VWC January 2008 Mini-Newsletter
VWC Elections, January 8, 2008
The membership voted for
three members to the Board of Directors who will serve for three years, and the
results were:
Dave Adamovich
Wayne Hendricks
Murry Bishop
The Board met immediately
after the Membership Meeting to set its organization for 2008, and Murry Bishop
was elected Chairman. The next regular
meeting of the Board will be January 31, 2008 ay 7:00 PM.
At the present time, the By-laws
call for the Board to elect officers for a one year term and the partial
results were:
President: Charlie Shark
Vice President: (still looking)
Secretary: Heather Sawyer
Treasurer (pro tem):
Bill Sadler
Safety Issues
[A] The shop recorded its second major accident recently which is
undergoing a thorough investigation.
Equipment that cuts wood quickly and easily will also do the same –
faster and easier – to the human body.
When ‘short-cuts’ are taken and proper respect is not given to the unforgiving
character of cutting tools, we set the stage for disaster.
Push sticks and pads are
supplied at all cutting tools to keep the hands and fingers separated from the
blades. They are only effective when
they are used. It is MANDATORY that
everyone, regardless of how much you think you know,
follow strict safety procedures at ALL times.
If you are an experienced woodworker, it is your responsibility to
mentor the less experienced and to display sound procedures for all to follow. If you are inexperienced, get the help and
guidance of an experienced person when you are in a new usage situation. Do it right and do it safely.
[B] Another issue of safety is the air quality in the shop. Air quality is heavily dependent on the
central vacuum/chip collector and the overhead air filters. Incidents of equipment failure have crippled
the system temporarily, but are being remedied.
Unfortunately, it does require that some machines and operations be
restricted in order to not add to the air quality problem. When the vacuum/chip collector is
non-functional, use of the thickness planers is restricted and the use of the
jointer/planers is limited to minor use.
When the vacuum is not
working, as it is currently, it is absolutely necessary that you use the brooms
and shop vacuums to clean up after yourself – do not expect the Shop Monitor to
clean up for you. If you have a
respiratory problem, it will not be to your advantage to attempt to use the
shop during times when the vacuum is not functional.
Woodshop parking
This time of year poses a
challenge many days for space in the parking lot. We encourage you to use golf cart access as
much as possible to minimize the number of larger vehicles in the parking lot. Golf carts are to park between the parking lot
and Rolling Acres Road on the grassy area. If you drive a motorcycle or
scooter, locate a solid place away from the building and not in the path of
automotive vehicles. These smaller
vehicles are NOT to use parking spaces reserved for automotive vehicles. For automotive vehicles, the area west of the
parking lot (toward Shared Harvest) is also available (se the diagram in the
office for the parking arrangement).
We are aware that parking is
a major problem, but until The Villages and the Woodshop can come to agreement
on solutions, we need to do the best we can.
Shop Closure
Be aware that the shop will
be closed on Wednesday, January 16 to accommodate an all-day certification
class. The number of new members has
exceeded the ability of the certification staff to do the weekly tutorial
sessions and get new members certified in a reasonable period. Be patient; it is the Season!
Membership Meetings
It is great to see the
handiwork, progress and craftsmanship of so many at the monthly meetings. Our next meeting is February 12th (
Thanks.
Murry Bishop