May Rally Highlights

We don't know what you did Memorial Day but our first rally of the summer was held at the Lakeville (NY) Volunteer Fire Department Training Grounds. We had a great building with all the amenities and a field with enough electric to keep all our batteries charged. With 25 coaches attending, fantastic weather, good food, it seemed like our hosts the Klines, Wordens and Roules had some inside information.

Twelve motor homes arrived on Thursday with the rest arriving on Friday. Our official first activity was Friday dinner featuring Charlie Kline's home made Italian sausage. After dinner, we organized teams for our first PenNY Mixer road rally in many years. The basic objective of this was to find answers to trick clues while driving a disguised road course. We ended with 10 cars with 20 couples ready to drive the rally.

Saturday morning started with a full breakfast of eggs, sausage and pancakes made with Millie Worden's secret ingredient. It was followed by "Show-n-tell" and then left over stone soup from Friday. And then >>>>>> the "Road Rally". What was thought would be 20 miles in about one hour to find 42 answers turned out to be 38 miles and two hours for some. Folks criss-crossed several times while trying to get back on course. It provided for some waves, laughs and and other unmentionable comments. All in all - good fun. A pot luck dinner followed provided by all the participants. Evening entertainment was a review of road rally stories and prizes of lottery tickets to the winners.

Sunday morning breakfast consisted of oat meal, cereal, fruit and toast. The rest of the morning consisted activities on our own and a sewing-bee hosted by Sylvia Plaisted. This worked up an appetite for an ice cream social. Our evening dinner consisted of beef bar-B-Que, salad and beans. This was followed by a pound auction, hilariously hosted by Nelson Hansen and Jim Fairbrother.

Monday morning ended our Memorial Day weekend with a continental breakfast, a happy birthday to Donna, and a moment of silence for troops who make all American's weekends possible.

There are more pictures in our newsletter.

PenNY Mixer private email site

We have a private email site for you to pick up old newsletter and chapter information. The site is on Google though their GMAIL mail server. Since we have set up the site, you do NOT have to have a GMAIL account to access the site. To get to our site, you need to do the following:

• In your browser window at the top the screen, type: http://www.gmail.com/
• This will send you to GMAIL where will see a USER NAME and a PASSWORD window to get access to the site.
• In the User name window, type: fmca.pennymixers
• Type in the password in the "Password" window. If you need the password and are a member, contact troule@aol.com
• This will take you to our private email site where past newsletters are stored in PDF format.
• You may open and download any of them going back to last year when we started to provide newsletters in digital form.

Speed Trap Locations

There is an interesting web site that allows someone to search for speed traps by state and community. I checked it out and it works. I cannot verify its accuracy, however, the ones in Geneseo, NY seemed verify what we have seen.

http://www.speedtrap.org/speed-traps/find/

You don't have to register.

MAINE WITHDRAWS BILL TO BAN PARKING IN PUBLIC PLACES

Yesterday, representative Ann Perry of the Maine Legislature asked and received votes to withdraw the legislation to ban parking in public places. Since she was the original sponsor of the bill, it was couragous and commendable to change her position.

A number of you wrote or emailed various groups and individuals (including Representative Perry) in Maine asking this be done. I say: "Well Done". Those notes may have contributed to the realization the bill should be reconsidered.

Mother's Day

To all you great mothers out there, we want to extend to you a happy, pleasurable Mother's Day.

May Rally

Don't forget - our first rally is Memorial Day weekend (May 22-25th). The agenda is at the bottom of this Blog. Lots to do, but you are what makes it fun.

Please signup with -

Tom Roule
email: troule@aol.com
phone: 585-739-9074

Need to know if you are coming about 5/16/2009

MAINE TO BAN PARKING IN PUBLIC AREAS

ESCAPEES RV Club has alerted many to LD114 / HP98, a bill in the Maine State Legislature being pushed through the legislative process. This bill will make it a civil offense with a $100 fine to park an RV overnight on any public parking lot (like Walmart) in the state. You can view the bill text and status, contact legislators at
http://janus.state.me.us/legis/

It's a shame to see a state like Maine whose economy depends on tourism try to force RV'ers to stay in parks, limiting flexibility. When we visit an area, we stay in a campground. However, if just looking for a meal and some sleep, we may stay in a Walmart.

Legislators don't realize how much is spent in restaurants and other local businesses during an overnight stay at a Walmart or similar location. It would seem like the local Chamber's of Commerce should be fighting this bill.

With FMCA committed Essex Junction, VT we have made a side trip to Maine part of our August travels. If this legislation passes, that trip will end. Maybe Quebec instead.

If you feel like I do, maybe you can drop a note to the the Govenor of Maine. His web address is:

Governor John E. Baldacci
http://www.maine.gov/governor/baldacci/contact/citizen_services/share_views.html.

Maine Chamber of Commerce:
http://www.mainechamber.org/mx/hm.asp?id=ourstaff

FMCA, Northeast Area Officer Nominations

The Northeast Area of FMCA is seeking nominations for officers for 2009-2010.

Currently, candidates are as follows:
President: Paul DuBois
1st Vice President: Lou Snow
2nd Vice President: Ed Hoag
3rd Vice President: Open
Secretary: Kathianne Taylor
Tresurer: Eleanor Rizzi

The nominatting committee consists of the following individuals:
Grant Bamberger, email: jbambi@att.net
Frank Rizzi, email: eleriz15@yahoo.com
Tom Roule, email: troule@aol.com

If you are interested in running for a position, please contact one of us. Just send a brief history of your FMCA experience.

FMCA can use your help and creativity.