From PLINK Leader Steve Morgan:
Please Leave It NRA Klean volunteers from the El Dorado Rod and Gun Club thought they were running low on filthy messes to clean up on their monthly outings to keep OUR Eldorado National Forest clean and open for everyone. Then Amador District Ranger Doug Barber asked if we would help remove an abandoned house trailer and a bunch of illegal dumping on the side of Scenic Hwy. 88 near Omo Ranch Road, even though it is not a suitable target shooting area. Amazed that so many law enforcement agencies and government employees would drive past this junk twice a day and not do any thing about it for years, 15 PLINK volunteers loaded U.S. Forest Service Off Road Vehicle coordinator Mike Stroude's dump truck with two loads that he and Tony Zepczyk who will soon get his knee operated on from Grizzly Flat took to the dump transfer stations in Pine Grove. Amador loggers Steve Cannon, Rich and Cris Stevens pruned the roadside to increase visibility and reduce icing. Cannon then hauled the appliances to the Ione Dump. The trailers black waste tank smelled so bad that some joked that they had just found Jimmy Hoffa's liquefied remains. Cathy Morgan all the way from Elk Grove, Ed Dunn, and Joe Treiber from Placerville bagged up some really gross stuff. All of this on the beautiful Saturday Nov. 15 when all were fortified by sports drinks and Las Minas Burritos.
Greg Carlson, and De Wayne Palmer from Intel in Folsom were there early with their electric generator for screw removal guns and demolition saw, backed up by Fairplay carpenter Douglas Ricciarelli, Richard Maynard from Pollock Pines, David Hawkins, and Gary Stone from Sacramento with other generators, screw guns, and saws. The two axle trailer was taken apart, the aluminum skin will be recycled to buy more burritos. The trailer debris load taller than the over cab high side boards was hauled off by Doug Becker with Jake Erlich. Rick Ferdon a leader of the Friends of Eldorado FOE volunteer group featured on the <www.pirate4x4.com> website drove all the way over to take pictures of this amazing filth.
Having done similar monthly jobs for the Forest Service for 15 years including removing 14 trailers and numerous cars the PLINK Wise Use Conservationists are still trying to grasp how fellow Americans who profess to love their country can do such damage to anyones land, or understand how our public employees can stand to work around such filth. Now I am an inadvertent violator of the Historic Preservation Act for saving an eight inch long hand made square nail.
For ideas on how you can have fun helping your neighborhood see www.eldoradorodandgun or phone
Steve Morgan at 530-620-3946 or email nrapling@comcast.net
Steve - phone 530-620-3946 or email nraplink@comcast.net
The Gift of Membership! By life member Jim DePiazzy
I feel we are all aware of the current political climate and how it is affecting our country and future, regarding our right to keep and bear arms. Particularly, in the last few months most of us have noticed a tremendous difference in the awareness of our friends, family and new acquaintances. Every gun owner I have talked to is extremely concerned about the continued deterioration of our rights. One of the loudest voices out there comes from the public, displayed by the dramatic increase in weapon and ammunition sales. I just returned from a 4 day handgun training class where they had the largest turnout ever since their inception over a decade ago! They normally average 200 to 300 students each week, there were 550 this time! They also had over 120 students take their CCW class on the 5th day. I was in the CCW class only 6 weeks prior and we had 60 +/-. Some would call it paranoia, overreaction and unreasonable, while others call it answering a wake up call.
As many who stood before us and defended our rights, as well as our brave soldiers fighting to keep democracy alive, we as individuals are given the task of seeing it through.
We have an opportunity to help and do more than express our feelings amongst ourselves. I don’t believe this is just a club in which each individual only wants to sight in or blast an hour or two away. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I find it quite therapeutic! Seriously, we all know like minded people who may not know the benefit that comes from what the club has to offer. That is only the tip of the iceberg; clubs such as ours have a voice that needs to be heard by all who will listen. As the club grows the voice gets louder, stronger and so on.
Call me crazy, but I think every member knows someone who is not a member. Not us, but some people hide the fact they have a gun for fear of what people will think of them! We will never know until we ask. Talk to your friends, family, business acquaintances and anyone else who believes in the same rights as us. Get them to visit the web-site, offer to treat them to some time at the range; whatever it takes to get them interested. This isn’t just about the club growing, this is about increasing awareness. We need to encourage people to stand up and speak out.
Whether they go to the range enough to validate the membership cost is not as important as being a part of something that is bigger than any one of us. The practice, camaraderie and experience are all a big bonus.
Here’s an idea: if every member commits to bringing in one new member in the next 12 months, we double in membership! There are those who will bring in more than one, BONUS! I know it sounds simple, but really it is. Think about it, is your spouse a member? Is your shooting or hunting buddy a member? Can you or someone you know sponsor someone? If someone looks up to you as a mentor, help guide them. Don’t be discouraged if turned down, it’s guaranteed to be easier to get than your first date!! You have a full year, 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days…don’t make me calculate the hours!!!
When you get someone to join, have them include your name as who recommended them, so we know who to thank. With the recent drop in gas prices we are saving enough in one or two fill-ups to cover the cost of membership!!
What better gift for Christmas than a membership????
I wish all and their loved ones a safe and very happy holiday season.
Jim DePiazzy |
