snow overnight during the second week of April. The March shoot at Birchwood went well, with several new shooters signing up despite relatively cold weather and poor light. Sunday’s handicap was a tie between John Rivera and Brad Bowen, with John prevailing in the shootoff. Good shooting under less than ideal conditions. The Juneau GC is gearing up for its two-day shoot early in May. Contact club president Tammy Kramer for more information at tammy_kramer@dot.state.ak.us. Bobby Emerick of Scattergun Stocks (www.scattergunstocks.com) has once again donated some beautiful wood to the state association in support of our state shoot. Contact Jeff Pokorny at JPokorny@cookinlethousing.org if you are interested in bidding on the wood. Plans continue for the state shoot July 14-18 in Chugiak; come join us! I can be reached at 2kaisers@mtaonline.net. Dave Kaiser ATA Delegate
Arizona Roger Junkins shot at and hit his 50,000th doubles target on March 18 at Ben Avery CTC. Jim Kelly (Dr. Doubles) is recovering from successful hip replacement, so until he returns, others will be able to win at doubles for a while. At the annual meeting during the state shoot, the membership elected to retain the current board of directors: president Larry Mane, vice president John (Gunny) Scanlon, secretary-treasurer Betty Sackett, and directors Steve Long, Doug Sims, Michael Braegelmann, Richard Luckett, George Miller and Tim Robb. Doug Hawkins has retired as ATA Delegate, and Richard Luckett was elected the new Delegate. Tim Robb was once again elected Alternate Delegate. Recognized at the awards presentation were Arizona Hall of Fame inductees Jim Sharp and Paul Wolf plus the state team members. [See December issue, Page 8 for list of team members—Ed.] We also understand Don Carlson has shot more than a half-million targets in his career, most of them with the same Perazzi. Other honors awarded to Arizona trapshooters can be found at www.aztrap.com. This month there have been successful Winter Chain tournaments at Ben Avery, Lake Havasu, Casa Grande and Double Adobe, culminating with the state shoot at Tucson. At the state shoot we had some rain, great days and some wind—yep, gusts to 40 mph—but those climatic activities did not limit the enthusiasm for shooting and enjoying each other’s company. During the March Winter Chain, Casa Grande had over 700 entries, and Ben Avery had more than 1,100 at their tournaments. Both clubs are making improvements to their facilities. We thank all of our winter visitors who left the frozen north to visit. This year Casa Grande TC was awarded a $25,000 grant for improvements to their facilities by Arizona Game and Fish. Currently a new skeet field has been built, and other improvements are planned. Thank you, Don and Tiger Volz. It is my intent and mission as your ATA Delegate to keep open lines of communication with all Arizona shooters. I’m working on a website where you can see other information about what is taking place in Arizona and the Western Zone (www.Arizonadelegate.com). Please visit my website for complaints, honors and recognition, so I can serve you. You can also contact me via e-mail at RichardLuckett@Arizonadelegate.com or on my cell phone at 520-907-1895 regarding anything on your mind, and I will attempt to find you an answer. Please continue to enjoy our wonderful sport and visit the ASTA website for shoot schedules and results. And finally, as my longtime friend Jerry Green (Verde) would say . . . keep your wood on the wood and shoot a little ahead of every target. Richard Luckett ATA Delegate
California Congratulations to Blake Fahmie, who won A runnerup in the Spring Grand class singles. And again, congrats to Kerrie Largent. She won a trophy in each of the three disciplines; now that’s a well-rounded shooter. Thanks again to Tucson T&SC management for a wonderful shoot. It was nice to see Blake and Kambra Brawner, two of the many students from Lindenwood College who came out and shot. At the Southern Grand David Kelly continued his shooting rampage with 100s in two early doubles events (the first one five targets over the next-high score) and fifth place in a prelim handicap. Tommie Lee and Jennifer Wilburn also won (Jennifer probably had to buy an extra suitcase to get her eight trophies home). Sunnyvale R&GC is adding a trap. They are relocating an old field and adding the new one between it and an adjacent one. This will give them a total of five trapfields. They should have the new field installed by the time you read this, so if you’re in the area, go check it out. Winter Chain shoots are in full swing; winners to date are Cole Rao, Stockton, 96; James Eichler Jr., Barstow, 92; Aaron Holguin, Kingsburg, 98; and Brandon Baggs, Kern Co., 94. Chain shoots will go on until May 23; check our website at CGSTA.com for all shoot information. Congratulations to Tim Bowman, who shot his first 100 straight in doubles at Tulare Co.’s March ATA shoot. Our state shoot will be here before you know it. It’s being held at Kingsburg June 22-27, with the Pre-State Shoot June 20-21. Hope you’ll plan to attend, and I hope you have a great month of shooting. Eileen Williamson ATA Delegate
Idaho Idaho welcomes you to the most beautiful part of the United States with the most gracious people you could ever want to meet. Our state shoot is in Boise, our capital, May 28-31. Please make it a vacation to shoot and see the sights, plus fishing season opens that weekend. We are blessed with great weather at that time—warm days and cool evenings. Our state is large in size and heart, and the deepest gorge in North America is in Idaho. The state boasts many trap clubs, all with a welcome sign. Come be a part of our community, if only for a visit. Mike Rinard ATA Delegate
Montana The Spring Grand was a great shoot for a number of the 31 Montana shooters in attendance. Tom Kuka shot a 98 in the premier handicap to capture third, and his score added to that of bride SharlaRae Stuber resulted in the husband-wife trophy for the couple. Derek Stinger placed sixth in the same handicap and snagged several other trophies during the Spring and Pre-Spring competitions. Gunner Cesnik won AAA singles with 100 and 149 in carryover. Ken Brunkhorst was in a shootoff for champion and veteran in Thursday’s singles. Pat Ryder gave a spectacular performance in the doubles with a gun that insisted on discharging both shots at once. We are all trying to decide if this helped his squadmate and partner in crime Jason Folvag, who won both AAA class doubles and the doubles championship. Montana’s All-American senior vet Don Rimmer, still recovering from his fall adventures with a motorcycle (contact his wife for the bike’s selling price), was held to only one trophy, his 98 good for senior vet runnerup in the championship doubles. While record rains dampened some events, recent improvements to the club made for a well-run shoot. Missoula hosted the first shoot of the calendar year. Eleven squads braved cold winds for Saturday’s fun shoot with a reward of Dewey Jewett’s famous corned beef. Weather improved to sunny and calm on Sunday, with 67 shooters taking the line. The club has lots of construction going on in advance of the Hoppie shoot, scheduled for May 7-9. Contact director Larry Flanagan for more information at 406-544-3599. The Great Falls TC is hosting the state shoot, and they are close to having the program out. If you have questions about the shoot, contact state director Jim Burman at 406-468-2751. Jim Jones ATA Delegate
Nevada This year’s Nevada State Shoot will be June 9-13 at Spring Creek T&SC in Elko, with Moe’s 300 Mini Doubles starting things off June 8. For reservations of a limited number of RV spaces or questions on the club, contact Moe Matys at 775-753-8549. Dinner will be served at the club Saturday for $9 per plate. Lunch only will be served Wednesday, while lunch and breakfast will be available Thursday through Sunday. Please plan on attending the annual membership meeting at 8 a.m. Sunday. If you would like to pre-squad, please go to presquad.com for details. I wanted to let everyone know that I’m planning not to run for Delegate this year. It has been my honor and great pleasure to serve the shooters of Nevada these years. I have the utmost respect for Nevada shooters since there were no major issues the entire time I served. Thank you. Capitol City will be having some good shoots, including ones to honor some of Nevada’s dedicated shooters: July 10-11, Bruno Shoot; Aug. 14-15, Silver Dollar Shoot; Sept. 4-5, Hall of Fame Shoot; and Oct. 16, CCGC Fall Classic. Check out their website www.capcityclays.com or call 775-882-9904. If you are interested in shooting at Sage Hill CS, check out their website www.sagehillclays.com or call 775-851-1123. Fallon TC is one of Nevada’s newest clubs to throw registered targets. Their website is www.fallontrapclub.com, or call 775-690-5512. Mason Valley TC can be contacted by e-mail at masonvalleytrap@yahoo.com, or visit www.masonvalleytrapclub.com. As most are aware, the Las Vegas GC closed its doors at the end of last year. It had a very long and colorful history. Thanks to Steve Carmichael for managing the club and throwing some outstanding shoots. The Las Vegas SP is up and running but currently is not throwing any registered targets. Tony Delfante and other shooters in the area are working with management to set up registered shoots. This is an outstanding facility, with 24 lighted trap and skeet fields. They are throwing targets Wednesdays through Sundays, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you get a chance to check out these facilities, please do so. Visit their website for more information: www.accessclarkcounty.com/depts/parks/locations/pages/Shooting_Park.aspx. I have also received information that Bob Taylor has passed way. Bob McDonald from Vegas wrote: Bob Taylor passed away March 14, one day short of his 88th birthday. Bob owned Bob Taylor GC in Las Vegas until he sold it in 1980. Bob hosted some of the most popular trapshooting tournaments in the country, giving away automobiles and some of the largest cash purses in history. He also cooked one of the best steaks around. Ann-Margret’s skeet shooting in the movie “Viva Las Vegas” was actually Bob breaking the targets just out of sight of the camera. Bob was an Elks member for 57 years, and his memorial was March 28 at the Elks Lodge in Las Vegas. When Steve Carmichael had his last shoot at the Las Vegas GC, Bob was able to stop by to say hello and have a few photos taken. If there are any issues or concerns you have, please contact me. My e-mail address is jhebert1@frontiernet.net, and my phone number is 775-934-0905. I hope to see you at the next shoot. John Hebert ATA Delegate
Utah A few weeks ago Purgatory CS held the last of their 2010 shoots. The folks at PCS are putting in a large covered patio in the front of the clubhouse, two concrete handicap parking pads, and concrete walkways for all of the trapfields. These improvements will benefit everybody, but they will especially make this facility friendlier for our fellow shooters who rely on a chair or scooter for mobility. If you didn’t get down to PCS this year, please make plans to do so in the fall. The Round Robin was concluded a few weeks ago, and the Northern Utah Open just finished up at Ogden; I expect that everyone is ready to move into the heart of the season. The next five months offer a shoot or two on just about every weekend, so map out your schedule and attend as many as possible. At the very least I hope you have made plans to attend a shoot at a club that you either haven’t been to or haven’t been to recently. One thing instructors advise us to maximize performance is to set goals. Whether it is to run 25 or 50 or to achieve the AA-27-AA pin, trapshooting is more fun when we have a goal that makes us work. One that can be achieved starting now is making the state team. State team requirements have changed a bit for this year; the club requirement can now be satisfied only by shooting at Utah clubs. Clubs outside of Utah don’t count for the club requirement, although those targets do count for the total target requirement. To help shooters get the required number of clubs, the state shoot has the potential to count as two clubs. In order to get two clubs by shooting the state shoot, you will need to shoot 100 targets of each discipline sometime Wednesday through Friday then shoot the weekend’s championship events. The bottom line on all of this is get out and shoot at the clubs and have fun. I’ll see you at the next shoot. You may call me at 801-791-5370, e-mail me at utahdelegate@comcast.net, or post on my forum page at utahtrapshooters.com. Scott Hoover ATA Delegate
Washington Hello, sorry I missed last month; I’ve been busy at work trying to get caught up after being down south for three weeks. We stopped by Death Valley and spent four days looking around. Then it was on to Casa Grande for a week and last but not least came Tucson, where they have done a lot of work (club and RV spots). It was great to see a lot of people from the Northwest. Next was the Blanket Shoot in Spokane. They had about 15 squads, and it was run well by the club. Colton had a well-run one-day shoot and 15 squads. They are throwing White Flyer targets. Congratulations to Teresa Kohn, Dr. Laura Winkel and Marv Sims for making the All-American team. I went to Jim Holladay’s celebration of life. It was very fitting; he will be missed very much. Keep praying for Cecil Churchill. He had a brain tumor but is doing very well. We have been spending lots of time with him and Becky. He is done with radiation and has not been sick at all. It looks like they may have gotten it all. Our next big shoot will be the Inland Empire. Hope to see you all there. I hope this bad economy doesn’t slow us down on our shooting and we can all keep our heads above water and our heads on the stock. Remember to look for Washington shoot dates in Trap & Field or the webpage www.shootwsta.com. If I can help in any way, call 509-856-7516 or e-maill karma2@kvalley.com. Good luck and good shooting. George Seubert ATA Delegate
Central Zone Illinois Last month I discussed some of the better eating places I have discovered at the Sparta Grand. I neglected to mention one place where I’ve gotten so many fine meals: the campgrounds at the WSRC. I normally don’t like to eat outside, but I’ve enjoyed many a fine potluck dinner on the grounds. The WSRC is much better than Vandalia for this activity, as the campers are spread out and there is more room to congregate. I will never turn down an invitation to one of Gene Zirklebach’s fish fries or Butch Dominacki’s ribs dinners. It’s amazing how good a hot dog, burger or brat can taste when it is cooked over charcoal. Everyone adds a tasty addition to the meal, and it is always a fun-filled, friendly get-together. A few weeks ago there was quite an uproar in the world of ATA shooting. Our new Executive Director Frank Rively received a very generous donation from Bill and Lee Ann Martin. They gave Dr. Rively a check for $100,000, with the funds to be given to the winner of a shootout among nine handicap qualifiers (plus one qualifier chosen at random Saturday) at the Grand. You notice I used the word “shootout” instead of shootoff. While ATA rules will apply, this is a special event, and some of the rules concerning yardage for the shootout are yet to be determined. One stipulation that Mr. Martin said to Dr. Rively is that he didn’t want a cheater to win the money. The thinking was that a shooter could win a handicap with some special hot reloads that weren’t within ATA specs. There were conversations with the shell manufacturers, and it was decided that in order to get the best possible prices, we should require new shells for every event, with shells being purchased at the time of entry through an ATA-operated shellhouse. (This was how it was previously done at the Grands in Vandalia, and there were very few complaints. When the Grand moved to Sparta, the ATA Executive Committee made a decision to allow reloads for all events. This has worked well for the last four years.) The announcement that we were going back to new shells for the Grand created a lot of discussion. My e-mail and phone responses indicated a number of shooters opposed this decision. To their credit, the EC discussed the issue and sought input from the Delegates, and the decision was made that new shells would be required for handicap only. These new shells may be purchased on your own from anywhere you choose. I’m guessing that the issue of an ATA-run shellhouse and new shells for every event will be revisited at this year’s Grand, since the shellhouse was a source of income for the ATA. I need your input, so in case there is a vote, I will be able to accurately represent the Illinois shooters. As always, you can contact me at mattroofing@sbcglobal.net, 815-448-5120 or 627 B Main St., Mazon, IL 60444. Jim Matteson ATA Delegate
Indiana I would like to send my condolences to Harold and Jimmy Bowers, who lost their son Mickey in March. Harold and Jimmy run the Evansville GC. Mickey was a very important part of the day-to-day operation of the gun club. Harold and Jimmy, know that you are in our prayers. It looks like spring has finally arrived. The weather is starting to get warm, and hopefully people will start getting in the mood to shoot. I am seeing a lot of marathons being offered this spring in doubles, singles and handicap. Most of these will be 500-target events. There will also be clinics offered. One of the best things I did for my shooting was take a clinic. There are also several special shoots taking place this spring. Look at the Indiana Trapshooters website www.indianatrap.com for information. Congratulations to Indiana shooters who won trophies at the Southern Grand: Garl Gresley, Gary McDonald, Tank Lunsford, Brandon Sullivan, Monte Morrison and Raymond Strabavy. The state AIM program will be shot on July 6, the first day of the state shoot. AIM coaches will need to get their teams pre-registered and pre-squadded. For more information about the AIM program, contact Indiana AIM director Marvin Lester at mle9090002@aol.com. I hope everyone will be able to attend our state shoot July 6-11 at our homegrounds in Fortville. I look for this to be one of the best state shoots we have ever had. I can be reached at king8a@yahoo.com. Roland King ATA Delegate
Michigan I hope all Michigan shooters had a great winter season and are preparing for upcoming events at the MTA grounds. By the time you read this, the Spring Team Shoot will be history. The next event at MTA will be the 23rd Great Lakes Grand American May 25-31. The program consists of 800 singles, 800 handicap and 250 pairs of doubles. This is a terrific shoot, and I hope many of you have the opportunity to enjoy the great targets thrown here. Several Michigan shooters attended the Florida Chain Shoot and 30th annual Southern Grand tournaments at the Silver Dollar SC in Odessa, Fla. Everyone I spoke with was having a great time despite the unseasonably cold weather. We had several Michigan winners during the Chain were Dave Vanpoelvoorde, Fred Whitmire, Don Hoffman, Herb Herrygers, Don Williams, Gerald Vasicek and Keith Heeg. Southern Grand attendance was down approximately 5% compared to 2009; 22 Michigan shooters attended as opposed to 46 last year. Michigan shooters capturing Southern Grand trophies were Rodney Vanmiddlesworth, George Snellenberger, Vasicek, Frank Heinzman, Jerry Mathias, James Doolittle, Donald Verna and Richard Musetti. Congratulations to all. The MTA BOD and I would like to thank all individuals who came out for our annual workday at the MTA April 17. It’s folks like you who keep the grounds a showplace for all attendees. Don’t forget to check out my Michigan State Shoot 100th anniversary blog at www.trapandfield.com for some interesting facts about the history of the shoot. I will also include updated information regarding the upcoming 100th state shoot as I receive it from the MTA board. I look forward to seeing all of you at the MTA events this season. Bring a friend and introduce them to the sport of trapshooting; they may thank you for it! Good luck and be safe in your travels and enjoy yourself. If you wish to contact me, you may do so via e-mail at zoowie@peoplepc.com. D. Z. Price Sr. ATA Delegate
Minnesota By now Minnesota shooters should have had an opportunity to shoot in at least one of the many ATA registered events that clubs have offered. May weather here isn’t always the kindest, but we have to get our practice in to get geared up for the prime shooting months. Good luck to all Minnesota shooters this season! This will be a special year for Minnesota trapshooters as we will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of our state shoot. It’s less than two months away, so plan now to attend and make our centennial memorable! Jackpot shoots are winding down for the winter, and balmy temps have finally given the clubs some nice turnouts. The weather has permitted Alex SP to hold a few shoots in March. Some of the weekly winners were Sid Schmidt, Tom Townsend, Denny Steinhaus, Pat Laib, Troy Haverly and Mike Michaelis. At Buffalo GC Keith Koosman is the jackpot champion for the year with 10 wins, edging out Ken Norman. Other March winners were Mark Stevens, Bob Petty, Dwayne Noren and Jim Hessler. Metro GC has been averaging 30 shooters, and weekly leaders include Glenn Linden, Bob Smith, Ray Steffenson, Chuck Eckstein and Tony DeForge. At Minneapolis GC Scott Steffen, Linden, Len Lindquist, Jerry Demulling, Bob Smith and Charlie Leavitt have had top weekly scores. Please feel free to call or e-mail me if you have any concerns or questions about trapshooting in our state. I appreciate your responses and suggestions that I’ve been receiving. Also, let me know of any recognition for shooters’ accomplishments that should be mentioned in future articles. My phone is 507-381-5908, and e-mail is ronnoren@embarqmail.com. Visit our website at www.mn-trap.org. Ron Noren ATA Delegate
Ohio At the spring meeting of the OSTA Board of Directors April 10 at Cardinal Center, finalization of the state shoot and the selection of this year’s recipients of OSTA college scholarships were the most important agenda items. Winners of the college scholarships will be announced at a later date. May 15-16 are the dates of the Ohio zone shoots. You are encouraged to attend your zone shoot and vote for a candidate director. There will again be an OSTA Foundation Lewis class. Proceeds will continue to help fund the Foundation. Remember, to be considered for all-Ohio team recognition, you must have shot the all-around targets in your respective zone. As we move into the warmer-weather shooting season, check with ohiotrap.com in your zone and the state for any of the shoots that are scheduled for this month. Let all of us try to support our smaller clubs! Contact me with any news or information at Dfilo565@hotmail.com. Dennis Filo ATA Delegate
Eastern Zone New Jersey March has really tried men’s souls here in New Jersey. A 70-mph Nor’easter dumped over six inches of rain throughout the state March 12-14. The hardest-hit gun club was North Jersey CTC in Fairfield (see the pictures on this page taken by club secretary Bruce Osgood). One of the good things about the club’s location is that the floodwaters from the Passaic River finally got to the club two days after the rain stopped, thereby giving the club members time to pull all the Pat-Traps from the traphouses and move all the voice calls and other electronics to higher ground. A work detail was organized the following weekend, and by Sunday the 21st, 90% of the trap equipment was re-installed and operational. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all those involved with this huge effort. I’m happy to report that Mike Van Note earned his AA-27-AA pin in 2009 despite some windblown singles and doubles events last spring. Nice comeback, Mike! By this time, New Jersey residents should have been able to pick up the 2010 state shoot program from their local gun clubs. Thanks to state secretary Rudy Torlini who, with the help of association members, has put together another great program. Rudy also spearheaded ad solicitation, which helps pay for the printing. For all you computer-savvy shooters, the program is also available at www.njsta.com. As always the shoot ends on the first Sunday of June; this year it will start on June 3 and finish up on June 6 at Pine Belt SC on Route 541 in Shamong Township. Pine Belt president Len Donovan reports that at the club’s annual meeting March 18, Ruth and Hank Stevenson were honored for the following: having both served on the Board of Trustees longer than anyone can remember, working every job imaginable at the club, making sure the shoots were staffed and started on time and motivating shooters. They have been the “face” of Pine Belt and have done all they could to promote the club. They were formally recognized for all their contributions past, present and future. As of March 16 the southernmost entrance (trap entrance) into Pine Belt off Route 541 will be “H&R Stevenson Drive.” Well done! Central Jersey R&PC in Jackson Township is having a registered shoot May 8. I hear Shamrock Leathers is supplying the trophies! Pine Belt is having their annual doubles marathon of 250-pair May 15. The State Shoot Warm up will be May 23 at Pine Belt and consist of 100 handicap, 100 16-yard, and 50 pair of doubles. Come on out and get some targets on your card and reacquaint yourself with old friends. Robert J. Frezza passed away at the age of 81. Bob came from a large family of four brothers and three sisters. Bob grew up in Bound Brook and enjoyed hunting small game, especially pheasant. From hunting, he and his brother Dick started shooting trap in 1972. Bob shot trap up until 1998; after a heart attack, he shot only occasionally. He and his brother often attended the Grand in Vandalia, and Bob won his class in a 16-yard event. He was a life member of the ATA and shot at 66,700 singles and 39,550 handicap targets over his career. He was also a member of the North Jersey CTC in Fairfield. Bob was a third-grade teacher in the Bound Brook school system prior to retiring. He never married and is survived by his sister. A thank you goes out to Jimmy Steinhart, Bob’s good friend and shooting buddy, for supplying the information. If you have a question or an idea for an article, please call me at 732-546-7910 or write me at jasissa@msn.com. Joe Sissano ATA Delegate
New York Hello to everyone from the Empire State. Now that spring has arrived, I hope everyone is out shooting registered targets. After the long winter, I believe everyone is happy to get a gun back into their hands and start breaking some clay targets. During the Florida Chain Shoot at Silver Dollar March 2-7, New York fielded some trophy-winning shooters: Dennis DeLorenzo, James Strickland, Doug Duncan, Richard Sharp, John Fallone, Keith Welch, George Boulet and Barbara Rosowski. New York winners at the Southern Grand American March 15-21 at Silver Dollar were Dave Clary, George Boulet, Christopher Vendel, Carl Wagner, Tiffany Decker, Robert Barker, Duncan, Mike Mincel and Justin Slater. All trophy winners for these shoots can be seen on Bob Stuart’s webpage www.rjstuart.com; on New York State’s webpage www.nysata.com; and in Trap & Field. Congratulations and great shooting to everyone. Don’t forget that the Empire Grand American will be May 19-23 at the New York State Homegrounds in Cicero. We hope to see you all there. Regarding another sport, I want to say hello to New York ATA Alternate Delegates Dave Cichelli and Joe Strucker, who are Boston Red Sox fans, and remind them who are the world champions in baseball: the New York Yankees! (How about them Yankees? We are going for two in a row.) I hope to see you all soon. Brian Whalen ATA Delegate
Ontario By the time you read this, the shooting season in Ontario will be nicely under way. I am always pleased to report good news stories about our shooters, clubs and ranges. St. Thomas has been awarded the 2011 Canadian Championships and has plans for some very impressive improvements to its grounds, traps and facilities. This includes phono pulls, upgraded automatic trap machines, a range to accommodate wheelchair accessibility, better washroom and amenity provisions, and the list goes on. St. Thomas hosted the 2003 Canadians and did a fine job. CTA delegate Jim Woods will be working with the 2011 shoot committee to put together what I am confident will be a first-class event. For those unfamiliar with St. Thomas, it is about 20 miles directly south of London, one-and-a-half to two hours from the Detroit/Windsor and Port Huron/Sarnia borders of northern Michigan, and also about two hours from the northern New York border crossings at Buffalo/Niagara Falls. Verne Higgs, one of St. Thomas’ doers and shakers, commented (and I agree) that it is nice to have a number of Ontario clubs competing to provide great facilities and an enhanced shooting experience for trapshooters. Everybody benefits. As many will recall, Hamilton hosted the 2008 Canadians and also did a splendid job. Clubs that take competition seriously make all clubs stronger and better. Something like trapshooters, I suppose, isn’t it? If you want to get better, compete against the best when given the opportunity. And if you take it seriously and work hard at it, your efforts will be rewarded. We are still waiting for parliamentary committee hearing dates on the bill to eliminate the long-gun registry. I’ll keep you posted. Good shooting. Paul Shaw ATA Delegate
Pennsylvania Now that the trapshooting season is moving into full swing, I hope everyone is planning on dusting the cobwebs off their trap equipment and heading out to their local clubs to get some targets and practice in. Some were able to escape the cold of the Northeast and head to Florida for the Southern Grand. This year 97 shooters traveled from Pennsylvania and brought a total of 31 trophies home to the Keystone State. Congratulations to all, and special recognition to junior shooter John Vandine for capturing six trophies and veteran Bill Hazlett for winning five. Those of us who have been around awhile will remember that Bill won the 1980 Grand American Handicap and a new Jeep Cherokee along with the trophy. During the Southern Grand Singles Championship, Earl Hoover broke his first 100 straight. This display of shooting also earned Earl a trip to the shootoff line and a trophy. Earl was the oldest of three generations of Hoovers who shot together that day, as he was joined by his grandson Jacob (shooting his first registered targets) and son Mike. This year’s state shoot will be another milestone for 2007 PSSA Hall of Fame enshrinee Jack Deisher, who will be attending his 45th consecutive Pennsylvania State Shoot. Congratulations, Jack! I look forward to seeing you at many more. At the time of this writing, Jack has registered 398,050 16-yard targets (he will most likely have passed or reached the 400,000 mark at the state shoot), 146,100 handicap and 112,600 doubles. If your home club or a club near you has a newsworthy event or story, or if you or someone you know has accomplished a milestone or feat that you think other shooters would like to read about in this column, please contact me at 724-654-7118, by fax at 724-658-6011 or by e-mail at frankpascoe@pascoebuilders.com. Frank Pascoe ATA Delegate
Southern Zone Kentucky If you haven’t made plans for June 30-July 4, I would like to invite you to the Kentucky State Shoot. If you need any information on the shoot, send me an e-mail. There were several Kentucky shooters who made it down to the Southern Grand; congratulations to the following shooters who brought home trophies: Lewis Laroche, Joe Neyer, Bradley Jones, Clayborn Hunter, Jackson Eubanks, Bobby Moore, Randolph Ross, Jerimiah Laroche, Weldon Baize, James Kidwell and William Castle. The Kentucky Trapshooters League website can be found online at www.kytrap.org. I can be reached at deking00@bbtel.com, 270-547-7819 (home) or 270-668-1753 (cell). David King ATA Delegate
North Carolina Several N.C. shooters again traveled to the Silver Dollar for the Southern Grand. Weather was good (except for the normal March winds) all week, and everyone enjoyed the warm Florida temperatures and sunshine. The following shooters won trophies: Doug McKinney, Addison Callan, Larry High, Charlie Brown and Kim McKinney. I apologize if I missed anyone. Be sure to schedule some time to attend the North Carolina State Shoot at the Homegrounds June 2-6 and check out our new clubhouse/museum building. Make your hotel and camping reservations early. It is time for a couple handicap reminders. If any of you are tired of getting yardage reduction letters from the ATA, you can have them stopped. You can ask the ATA directly or through me to have a “D” or “K” code applied to your record. A “D” code will temporarily stop 1,000-target reductions for the remainder of the target year, and a “K” code will permanently stop reductions until you want to start getting them again. Also, if you would like some added handicap yardage to be able to squad with your shooting buddies, send me a request, and I will consider it. I am able to increase your yardage back as far as the 25-yard line at your request. The only stipulation is you will not be eligible for reductions for two years. Remember to visit www.nctrap.com and www.tarheeltrap.com for N.C. shooting information. You may also want to check out the tarheeltrap trapshooting chat room. If you have any information you would like to see in this article, please send it to me. I can be reached by e-mail at troush@att.net or by phone at 336-674-8655. Terry Roush ATA Delegate
South Carolina Please plan to attend the South Carolina State Shoot May 12-16. We will have our free fish dinner, White Flyer targets, Pat-Traps, added money, great trophies, good people and hopefully good weather. We’ve had some good weather that has allowed all the clubs to have some shoots. The wind blows in March wherever you are. Murph finally was able to hold a shoot in Greenville; he keeps saying that Mid Carolina gets the good weather. I have to tell you that Murph’s roast pork loin for lunch was great, and you can’t eat just one eclair. See you at Spartanburg at the state shoot. You can reach me at fabe7445@bellsouth.net. Jim Faber ATA Delegate
Tennessee Shooting is alive and well in Tennessee. Thanks to ATA shooters from the Volunteer State who competed at the Dixie, Spring and Southern Grands. Congratulations to Dixie trophy winners Joe Dement, Amy Lally and James Fuller plus Southern award winners Dement, John Curry Burks and Nicholas Nadeau. Check out Satellite shoot coverage in the March and April issues plus this magazine. Steve Rice won the prelim and championship singles events at the Jacksonville Chain. Charles Morrison and Mitchel Loveless II are being inducted into the Tennessee Hall of Fame this year. Congrats to both. The AIM program is growing in Tennessee. State director Darby Payne can be reached at 931-309-6563 (cell), 931-424-9167 (fax), and dpayne@utk.edu or dpayne@tnstate.edu. Let me know if you have any news. Tom Freeman ATA Alternate Delegate
West Virginia During the West Virginia ATA Board of Directors’ spring meeting a couple of weeks ago at Darrel Murray’s residence in Mineral Wells, we finalized our plans for the fifth annual West Virginia Hall of Fame Shoot. At this time I would like to congratulate two W.V. shooters to be inducted into our Hall of Fame: Thomas Weaver from Follansbee and Howard Longerbeam of Harpers Ferry. We will honor these two shooters as well as all of the members of our state Hall of Fame during the annual Hall of Fame Shoot May 29-30 at Point Pleasant GC. Final plans were also made for our 90th state shoot, which will be July 8-11 at the Brooke Co. S&FA on McAdoo Ridge in Wellsburg. You will be able to pre-squad on presquad.com. Three notable trophies will be added this year at our state shoot. One is the Richard & Mildred Paxton Memorial Singles Trophy, given to the resident shooting the high scores on the total 400 singles targets. The other two trophies are from Bill Hunter and are in remembrance of Bill and JoAnn Young. A men’s sterling silver dollar money clip with $20 will be awarded to the in-state male handicap champion, and a ladies’ sterling silver dollar necklace will be awarded to the resident female handicap champion. Please extend a thank you to Bill for his continued generosity, and also remember Richard and Mildred Paxton and Bill and JoAnn Young. I am pleased to announce that we have a new gun club in our state. The Sportman’s Recreation Center DBA Fayette Gun Club is now open and has scheduled registered shoots for this year. The club has only one trap but has an active membership and is shooter-friendly. Please plan on attending one of their shoots if possible. If you have any newsworthy information, please call or write to me at 304-532-6149, Markisner@aol.com or 101 Emerald Dr., Ripley, WV 25271. Mark Isner ATA Delegate
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