President’s Message

GATOR TALES T H E O F F I C I A L M O N T H L Y P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E

P A L M B E A C H G A T O R S N O W S K I C L U B

Next General Membership Meeting: Holiday Party Dinner & Dance – Tickets $29.99 Wed., Dec. 3rd North Palm Beach Country Club 7:00 pm

Next Board of Directors Meeting: Thursday, December 4th at Double Tree Hotel ,Palm Beach Gardens, 6:30 pm

Hello Gators, Where does the time go? Here it is December. This year has flown by and we have had some exciting Gator activities. The winners of the Happy Hour Halloween Cos-tume contest were: Best Couple - Antoinette Adams and Jeff Saxton dressed as big, sexy pirates; Best Lady - Barbara Lioi with a dash-ing Marilyn Monroe costume; and Most Crea-tive – Gina, a new member who put together her own pirate outfit. We had some really great costumes: Laverne & Shirley, Samba dancer, cowgirl, angels, spider web, Dutch couple, witches and so many more. Thank you all for coming in costume and making Halloween an exciting fun evening. River Ranch was a huge success. Sharon Long did an amazing job putting this event together for all of us. I had never been there and didn’t realize what a fun filled week-end it was. Besides being a beautiful place, River Ranch has everything you could imag-ine to do. Some played golf – it was an inter-esting 9-hole course, lots of fun. I heard sto-ries of those that did horseback riding, ar-chery, skeet and trap shooting. They all had a blast. Everyone was talking about what they did and enjoyed it all. Tedd Reed cooked us all lunch at the campground. It was so good. Thank you, Tedd. Manny Sarria, Gina Drayton and I went zip lining. Of course it was a zip line for

toddlers but we screamed all the way down. The good news is now we are ready for the adult size! LoL! The Rodeo was the highlight of the evening. Towards the end it decided to rain but it didn’t stop the Gators from going to the Saloon to line dance. Sharon Long had par-ties at her cabin where we got to know some new Gators, eat and dance. As I said, it was simply a fabulous fun-filled weekend. Another BIG thank you to Sharon Long, Walter Marussich, Estella Basso, and Betty Williams for all the work you did sharing your cabin for us to eat, drink and party. Our November general meeting was a great success with some new members joining and signing up to go skiing with us for the first time. Walter Marussich, our VP of Ski Trips, may be soft spoken but this guy gets the job done – and done right! Actions speak louder than words, and this guy is full of action. Wal-ter we can’t thank you enough for all the hard and time consuming work you do behind the scenes. Thank you! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and/or friends. It’s the time of year to be grateful. Now we all proba-bly want to shed our extra turkey pounds so we can eat more later. That’s just life! Enjoy it all. We want you all to join the Gator Holiday Party on December 3rd. Check it out and sign up now! Thank you all for being Gators and making your club more enjoyable. Thank You All, Evie Houston President

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

B O A R D M E M B E R S PRESIDENT Evie Houston 561.762.2628 sgjewelers2@aol.com VP SKI TRIPS Walter Marussich 561.768.6368 gsscmem@comcast.net VP SPECIAL ACTIVI-TIES Connie Flow 561.329.0122 vpgatorconnie@yahoo.com VP SOCIALS Betty Williams 561.389.8353 Msbettywilliams @att.net TREASURER Orchid Rodriguez 561.204.2881 maryorchid @comcast.net SECRETARY Sharon Long 561.626.0406 wmarussich@comcast.net PAST PRESIDENT Richard Wennet 561.776.7729 rwennet@gmail.com MEMBER AT LARGE Pam Strickland 561.346.6855 pamilou254@aol.com COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Estela Basso 561.214.1603 webmaster @gatorsnowskiclub.com MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR Nikki Tessler 561.794.2040 natess68@aol.com EVENT COORDINA-TOR DIRECTOR Position Open

Your Club Needs Volunteers! Your Club Needs Volunteers!

We are looking for volunteers in several categories to help our Club succeed:

Social and Special Activities Planning Committee— We need more members to

help with our events and activities. Please Contact Betty Williams at 561-389-8353.

Trip Leaders and Assistant Trip Leaders—For Ski Trips, contact Walter Marussich at

561-768-6368 or gsscmem@comcast.net; for other trips, contact Connie Flow at 561-

329-0122 or vpgatorconnie@yahoo.com.

Event Leaders—If you are interested in leading one of our events, please contact Betty

or Connie.

Directors— If you are interested serving in the position of Event Coordinator Director,

please contact your new officers.

Officer Assistants — Volunteers are needed to be assistants to the VP/Ski Trips, VP/

Special Activities, VP/Socials and Treasurer. Must be members in good standing and comfort-

able with computers, with experience using e-mail, Excel and Word.

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 P A G E 2

Formal Election Advisory If you would like to be a board member of the P. B. G. S. S. C. for the next year starting

June 1st, our elections will be held in April. Nominations will begin at the February Gen-

eral Meeting.

You may run for any position. Some positions will have incumbent candidates running

for reelection. We are looking especially hard to fill the following positions because they

will be totally open seats.

1. Vice President / Special Activities

2. Vice President / Socials

3. Secretary

4. Member at Large

If you are interested, please email Past President Rich Wennet at rwennet@gmail.com.

Thank You,

Evie Houston, President

P A G E 3

Check us out

on Facebook

Create your

own free

Facebook

account, then

search for

Gator Snow Ski

Club. You can

join the group

or just "like us".

Join Us at Our Events

Events Planning

Committee: Meets the

SECOND MONDAY of each

month FROM NOW ON

Join Betty and Connie the

SECOND Monday of each

month at 7 PM at Tall Tales at

Gander Mountain in Palm Beach

Gardens.

Look for our Mascot at Happy Hour

Look for our Gator sign and

the alligator head full of candy,

seen here at the September

26th happy hour at Taboo in

Palm Beach

Members Debbie Mercer,

Michelle Schlawiedt and Ter-

ri Cosgrove enjoy the

campground at River Ranch

on November 8th.

G A T O R T A L E S

Volunteer for Club Activities Estela Basso and Walter

Marussich prepare food for

the River Ranch Friday Night

party on November 7th.

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

Visit Our Website Take a tour of our new website. We

hope you like it ! It features:

Event Information: on ski trips and all

social activities.

Blogs: each of your Board Members can

keep you up-to-date on the news from their area of responsibility.

Event Registration: register online and pay with credit card (or checks).

Join/Renew: your membership online.

Members Only Area*: a password protected area with a searchable Directory

and other content.

Forums: where members can discuss topics of interest with other members.

Surveys: where members can vote on preferences.

Customizable Member Profile: You can add a head shot of yourself, and set

your privacy settings (what information would you like to share and what to keep

private).

Photo Albums: pictures taken at our events...are you there?

*In order to access the Members Only area, your membership for the current

fiscal year (June 1, 2014- May 31, 2015) must be current, or the system will not let

you in. If you need to join or renew your membership, you can do so online. Your

login is your e-mail. Each member needs a unique e-mail.

If you are logging in for the first time, click "Forgot Password" and a password will

be e-mailed to you, from webmaster@gatorsnowskiclub.com. If you do not see the

e-mail shortly, check your spam/junk folder.

If you have joined/renewed recently via check, and you cannot log in, your check

may be being processed. Otherwise, we may be missing your e-mail or there may

be a typo in it.

Please contact Estela Basso webmaster@gatorsnowskiclub.com for help.

P A G E 4

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

exciting trips and trip leaders. Please review the super low

prices for the trips listed below:

1) Steamboat, CO; 12/06/14 – 12/13/14: $1,534

2) **Lake Louise/Banff, Canada; 01/10/15 – 01/17/15**:

$1,655

3) **Telluride, CO (FSC Council); 01/24/15 – 01/31/15 **:

$1,805

4) Taos, NM; 01/31/15 - 02/07/15: $1,575

5) Zell am See, Austria; 02/07/15 – 02/15/15: $1,800

6) Winter Park, CO; 02/23/15 – 02/38/15: $990

7) ** Vail, CO; 02/28/15 – 03/07/15**: $1,995

8) Lake Tahoe/ Heavenly, CA; 3/14/15 – 3/21/14: $1,699

** Means the trip is either sold out or close to it.

Taos, New Mexico is the spotlight destination. We have not visited this destination in several years and it is high time we reacquaint ourselves with the very hospitable Snakedance Inn. This trip has a Learn to Ski Week option for only $130, but it also has a high appeal to skiers of all abilities. This trip has been a late bloomer for us, but it is starting to pick up momentum. Please join Patti Bochniak at this fabulous re-

sort.

It is not a good idea for you to try to negotiate additional discounts on your own. Please help us maintain our reputa-tion and goodwill with the industry vendors and reps so that we can continue to obtain excellent prices. Please be cour-teous and considerate to your fellow travelers, trip leaders

and resort personnel.

For more information that is continuously updated, visit our

Club’s website at www.gatorsnowskiclub.com.

I am looking forward to spending time with you on the ski

trails.

Walter Marussich

VP Ski Trips,

(561) 768-6368;

gsscmem@comcast.net

P A G E 5 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

Green Circles, Blue Squares, Black Diamonds

Dear Gators,

It is December and we are ready to ski!!

If you did not sign up to go to Steamboat Springs with Gail Paglialun-go, you missed the opportunity for a prolonged ski season. Gail leaves on Saturday December 6th and it will be over a month before our next trip departs. So while we are pulling weeds out of yards, or cleaning cat hairs out of our furniture, we will not wonder how good

the snow is or how great a party this groups is going to have.

As we start this month, there is some more important news to share. The opportunity to sign up for a bargain trip to Winter Park, Colorado will close soon. The trip was priced to sell for under $1,000 dollars including air and lift tickets or $662 as a ground package. We were not successful promoting this trip and it will probably come off the docket unless we find 8 more participants in the next week. This is a trip a number of you requested, and I am glad we were able to offer it. Unfortunately, we do not have a crystal ball; some of you will not decide to join us at one of our superb destinations until later this year

and we may have to regretfully inform you that the trip is closed.

Next, I must remind you that for most of our trip, we are now beyond air and lodging deadlines. At this point, cancelling a trip will incur additional cancellation penalties beyond our control. However, for some trips, we will continue to sell spots albeit with a different price structure. Please check with your trip leader. Banff/Lake Louise, Vail and Telluride are totally closed. We cannot get any more of any-

thing on those trips.

Why do you love Skiing?

We have returned any unused reservations for the Zell Am See trip. We have just had two spots open up for the marvelous Taos trip at the original price. Please check with trip leader Bill Lobb on Zell Am

See. We can always add travelers, but we cannot guarantee price.

Among the good news, the spring break trip to South Lake Tahoe / Heavenly is still selling well. Surprise, surprise, at a price of $1,699, how could it possibly not sell? Please join Ray Collie, the trip leader

for our March 14, 2015 Lake Tahoe trip.

I have asked three of our trip leaders to refund moneys for people on their wait lists. If you waited too long to sign up, you are facing a very certain wait on the “wait list of eternity plus one day“. At this

time, I would suggest that you find another equally desirable trip

Log in to our website and secure your spots on the other rosters. Our Club policy, “First to pay - First to get on”, is in full effect. The

quickest way to get on is to pay via the website!

Please review our world class website to learn more about these

Ski Trips From Your VP of Ski Trips, Walter Marussich

P A G E 6 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

Palm Beach Gator Snow Ski Club

2014-2015 Ski Season Early Season Trip, Steamboat, Colorado: Dec. 6-13, 2014 ($1,534) 7 nights at the luxurious Sheraton Steamboat (3br/3ba, 2br/2ba & Hotel Rooms). 5 day lift with optional 6th Day and Night Skiing! Round Trip Air Ft. Lauderdale/ Eagle & Transfers with grocery stop Welcome Reception, Club Dinner, Après Ski

Lake Louise / Banff, Canada: Jan. 10-17, 2015 ($1,655) 3 Nights at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise / 4 Nights at Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel Rooms 5 Day Lift good at Banff, Lake Louise & Sunshine Village Round Trip Air Ft. Lauderdale / Calgary & Transfers with grocery stop Welcome Reception, Club Dinner, Après Ski

FSC Telluride, Colorado - FSC Trip: Jan. 24-31, 2015 ($1,805) 7 nights at the Bear Creek Lodge 2/3/4 bedroom condos ski-in, ski-out 5 day lift with optional 6th day Round Trip Air PBI / Montrose & Transfers with grocery stop Ski races, Dinner Parties, FSC Events, Après Ski

Taos, New Mexico: Jan. 31-Feb. 7, 2015 ($1,575) 7 Nights at Snakedance Inn (2br/2ba Condos) 5 day lift with optional 6th day, Discounted “Learn to Ski Week” for only $130. Round Trip Air Ft. Lauderdale/ Albuquerque & Transfers with grocery stop - no baggage fees Welcome Reception, Private Dinner, Après Ski

Zell am See, Austria: Feb. 6-15, 2015 ($1,800) 1 Night in Salzburg and 7 Nights in Zell am See (Hotel Rooms) Round Trip Air from Miami to Salzburg & Transfers Lift Ticket Extra approx. $300 Dinner Party, Breakfast & Dinner Daily in Hotel

Winter Park, Colorado: Feb. 23-28, 2015 ($990) 5 Nights at the Vintage Studios 4 day lift ticket! Round Trip Air Ft. Lauderdale/ Denver & Transfer to Resort- no baggage fees Welcome Reception, Club Dinner, Après Ski

Vail, Colorado: Feb. 28-Mar. 7, 2015 ($1,995) 7 Nights at the new luxurious Landmark West (3br/3ba Condos) 5 Day Lift good at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge & Keystone Round Trip Air PBI / Denver & Transfers with grocery stop Plan a Day to Beaver Trip if Leader wants to Welcome Reception, Club Dinner, Après Ski

Lake Tahoe, California - Spring Break: Mar. 14--21, 2015 ($1,699) 7 Nights at the Forest Suites Resorts (2br/2ba Condos) 5 Day Lift good at Heavenly, Northwood & Kirkwood Round Trip Air PBI / Sacramento & Transfers Daily Hot Breakfast, Welcome Reception, Wine & Cheese HH (Daily Mon---Fri) Club Dinner & Après Ski.

P A G E 7 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

Lake Louise / Banff, Canada – Ski Trip

tion!

A big thank you to Mike and Sheri Agnew…

and…our Palm Beach Gator Snow Ski Club

Board; Walter Marussich, Sharon Long,

Connie Flow, Nailde Tessler, Estela Basso,

Richard Wennet, Betty Williams, Pam

Strickland, Orchid Rodriguez, and Evie Hou-

ston, for all they do to help make this trip

great!

The Sheraton Steamboat Springs Resort is

getting ready to greet us as we start the

first ski trip of the season…and we can’t

wait to tell you all about it, when we get

back…

Many of you are preparing for your trip

right now, and soon you will be on your

way…I believe this is going to be a wonder-

ful ski season for all!! For more infor-

mation…call or email today!! Gail Pagli-

alungo, trip leader 561/358-2048

paglialg@comcast.net

STEAMBOAT, COLORADO-SKI TRIP……December

6-December 13, 2014

Hey Gators!

At the time you are reading this article…we are

almost, or, on our way to STEAMBOAT!! It’s

been snowing almost daily, and we are getting

ourselves ready to board/ski…and take in all

the activities that Steamboat has to offer!

We have a great group of folks on the trip, and

we look forward to a fun and memorable vaca-

Lake Louise-Banff Ski Trip—January 10-17, 2015

To all our die hard skiholic GATORS:

News update!!!!!!!!!!!

A special trip for all of you is here. If you like be-

ing treated with white gloves in 4-Star beautiful

hotels — this trip is for you. If you happen to be

one who likes the sheer beauty of the Canadian

Rockies, shopping in quaint towns like Banff, din-

ing in great restaurants like the one in Lake

Louise's Post Hotel, a romantic sleigh ride around

beautiful Lake Louise, or an adventurous dog sled

trip for two with a private guide — this trip is for

you. Let us not forget the snow part of this trip,

Lake Louise and Banff not only boast for having

awesome snow with 80% of the mountain

groomed daily from black diamonds to cruisers,

Steamboat, Colorado - Ski Trip

but they also offer guided tours for snow

shooing and cross country skiing. If all of this

is not enough for you, then a short 5 minute

trip around the lake to see the ice climbers

attempt to summit the frozen water falls or a

spin on ice skates that can be rented right out-

side the hotel or reveling in the beauty of the

ice sculptures on the lake behind the Fair-

mont Hotel should do it. All this for $1,655.00

including air, transfers, happy hours, club din-

ner and 5-day lift tickets. Come join us on this

memorable trip. Hurry, we are full, but wait

lists are flexible and dynamic.

Trip Leader: Abe Tessler (561) 633-3551; au-

diovdesigns@aol.com

P A G E 8 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

Taos, New Mexico – Ski Trip

convenience.

FSC ACTIVITIES:

Monday Night Dinner Dance

Tuesday: Crazy Hat and Boxer Day / NASTAR

Race/ Gators Defending Cup / Lunch Provided

by FSC / Club Pictures

Wednesday Night: Gator’s Dinner

Thursday Night: Theme Dinner Dance and

Costume Party (Gold Rush)

MORE DETAIL TO COME NEXT MONTH.

GATOR’S FULL PACKAGE: $1,805, 7 Nights lodging

at Bear Creek Lodge Ski in / Ski out, Airfare, Trans-

fers, 5 DAY Lift and lots of FSC and Gator Parties.

CHERYL BARNES, TRIP LEADER: 781-749-2992 cherylb2108@aol.com

CHRIS MCARDLE, ASSISTANT TRIP LEADER: 561-575-5587 cmcardle0152@gmail.com

TELLURIDE— A Florida Ski Council Trip: Jan. 24 - 31,

2015

FSC TELLURIDE SKI TRIP: What makes TELLURIDE

unique ? It is a small ski town in the SW corner of Colo-

rado. Tucked away in a box canyon surrounded by

mighty peaks of the San Juan’s.

WHEN: JANUARY 24 TO JANUARY 31, 2015

BEAR CREEK LODGE: Nestled in the core of Mountain

Village, Bear Creek Lodge is unique among other lodges

and villas. It offers the best of both worlds- wilderness

and luxury. It is the place to play hard and rest easy.

With services to accommodate any visitor, this moun-

tain hideaway offers convenient access to shopping

promenade and five star restaurants, mountain views,

plush robes, washer and dryer, wireless internet, DVD/

VCR entertainment center, in room safe, hair dryers,

ironing board/iron, Aveda Salon products and video

library. Fire Pit and Barbeque Patio to enjoy in all sea-

sons plus a Pool, Sauna and Hot Tub and Ski in/ Ski out

JAN 31-FEB 7, 2015: Price Reduction - now only $1575!!!

Taos Ski Valley is located in the Southern Rockies of North Central New Mexico, and is a world class ski destination. Skiers and Snowboarders alike will be stoked by some of the lightest powder ever experi-enced, not to mention the scenery and charm of the Southwest. New to Taos Ski Valley this season is The Kachina Peak Lift which will summit @ 12,450 feet, making is one of the highest in North America. There is something for everyone including tubing, terrain park and the renowned Ernie Blake Ski School’s Learn to Ski Better Week, where ski instructions go to learn how to ski better.

Included in the price of this amazing trip:

Round trip air on Southwest Airlines (FLL TO ABQ) – NO BAGGAGE FEES

Airport transfers to and from the resort

7 Nights @ the renowned Snakedance Condomini-ums – SKI IN/SKI OUT

Snakedance Fleece Vest

Telluride, Colorado - Ski Trip

Welcome Reception

5 day lift ticket (add 6th day for $55)

Private group dinner at the Hacienda of the Snakedance Condos General Manager

Après ski parties and a pre-trip party.

Add the Learn to Ski Better Week with the Ernie Blake Ski School for an additional $130 and a 6th day lift ticket of $55. The package includes 2 hours of morning lessons, video analysis, NASTAR and après ski talks.

DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS EPIC TRIP OF A LIFETIME!!! We still have 2 openings!

Trip Leader:

Patti Bochniak 2703 Pin Oak Court Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410

Email: PattiBochniak@Tropical.com

Cell Phone/Text: 561-758-9796

P A G E 9 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

Winter Park, CO - Ski Trip

there with one area 5 minutes away and the other a glacier. We are going to having big parties on the mountain and at the hotel. The town has a lot of places to party after skiing and a great night life. The hotel is family run and will be happy help make your trip a great one. There will be many things to do if you don't ski and I will help you set up all side trips.

Please contact trip leader Bill Lobb at 561- 703-7551 or billgolf2020@yahoo.com or assistant trip leader Lee Chitty at lchitty@comcast.net or 561- 315-2097.

February 6-15, 2015

Hi Gators:

The spots are going fast so this is your best op-portunity to ski and sightsee in Austria at a great price. For only $1,800 you get Air, 8 nights lodg-ing, meals and transportation. The last day & night we will be in Salzburg. The skiing is great

February 23-28, 2015

Hey Gators!

You asked for an inexpensive trip, and now you’ve got it! This is a high season value trip to Winter Park that you can also combine with Vail. The standard package including air is only $990. If you want to have a pre-trip extension before Vail or just want to do air on your own, the ground package is a bargain at $662. The standard package includes:

5 Nights at the Vintage Studios (studio style room with 2 Queen beds, kitchen-ette and fireplace)

4 Day Lift Tickets

Round Trip Air Tickets - Direct flight from Fort Lauderdale to Denver on Southwest (no baggage fees!)

Ground Transfers from airport to resort

Welcome reception, club dinner and après ski happy hours

Zell am See, Austria - Ski Trip

Sign ups are in progress now so don't de-lay or you might miss out on a great trip. We haven’t selected the trip leader yet, but we will soon. For more infor-mation or to sign up, please contact: Wal-ter Marussich at gsscmem@comcast.net or 561-768-6368.(561) 768-6368.

P A G E 10 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

Vail, Colorado – Ski Trip February 28 to March 07, 2015

In approximately 4 months the Vail skiers will be going to Vail to experience the best skiing in the world as well as fine dining and party-

ing. If you are considering joining us, don’t hesitate to have your name placed on the waiting list.

Vail is the top ski destination in America and

in addition to world class skiing, the night-life and dining is without a doubt the best in the Country.

Don’t hesitate to go on line to Palm Beach Gator Ski Club and reserve a spot in case we have a cancellation. Please vis-it www.palmbeachgatorsnowskiclub.com to find out more.

Trip Leader Kathy Salata (561) 346-8461 or(kathymsalata@gmail.com).

Assistant Trip Leader: Stephanie Morgan (772) 528-9199 stephanie@allaboutyoutc.com

option for a sixth day for only $20. This price is within $150 of the cost of this trip 6 years ago. Your lift ticket is also good at Kirkwood and Northstar. Air transportation is on Delta from PBI to Sacramento back to PBI. There will be a Gator pre-trip party, Gator dinner and Gator après skis! Sign ups are in progress and there are only 6 air seats left so don't delay or you might miss out on a great trip. If you want to sign up for a great time, contact Ray Collie at ray.collie@gmail.com or 754-264-4364.

March 14-21, 2015—Spring Break

Hello again Gators!! Spring Break is actually not that far off so you need to get on board now for a great ski trip March 14 to March 21, 2015. Ac-commodations are at the Forest Suites Condos just one short minute from the gondola. Heav-enly village is very close as well which also includes the ski rental facilities. Restaurants and shopping are just a short walk away and courtesy transporta-tion to nearby activities is available. There are several casinos within a 5 minute walk and an abundance of bars in the area. If you choose to go snowmobiling, you will NOT be disappointed with the scenery. The price of this trip is $1,699…which includes a 5 day lift ticket with an

Lake Tahoe, CA - Ski Trip

P A G E 11 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

Florida Ski Council Meeting - Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2014

Several Club officers and regular members attended the Florida Ski council meeting in Orlan-

do from October 31st through November 2nd, where we had a great opportunity to interact

with other ski clubs in the state and talk to ski industry representatives. This is where we ob-

tain information directly from the resorts on ski trip destinations, amenities and facilities. We

also connect with other clubs to get ideas for improving our ski program and the Club in gen-

eral. Officers attending were: Past President Rich Wennet, VP/Ski Trips Walter Marussich, Sec-

retary: Sharon Long, Communications Director Estella Basso. Members attending were: FSC

Telluride Trip Leader Cheryl Barnes, Ward Cotthaus and Arvie Moore. Also attending for

Sports America Tours were members and Club tour operators Mike and Sheri Agnew.

The weekend featured a Friday night welcome reception, breakfast Saturday morning, meet-

ings all day Saturday with a break for lunch, a Saturday night party, breakfast Saturday morning

and meetings Sunday morning. The social highlight of the weekend was the Halloween cos-

tume party held on Saturday night sponsored by Vail Resorts.

G A T O R T A L E S

Pictured above from left at the Halloween party are: Cheryl Barnes and Estela Basso; Sharon Long; Mike and

Sheri Agnew; Ward Cotthaus and Arvie Moore; Walter Marussich. Pictured below from left are: Mike

Agnew, Debra Goodman (Vail Resorts), Andrew Kwang (Vail Resorts) and Sheri Agnew at the Halloween

party; Rich Wennet, Laurie Vest (Ski.com), Sharon Long, Andrew Kwang (Vail Resorts), Walter Marussich

and Debra Goodman (Vail Resorts); Rich Wennet, Ward Cotthaus, Cheryl Barnes (2nd row), Arvie Moore,

Estela Basso and Walter Marussich at the FSC meeting.

Special Activities From VP of Special Activities, Connie Flow

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

Come to our Social and Special Activities Planning Meeting:

Monday, December 8th at 7 pm at Tall Tales (inside Gander Mountain)

P A G E 12

LEISURE BIKE RIDE - Dec. 6, 2014 Ben Smith is organizing the third Leisure Bike Ride

of the season at Juno Beach on Saturday, Decem-

ber 6, 2014. Meet at 10:00 AM at Loggerhead Ma-

rine Life Center at 14200 US 1 in Juno Beach. The

entrance is north of Donald Ross Rd off US 1. Turn

to the right after you turn off US 1. We will ride

about 12 miles at 8-10 mph. Chris McArdle will be

the guest leader for this ride… (Thank you, Chris!!)

Options: Tour the Marine Life Center

and see endangered sea turtles

(www.marinelife.org) and afterwards

lunch at the Thirsty Turtle at the SW cor-

ner Donald Ross Rd and US 1.

P.S.: If you do not want to bike you can

join us for the tour and lunch if you

wish. For information, contact Ben at 561-775-3481

or bbsdob525@aol.com.

FT. LAUDERDALE CHRISTMAS PAG-

EANT - Dec. 13, 2014 Betty Williams has once again organized an amaz-

ing trip via chartered bus to Ft. Lauderdale to see

the fabulous Christmas Pageant at the First Baptist

Church followed by dinner at Saito’s Japanese

steakhouse at a price of $95. This Broadway quality

production features a festive opening scene with

familiar carols in a turn-of-the-century setting, a con-

cert of inspirational contemporary songs, and a mu-

sical drama of the nativity and life of Christ. This

year’s Pageant includes a spectacular snow-filled

winter wonderland (watch for the falling snowflakes,

not just on stage, but in the audience as well!). For

more information or to sign up, please contact Betty

at Msbettywilliams@att.net or 561-389-8353.

LEISURE BIKE RIDE & CAMPING -

Feb. 21-22, 2015 The weekend Lake Okeechobee Bike Ride will be

held at 10 AM on Sat., Feb. 21. Optional camping is

available at the KOA at 4278 S US 441 in Okeecho-

bee City. They have 17 cabins and numerous RV

and tent sites (tent camping should not be windy like

Pahokee)...tent area #315-321.... 9 hole golf

course, tennis, bocce, pentaque, adult only pool, hot

tub, campfires and the Shanty Lounge with live mu-

sic and dancing. There is a $4 per day use fee if not

staying there ... Reservations: call 800-562-7748 to

reserve or visit http://koa.com/lodges-cabins-

cottages/ for KOA Camping Cabins & Deluxe Cab-

ins Rentals at KOA Campgrounds. Please book

now as every time Ben talks to them they have less

cabins available!!! Also there are some motels on

Hwy 441 near the campground.

FLORIDA PANTHERS HOCKEY

GAME - March 7, 2015 The Gator Snow Ski Club has chartered a bus to the

Panthers vs. New York Islanders Hockey Game.

Departs from the Double Tree Hotel (PGA and 95)

Parking Lot At 4:00 PM. An additional stop in Lanta-

na may be added if required. For more information,

please contact Bill at billgolf2020@yahoo.com or

561-703-7551. Please see the flyer in this newslet-

ter.

BIKE & BARGE TRIP - May 15-24, 2015 Want to enjoy a fabulous cycling and sailing trip

crossing different landscapes in both Belgium and

Holland? For the low price of only $3,150 visit the

green Dutch polder landscapes and quiet roads and

villages. See the picturesque countryside between

the Flemish cities and the rich history of the old city-

centers of Amsterdam, Gouda, and Bruges. We are

looking for one great guy! Yes—are you the one?!

We have room for only one more guy, so give Con-

nie Flow a call (of course there always is a possibil-

ity of an opening - so - call and we can start a wait-

ing list - and then keep your fingers crossed!) Con-

tact Connie at (561) 329-0122 or vpgatorcon-

nie@yahoo.com. Please see the flyer in this news-

letter for more information about the trip.

Connie

VP Special Activities

G A T O R T A L E S

Social Activities From VP of Socials, Betty Williams Hello Fellow Gators,

Please see below the list of social events we are offering to our club members. We are

looking for volunteers to help us plan and run our events. We also need your help in

getting the word out about them.

Come celebrate the holiday season with the Gators! We will be holding a marvelous

Holiday Party on Wednesday, December 3rd at NPB Country Club in place of our reg-

ular Membership Meeting. It will feature a dinner buffet plus music and dancing with a

DJ. The price is only $29.99 for members and $35 for guests.

Please join us on our fabulous Christmas Pageant Tickets/Dinner/Bus Trip on Saturday,

December 13th. This trip will feature a Broadway quality show that is famous through-

out South Florida. Afterwards, we will stop at Saito’s Japanese steakhouse for a won-

derful hibachi dinner. We are taking a bus from Palm Beach Gardens so all you need to

do is sit back and relax. All of this is included for only $95 per person. Please contact

me to sign up.

You are the Club and with so much help, we will be a wonderful, caring, sharing and

loving organization. Thank you all!

1) December 3 – Club Holiday Party at NPBCC

2) December 13th – Christmas Pageant in Ft. Lauderdale including bus transportation

and dinner at a Japanese steakhouse $95

3) December 31st—New Year’s Eve Party at my house starting at 6:00 PM

Enjoy your Club!

Betty Williams

VP Social Activities

Come to our Social and Special Activities Planning Meeting:

Monday, Dec. 8th at 7 pm at Tall Tales (inside Gander Mountain)

P A G E 13

Estela Basso cuts her birthday cake

for Gators to enjoy at River Ranch.

The following day, Harry Patat’s

birthday was also celebrated.

Photos from Social Events

UPCOMING

HAPPY HOURS

Garden City Café in PGA

Commons - Happy Hour

5 December 2014

$3 domestic drafts, $5 well

drinks, $4 house wine, bar

bites $5, 5-7 pm

5520 PGA Blvd., Suite 104

Palm Beach Gardens 33410

Hokkaido - Happy Hour

12 December 2014

$3 beer, $3 house wine, $3

well drinks, $5 martinis, $4

appetizers until 6:30pm

1200 Town Center Dr #125

Jupiter (Abacoa), FL 33348

Holy Smokes - Happy Hour

19 December 2014

Happy Hour drink specials

all night, free pizza bites

2650 PGA Blvd.

Palm Beach Gardens 33410

New York Bar and Grill -

Happy Hour

26 December 2014

Wine & well drinks $5.30,

Beer $4, free appet. 5-8pm

13967 US Highway One

Juno Beach 33408

TBD - Happy Hour

2 January 2015

TBD

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

I need volunteers! If you would

like to help, please contact me.

John and Gail Paglialungo enjoy

drinks and appetizers at the

Verdea Wine Bar happy hour on

October 10th.

G A T O R T A L E S

P A G E 14 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

Wednesday, December 3, 2014 North Palm Beach Country Club

951 US Hwy 1, North Palm Beach, FL 33408 7:00pm – 11:00pm

$29.99 for Members & $35 for Invited Guests

Come celebrate the Holiday Season with Fun, Food and Dancing!!

Space is limited, so reserve your spot today!

Check & Cash reservations please contact: Betty Williams: (561)389-8353 or MsBettyWilliams@att.net

Or sign up by Credit Card on our website

This not-to-miss elegant event is being offered at an incredible

price! Sign up now because tickets will not be sold past the November 26th

deadline.

Happy Holidays!

Gator Holiday Party

Dinner & Dance

P A G E 15 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

South Florida’s Own Emmy Award

Winning Holiday Sensation!

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Includes All New Pageant Show, Japanese Steak-

house Dinner and Bus Transportation for Only $95!

Join your friends in the Palm Beach Gator Snow Ski Club for another fantastic trip

to the Emmy Award Winning Fort Lauderdale Christmas Pageant. This year’s Pag-

eant features a spectacular snow-filled winter wonderland. This fabulous trip also

includes a hibachi dinner at Saito’s Japanese Steakhouse. Bus transportation from

the Doubletree parking lot in Palm Beach Gardens at 11:00 AM will be provided.

Don’t miss out on this must see event! For more information or to sign up, con-

tact trip leader Betty Williams at 561-389-8353 or MsBettyWilliams@att.net.

P A G E 16 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

Palm Beach Gator Snow Ski Club

New Year’s Eve Party Betty Williams’ Home

15780 74th Avenue North

Jupiter, FL 33418

(Palm Beach Country Estates)

(561) 575-2460

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

6:00 PM to ???

Please bring your favorite beverage and a dish to share (enough for 6-8 people).

Play various indoor and outdoor games. Dance until the wee hours of the evening.

P A G E 17 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

534

61

381!!

P A G E 18 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

P A G E 19 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

P A G E 20 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

Only 2 spots left!

Sign up now!

P A G E 21 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

SKI AUSTRIA Zell Am See

February 6-15, 2015

Only $1,800* Join the Palm Beach Gator Snow Ski Club in beautiful Zell Am See, Austria. This fabulous trip

can be offered at an unbelievably low price partly because neither the trip leader nor the as-

sistant is receiving a comp. This amazing trip includes:

Round Trip Airfare from Miami to Munich

8 Nights Hotel—all rooms double occupancy

7 Nights at the Gasthof Tauernstuberl, a family-run hotel in Zell

Am See

1 night in Salzburg near the Old Town District—Neutor Hotel

Breakfast and dinner every day at the Gasthof Tauerstuberl

All Bus Transfers

Après Ski Hours

Dinner Party in Zell Am See

For more information, contact trip leader Bill Lobb at billgolf2020@yahoo.com or (561) 703-

7551 or assistant trip leader Lee Chitty at lchitty@comcast.net or (561) 315-2097.

* Lift tickets not included (estimated cost $300 for 6 days)

* Prices subject to

change due to foreign

currency fluctuations,

airline surcharges, etc.

P A G E 22 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

Ground Package Price: $662

Prolong your Vail experience

and take this great trip as a

pre-trip extension!

P A G E 23 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

P A G E 24 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

Florida Panthers Hockey Game

vs.

New York Islanders

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Join the Gator Snow Ski Club on our chartered a bus to the Panthers vs.

Blue Jackets Hockey Game. The bus departs at the Double Tree Hotel at

4 pm. Our tickets are in the Florida Panther’s Sky Box and include:

Bus Ride, Free Beer, Wine, Soft Drinks and Food throughout the game.

The price is only $75 per person. There are a limited number of tickets,

so be sure to purchase them early.

For more information, please contact the Event Organizer: Bill Lobb at

billgolf2020@yahoo.com. 561-703-7551.

P A G E 25 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

P A G E 26 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

Recent Special Activities Event Leisure Bike Ride - Abacoa November 22nd Ray Collie led the second Leisure Bike Ride of the

season at Abacoa on Saturday, November 22nd.

Everyone met up at South Jupiter Community

Park and had a wonderful ride, followed by lunch

at Jumby Bay in Abacoa.

The Leisure Bike Rides on the schedule this sea-

son include:

Gator Snow Ski Club Leisure Bike Ride at

Okeeheelee Park, Saturday October 18, 2014

Gator Snow Ski Club Leisure Bike Ride at

Abacoa, Saturday November 22, 2014

Gator Snow Ski Club Leisure Bike Ride at Ju-

no Beach Saturday December 6, 2014

Gator Snow Ski Club Leisure Bike Ride at Ju-

piter Farms, Saturday January 10, 2015

Gator Snow Ski Club Leisure Bike Ride & Op-

tional Camping at Lake Okeechobee, Satur-

day, February 21, 2015

Gator Snow Ski Club Leisure Bike Ride at

Riverbend Park, Saturday March 7, 2015

Gator Snow Ski Club Leisure Bike Ride at Palm

Beach, Saturday April 18, 2015

Please watch for them on our website and in the

newsletter.

Contact Ben Smith at bbsdob525@aol.com or 561

-775-3481 or if you would like further information.

P A G E 27 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

Join the Palm Beach Gator Snow Ski Club for a fabulous cycling and sailing trip crossing different landscapes in both Holland and Belgium. Visit the green Dutch polder landscapes and the quiet roads and villages. See the picturesque windmills of Kinderdijk and travel thru the cities of the Dutch 17th century Golden Age. Cycle between the richly historic old city-centers of Gouda, Dordrecht, and Gent ending in the wonderful ancient city of Bruges.

For more information, contact : Connie Flow

(561) 329-0122 vpgatorconnie@yahoo.com

Not included: - Bicycle helmet at $14 per week - Travel risk/cancellation insurance - Admission tickets to museums - E-bike additional amount +$142 per person per week including bike insurance

Payment Schedule: $500 Deposit $1,000 due in August & November Remainder due in February

This spectacular trip includes:

Round Trip Airfare from West Palm Beach to Amsterdam Holland

7 Nights on the barge May 16-23 (bed clothes and towels included)

All meals (breakfast, 3 course dinner on board and packed lunch)

Coffee and tea on board

24-speed bicycle (with handbrakes, pannier

bags, lock, water bottle)

Multi-lingual tour guide

Bicycle Insurance

1 Night in Amsterdam May 16 at Ibis

Amsterdam Center Stopera Hotel

Gator Pre-trip party

Note: Prices and itinerary subject to change depending on exchange rates, fuel charges and air taxes at time of final payment.

Bruges to Amsterdam Bike and Barge Trip

May 15– 24, 2015 Amazing Price: Only $3,150 (Approx.)!!!

P A G E 28 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

G A T O R T A L E S

Recent Social Event River Ranch — November 7th - 9th

The Gators enjoyed a food and fun filled weekend at River Ranch with

a Friday night party; Saturday lunch at the campground hosted by

Tedd Reed featuring Ray Flow playing guitar and leading songs; and

Saturday evening hayride and country dinner followed by the rodeo.

Afterwards, many Gators headed to the saloon for dancing to music

from a live band while others attended yet another party. On their

own, Gators did optional activities like golf, boating & skeet shooting.

At left: Gators on the

hayride; below: Ray Flow

and Tedd Reed; at right:

Enrique Iturriaga, Ray

Flow, Lee Chitty and Man-

ny Sarria.

Above: Sharon Long, Estela Basso, Evie

Houston, Pam Strickland, Michelle Van

Cleave, Gina Drayton and Joyce Sarria.

Above from left: Karl Haselmire, Te-

resa Cappelino, Debbi Haselmire,

Scott Boller, Susie Hart and Bob

Homiak; Connie Flow, Akio , Victoria

and Ria Swain; Michelle Schlawiedt,

Michelle Van Cleave, Debbie Mercer

and Terri Cosgrove. At left: Gators at

the Friday night party; At right: Rob-

ert Bruno, Brenda Downey, Mariann

Bruno, Nancy Cohen, Ray Flow and

Dick Dill with Denise and Steve Rous-

seau and E.T. Strickland in the back-

ground; bottom left: Gators at the

rodeo; bottom right: Gators at the

campground lunch.

Recent Happy Hours

P A G E 29 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

The Gators enjoyed a happy hour at Verdea Wine Bar inside Embassy Suites in Palm

Beach Gardens, a recurring destination. The Gators had a great time at this classy bar.

Verdea Wine Bar Happy Hour – October 10th

G A T O R T A L E S

Club Tee Shirts Available Walt to promote your Club with a great looking, quality tee shirt? We are now offering tee shirts in black

and white with a multicolored silk screen of the new Club logo. Both men’s and women’s shirts are availa-

ble in a variety of sizes. To purchase, please contact Club President Evie Houston at sgjewelers2@aol.com

or 561-768-2628 or our Member at Large, Pam Strickland at pamilou254@aol.com or 561.346.6855.

Club Officers pictured wearing

their tee shirts: Top row from

left: Orchid Rodriguez; Sharon

Long; Rich Wennet; Evie Hou-

ston; Pam Strickland. Bottom

row from left: Walter Marussich,

Sharon Long and Evie Houston;

Estella Basso.

December 2014 Calendar

P A G E 3 0

G A T O R T A L E S

Palm Beach Gator Snow Ski Club

1001 Jupiter Park Dr. Ste. 112

Jupiter FL 33458

Here is your copy of

GATOR TALES

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 P A G E 31

Ski Trip - Taos New Mexico Jan. 31- Feb. 7, 2015; Package price: $1,575 Package includes:

7 nights at Snakedance Inn Ski in / Ski Out

Round Trip Air Fare from FLL to Albuquerque

Transfers from Airport to Resort

5 Day Lift Ticket; 6th Day add $55

Scheduled Trip to the historic Town of Taos

Snakedance Fleece Vest

Taos Famous “Ski Better Week” Lessons for $130

Welcome Reception, Club Dinner & Après Ski

For more information, please contact trip leader Patti

Bochniak at 561-758-9796 or PattiBochni-

ak@Tropical.com Taos Pueblo

Taos Trail Map