DECEMBER 2012 | Vol. 25, No. 3 NORFOLK CURLING CLUB: ONE YEAR LATER REBUILDING BEGINS: Ground broken at Norfolk From Norfolk Curling Club One year since a devastating fire destroyed the club facility, the Norfolk Curling Club is breaking ground on our new building. There was a brief ground- breaking ceremony on Friday, Oct. 5, at the site of the new club facility in Norfolk, Conn. After that, work begins immediately to prepare the site and begin construction of the new building. “I want to thank each of you for the time and effort you have contributed to help us reach this point. There is much more to do and decide and many funds to raise, but I think we should all be very proud of what we have achieved. We have a very exciting future ahead of us.” said President Mary Fanette. Earlier this year, Mary signed the One year ago, arsonists torched Norfolk Curling construction contract with Borghesi Club, leaving the long-standing club in ruins. Building and Engineering Co. of Members of the Club recently gathered to begin the Torrington. Plans for the new building and rebuilding process, breaking ground for a new facilty. MORE ON THE REBUILD, Page 4 > HEADLINES Inside this edition Dropkin named Male Athlete of the Year NATIONALS RETURNING TO PHILLY by USCA; Pottinger takes female honor City to host 2014 tournament, Page 3 USA Curling’s most decorated athlete –The male recipient is 17-year-old GNCC BEGINS PROJECT 2014 Korey Dropkin (Southborough, Mass.), who won two national titles this season Time to begin prep, Page 5 and made U.S. history at the Youth Olympic Games. ROCHESTER CURLER IS Dropkin, a member of the Broomstones Curling Club, won the first Youth VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR Olympic Games playdown last fall along with teammates Sarah Anderson (Broomall, Pa.), Thomas Howell III (Brick, N.J.) and Taylor Anderson Rochester Curling Club member Doug Brugler has (Broomall, Pa.). The team represented the U.S. at the inaugural Winter Youth been named the inaugural Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria, in January. recipient of USA In the mixed team portion, the Americans finished the round robin with a Curling’s Volunteer of the perfect 7-0 record but lost its quarterfinal match to finish fifth overall. Next up Year Award. for the four Americans was the mixed doubles component of the event where As the local Professor of Curling, Brugler has the athletes were teamed with curlers from different countries. taught thousands of people to play the great sport of curling in the last two MORE ON DROPKIN, Page 7 > decades. For more on the award, Page 7 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Bonspiels, major events bring excitement to every season Fellow curlers, prestigious international competition I personally played in Wilmington should become a curling goal for each Charlotte and Triangle and the GNCC It is nearly the end of 2012 and the GNCC male curler. arena championships in June in curling season is off to a good start Charlotte and I were also in Las Vegas Woodstock, which was won by Bucks One of the early season highlights for where we curled in the midnight County (Pa.) Curling. The older me was the Ross Tarlton where madness segment of the Sin City established bonspiels of Cape Cod and friendships were renewed for the rivalry Bonspiel. This new event shared the Tropicurl at Pittsburgh continue to sell started in 1966 with the Canadian branch arena ice with the Margaritas, an out early but look for others like of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club international adjunct curling group. The Anthracite so you can try summer and the GNCC. This 45 year old Margaritas curled in the daylight hours curling. competition along with the much older and they had 17 countries represented The GNCC Web site keeps an up-to- Gordon International being held in on the 48 teams. The “evening” date schedule for all member club spiels Montreal in March sets our region apart division, sometimes lasting until 4 a.m., and Sally MacKenzie has done an from any region in the USCA. In the had another 16 teams. excellent job of resending all bonspiel past three years the GNCC has changed Trust me the curling and the announcement to all club presidents and the method of selecting teams for these fellowship overshadowed all the glitzy GNCC reps. This communication plus international curling events so that every lights of Las Vegas. In fact, I have an the dedication that each club has put into male adult curler in the region now has announcement: the Continental Cup, hosting inter-club bonspiels has made a chance for this exciting and rewarding where Europe challenges North America these events very popular and many are international curling experience. As in team curling, will move to Las Vegas filling up fast. team openings occur when legacy skips in January 2014, a month before the So yes, it is Fall, maybe winter, when retire they are offered to GNCC member Olympics. It might be a chance for you this is read, but curling is now a year clubs. The GNCC member club is to see great curling … and the glitzy around activity and the GNCC leads the invited to send a team for a two-year lights. The Las Vegas curling club that way in offering bonspiels and home-and-away series. I urge you to hosted these events as their second competitions year-round. So as you become familiar with these events and bonspiel is a new arena curling club. hone your skills at your club each week, to be eager to participate when asked by Our GNCC arena curling clubs are talk about venturing out and trying your club if you would like to be on the leading the charge for big bonspiels and inter-club curling … it is really what the team. this summer was special with one every spirit of curling is all about. Curling in Canada is a rewarding month so you never need to pack away See you on the ice, experience and to curl in such a your curling shoes or brooms. Dick Macartney AROUND THE GRAND NATIONAL CURLING CLUB Follow @GNCC_Curling, #GNCC on Twitter The GNCC is active on Twitter and @GNCC_Curling and Follow us. If We will be sure to re-Tweet your it gives us a chance to connect with you’re at a GNCC event or representing tagged messages later that day. each and every curler in the the organization in a bonspiel elsewhere, The GNCC Twitter account is organization. Are you a curler and be sure to tag your Tweets with the currently managed by @sallymack want to be followed? Tweet hashtag #GNCC. and @joshuasophy. Club dues in by end of year This is a friendly reminder that your has the appropriate time to tally your If you have any questions regarding dues payments are due by Dec. 31. numbers and provide you with the your dues, please submit them to Because of the new process, we ask amount due to the GNCC and your Charlene Fitzgerald via her email at that you please send your rosters to payment can be made on or before Dec. [email protected]. Charlene no later than Dec. 20, so she 31. FUND RAISER Support the GNCC Stone Handle program Show your support of building curling in the GNCC by purchasing a handle for the rental stones. The Stone rental program currently rents 20 sets of stones to develop clubs in the GNCC. This is a great program to help new clubs get started, but needs your help to purchase additional stones and maintain our Team Petrov claims 2012 current sets. For a $100 tax-deductible donation you can have Men’s Club Championship any message up to 2 (15 character) lines on the handle. Congratulations to the 2012 GNCC Men's Club Champions, The Handles will have a GNCC Stone Rental Ivo Petrov (Skip), Mark Mooney, Don Arsenault, and Brady Program message on the other side. Many of the Gould, of Plainfield (N.J.) Curling Club. They will go on to GNCC stones currently have the old gooseneck represent the GNCC at the Club Nationals March 2-9 at the handles which need to be updated. Please donate to Exmoor CC in Illinois. support curling in the GNCC. Nationals coming back to Philly How it works … From a USCA press release Stones will have Sheet and Stone numbers On the heels of hosting a highly successful championship engraved. earlier this year, IceWorks Skating Complex near Side 1 Philadelphia has been selected to host the 2014 USA Curling GNCC Stone Rental Program National Championships. IceWorks Skating Complex, in Aston, Pa., will once again Side 2 partner with the Philadelphia Sports Congress and “Your Message” Brandywine Visitor’s Bureau to host this premier event Your name as a supporter, a tribute to a loved one, featuring the top 20 U.S. men’s and women’s curling teams. - support from your curling Club, or any message “After the great success of this past year’s Nationals we you want knew that we wanted the opportunity to host another USA Curling event here at IceWorks. Delaware County and the entire Philadelphia region showed a lot of support for the sport of curling this past year, and we look forward to making the 2014 National Championship event bigger and more exciting than 2012,” said Anthony Lorusso, director of social media for IceWorks. After hosting an event that saw sold-out crowds on the closing weekend of the 2012 Nationals as well as strong event marketing, USA Curling’s Site Selection Committee opted to return to Aston, Pa., for what could be a critical time period for USA Curling.