EDITOR, The Bell Gabriel J. Cordova 53 Housatonic Drive Milford, CT 06460
First Class Mail

APRIL 2008

Bridge Officers & Chairpersons

Commander Al Mongillo, AP

203-734-5213

Executive OfficerBruce Ross, P

203-378-9780 bruce2sail2aol.com

Financial OfficerWilliam Rinckel, P

Education OfficerBob Reeves, SN

Administration Officer Hank Chmielewski, AP

SecretaryBill Carotenuto, AP

203.734-5453

Membership C/PKarl Weber, P

Audit C/PTony Barbieri

203.874-4214

Vessel Safety Check C/P Hank Chmielewski, AP

203.878-5203

Computer C/P Bruce Ross, P

203-378-9780

Public Relations C/P Bob Reeves, SN

203.876-8261

Port Captain Bob Reeves, SN

203.876-8261

Co-Op Charting C/P Al Mongillo AP

203.734-5213

Bell Editor Gabe Cordova, S

203-878-4727

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Milford Power And Sail Squadron Education Course Schedule Jan 08 to June 08 / Remarks / Members & Public / Members & Public / Members & Public / Members & Public / Members & Public / Members & Public / Members & Public / Tentative
INSTRUCTOR / George Buffinton / Hank Chmielewski / Bill Carotenuto / Bruce Ross / Al Mongillo / Dennis Belanger s / Dennis Belanger / Dennis Belange
LOCATION / Buffinton Residence / Milford Library / Eagan Center Room 136 / Eagan Center Room 136 / Eagan Center Room 136 / Eagan Center Room 136 / Eagan Center / Milford Yacht Club
TIME / 7:00 -9:00PM / 10:30AM -3:00PM / 7:00 -9:00PM / 7:00 -9:00PM / 7:00 -9:00PM / 7:00 -9:00PM / 7:00 -9:00PM / 9:00AM to 11:30AM
TIME FRAME / 2 Hours / 4 hours eac / 2 hours / 2 hours / 2 hours / 2 hours / 2 hours / 8 hours
DAY / Sat / Wed / Mon / Wed / Mon / Wed / SAT
START DATE / 19 April008 &26APR08 / 30April08 / 5May08 / 7May08 / 12 May08 / 14 May08 / 07JUN08 & 14JUN08
COURSE TITLE / Boat Smart / Boat Smart / Seminar #9 Charts / Seminar #10 GPS / Seminar #11 Weather / Seminar #12 Radio / Seminar #13 Sail Trim / Squadron Boating Course

Executive Officer’s Report

Greetings to all Milford Power and Sail Squadron members! Al is away this month on a safari and has asked me to sit in for him for the current Charles Island Bell. That does not mean that things are slow – nothing could be further from the truth. Here are several exciting events coming up during the 2008 boating season you should know about.

For the Change of Watch, the Milford Power & Sail Squadron Bridge is planning to make no staff changes for the coming year. This year’s dinner will be April 23 at Pietra’s restaurant in Milford. We expect to have a great time and the food can’t be beat. Please respond to Henry Chmielewski to sign up. We hope to see you there.

To kick off the boating season, we will be hosting the D1 Essex Island Rendezvous at the Essex Island Marina on the weekend of June 20-22. Milford will be setting up tables, cooking steaks, hotdogs and other goodies, and serving guests. We are looking for a few volunteers to help us with the arrangements.

Festivities will begin mid-morning and continue until late afternoon, but it won’t be all work. We plan to have lots of fun, food and activities in a very beautiful spot in the center of everything right on the Connecticut River. We are planning a special activity, so you owe it to yourself not to miss it. And if you’d like to kayak or canoe, bring your boats along – Essex’s North Cove is an awesome paddling location.

Slips will be available for all who want to spend the weekend, so please make arrangements directly with the local marinas or other nearby marinas. By car (under an hour from Milford), it is a nice drive and a great day. Whether you plan to volunteer or come as a guest, we look forward to seeing you all there.

On August 15, we will pitch our tent at the annual Milford Oyster Festival. We’ll meet and greet our fellow Milfordites, pass out safety leaflets and educational information, and encourage visitors to become USPS members and get involved in our group.

In October, we will host the D1 Fall Conference. The conference will be held at the Courtyard Hotel on Bridgeport Avenue in nearby Shelton and we encourage everyone to attend.

Several training courses and seminars are planned for this April and May, and again in the Fall. Of special interest are the recently announced USPS Seminars: VHF Radio, GPS, Weather and Charting. Also note that brand new courses for Kayak Safety, Boat Handling Under Power and Sail Trim will be available soon, so stay tuned.

If any these events are of interest to you, or if would like to help out on any activity, please contact Al, me or any Bridge Member. We would be delighted to hear from you.

Executive Officer

Bruce Ross

Request for update to Member Mailing Address, Email address and Phone Records

The Bridge continuously attempts to find ways to save our financial resources. One is to use email communications a much as possible, in addition to the telephone and US Mail. Therefore, we are attempting to especially update our membership’s email addresses, in addition to mailing address and phone records. Please provide these updates either by emailing Cdr Al Mongillo at r by filling in the form below and mailing it to Al Mongillo, 4 Spindle Rd, Seymour, CT 06483. Thanks.

Name:

Address

Ph (Home)

Ph (Cell)

Email Address:

District 1 Rendezvous Hosted by The Milford Power Squadron

Essex Island Marina 20, 21, 22 June 2008

Potluck supper on the deck Friday at 1900

Continental Breakfast Sat 0800 on the deck

Many activities during the day - flare demonstration - try your hand at shooting off some flares - bring your old ones to shoot off

Cook out on the green at 1700

Menu: Hot dogs, HamburgersSalads,Chili

Desserts - all for $7.00 adults, $3.50 youth

Special tickets for steak $12.00

THERE WILL BE NO STEAK TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR! ------ADVANCE SALE ONLY

There will be a limited supply of regular cookout tickets available at the door on Saturday so buy your tickets from your Commander.

Sunday morning breakfast on the deck 0800.

Hope to see you all there.

Elaine L. Williams AP

Commander, District 1

Milford Power and Sail Squadron

BOAT SMART & PWC COURSE COMBINED

COURSE: One Course, 2 Lessons, Two Saturdays,

19 April and 26 April, 2008

From 10:30 AM until 2:30 PM, 4 hrs. Each Saturday

Charge for Course ---- $55

(Required for a Boating SBC and a PWC (CPWO) Ct. State License

PLACE:Milford Public Library, Program Room

37 New Haven Ave, Milford

COURSE CONTENT:

  • Boats, hulls and motors Registration and Legal Requirements
  • PFD’s-How to Use ThemLights-What they Mean
  • Rules of the Road and Right of Way Docking , Knots, Trailering
  • How to Prevent Accidents Personal Watercraft Operation

TO REGISTER: Please mail a check or money order for $55 (made out to Milford Power & Sail Squadron) to MPS, 26 Cove Ave. Milford, Ct 06460. For information on course and registration call Bob Reeves, Education Officer, at 203-876-8261

An application for the State of Ct. SBC and/or CPWO will be given to all students passing the course with a grade of 80% or higher. The instructor will assist you in completing the application, which must be mailed to Hartford DEP for your “license” (SBC and CPWO) to operate a boat and a PWC. An interim license will be given to each student qualified for use until the State “license” is received. Passing the course entitles you to apply for membership in the US Power Squadrons, and for additional discounts on boating material and your boating insurance.

Membership Corner:

My name is Karl Weber andI wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself and to say it is both an honor and pleasure to serve as the membership chair for the Milford Power Squadron. We hope to have an excellent season of boating fun and squadron activities and educational programsto interest the membership. I cannot wait to get out on the water this year!

Now isthe time to increase our membership in the squadron. I am asking that members do their best to recruit one new member into the squadron this season. Friends, family and practically anyone you know who has a boat or interest in boating is a potential member.

Furthermore, if anyone in the squadron has any ideas on events or activities we can attend or be part of that will benefit oursquadron in order to interest new members, please let me know.

I look forward to hearing from you and I can be contacted at 203-926-9565 (please leave a message) or at

Regards,

Karl Weber

Membership Chairperson

Vessel Safety Check

Please contact HENRY CHMIELEWSKI [

or 203-878-5203 to become qualified to perform vessel Safety Checks. We can use your help.

The tentative Safety Check inspection schedule is:

Saturday, May3-Spencer’s Marina

Saturday, May17 -Milford Boat Works

Saturday, May 31 -Port Milford

Saturday, June 14-Milford Yacht Club