January 2007 Newsletter Archive

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The FaGowee International, Sacramento Chapter

January 2007

DON'T ALPINE SKI ON A HOLIDAY WEEKEND
SNOWSHOE OR CROSS COUNTRY SKI INSTEAD

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR
SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2007
(Martin Luther King Birthday weekend)
for a fun filled day of snowshoeing and cross country skiing in the beautiful High Sierra in Castle Peak, where we will experience breath taking views of our beautiful mountains so bring your camera!! Also bring water and a lunch.

We will meet at the Castle Peak Sno-park at 9:00 am or arrange carpooling from the Sacramento area. This is the trailhead for 4 different hikes of varying degrees of distance and difficulty. We can snowshoe to the Peter Grub Hut, which is a 5.25-mile easy round trip hike or the hearty of us can cut off at approximately 2-mile point to go up to Castle Peak for a beautiful view of the Tahoe area (I think). Snowshoes can be rented at Adventure Sports or REI. Check around town for other places. You will need a Sno-park pass that can be purchased at REI and other places in town. I will be skiing Heavenly from January 10-12 so need to know to expect by January 3rd.

Information will be mailed to those who sign up.
We will plan to have dinner at The Rainbow Lodge on the way home.
Lauri h: 916-987-1817 c: 916-837-1603

DON'T FORGET TO JOIN US AT THE
SOCIAL MEETINGS!
See Page 4 for times and places!

Board Members

PRESIDENT
Jim Van Riper
721-0892

VICE-PRESIDENT
Richard Persons
977-0559

SECRETARY
Cynthia Barlow
722-1427

TREASURER
Norman Benedict
985-8523

MEMBERSHIP
Karen Fontaine-Benedict
985-8523

ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR
Lauri Thompson
987-1817

RACE
Lee Johnson
457-7743

NEWSLETTER/ WEBMASTER
Tracee Carter
509-279-8454

HISTORIAN
Bob McDonald
817-4277

Discount Ski Tickets
Rob Rice
984-1567

Prez Says

Happy New Year!!!

     As I bid a fond farewell to 2006, I look back on all the events and opportunities this club has offered to its members. We’ve had our share of “culture”, nostalgia, fund raising events, some memorable parties, camping trips, and days on the slopes. It’s been a great year overall, and it’s all been FUN!!
     We’ve taken two separate day trips to San Francisco – one to see the Egyptian Queen to Pharaoh Hatshepsut exhibit, and one to see the paintings of Claude Monet (our official “culture” sessions for the year). We took a nostalgia cruise aboard the restored WWII Liberty ship S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien from the Port of Sacramento to Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. We volunteered again to serve at the finish line and as timekeepers for Eppie's Great Race. We had parties for Valentines Day, St. Patty’s Day, The annual Luau / annual Family Picnic, the Halloween party and the annual Christmas Party. We spent a week of camping and hiking in Yosemite and several days of camping at the annual Abalone Dive and Dine in Mendocino.
     Three months ago, Diane Wilson started a monthly event we call “Wilson’s Walks”. Diane picks a relatively easy hike through scenic and places of interest, and several of the tribe has walked every hike so far.
     Last year, we had a great winter season of skiing on the slopes of the Tahoe area. This year is showing signs of another year of the same. As you all ring in the year 2007, be sure to celebrate the future and good times to come. Reach for the stars and make your dreams come true. May your New Year be filled with hope, joy, happiness and new beginnings. I hope to see a lot more of our members and guests in attendance at more of the functions our club offers in the next twelve months. Be safe, be healthy, be blessed, be happy and walk in peace.
     Don’t forget to remember our friends and loved ones who have family serving in the military services. Our military personnel are serving for you, protecting the freedoms that, sadly, so many of us take for granted. They deserve your respect and gratitude.

Read Your Newsletter

Pictures Wanted!!!
Bob McDonald

Snow season has arrived and so has the opportunity for pictures! Take pictures of any FaGowee's having fun so I can include them in our photo albums. The albums are brought to each and every FaGowee function with the photos of our past events, and I depend on you, the general membership, to supply those photos for the albums. So...get those pictures taken so I can add them to our archives.

Currently I’m looking for pictures from Yosemite Trip & Family Picnic/Luau!

For the sake of ease in creating and displaying the photo pages, I’d prefer the prints to be 4”x 6” in size. Also, I would like them in groups of 6 so that they will take up a whole page in the album.
If you have any questions, or photos you’d like to part with, please contact me at 817-4277.

See Photos Online!!!

Snow News is published monthly for the FaGowee International, Sacramento Chapter members. Articles or photos MUST BE to Tracee Carter by the 20th of each month. You may e-mail the information to Tracee or call (509-279-8454). Editor has the right to edit or omit submitted material because of content or space, with Executive Board oversight.

Special Announcements

Welcome New Member!!!
We would like to welcome Ginny Benedict
to the Sacramento FaGowees!

We hope to see her at all the meetings and gatherings!

January Birthdays

3 Steve Williams

4 Robert Mueller

7 Deliliah Jordan

21 Lee Johnson

29 John Canipe

UPDATE YOUR EMAIL

I am having several emails returned as incorrect.
If you want email updates about club events
please send me YOUR email address.
Lauri Thompson

Christmas Party Recap
by Marilyn Miller

Well, if you were not at this year's annual Christmas Party at the Buggy Whip, you really missed out. Forty nine members and guests again enjoyed the restaurant's delicious dinners of Chicken Teriyaki, Baked Salmon, or Sirloin Steak with scrumptious cheesecake for desert. There was a specially decorated piece of cheesecake (candles) for each birthday celebrity: Karen Fontaine-Benedict, Linda Trombino, and Diane Tiche - although the "Happy Birthday" singing was not quite on key!!

Our "French" contingency, Helene Mulligan, greeted everyone at the door and graciously accepted all the "Toys for Tots". Our hostess was our very own past president Phyllis Figlioli who did a tremendous job, with her natural humor thrown in during the evening. Is it coincidence that Paul Merlo wins a bottle of Merlot? Jackie Chesi challenged our brains with a little game of trivia: the winners were Norman Benedict and Fakhri Rice. Congrats. All who attended were the recipients of "raffle" prizes but there were some big winners: Ellen Page: massage by Eric Schmitt; Diane Wilson: gift certificate from Sherrie's Berries; a gift bag of treasurers from Trader Joes; Robert Rice: a landscape consultation from Kati White; Fred Carlson: a massage from Lauri Thompson. Fred and Myra Dal Bello donated 2 custom made calendars and a guest, Dave Young, was delighted with this prize.

My thanks to Helene Mulligan, Phyllis Figlioli, Jackie Chesi for thei help with the party; thanks to Eric Schmitt, Sherrie's Berries, Trader Joes, Kati White, Lauri Thompson, Fred and Myra Dal Bello, Jackie Chesi, and Dick Persons for their raffle donations; a big thanks for the 72 toys which I promptly delivered to the Marine Corp for needy children; and last but not least to the board for subsidizing the dinners and raffle prizes to lower the member's fee for this event.

Mark Saturday, December 1, 2007, for next year's annual Christmas Party: same time, same place with one twist - a band!!

Trip, Trips and more Trips

Jan 27 –Feb 3, 2007	FWSA Ski Week 2007 (SEE PAGE 6)Steamboat Springs, CO	Debbie Stewart 559-734-9294
March 3 -11, 2007	FWSA trip to Bormio, Italy (SEE PAGE 7)	Norm or Mary Azevedo 925-944-9816
September 14, 2007	FWSA 15 or 21 day trip to China/Tibet (SEE PAGE 8)	Norm or Mary Azevedo 925-944-9816

Join us for first Social Meeting of the Year!!!
January 23 @ 6:30 pm

Social Corner
Please mark your calendars now for the following dates. There is always room for more.

Jan 13	Snowshoeing @ Castle Peak ~ 9:00 am (meet at Sno-Park) (SEE FRONT PAGE) Lauri h 916-987-1817 c 916-837-1603
Jan 23	Board Meeting @ 6:00 pm~ Benedict's Residence 1021 Mallard Circle, Folsom ~ 985-8523
Jan 23	Social Meeting @ 7:00 pm ~ Benedict's Residence 1021 Mallard Circle, Folsom ~ 985-8523
Feb 27	Board Meeting @ 6:00 pm ~ TBA
Feb 27	Social Meeting @ 7:00 pm ~ TBA
July 21	Eppie's Great Race ~ Rancho Cordova, Sacramento ~ 381-0255 (SEE PAGE 5)

FaGOWEE FUNCTION OR EVENT SIGN-UP LATE FEES
(Approved and Adopted at the Executive Board Meeting on July 11, 2006)

SIGN-UP LATE FEES: On each and every advertised FaGowee club event published in the Snow News newsletter, a sign-up due date will be listed as well as the member and non-member prices to attend that function or event. Any person who signs up and submits their payment for attendance after that published due date will be assessed a 50% late fee penalty. In addition, any person who does not sign up at all to attend a function or event and just shows up at the door will be assessed a 100% late fee penalty (payable in full at that time) before being allowed admittance to that function or event.

FaGOWEE EVENT / TRIP REFUND POLICY
Revised, Approved and Adopted at the Executive Board Meeting, October 8, 2003

The following Refund Policy applies to any Club event for which a fee is charged.
You will automatically receive a 100% refund fur any trip or event cancelled by the Club.
If you cancel and someone takes your place from the waiting list, you will receive a refund of the amount you paid, less a cancellation fee. The cancellation fee will be $10.00 or 10% of the event/trip fee- whichever is more, unless a specific cancellation fee is advertised for the event/trip.
If you cancel and there is no waiting list, or no one on the list takes your place, you will receive a refund of the amount you paid less a cancellation fee and less any expenses that the Club incurs due to your cancellation.
If you arrange for someone not on the waiting list to take your place, you will be responsible for full payment to the Club plus any transfer fees or costs the Club incurs because of the change. Other money transactions are between you and your replacement. You must provide that replacement with a note for the trip leader or you must confirm the replacement directly with the trip leader prior to the event/trip. The person who submits payment must request all refunds from the Executive Board in writing within 60 days after the completion of the event/trip. The Executive Board will review the final financial report from the event/trip and may approve refunds in accordance with this refund policy.
Any member may appeal to the Executive Board for refunds greater than provided by this policy if special circumstances warrant.
There will be no refund for events that are designated as "Fund Raisers" unless they are cancelled or rescheduled by the Club.

Lauri Thompson
916-987-1817

EMAIL UPDATES
Club emails is now the responsibly of the activity director. Please send all future requests for email distributions to the activity director. I am in the process of updating my email address for the club. To expedite this process, if you want to receive the updates please send me your email address to Lauri or Activity Director. Thank you Norm for going above and beyond for so long.

FUTURE EVENTS

BEACH BLANKET BABYLON in San Francisco in the spring. I may turn it into a weekend event by combining it with hiking the coast, Angel Island or seeing the Mountain Play at Mount Tam. Email me your thoughts. Details will be in later newsletters.

Discount Tickets

Each year the club offers members the chance to purchase lift tickets to the most popular North Tahoe resorts at a discount of $2 to $13 off the normal ticket price. The final prices have been received from the ski areas. Unfortunately, the price published for Alpine Meadows in last month’s newsletter was not correct. The corporate price for Alpine is $44, which is still $2 off the regular price. The Alpine discount is not good during holiday periods but vouchers may be upgraded for $11 on these days and will be honored even when the ski area sells out. Discount tickets for Northstar, Squaw, and Sugar Bowl are good during holidays with no additional cost.

For those who pre-ordered you tickets: Squaw Valley tickets have been sent out and you should be receiving them soon and pre-orders for other ski areas will be sent out once they are received. For those who did not pre-order tickets, discount tickets for all areas are still available and may be purchased while supplies last. The best part is, you can turn in your tickets at the end of the season by the posted deadline for a credit towards tickets next year. To order tickets you can use the form at www.ricero.com/fagowee or you can phone or e-mail me.

Alpine Meadows – $44 discount tickets: The regular price is $46 and $55 during holidays. Tickets may be upgraded during holidays for $11.

Homewood – $36 discount tickets: The regular price is $44, but Homewood offers other discount throughout the season.

Northstar-at-Tahoe/Sierra-at-Tahoe – $51 discount tickets: The regular price will be $63 and $66 during holidays. You get an $8 cafeteria/bar voucher when tickets are used at Sierra-at-Tahoe.

Squaw Valley – $53 discount tickets: The regular price will be $69 and $73 during holidays.

Sugar Bowl – $42 discount tickets: The regular weekend price will be $50 and $63 during holidays.

Robert Rice
FaGowee Discount Ticket Coordinator
Phone: (916) 996-9842
Email
Web Site: www.ricero.com/fagowee

Media Advisory: Contact: Drisha Leggitt
October 2006 (916) 206-2553

34th Annual Eppie’s Great Race
Saturday, July 21, 2007

WHAT: This year’s 34th annual Eppie’s Great Race—the World’s Oldest Triathlon—is scheduled for Saturday, July 21, 2007. Both teams and/or individuals can compete in divisions from “Junior,” to “Iron Person,” 70 years and older. Continuing in 2007 is the “Kids’ Duathlon, a 2.5 mile run, and a 6 mile bike ride; where children can train with their families, and compete in their own race. Great Race participants run, bike and paddle kayaks on a racecourse located on and alongside the American River Bike Trail. Race event volunteers, event sponsors and potential exhibitors, as well as race participants, are encouraged to check www.thegreatrace.org, to sign up for this year’s event or receive more information.

WHEN: Saturday, July 21, 2007

START TIMES:
7:58 a.m. - Adaptive Divisions.
8:00 a.m. - Ironpersons & all other teams.

WHERE: American River Parkway, Rancho Cordova and Sacramento.

· Begins at William Pond Recreation Area: Directions to William Pond Recreation Area: From Hwy. 50 exit Watt Avenue North, turn right on Fair Oaks Blvd., and then right on Arden Way to the park. From Business 80 (Capital City Freeway), exit Arden Way East and stay on Arden Way to the park.

· Run to Bike transition: East end of the Guy West Bridge off University Ave., across from CSUS.

· Bike to Boat transition: Lower Sunrise Parking Lot and Footbridge. Hwy. 50 East; Exit Sunrise north (left over the freeway); Right on S. Bridge Dr. (toward American River Raft Rentals; if you cross Sunrise Bridge you’ve gone too far); Go past American River Raft Rentals; Left at intersection—about ½ mile to the parking lot.

WHY: The Great Race has been implemented each year as a fundraising event benefiting programs for the Sacramento County Therapeutic Recreation Services (SCTRS) that support mentally- and physically-challenged people. One hundred percent of The Great Race entry fees are donated to support SCTRS. To date, The Great Race has raised more than $707,800 for SCTRS and now accounts for over 20 percent of the program’s overall budget.

FURTHER INFO:
For more information check the web site at: www.thegreatrace.org or call (916) 381-0255.

Race Corner

It’s time now to get ready for race season! Start those squats and crunches now!

YOUR FIRST RACE
So you’ve never raced… it sounds too scary, right? But what’s it really like? You gather at early morning registration and the FaGowee racers gather to talk to you and encourage you. They ski with you to the ski slope and show you how to ski the course. You’re still kinda scared. Then you get in line and soon they call you bib number. You get in the starting gate and wait for “Racer Ready! 5-4-3-2-1!” Then you sail out of the gate. “Please don’t make me fall!” you whisper to yourself. You make your way around 3 gates and think, “Wow, that was pretty cool.” Then you see another gate, “whoops, almost didn’t see that one.” You swing around one gate and then the next and finally, there it is, the finish line! Wow, what a rush and you made it! You’re proud of yourself. You know you must have gone at least 55 miles an hour. “What, it was only 10 miles an hour?
Well, next time, I’m gonna terrorize the hill…. sorta!”

SAVE MONEY
Hey gang, it’s not too late to get a race pass for all 8 races! The 2 races in December were re-scheduled for January. Go the Sacramento FaGowees Race Team page at www.sacramentofagowees.org/RaceTeam.htm for mailing address and release forms to download and mail. Then contact Andrea Woelfle or
call her at 487-9052 to arrange for a $25 FaGowee rebate.

The Race Schedule has changed

WHERE TO REGISTER IN PERSON FOR THE RACES

Northstar
Register at Timbercreek restaurant at the entrance to the Village.

Homewood
Register in the bar at the South Lodge (formerly Tahoe Ski Bowl). This is about ½ mile down the road from the main parking lot.

Diamond Peak
Register in the bar upstairs in the main lodge.

Alpine Meadows
Register in the main cafeteria next to the stairs that go down to the special tickets office.

Heavenly
Registration is in the Cal Bar in the main California Lower Lodge, upstairs by the cafeteria. FWRA: from 7 to 9 AM

NON-RACERS SKI CHEAPER!

Racers get discount prices on lift tickets on race days – usually about $8-$12. Non-racers get the same price! Just show up where racers register between 7:30 and 8:30 (see schedules and registration locations in this issue) and you’ll get the same price!

Keep up with the Sierra League at their website
http://www.sierraleague.com/home.jsp
Check out their Travel Page that has been updated with new trips!!

FWSA Ski Week 2007
Jan 27 - Feb 3, 2007

Located in the Colorado Rockies, Steamboat Ski Resort is one of North America's largest ski mountains. With 143 trails, 3,600 vertical feet, and nearly 3,000 skiable acres, Steamboat provides a variety of terrain for every level of skier. The trail classification is 13% beginner, 56% more difficult and 31% advanced/expert. There are definitely runs for every skier.
Steamboat is a complete mountain range with Mt. Werner, Sunshine Peak, Storm Peak, Thunderhead Peak, Christie Peak and Pioneer Ridge. Steamboats six peaks are filled with groomed cruisers, bumps, steep, open meadows and legendary tree skiing. The phrase "champagne powder snow" was coined at Steamboat.

Mark your calendars for a great week of skiing, racing, and overall good time!
For information on becoming a "STEAMBOATer" Click Here!
Contact: Debbie Stewart, VP of Travel
430 S.Church St.
Visalia,CA 93277
phone: 559-734-9294
E-mail

You, as a FaGowee, are automatically a Sierra League member.
Don’t miss this opportunity to have fabulous skiing vacation.
Contact Debbie Stewart to sign up;
also contact Andrea Woelfle
so that we can coordinate transportation and attendance of FaGowee members.

FWSA is offering an exciting European Winter Trip for 2007

Bormio, Italy
March 3rd-11th
Our Bormio package remains as advertised. For more information CLICK HERE
The Posta Hotel is full, but we still have space in the other three units and I'm assured they are excellent hotels.

And for those who can take the time, a pre and post trip extensions.

We have an exciting pre-trip to Interlaken, Switzerland
It is truly a wonderful place for skiers and non-skiers alike.
Our pre-trip will start on Feb.27th flying to Zurich and on to Interlaken for 4 nights.
Interlaken was named by monks in 1130 because it is sandwiched between two lakes:
the Brienzersee and the Thunersee which are lined by a large collection of castles, shops, and restaurants.
It is nestled below the Jungfrau region, which is considered the birthplace of skiing. We got all this for a very reasonable price.

Post Bormio trip is visiting Verona, Florence, a wine tasting in Tuscany, Siena and finally Rome (by motor coach)
We start in Verona on March 11th and will return home from Rome on March 18th.

We expect to have travel details out to all who have sent us deposits in two weeks. This package will contain payment schedules, a formal application and waiver, request for a copy of your passport, confirmation of Bormio hotel accommodations, optional tour availability and all the details we can accumulate on the three trips at this time. When we get closer to departure or as it becomes available,
we will provide you with more complete travel information, e.g. airline schedules, lift ticket arrangements, etc.

Pre and post trip participation is limited by our ability to firm up airline arrangements.
We will fill airline seats based on the date we receive your deposit.

To be included in the pre or post extensions, you must send FWSA an additional $100 for each of the pre and post trip (s) you choose.

I believe we can get plenty of space for those who want to join us on the extensions at this time,
but to do so we need to confirm airline seats within a couple of weeks. Send your deposits now to assure your place.

Contact:
Norm or Mary Azevedo
V.P. International Travel
Far West Ski Association (FWSA)
925-944-9816

FWSA is offering a 15 or 21 day China/Tibet
Sept, 14^th, 2007
CLICK HERE for more info

Lhasa, Tibet & China - When we heard that the first passenger train from Beijing to Lhasa Tibet opened in July 2006, we wanted to be one of the first tour groups to take the trip. So we have arranged an adventure trip to China including the train trip to Tibet starting on September 14, 2007. The train ride from Beijing to Lhasa takes 48 hours and is 2,500 miles long with terrain over 13,000 feet above sea level. Oxygen supplies are provided in the railcar. What an experience this will be for FWSA adventurers. We have excursion options in Beijing and Shanghai for those who took the previous FWSA China trip with exciting alternative places to visit. See the flier for the sites and cities covered by the 15 and 21 day tours.

We take participants based on first deposit in, first signed up.
We will not take deposits for the Tibet/China trip until August 20, 2006.
Send a $200 deposit now if you’re interested in this trip.

Contact:
Norm or Mary Azevedo
V.P. International Travel
Far West Ski Association (FWSA)
925-944-9816

NEED ADVERTISING SPACE? WANT TO SELL SOMETHING?

Several club members have recently made inquiries as to the possibility of placing personal advertisements in the Snow News. The Executive Board addressed that question at the January ’05 Executive Board Meeting. Effective immediately, we will be accepting personal advertisements for publication in your newsletters.

If you have something to sell or if you want to advertise your business, you can now place your personal advertisement in the Snow News, and your cost of placing each ad will be as follows:

AD SPACE SIZE:	MEMBER PRICE:	NON-MEMBER PRICE:
*Business Card Size* (2-1/8”H x 3-1/2"W)	$ 5.00 per month	$10.00 per month
*¼ Page Size* (4”H x 3-1/4”W)	$10.00 per month	$15.00 per month
*½ Page Size* (4”H x 6-1/2”W)	$15.00 per month	$20.00 per month

The Usual Small Print:

Personal ads will be published one-time per month for the above-indicated prices. Please include your payment along with your ad and mail it to the FaGowee post office box.

Your ad and payment must be received at the FaGowee post office box on or before the 10^th of the month to be included in the following month’s newsletter.

The Publications Editor has the right to refuse any advertisement that may be deemed inappropriate.

January 2007

January Events

1/13- Snowshoeing @ Castle Park 9 am ~ Lauri h 916-987-1817 c 916-837-1603
1/23 - Board Meeting @ 6:00 pm ~ Benedict's House ~ 985-8523
1/23 - Social Meeting @ 7:00 pm ~ Benedict's House ~ 985-8523

February 2007

February Events

2/27 - Board Meeting @ 6:00 pm ~ TBA
2/27 - Social Meeting @ 7:00 pm ~ TBA