Thanks Curt. I'd shoot it if it were at Elysburg or Millington, but not NY.

 

Boy, I miss Thurmont!

Ed

 

Is a simultanious Telephonic solution like the SZ a bad idea?

Guy Babin

 

Ed....

Unless a benefactor comes along with a very large pocketbook, Thurmont will never be what is was.

Curt

 

When that benefactor comes through and helps put Thurmont back on the map, I, among many, will be there. Sure was one of the finest places to break targets anywhere with lots of wonderful memories. Let's not forget that outstanding shootoff between Frank Little and Kay Ohye. 550 targets straight before Frank prevailed!!

 

I'm all for the rotation...I will never go to NY...just a real doubtful maybe to PA(due to the golf cart policy and campsite availability), ..but I will always show up in MD

What would y'all out there like to see improved about Millington club ( besides location of course)to make the visit and shoot more attractive??...just curious because personally I did like Thurmonts swimming pool

 

My personal dislikes with Millington are that you can't get there from almost anywhere, doing so takes forever and if you have to shoot later in the afternoon, best of luck to ya! I also understand that nearby motels and restaurants are few and far between but I've never had to find out.

In all fairness, I've only shot there once and only did so to kill some time while I waited to pick something up from a vendor who was late in arriving. It was a singes event and I had a 99, so the targets couldn't have been too ugly. But like a lot of other shooters, I just never went there to shoot because of the location and its west-facing traps. There always seemed to be another place that is easier to get to that was shooting that day.

Ed

 

I can't argue the west facing traps,...but I think its access from any direction is pretty decent with terrific smooth roads...plus the town just got a new big grocery store within a mile or two of the club...and you have to admit the rural scenary is pretty nice.
Between trap there, Sporting Clays very close in several locations and lotsa seafood and fresh produce...I have all the fun this ol' boy can stand, plus they treat me great making any situation more accomadating considering my disabilities...can't ask for more than that

 

Being a relatively new shooter, I never got the chance to experience Thurmont in its heyday. From what I've been told, I would have liked it and would probably lament the move to Millington like the indigenous.


Millington's west-facing traps are a problem in the evenings, unless you have one of those vision visor thingamajigs that Geordi La Forge of Star Trek fame used to wear. There is a new Hotel nearby that is really nice. Millington is the first place I ever registered a target, so I am a bit influenced by that. It's the current home of my state shoot, so I look forward to going each year... perspective is everything.


It would be cool to live next door to your favorite place to shoot. In doing so however, we'd probably miss the chance to get out of town and experience the pleasures of meeting new friends and experiencing new environments.


Guy Babin

 

I don't understand how moving the shoot to the facility that gets the smallest turnout is being fair for all of the residents of the Eastern Zone. It seems to me that the most fair thing is to hold it at the location that gets the largest attendance, as that would be accomodating the largest number of shooters every year. It seems to me that by moving it to a club that can't attract as large of a crowd is hurting the shoot and proves the ignorance of shooters as they are willing to cut their nose off to spite their face.


Since the Eastern Zone is the only zone in the country held at a single location, it makes sense that the location should be the most centrally located. As Ed mentioned above, you can't get to Millington from anywhere. If you are traveling from New England you have to fight traffic coming down the coast, if you are traveling from Central and Western PA, you have to fight traffic around D.C. and if you are coming from New York, you just have a long drive. So lets cator to Deleware, the state with the fewest number of shooters in the zone.


Although...the seafood down there is great!


Joe Pascoe

 

You wouldn't be just catering to Delaware, but also to Maryland. I am from a part of Pennsylvania that is a lot closer to Millington than it is to Elysburg. I think if you look at the people from York and Adams county, you probably would include us in the group that Millington would serve. So it's not just Delaware.

That being said, even though personally I prefer Millington, I would have the shoot at Elysburg every year. It just makes financial sense. BUT, if there is going to be a rotation, then it is only fair to those of us DOWN HERE to have the shoot every third year at Millington. I am not going to Cicero this year because I cannot take the time to travel to both the Grand and to Cicero...I have to make a choice. If the shoot were in Millington every three years, then I could at least make 2/3 of the zone shoots for a 3-year period.

But that is only my preference, and I will express it to my delegate. I will deal with whatever is decided, and I am not unhappy with the way things are currently conducted.

 

I would stay with the rotation mainly because all of the participating clubs can use the revenue and if without totally, would find survival very difficult

 

The West facing traps at Millington are only a problem when they don't open enough traps. That being said, there is simply no question that Elysburg is a better venue.

 

Why Not have at many locations at the same time other zones do this?
Would save travel $$
Have at Millington, Pssa, NYSTA.
Pete F

 

I shoot at Cicero, Millington, and Elysburg. All of them are good places to shoot and have their high points and drawbacks. For their individual state shoots, I'm glad to travel to each.

But for the zone shoot, I think that we need to do what is best for the zone. By just looking at the numbers, Elysburg is definitely the place where the zone should be held each year. Its the most centrally located of the options and doesn't alienate the maryland/delaware or the new england shooters when its held in the opposite location.

It doesn't make financial sense to hold a "zone" shoot in a location that draws appx 45% less shooters. I think that it would benefit the greatest number of shooters if some sort of plan could be worked out to hold the Eastern Zone in Elysburg each year and not have maryland/new york lose out by not holding the shoot on their grounds.

JMHO

 

That was and is my point! PA is the most logical place to host the EZ. If the EZ committee wishes to stay with a rotation format, then all states in the zone that are capable of hosting the shoot should be included!!

Simone...take another look at the figures...having the shoot in NY is a loser also. I didn't pull the figures out of the air...look at the next to the last page of the 2008 EZ Program.

Curt

 

Let's not forget Hamilton, Ontario. I attended the last Eastern Zone shoot held there many years ago!!

 

I suppose no one cares if Ontario is part of the Eastern zone clubs. Some feel it's not important to have large, well attended shoots so I suppose they'll welcome a trip back up to Hamilton-or won't they.

Another reason to keep the shoot in Elysburg!!

 

Even though I'm closer to Millington, because of lack of attendance/loss of income, etc. that occurs when the Zone is in Millington, I feel it should be either at PA or NY and preferable stay in PA for all the reasons mentioned by everyone else.

 

I don't think it should be so much about money as it is about giving lots of shooters a chance to shoot at a big shoot without incurring big expenses. Most of the targets are registered by a small percentage of registered shooters. The ATA might suck a few more if a big shoot was closer to them. Or maybe not. At any rate, since all ATA members support the ATA, why shouldn't the Zone shoot rotate to MD again?

 

Again why not have multipal locations telephonic like other zones?
Seams to Me this would satisfy everyone.
Pete

 

I know - let's hold every shoot in Elysburg.

The NY State shoot would undoutebly attract more shooters at Elysburg than Cicero. Want a BIG New Hampshire shoot? Hold it at Elysburg. You're really going to screw the NY and NH shooters, but who cares right? You'll make more money at Elysburg.

Hotel rooms and restaurants? Oh yea, Elysburg is covered up with them.

If you're going to have it always at Elysburg, might as well rename it the PA screw-everybody-else Zone. In these days of higher gas and everything, some shooters would like to attend a 'Regional' ATA shoot in their local area once in a while without having to travel 4-5-6 hours away.

 

Pete, Aparently us Easters aint got no telephones....

It would be nice to hear from someone who really knows why we don't do it like the rest of the country. I don't know enough on my own to have an opinion.

Guy Babin

 

Pete, et. al.,

Telephonic zone shoots would most likely satisfy the majority, but I don't think it'll ever happen here in the EZ. There's just not enough progressive thinker's within the EZ delegation in regards to the economic climate and the needs of the shooter base.

As I indicated with the attendance figures in my original post, it plainly shows that Elysburg is the best choice as far having a zone shoot at one location. If the EZ delegation wants to stay with a "rotation" program, then it's only fair to let the other states/clubs host the shoot.

If it's about money...then Elysburg wins hands down. If it's about fairness...then more clubs should be added to the rotation.

Curt

 

So some of us agree that a Canadian province and formerly a host for Eastern Zone shoots should be re-admitted to the rotation. After all, what's good for Millington is equally good for Hamilton-right?

I think not!!