Newsletter Issues and Deadlines:

Mark Rothman has volunteered as editor of The PSC Paddler. Please send newsletter items to him. Remember, address changes, telephone number changes, e-mail address changes all go to Bob Kane. 

Mark Rothman
847-674-6726
4019 N Narragansett Ave
Chicago, IL 60634
paddle@adhoc-solutions.com
(email preferred)

Web Site, PSC Items for Sale

PSC Web Site

Check out the PSC Website. http://www.psc.ctsserver.com . Hot line for late trip postings: call Bob Kane at (815) 744-8129 if you are planning a last minute river trip and would like us to put an entry on the web for you. Include the details of when and where, with your name and a phone number to contact you. Send address change to Bob Kane, sign-in to Larry Forgala, and trip reports to Mark Rothman, paddle@adhoc-solutions.com (e-mail preferred). Trip leaders do not have to use the pre-stamped envelopes for trip reports - e-mail if you can.

PSC Items for Sale

PSC T-shirts ($10) and sweatshirts ($20) are available from Christina Taylor at 708-445-0871; E-mail: peace4368@ aol.com. Christina can bring your shirts to a trip or send via UPS.

Canoe Classes, Pool Sessions

Canoe Classes, Pool Sessions

The Open Pool Opens Again
For the ninth year consecutive year "The Open Pool" session opens again! Paddling returns to the larger-than-Olympic size pool at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). This year's sessions will begin on Wed Oct 24, 2001 and will continue every Wed from 7:00pm to 9:30pm until the last session on Wed, May 29, 2002. The fee for the session is $10 per person. Students and children accompanied by parents pay half price. A limited number of kayaks & gear will be available for rent for $5/session. Call first to check on availability (see below).

The Open Pool session is not a class and you may do whatever you like during the session; meet old friends, make new ones, learn a new trick, revive a rusting old skill, swim or just mess around in the boat for a while. This is a great place to introduce a friend to kayaking in a safe, warm water, controlled environment.

If you are interested in instruction we will once again conduct Introduction to Sea Kayaking and Rolling classes.
The Intro. class will cover paddling strokes, wet exit and assisted rescue skills. Classes will be limited to 8 students and will include boat, gear and instruction for one two hour session at $25 per student. The Rolling class will focus on learning to Eskimo roll and other self rescue skills. The Rolling class will be limited to 8 students and will include boat, gear and instruction for two sessions of two hours each for $50 per student. All classes will run from 7pm to 9pm. To register for classes email Cory Nagel at cory@kayakchicago.com or call him at 773-209-1800.

You must clean your boat thoroughly before you put it in the pool. Mud, river scum, old granola crumbs and the droppings of that little animal who calls your boat home while it's in storage cannot, must not, touch these crystalline and chlorinated waters. Wash it out at home if you can, but we can hook up a hose at the pool if you can't.

We've developed a few things for fun and games over the last few years. If there's enough interest to set it up, we can put up some gates over the water and make it easier to practice those tight boat control skills that come in so handy on rocky rivers. A video camera with a monitor will be available if you want to see what you're doing wrong (or right) just after you do it. A killer game of kayak polo (no paddles, no helmets, no rules) will challenge your balance and skills any evening there's enough players.

Enter the Athletic building through the main doors, and tell the person at the desk you're looking for the pool and locker
rooms. Your paddle is your pass! Bring a towel, a combination lock for your locker and any toiletries you might require. Please leave valuables locked in your car or at home.

Access Information: The UIC pool building is located on the south side of Roosevelt Rd. (1200 S) one and one half block west of Halsted St. (800 W). It is the first door west of UIC's new "Flame Center". To bring your boat into the building drive around to the rear. Enter the emergency access road on the south side of the Athletic Center from Morgan St. on the west side of the building. You may only park behind the pool building while unloading. You must then move your vehicle to parking on the street or in the patrolled pay lot on the north side of Roosevelt Rd. directly across of the Pool building.

For information on classes and/or to check rental boat availability, please email Cory Nagel at cory@kayakchicago.com or call him at 773-209-1800. For more information e-mail questions to Gary Mechanic at gary@chicagopaddling.org or call him at 773-267-0146.

Canoes and Kayaks for Sale

Canoes and Kayaks for Sale

Canadienne 1988-89, white GRP with aluminum trim, 3 paddles, 3rd passenger seat.
Pulley halyard system for stowing canoe in overhead of garage. 1/2 of a car carrier (used station wagon rack for back end). 2001 registration. Practically new condition. $700 complete. Gary Nelson, gnelson@zynrgy.com

Folbot, Super (17 1/2' folding Kayak) with rudder, spray skirt and paddles.$400.00 Folds into 2 bags. Call Tom or Anne at 708 361 4970 or e-mail at afuel40010@cs.com

Blackhawk Nighthawk 12' solo, Kevlar, wood gunwales. $600 Beth Sandles 773-271-3415

Yakima racks 58" bar and towers Y9, Y2, Y4, Y13, ski accessory, canoe braces, $100. Mike 773-594-9247.

Mad River 16' solo large vol tripping fiberglass $300,
Alum john boat 10' $250,
Rafts, white water, rubber, 8' & 6', $150 & $75.
Portable rowboat $200
Bob Warren 630-739-6040.

We-no-nah 16' Solo Plus, (solo or tandem) 50lbs,teal, paddled 1 season. $1000 ($1600 new) Noreen Long 847-486-0752.

Aquatera Chinook 16' sea kayak, yellow. never been in the water. $750. S.Vilardo svilardo@netzero.net

Trip Announcements: Always Call Trip Leader in Advance

Trip # 1 January 1, 2002
N. Branch Chicago River
Vic Hurtowy 773-777-1489
New Year's Day Trip, 16th Annual. Come and join us as we celebrate the new year with a trip down the N. Branch. In 2000 we had 187 paddlers. Starting times were staggered. Cal Vic during the day for your starting time or email at vic@chicagolandcanoebase.com. Afterwards many of us will meet at Hackney's on Lake St for food and drink. Dump clothes are mandatory.

Trip Reports

See Web page for trip reports.

Where to send (e-mail preferred)

Trip Reports:
Mark Rothman
4019 N Narragansett Ave
Chicago, IL 60634
847-674-6726
paddle@adhoc-solutions.com

Address Changes:
Bob Kane
305 Westshore Drive
Shorewood IL 60431
815-744-8129
Paddler@cbcast.com

Sign-In Sheets:
Larry Forgala
9724 S Cook Ave
Oak lawn, IL 60453
708-425-0733

Other Notes

Paddling In The Park (Edited)
Once gain, this year's PIP was a great success, thanks to all of you who made it happen. More than 1650 people - many of them youngsters - found out about the fun of being in a canoe or kayak, voyageur canoe or dragon boat, or tried their hand at sailing or challenged themselves in a marathon canoe.

On behalf of PIP, special thanks to PSC, CWA and CASKA for their financial contribution which generously paid for the lunches both days for the many volunteers, instructors, vendor staff and organization participants. We couldn't do it without you! Thank you.
Sigrid

Remember, new newsletter editor:
Mark Rothman
4019 N Narragansett Ave
Chicago, IL 60634
847-674-6726
paddle@adhoc-solutions.com
(E-mail preferred)

Note from the Editor

From the Editor

For most of the two years I have edited The Paddler the club has had a site on the Internet. The World Wide Web, as it is sometimes called, is just that: World Wide. The information we publish on the Web is available to the whole world. Even our members only page. Any teen hacker could access that section

We should carefully examine our use of the Internet and establish club policies. What do we want on the site? What do we want for members only? I raise these questions because I have had a policy as editor of The Paddler that trip announcements should be available to all members on an equal basis, that trips are the foundation of the club and that The Paddler is the method of information dissemination. If we publish a trip announcement on the Web before it appears in The Paddler (or it might even never appear in The Paddler. And who is going to edit that, and assign trip numbers?) certain members will have been excluded from this important information. Furthermore, upon seeing that a trip could be on the web site, a trip leader might miss the newsletter deadline but make it onto the web site in time for their trip. As this process accelerates, the newsletter becomes only a partial depository of upcoming trips. We then have two sources of trips and two editors of trip announcements.

I'd also like to note that, as an occasional trip leader, I personally do not want my name and telephone number posted on a site accessible to the whole world announcing that I will not be home on a specified date! That is one reason why we have membership only access to the trip announcements. The other reason for the membership only section is that if we list all our trips for all to see the need to join PSC diminishes. As membership would decrease so would the pool from which we draw club officers and others (i.e. newsletter editors) decrease.

The Internet is a great communications tool when used properly which means when used in conjunction with established communication modes. Think in terms of how you want PSC using this tool to communicate with you, the member, and with non-members (i.e. to solicit membership).

Consider the options and communicate with your board of directors and Vic..

When paying your dues please include your e-mail address. You can specify to have it excluded from the printed club directory. Having it there will insure that you receive special communications such as the trip announcement I sent out earlier to compensate for my error of omission from The Paddler.

It has been my pleasure to serve as editor.

Thank you

Rick Fleming

Prairie State Canoeists Application for Membership, Year 2002

Dues: $15. Make checks payable to Prairie State Canoeists. Complete, sign and mail to Bob Kane, 305 Westshore Drive, Shorewood IL 60431.

___Check if this is a new address

Read and Sign Below
I agree that I will take part in Prairie State Canoeists activities at my own risk. I will not hold Prairie State Canoeists, it's officers, trip leaders and/or members responsible for any injuries or property loss I may incur while taking part in club activities. I UNDERSTAND PADDLING IS AN ASSUMED RISK SPORT AND I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR MY SELF/FAMILY. I AM 21 YEARS OR OLDER. ALL ADULTS MUST SIGN.


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