CVOA MEETING MINUTES
TREASURERS REPORTS
November 1, 2009
By Sandy Jamison, Secretary
The meeting was convened at the Carrabassett Valley town office by CVOA President Peter Weston at 12:00 pm. Present at the meeting were:
Nancy Perry; Bonnie Staggers; Kathy Gagne; Sheri Packard; Harvey Packard; John McCatherin; Don Fowler; Neil Trask; Paul Houlares; Paul & Linda Trueworthy; Sandy Jamison.
The minutes of the April meeting was read by secretary, Sandy Jamison.
Treasurer's report was read by treasurer, Sheri Packard
Discussion of treasurer's report as follows:
* Change membership form on website to reflect that family membership is for individuals under the age of 18, living in the same household.
* Move Aspen money into building account
* We made $4,000-plus at Homecoming weekend.
* Range insurance costs approx. $14.00 per member.
Range report was made by John McCatherin as follows:
* Keep Open House during homecoming weekend.
* Have more events - archery and shooting contests were suggested.
* Range membership is now $15.00 (basically covers the cost of insurance).
* Need better list of range members to keep accurate count.
* Fred Randall is an individual who has done a lot at the range - cut grass, clean up, flowers - and he doesn't even shoot. Neil thanked him for his work.
* SWAT team - state police on August 11th.
* Future projects for the range were discussed including rifle range. Parking was discussed as it is currently a big problem. PA system was recommended by Sheri. Other options might include amplified bull horn.
John discussed Boy Scouts - 4 boys received increased ranks, 2 working on Eagle badge. There are 8 in the troop.
President's report:
* Activities since last meeting were listed.
* Upcoming events - Cookie swap/hike/snowshoe on 12/12/09. John brought up the fact that 12/9 is CVOA's 10 year anniversary. Discussed including some kind of birthday celebration for CVOA on the same day as the cookie swap/hike.
* Winter Social - Jan 9th Delta Flats will be playing.
* Spring Social - April 10th
* Jackson Hole in January
Old business:
* No new activity on IRS situation. Plan to use QuickBooks to record history to show IRS.
* Clubhouse - wants to put together a packet to present to the club.
* Lombard - no progress at this point. Would like to get horses to drag it out.
* Hiking guide - John hopes to have by spring.
* Biking guide- It was decided to not have a separate guide for biking. Discussed adding it to hiking guide or put on website.
Neil Trask discussed fish pond. Town has spent money on trying to build overflow but it's not working. Board discussed the need to push from our end. Potentially a great place for trout but needs to be raised a couple more feet. Pete will call Cota to discuss. (See update in Peter's email dated 11/8/09.)
New Business:
* Need officers for next year.
* Sheri is stepping down after 10 years of being treasurer.
* Peter stepping down as president but said he would be willing to be treasurer.
* Nancy is stepping down as vice president. Nancy will continue with the website but wants a "trainee" to hand the job over.
* Cynthia Pernice is interested in becoming president.
* Barbara Briggs and John McCatherin will go another term.
* Looking for vice president - will put out notice in a newsletter. One year term.
* Director's and Officer's insurance - Pete is having someone quote.
2010 Calendar of Events:
* Cookie Swap and hike - Dec. 12th
* Jackson Hole ski trip
* Winter & Spring Social
* Full Moon hike - with one rain date. Peter will email Barb about heading up.
* Balsams in March. Discussed dates and pricing. Picked March 7th as possible date.
* Annual meeting - March 27th. Discussed possible speakers. Suggestions included John Christie and Bill Green. Would like to have Outdoor Center but they are reluctant to rent to individuals during ski season. Peter will pursue.
* Baxter trip - South Branch area this year. 1st weekend in August (July 31st and Aug. 1st).
* Tanglewood 4-H camp - John McCatherin will check out lodging in Camden area. Sept. 11 & 12th.
* Bike trip - June 5th (June 12th rain date). Kathy Gagne will manage again this year.
* Moosehead Lake region. Sandy, Linda and Nancy will check into.
* Photography class with Nikon representative in winter or early spring.
Several members have offered to help out and head up other possible trips. Sandy will contact these members to pursue.
Other Items:
* Donation will be made to Indian Island Food Pantry again.
* Raffle and Silent Auction were discussed. Would like to do raffle for Homecoming next year. Decided to do raffle this year at annual meeting. Hold silent auction at the January at Winter Social. We are looking for donations and suggestions from membership. Newsletter will include request to members for quality new items for auction. Sheri will organize auction.
AT Trail - CVOA will take over care of the AT trail from Sugarloaf to the Caribou Pond Road once a year. Paul Trueworthy will pitch in.
Meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Sandy Jamison
CVOA Secretary
APRIL 18
By Sandy Jamison
The meeting was convened at the Carrabassett Valley town office by CVOA President Peter Weston at 4:00 pm. Present at the meeting were: Nancy Perry; Bonnie Staggers; Cynthia Pernice; Barbara & Bob Briggs; Kathy Gagne; Sherie Packard; Harvey Packard; John McCatherin; Don Fowler; Sandy Jamison and special guest, Greg Foster.
The minutes of the previous meeting had not yet been sent and will be, along with the Treasurer’s report. (They have since been emailed to board members and posted on the website.)
Peter advised that he sent a thank-you to Warren Cook for speaking at our annual meeting. Warren sent a post card back. John McCatherin advised that he sent a note to Warren as well, for when some CVOA members skied at Saddleback.
Greg Foster spoke regarding the IRS and different types of filing for non-profit status. The Sugarloaf Ski Club is a C4. This status is for organizations that have a social benefit to the community. After questions and discussions, it was determined that we should try to obtain C4 status. Worse case scenario is that the club might owe IRS about $500.00.
Motion was made to file for C4 and ask the IRS for forgiveness of back taxes. Motion was seconded and approved.
Harvey Packard discussed activities of the clubhouse committee. Plans have been done and the committee is now getting prices from local contractors. Heating system options were being explored. Possibility of monies available if we go green. Sherie is putting together operating cost. Once numbers are together, it will be presented to the board for approval and then put to the general membership. Peter Weston suggested surveying the membership, asking members to give/help with financing. Kathy Gagne suggested a “Pledge Campaign.”
John McCatherin reported on range committee. Pistol range building is leaning and requires some bracing. Discussed a work weekend or include in town clean-up day. Trap shooting begins on July 1st. The range needs volunteer workers with a schedule.
Cost of the Spring Fling was discussed. Band costs most of the money. It was discussed how some members like to go for just the social and dinner. The board decided on a two tier price - $10.00 for dinner; suggested donation of $5.00 if staying for band.
Upcoming events. Dan Cassidy still plans to do Tuckerman’s Ravine trip on May 8, 2009. John is checking into the Blueberry Cove weekend. Coastal Bike trip is slated for June 6th and the GPS course is on June 13th.
The Gulf Hagas trip date will change. Nancy Perry & Sandy Jamison will discuss and come up with a new date. Conflict is currently with Ray Cloutier’s annual party.
Peter is asking for someone else to run the Baxter trip on the weekend of August 8. He has a conflict.
Jackson Hole trip will be Jan 30-Feb. 6, 2010. There will be a direct flight from Boston to Jackson Hole.
Cynthia Pernice will discuss the mushroom clinic with Mark Robie.
Peter suggested charging $2.00 (donation) to the thru hikers for the August 29th Thru Hiker BBQ to be held at the range. Cost to members was discussed.
Peter discussed the Lombard recovery project. The Bigelow Preserve has agreed to let us have it. It is in poor repair. Discussed ways to get it out. Agreed that it is an important memorial to our area and worth pursuing options.
Membership categories were discussed. Membership is $10.00 individual; $15.00 family to include anyone under the age of 18 living in the same household. Range membership is $10.00 additional per person, corporate memberships have been eliminated, and donations will be optional. Comp members – we currently have 6 members that are comped for various reasons and it was agreed these will be reviewed annually.
John is working on hiking guide. John advised that the Maine Huts and Trails have GPS and mapping they will share with us. It was agreed to include the water fall guide in with the hiking guide. A biking guide for the area was discussed.
Nancy Perry advised that 397 (of the 400) cookbooks have been sold. $2,047 profit on cookbooks. The cookbook has been entered in a contest. If the club wins, we get $5,000.
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 5:30 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Sandy Jamison
Secretary
MARCH 28, 2009
The ninth annual meeting of the Carrabassett Valley Outdoor Association was convened on Saturday, March 28, at the Sugarloaf Golf Course clubhouse by President Peter Weston. A significant quorum, about 100 people, attended the meeting and its accompanying annual banquet.
The secretary's report, previously distributed to the membership, was presented by Secretary John McCatherin and approved.
The treasurer's report was presented by Treasurer Sherie Packard and approved. A copy of the report is included with these minutes.
Range Committee Chairman Neal Trask presented the range report, commenting on the construction and use of the new pistol range and noting that regularly-scheduled trap shooting will be held every Thursday night from 4 to 7 p.m. during July and August and on Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon during September, October and November.
Weston reported that the Building Committee, chaired by Harvey Packard, has held several meetings and is currently developing a proposal to be presented to members, possibly at the first quarterly membership meeting in June. The current design would be a 24 X 36-foot building that would be cited on the hillside between Route 27 and the range property, overlooking the range and the Bigelow mountain chain. Any proposal adopted by the Building Committee would go to a vote of the entire membership.
The president provided a review of some of the many activities of CVOA during the "busy" past year. He thanked Nancy Perry, Judy Weston and Nancy Fowler for their many hours of work in producing the highly-successful CVOA cookbook. The book continues to sell and has been a financial, as well as a culinary, success.
2.
Other activities he cited included the range work; CVOA's sponsorship of Boy Scout Troop #525, which will be conducting a board of review this summer for its first two Eagle Scout candidates; the "amazing" annual ski trip to the Aspen/ Snowmass area, coordinated by Kathy Gagne (next year's trip is planned for Jackson Hole); the week-long Allagash Wilderness Waterway trip, coordinated by John McCatherin; and the awarding of the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife's annual Landowner of the Year award to the Carrabassett Valley Sanitary District, CVOA's "landlord" at its popular range property. That award nomination was prepared and presented for consideration by CVOA President Weston.
Some of the many upcoming events reported on by the President included a planned moonlight hike to the Poplar Stream location of Maine Trails & Huts (subsequently cancelled); the popular Spring Fling pot luck dinner and dance, scheduled for the Stratton Community Center April 25; a GPS course to be conducted for CVOA by personnel from the University of Maine in Farmington June 13; the annual trip to Baxter State Park August 7; the Kennebec River canoe trip to the Weston Homestead August 15; a new hiking and camping trip scheduled for Gulf Hagas Sept. 25; the annual Homecoming Weekend CVOA activities starting Oct. 10, and; the annual trip to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park Oct. 16.
John McCatherin, chair of the nominating committee, presented the committee's recommended slate of officers for the coming year. All but one of the recommendations was for re-election. Sandy Jamison was nominated as CVOA's new secretary. The report was adopted by the membership.
The officers elected were:
Peter B. Weston, President
Nancy Perry, Vice President
Sandy Jamison, Secretary
Sherie Packard, Treasurer
Donald Fowler, Clerk
3.
The Committee also provided a slate of nominees for the CVOA Board of Directors. It was also approved by the members.
Consistent with the bylaws, the officers and the immediate past president, Neal Trask, are all included as members of the Board of Directors for the duration of their term.
Additional nominees for the Board, and the terms of their memberships, are as follows:
John McCatherin, 1 year
Barbara Briggs, 1 year
Harvey Packard, 2 years
Cynthia Pernice, 2 years
Kathy Gagne, 3 years
Bonnie Stagers, 3 years.
The president presented a Lifetime Membership to Neal Trask for his years of service, financial contributions and the coordination of the development of the range.
Outgoing Secretary John McCatherin and his partner and assistant secretary, Barbara Kovach, were recognized for their many years of service to the organization. Weston also presented a Lifetime Membership to McCatherin for his eight years as secretary and role in helping CVOA increase its membership up over 500 during his tenure.
The formal meeting was then adjourned and Weston introduced Warren Cook, former CEO of Sugarloaf and now general manager of Saddleback Mountain in the Rangeley area.
Cook's remarks and other annual meeting activities are reported on the home page of the CVOA web site:
www.carrabassettvalleyoutdoorassociation.com
CVOA Quarterly Report January – March 2009
By Sherie Packard
Starting Balance January 1st, 2009 $3,665.08
Revenues:
Interest 1.53
Memberships 1,385.00
Range Memberships 660.00
Cookbooks (69) 690.00
Cookbook postage 5.00
Raffle Tickets 2,420.00
Stickers (logo's 27) 27.00
January Social (80ppl x 15.) 1,200.00
Jan. Social Band only (8ppl x 5.) 40.00
January Social Silent Auction 80.00
Donation: Steve & Betsy Cushman 175.00
Donation: George Hinman 45.00
Donation: Gordon Leash 65.00
Total $6,793.53
Expenses:
CMP 29.70
Monthly Web Hosting 44.85
Web renewal (carrabassettvalleyoutdoor
association.com) 25.00
Camden National (3 payments) 378.18
U.S. Postal Service (100 stamps) 42.00
Leon Souweine (jan. social band) 800.00
Town of Eustis (bldg rental 7.5 hrs) 75.00
(cleaning) 60.00
John McCatherin (copies & postage) 17.25
Barb Kovach (410 stamps) 172.20
(copies) 8.90
Nancy Perry (copy paper) 18.03
(ink catridge) 35.76
(postage, cookbooks) 6.00
Baxter Reservations (3 sites) 216.00
Sugarloaf Mtn. (march mtg clubhouse rent) 200.00
Checks 10.80
Don Fowler (filing fee) 35.00
Total $2,174.67
Balance on hand March 31st, 2009 $8,283.94
2009 CVOA DEBT
By Sherie Packard
Trap Machine Loan 2007
Balance 2007 Loan (01/01/09) $2,235.61
Jan. 09 to March 09 (3 loan payments) -337.77
Balance $1,897.84
2009 CVOA CASH
Building Account $4,728.85
Interest 1.54
Balance $4,730.39
Aspen/Snowmass Balance $2,504.50
Sun Valley Account Balance $25.00
Checking $8,283.94
Total Cash $15,543.83
March 31st, 2009
________________________
Sherie S. Packard, Treasurer
JANUARY 3 MEETING
The meeting was convened at the Carrabassett Valley Town Office by CVOA President Peter Weston. It was determined that more than the number required for a quorum was present.
The minutes of the previous meeting were approved.
The quarterly treasurer's report was approved.
President Weston reviewed the organization's activities of the past quarter, citing the successful activities of Homecoming Weekend in October. He discussed the publicity promoting the CVOA cookbook, Potluck in Paradise.
Trask Honored
Peter also presented CVOA Range Chairman Neal Trask with the organization's first lifetime membership in recognition of his effort in establishing and developing the range and for the significant financial support he has made on its behalf.
Neal presented the range report, discussing how the annual raffle proceeds would go to the range exclusively this year. Nancy Perry will be coordinating efforts for a grant from the National Association of Shooting Ranges, which will open up for applications in March.
Other Business
* Peter led a discussion on the distribution of the duties of secretary in advance of the changing of the guard from John McCatherin to Sandy Jamison at the annual meeting in March.
* A proposed panoramic photo of the views from Sugarloaf to be placed near the top of the mountain for identification purposes is currently on hold. The new owners of the mountain have not yet approved it.
* The revised hiking guide is underway and will be available in time for the 2009 hiking season.
* Peter named Harvey Packard to form a building committee to produce an overview, a list of requirements, etc., for a CVOA clubhouse at the range.
* Upcoming activities include the winter social, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing and skating events, the Aspen/Snowmass ski trip, a trip to Quebec for skiing and overnighting in the city, and a work day at the Blueberry Cove 4H Camp where we stayed during the Monhegan hike.
* March 28th was selected as the date for the annual meeting.
* A proposal was discussed to rescue the remains of an old Lombard log hauler near the Bigelow Preserve and set it up as a memorial to the industry at the Carrabassett Valley Town Park.
* Neal Trask volunteered to go to the Baxter State Park Headquarters for opening day for reservations to get our slots for our annual trip to Baxter and Mount Katahdin. The dates obtained were August 7, 8 & 9.
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 5:30 p.m.
Oct. 11, 2008
The meeting was called to order at 4 p.m. at the CVOA Range by President Peter Weston. Attendance was substantial and constituted more than that required for a quorum.
The minutes of the May 17, 2008, meeting of the Board of Directors, previously distributed to the CVOA membership, was reviewed by Secretary John McCatherin and approved with minor revisions.
The treasurer's quarterly report covering July through September 2008 was reviewed by Treasurer Sherie Packard and approved with the treasurer's recommendation that funds left over in the Sun Valley account be transferred to the Building Account.
President Weston reviewed the substantial list of summer and fall activities and thanked everyone involved in the coordination and completion of trips and projects:
Town cleanup, trail work; Allagash canoe trip; Quebec fishing trip; Baxter State Park trip attended by 40 people; Kennebec River Canoe trip with 50 people; the waterfall tour; Port Clyde/Monhegan trip with 27 participants; hikes to the Maine Huts & Trails Poplar Stream location; stocking of fish at the outdoor center pond; rifle range improvements; pistol range development; new picnic tables; the CVOA cookbook; a new brochure; stickers; new membership data base; web site overhaul; correspondence chair; photo album; Boy Scout Troop creation; and Carrabassett Valley and Stratton Summer Camp field day at the range.
Reassigning some of the responsibilities of the Secretary's position was discussed with reassigned responsibilities to be put into job descriptions.
Weston announced that his nomination of the C.V. Sanitary District as Maine Landowner of the Year had been accepted and would be awarded by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife on Oct. 21. It was based on the District's decisions to lease to CVOA, without cost, the land on which the range has been developed.
Proposed activities discussed included the Bar Harbor weekend scheduled for Oct. 17-19 and coordinated by Vice President Nancy Perry and Tom Spring; the winter social, tentatively scheduled for Jan. 12 or 17, coordinated by Cynthia Pernice; and a proposed workshop and field event to learn to identify mushrooms. The original contact on that latter event backed out but it was suggested that Mark Robie of Sugarloaf, who conducts such forums, should be contacted for next year. Cynthia Pernice will pursue that possibility.
Shooting Range
Options were discussed for disposition of the old trap machine that was repaired and returned operable after we were led to believe that it would not be, and after we had purchased a new machine. We still owe about $1,000 on the repair bill and attempts so far to sell the machine have not been successful. The sales effort will continue. Weston said he will seek a list of shooting and other outdoor organizations for the purpose of marketing the machine. Another option is to send the machine back to the person who repaired it.
Range Chairman Neal Trask explained that there currently are no immediate plans for major projects at the range and that we hope to be able to finish up those involving the rifle and pistol ranges undertaken this year. It is hoped that an archery range can be developed next year but it should be a low-cost development compared to some of the previous range projects. He said he will provide plans and cost estimates on the archery project before it is undertaken.
The range committee has undertaken the annual CVOA raffle and has obtained for prizes a Kona Fire Mountain 18" bicycle, a Thompson Triumph 50-caliber muzzle loader, two L.L. Bean Katahdin 20-degree sleeping bags which zip together for a double, and an L.L. Bean Ultra Dome 4-person tent. The total estimated value of the prizes is over $1,500. The prizes from Bean's were outright donations and the two others were provided at substantial discounts from their retail prices. Tickets were being sold at Homecoming and will be distributed to all CVOA members in November.
It was determined that the proceeds from the raffle would support range projects and activities.
Bonnie Stagers has been appointed secretary for the range committee.
Old Business
* We are awaiting a decision by Sugarloaf Operations Vice President Rich "Crusher" Wilkinson on whether we can develop a panoramic photo layout and map at the top of the mountain to help identify what skiers and hikers are seeing.* The hiking guide is on hold for this fall but will be completed during the winter months and available for sale in the spring.
* The C.V. Board of Selectmen will be meeting soon on recommendations from Sonny Pierce, a retired IF&W fish biologist, hired by CVOA to stock the outdoor center pond. Pierce has recommended a further raising of water levels to sustain a fishery in the pond and creation of a swale that will serve as a buffer for the higher water levels.
New Business
* Weston appointed Board Member and Range Committee Member Harvey Packard to chair a committee to look into the potential of building a permanent clubhouse on the range.
* Nelson Camp volunteered to look into the possibility of a course on GPS technology and use, similar to one in which he participated at the University of Maine-Farmington.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:30 p.m.
April 5, 2008
The annual meeting of the Carrabassett Valley Outdoor Association was held Saturday, April 5, at the Carrabassett Valley Town Office. Twenty three members were in attendance.
President Neal Trask convened the meeting at 4 p.m. He noted that this was his last meeting as president, completing two years as head of CVOA. He expressed his sincere thanks to all those who have helped out during his tenure and singled out Treasurer Sherie Packard and Secretary John McCatherin for their assistance.
In response, several members thanked Trask for all of his work during a period of significant growth and development, particularly at the CVOA Shooting Range. Trask has chaired the range committee since its inception and overseen its maturation as the one major asset belonging to CVOA.
The minutes of the Dec. 29, 2007 quarterly membership meeting, a copy of which is attached, were approved
Treasurer Sherie Packard presented the treasurer's report showing that CVOA is in the best cash position it has ever had in the organization's eight years of existence. A copy of the report will be forwarded in the near future.
Members were notified that Trask and Past President Tom Spring had met with Sherie and reviewed financial reports for the past five years, the first financial audit ever conducted by the organization. Trask and incoming President Peter Weston said that "Sherie passed with flying colors" and explained that a similar review will be held on an annual basis in the future. They both thanked Sherie for all her work as treasurer since the organization began.
New Officers
Director Don Fowler presented the slate of the nominating committee:
President Peter Weston
Vice President Nancy Perry
Secretary John McCatherin
Treasurer Sherie Packard
Immediate Past President Neal Trask
Bob Briggs moved that the secretary cast one ballot on behalf of the nominees, which was unanimously approved by the members and accepted.
New President Peter Weston presided for the remainder of the meeting, again thanking Trask for all of his service.
Range Report
Trask then presented the range committee report, pointing out the purchase of a new $8,200 automated trap machine; the acquisition from Stratton Lumber at no cost of over 100 loads of bark mulch that was used to improve water dispersion throughout the range and to build up the rifle range back berm and side berm to NRA regulation heights; the purchase of two pallets of clays that should get us through much of next season; a trap shooting season that lasted right into December and a very well attended open house and barbecue at the range.
Plans for next year, at the moment, include the development of a separate pistol range next to the rifle range and regular summer trap shooting hours each Thursday from 4 - 7 p.m. In the fall, the regular trap shoots will revert to their usual Sunday morning hours, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Sherie Packard reported that sales of raffle tickets have been going very well and that we now have approximately $1,800 in revenues over expenses. The raffle drawing will be held at the annual Spring Fling social April 19 and includes a new 17-foot Old Town Canoe, a Tubbs Snowshoe kit including poles and gators, a Raymond Cloutier cribbage board, a $100 gift certificate for ski tuning at Happy Tunes, and a large Rubbermaid wheeled cooler.
Tickets are available from Sherie and from John McCatherin and will be on sale the night of the Spring Fling. The board voted to accept Sherie's offer to conduct another silent auction that night. Please call or e-mail her at sheshe1@tds.net or at 246-2339 to let her know of any items you will be donating for the auction.
Other News
Nancy Perry reported on the CVOA cookbook planned for publication in time for Homecoming Weekend this fall. Nancy said so far the committee has received over 100 recipes but would like to have up to 200 or more. The book will cost about $7 per copy and will sell for $15, a significiant fundraiser for CVOA.
John McCatherin said he will be using the CVOA newsletter in the coming days to provide more information on the Spring Fling, the silent auction and the cookbook to all of our members.
Cathy Gagne was introduced to the members as the coordinator of the 2009 CVOA ski trip to Snowmass and Aspen Mountains in Colorado. The trip is tentatively scheduled for early February, a week later than the last several years' trips.
McCatherin also reviewed discussions that have been held with the adult leadership of a Boy Scout troop for Stratton and Carrabassett Valley. CVOA has agreed to become the troop's sponsor. He and Pete Weston will be meeting with the scout executive for the area in the near future.
Sherie Packard said that she had been approached by the head of the Stratton Recreation Department, who happens to be her sister, to see if CVOA would permit the use of the range and its facilities for a Youth Field Day program to be run by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. The IF&W requires the use of a range for the program and CVOA authorized the use of its. The program also includes map and compass training, and other outdoor skills. Sherie said the program will probably be held sometime between mid-June and August.It was pointed out that the range has been used for a number of community and public organizations, including the IF&W warden service, the U.S. Customs Service, the Carrabassett Valley Police Department and others.
Bob and Barbara Briggs said they have been talking with Carrabassett Valley Town Manager Dave Cota about CVOA assisting the town with the maintenance of the Narrow Guage Pathway. In addition to clearing the trail of fallen trees, the picnic tables originally provided by CVOA are in need of painting and repair, signage indicating CVOA's involvement should be put up and a side trail built by CVOA along the river is in need of clearing as well. Paul Houlares will scope out the work projects and the Briggs will continue their discussions with Town Manager Cota.
Arrangements are all set for the Spring Fling April 19, including the rental of the Stratton Community Center, the hiring of the Ship of Fools band and initial announcements but responses are still coming in slowly. Those planning on attending should contact John McCatherin, Barbara Kovach or Nancy Perry. CVOA will once again sponsor a collection of canned food items to benefit the Stratton Food Pantry. Clean out your camp cupboards for the summer months and bring some of the items along for the collection. Please make sure that any cans or boxes of food do not have expired use dates on them. Vince and Jan Kremin have volunteered to organize a bus from Carrabassett Valley to Stratton for the Spring Fling. It will have pickups at Tufulio's and at the Anti-Gravity Center. Anyone interested in taking the bus up should contact Vince or Jan at jankremin@aol.com or at 235-2615 no later than April 16.
John McCatherin passed out some copies of the updated CVOA 2008 Activities Schedule and explained that they would be included as an attachment to the minutes of the annual meeting.
new business
Bonnie Stagers said a good project for CVOA would be to build a stand and frame for a panoramic phto display to be located at the scenic overlook near the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, with the identification of the various mountains and other features included on the photo. Bonnie said she already has a photo that would work and Neal Trask said he would take care of having it enlarged. CVOA will be contacting the mountain to see if we can obtain permission for the project.
With no further business to come before the membership, President Weston adjourned the meeting at 5:15 p.m.