Long Beach Casting Club

While repairs are being made to the clubhouse an alternate location for board meetings, monthly meetings, and pre-trip meetings has been arranged. Friday nights at the Community Center across the street from the clubhouse are reserved for board meetings, pretrip meetings and monthly meetings. Unfortunately, there is a staffing cost associated with using the Center of $60 per meeting.

All first Friday nights are BofD meetings.

Last Friday nights are regular meetings, except April which is the general meeting held on the first Friday. Note that the Venison Stag is held in place of the December monthly meeting, so there will be no meeting at the end of this month.

Pretrip meetings will be scheduled on the Friday a week before the trip.

All Tuesday and Thursday activity nights (except casting) are canceled until further notice.

Special Saturday events, seminars, workshops are canceled.

Sat/Sun casts can be held with breakfast at Denny’s or Hof’s Hut.

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NOTE: The Casting Club web site will be used in the future to disseminate official information regarding meetings, dates, activities, and class schedules. Please log in to our web site for the most current information.

Since the first announcement regarding the fire a week ago, the following has occurred:

Monday, Dec 3, 2007

• Fire inspection completed and the “cause undetermined”. It started at floor level between the fireplace and the front corner of the building. There are no indications of wrong doing.
• The Fire Department approved the club house for access. It has minimal structural damage.
• The insurance company approved taking any reasonable and prudent action to prevent further damage.
• There is extensive damage in the meeting room and especially by the fireplace. There is smoke damage in the kitchen, office, bathrooms, storage and casting rooms.
• Wet ashes and debris were removed by volunteers to save the remaining floor.
• Multiple inspections were completed by Long Beach Parks and Recreation and Marine staff.
• A communication network was established for member updates (see above regarding web site).
• Press releases written and distributed.
• Board of Directors Meeting
  • Approved restoration of clubhouse as quickly as possible.
  • Approved contractor for professional cleanup.
  • Began setting specifications for bids for restoration contractors.
  • Heard offers of support from Long Beach Park staff.
  • Requested use of Community Center (across street from Cub House) for events for next six months.
  • Determined to continue normal club operations to the greatest extent possible.
  • Cancelled the Southwestern casting tournament in February to concentrate on the restoration.

Tuesday, Dec 4, 2007

• Salvage, packaging and building clean up continued by volunteer work team.
• Salvageable items packed and stored in lockable outside storage containers.
• Building opened up to allow air circulation and drying of floors.
• Inspections completed by insurance adjustor, risk assessment team and fire department.
• Authorized clean up company to begin on Wednesday.
• Received call form Director of Parks and Recreation expressing support for LBCC restoration plan.
• Sent letter to Mayor Bob Foster informing him of LBCC restoration plan.
• Confirmed with Ed White of LB Parks for temporary perimeter fence to be installed Dec 10.
• Begin draft article underway for FFF magazine.

Wednesday, Dec 5, 2007

• Security services suspended.
• Second storage container delivered.
• Electrical power restored to the pond lights and to circuit breaker box.
• Community Center “Bruins Den” not available on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There is also a staffing cost.
• Carole Katz developing schedule of volunteers for club house oversight when/as needed.
• Met with insurance company property adjuster and provided lease and other information as requested.
• Began developing list of building contents and estimates of replacement costs.
• Gave interviews to Long Beach Press Telegram and OC Register.

Thursday, Dec 6, 2007

• Project transitions from crisis management to project management.
• Boarded up hole in exterior wall.
• Club house clean up by contractor completed.
• Salvage of target room completed.
• Regular cleaning of smoke damaged rooms needed to regain some functionality—office, storage room, bathrooms and kitchen.
• Paul Burgner has formed a reconstruction team that includes Dan Rivett, Joe Richter and Nani Blyleven. The City of Long Beach contacts for the restoration are J.C. Squires, Alan Kosoff and Phil Lopez. Scope of work analysis is underway. Burgner also is in preliminary discussion and evaluation of general contractors, and is coordinating with insurance adjusters and establishing links with the city.

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More photos of the clubhouse interior courtesy of club member Marv Dworzak have been added to the gallery.

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More photos courtesy of club member Paul Burgner have been added to the photo gallery showing more of the interior damage.

Click Here to open a new window for the album.

Note: when viewing pictures, you can click to see larger versions, including full-resolution images.

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A fire broke out at the Long Beach Casting Club Clubhouse around 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 2, 2007. The interior of the clubhouse was significantly damaged in the blaze. I am awaiting photos from Club member Paul Burgner taken of the outside and inside. To my knowledge, nobody was injured. The structure is still standing–the office, wet room, kitchen, and badge room are relatively unharmed, with most of the damage in the front room. I will update this post as soon as get pictures from Paul.

There is a gallery (larger images, including full resolution) of images that we are compiling at:

LBCC Casting Club Fire Pictures

While you can approach the building, PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ENTER THE BUILDING! Long Beach Fire is still trying to determine the cause and the structure is not safe to enter at this time.

Obviously, the Fly Tying class scheduled for Tuesday evening is canceled until further notice.

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The December Target Talk has been posted.

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Skip Morris has eleven books out on fly fishing and fly tying and pens regular columns for “Flyfisherman”, “Flyfishing and Tying Journal”, and “Salmon Trout Steelheader “magazines. He is also our speaker for the month of November. His topic will be “Fishing the Surface of a Trout Lake”

Trout lakes are sadly misunderstood—and they represent a whole world of fly fishing that too many anglers, either through unfamiliarity or uncertainty, are missing. Skip is well versed on this topic as he co-authored Fly Fishing Trout Lakes with Brian Chan in 1999. This program leads you patiently by the hand and guides you through the techniques, tackle, and flies that take trout feeding in the top layer of a lake. Here you will learn about lake entomology, the intricacies of chasing and catching path-rising trout, when to expect surface feeding on chironomids, and a great deal more. Along with ideas and images that entertain.

Skip developed a fly which combines the best of the pheasant tail and the hare’s ear and calls it the Skip Nymph (for a description google “skip morris”). Skip Morris, a renowned author and fly tier, has also written on many subjects near and dear to our hearts most notably: Dry Flys, and for the rest of you: nymphs, bass bugs, foam bodies, etc. plus a book on custom graphite rods.

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Saturday, December 1, 2007

6:00 p.m. Social Hour & 7:00 p.m. Dinner

A reminder that the annual Venison Stag is coming! Join us for one of our club’s most important and enjoyable social events of the year! Meet with other club members and their families at this fun holiday event. As usual, Shauna will be in the kitchen cooking up a delicious Prime Rib dinner with all of the fixings.

The cost is only $18.00 for adults and $6.00 for children if prepaid by November 16th. The cost at the door will be $25.00. Unfortunately, because of our growing membership, we can only accommodate those without reservations if there is room, so be sure to make get your money in early! There is an RSVP form in the November Target Talk . Please send it with your check to the club P.O. Box or give it to a Board member on or before November 16th.

New this year is a fishing tree. It’s like a Christmas tree but all the ornaments will be fishing related. We’ll set the tree up the week before the dinner so members can bring ornaments and the tree can be ready in time for the Stag. It will be fun to see what decorative ornaments people make or find. There will also be some beautifully wrapped gifts under the tree that will be raffled the evening of the Venison Stag, but you have to be there to be a lucky winner.

Also needed for the Stag are cleaners, servers, cooks, and cleanup volunteers. Please see the Target Talk for contact information about volunteering.

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