As promised at today’s COPS Annual Picnic, Jan was kind enough to pass along her pistachio squares recipe – they were a big hit!

Pistachio Squares

Crust Layer

1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts – chop finer than you would for brownies
(I used slightly more than ½ cup and saved some for the topping)
2 Tbl. sugar
1 stick softened margarine

1.Mix Crust Layer ingredients
Spread and press in greased oblong pan – 9 x 13
You can use the back side of a spoon to do the pressing
Bake 20 minutes at 350o – Let cool before you add the next layer

Cream Cheese Layer

1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 (8 oz.) softened cream cheese
1/2 (8 oz.) Cool Whip

2. Mix Cream Cheese Layer ingredients
Spread on top of the cooled crust

Filling Layer

2 pkg. pistachio instant pudding
3 cups whole milk – NOT the 4 cups called for on the two packages

3. Mix Filling Layer ingredients
Follow mixing directions on the package – wisk for 2 minutes
Spread on top of Cream Cheese Layer
Put in refrigerator to set

Topping Layer

4. Cover Filling Layer with remaining 1/2 of Cool Whip
Sprinkle rest of chopped nuts on top
Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve

Rick General

In conjunction with their 125 year anniversary, the Plainville, CT Fire Company will be holding their 26th Annual Hot Air Balloon Festival August 27, 2010 through August 29, 2010 at Norton Park in Plainville, CT. A schedule of events can be found here. As part of the festival, there is also a Car Show and Sock Hop from noon to 6:00 P.M. on Saturday, August 28, 2010.

Rick General

The Klingberg Family Centers Antique and Classic Car show is scheduled to take place Saturday, June 19. In past years a wide variety of cars have been shown from turn of the 20th century up to the early 70s. Featured this year are a number of cars that were built here in Connecticut including a Corbin and a Pope-Hartford. In addition to the cars, there are old bicycles, dancers and a lot of other happenings.

I have photographed at this show for a number of years and have always seen something new or interesting.

See http://www.klingbergautoshow.org/ for more information.

John General

The competition rules for the 2010-2011 season have been approved by the Board. To get your copy, visit the Charter Oak web site at www.charteroakphoto.com and click on the link for the rules on the home page.

Rick General Competition Rules

In the category of better late than never, the results from the May competition have finally been posted to the forum.

Rick General Competition Results

While there were many members that volunteered their time to make Charter Oak the outstanding camera club it is, two of the nominees really stood out. So much so, in fact, that the Service Award Committee decided the only thing to do was to honor both of them. Drum roll please……. The recipients of the COPS Service Award for the 2009-2010 season are Aaron Nguyen and Cindy Gosselin!

In addition to holding the position of Secretary on the Board, Aaron is there week in and week out to open the meeting hall, do the setup and breakdown, help the guest speakers with their equipment, and just generally pitch in wherever he can, even filling in to score the digital competitions when needed.

As you all know Cindy is stepping down after more years of being the editor of the Slide-O-Gram than anyone can count (rumor has it that she helped Gutenberg design the printing press so she wouldn’t have to write everything out by hand).   While also serving as Co-Director of the NECCC Electronic Interclub competitions, Cindy has managed to find the time to stay involved in every activity the Club puts on.

The one trait both of these members have is the willingness to help out wherever and whenever needed to make COPS a great Club to belong to.  And, they always do it with a smile on their face!  Congratulations to this season’s winners!

Rick General

Today’s post covers the winning images from the annual judging, held on Monday, May 24.  Our judges were Karen Geaghan, Rich Novak, and Richard Simmons from the Springfield Camera Club.  And the results are…..

Digital

Creative

Pam Hastings – Train Robbers

Fauna

Cindy Gosselin – Egret at Sunset

Monochrome

Don Weston – Mormon Barn

Non-Fauna

Jan Chambers – Ropin’


Art Rich Nature Award

Cindy Gosselin – Predator & Prey

Prints

Color

Austin Carey – Sunrise at Schwabacher’s

Creative

Pam Hastings – Smooth As Glass

Monochrome

Don Weston – Portland Head Light

Slides

Allan B. Conklin Slide of the Year

Lee Wilcox – Delicate Arch #325

Jane H. Sibley Travel Award

Meredith Harris – Venice Canal

Rick General Competition Results

Sorry for the lack of posting as the season wound down, but things were pretty hectic right through the banquet and then it was off for a few days of relaxation over the Memorial Day weekend. We’re back on track now so you’ll be seeing all of the results over the next week or so.

Today, we have the winners of the season long competitions in Digital, Prints, and Slides. It takes quite a commitment to come up with images worthy of being entered in competition month in and month out so, when you run into one of these members, please congratulate them on a job well done.

Digital

Masters

1st – Ed Rosenthal – 364 points
2nd – Cindy Gosselin – 363 points
3rd – Laura Bryg – 361 points

Salon

1st – Jan Chambers – 351 points
2nd – Olive Weingart – 342 points
3rd – Pam Hastings – 334 points

With her win, Jan Chambers moves to Masters for next season’s competitions.  Congrats, Jan!

Prints

Color

1st – Norma Zackor – 179 points
2nd – Nick Giosa – 162 points
3rd – John Murphy – 160 points

Creative

1st – John Murphy – 161 points
(no 2nd or 3rd place winners)

Monochrome

1st – Norma Zackor – 162 points
2nd – John Murphy – 160 points
3rd – Tom Trask – 152 points

Slides

Masters

1st – Lee Wilcox – 339 points
2nd – Nick Giosa – 326 points
(no 3rd place winner)

Salon

1st – Paula Pingree – 319 points
2nd – Marjorie Hart – 314 points
(no 3rd place winner)

With her win, Paula Pingree would have advanced to the Masters category for next season’s competitions, however Slides will be judged as one group next year.  Great job, Paula!

Tomorrow:  Images of the Year

Rick General Competition Results

Nancy Goodrich has received a grant from the Middletown Commission of the Arts to run a 10-week photography project at Macdonough School in Middletown. While the funds will cover many of the expenses, they cannot be used to purchase cameras.

She is in need of six (6) cameras and would appreciate receiving any used, working, point-and-shoot digital cameras that Charter Oak members would be willing to donate.

Contact Nancy directly at: n2goodrich@sbcglobal.net

John General

If you want to submit any entries for the Annual Awards you have until Monday, 5/17/10 to do it.  Please refer to the Submissions for Digital Year End Competition post for entry guidelines.

Because it’s a much more manual process to put this competition together than the regular monthly competitions, there will be no entries accepted after the deadline.

Also, if you’d like your entries to be considered for the Art Rich Nature Award, you need to let me know that when you send in the entry.  The image must meet the PSA Nature Definitions and have received a score of 23 or higher during a regular monthly competition during the year.  The PSA Nature Definitions can be found here.

Rick General Competition Entries