Grand Island Rod & Gun Club

Grand Island Rod & Gun Club News

Outhouse Race Adds To Rod & Gun Club Tractor Pulls - 2005

(left) First place winner Quick Click - 2nd place winner Little Flying Farmall - Redneck Outhouse
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(left) Councilman Dick Crawford - Councilman Mary Cooke, Jane Cooke, and Larry Furnia - Unnamed Outhouse - Bob Mesmer's "20"
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   The Grand Island Rod & Gun Club's Annual Grand Old Island Days - two days of tractor pulls, were highlighted with something new. The two-day event on Saturday and Sunday, July 23-24 featured an Outhouse Race chaired by Bobby Mesmer on Saturday. Originally planned as a contest between the Isle Democrats and Republicans, it was only the Republicans who built the wheeled outhouses and entered the competition. Quick Click steered by Josh Rogers was the first place winner. In second place was Little Flying Farmall, steered by Megen Schiffler and built by Mike Smith with additional manpower by Mike Schmidt and Greg Miller.
   Mike Yensan, Kathy Barton and Lyle Dinsmore chaired the 4th annual event.

'Grand Old Days' - Tractor Pulls - July 23-24, 2005
Featuring The Outhouse Race
   The Grand Island Rod & Gun Club will present "Grand Old Island Days" on Saturday and Sunday, July 23-24, 2005 at the Rod & Gun Club, 1083 Whitehaven Road, Grand Island, NY. The annual event begins at 12 p.m. noon both days and will feature tractor pulls daily along with a Chinese auction, and antique tractor and farm equipment displays. Hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage French fries and beverages will be available. Gates open at 11 a.m.
   Admission price is $6/day or $8/two-day pass. Children under 48" will be admitted free.
   A new event this year is the Outhouse Race chaired by Bobby Mesmer and scheduled for after the noon garden tractor pulls on Saturday, "sometime between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.," he said. For those interested in entering, the Outhouse race rules follow:
Build an outhouse
One person steers
No motors allowed
Only a crew to push you down the track
Fastest time wins.
Time schedule
• 11 a.m. Saturday, July 23 - gates open
• 12 p.m. Saturday, July 23 - tractor pulls begin
• Saturday, July 23 - Outhouse race - sometime between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
• 11 a.m. Sunday, July 24 - gates open
• 12 p.m. Sunday, July 24 - tractor pulls begin
   Co-chairing the event are Mike Yensan, Kathy Barton and Lyle Dinsmore. For further information, call 716-773-3529.

Grand Island Rod & Gun Club Children's Party - 2004

Santa's elves are Jennifer O’Donnell and Valerie Runick
Members of the Grand Island Rod & Gun Club hosted a children’s Christmas party attended by 40 youngsters on Sunday, December 19, 2004. Everyone received a present and got to talk to Santa who was there with his elves. Party Chairman Cheryl Chamberlain and Kris Rumbold, who have hosted the event together for seven years, are stepping down for 2005, when Julie Cinelli will be taking over.

Saturday's Rod & Gun Club Tractor Pull Photos - 2004

(left) Mike Yensan, Kathy "Yensan" Barton, unidentified little girl
(above) Rod & Gun Club Photos - Click photos for larger view

Rod & Gun's Tractor Pull Features Celebrity "Pull" - 2004

Dan McMahon Photos - Click photos for larger view
The Grand Island Rod & Gun Club's Grand Old Days, Saturday (July 24, 2004) Tractor Pull featured a celebrity "Pull" between Town Supervisor Pete McMahon and Councilwoman Mary Cooke. Photos from left show tractor owner Bob Mesmer of Grand Island giving last minute instructions to Mary just prior to her "Pull"; Peter is nearing the end of his "Pull"; and Mary, Bob Mesmer and Supervisor McMahon. Mary and Peter used different class tractors for their pulls. The Councilwoman drove a 4-cylinder tractor and the Supervisor drove an 8-cylinder tractor. Both tractors are owned by Bob and Joy Mesmer.

Saturday's Rod & Gun Club Tractor Pull Photos - 2004

Dan McMahon Photos - Click photos for larger view
The Grand Island Rod & Gun Club's Grand Old Days were held Saturday and Sunday, July 24-25, 2004. These contest photos, taken on Saturday, show Garden Tractor pulling; Joy Mesmer of Grand Island during her winning pull; Bob Mesmer during his runner-up pull in the V-8 class; The Pumpkin Cannon (Sunday); V-8 class winner B. Smith.
The Pumpkin Cannon event was held on Sunday with test shootings of beach balls and ice chunks during the afternoon. Bob Mesmer and B. Smith had a "Full Pull" 200' or more during the contest which forced a "Floating Pull." There is no "full pull" during the pull off.

Tractors & More Tractors At Rod & Gun's Tractor Pull - 2004

Dan McMahon Photos - Click photos for larger view
The Grand Island Rod & Gun Club's Grand Old Days were held Saturday and Sunday, July 24-25, 2004. These photos, taken on Sunday, show (left) Big Boy Toys, a Modified Antique tractor; Isle native George DeGlopper; Isle native Jimmy Long, Grandson of Sam Long; and Josh Cook, sitting on a 4-wheeler with dad looking on. Eric is the son of Eric and Julie Cook. The 4-wheeler was raffled off during the Tractor pull.

'Grand Old Days' - Tractor Pulls And More - July 24-25, 2004
Featuring Car, Motorcycle Cruise
   Grand Island Rod & Gun Club members under the chairmanship of Mike Yensan and Kathy Barton, will present their 'Grand Old Days' Tractor Pulls on Saturday and Sunday, July 24-25, 2004 at the Grand Island Rod & Gun Club, 1083 Whitehaven Road. The event will also include food, music, exhibits and fun.
   The Garden Tractors will pull beginning at noon on Saturday and Antique Tractors and Pumpkin Cannon events beginning at noon on Sunday.
   The live music of "Split Rail," a fabulous country western band, will play from 5-9 p.m. on Saturday. A Chicken BBQ begins at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, July 25, 2004 with 400 dinners available (advance tickets will be on sale during Saturday's tractor pulls.)
   After Sunday's tractor pulls, a 4-wheeler raffle will be held. Also to be feature on Sunday will be Burning Asphalt NASCAR Racing - "You do the driving!!" Burning Asphalt Race Tracks specializing in radio-controlled racing will take place on Sunday only. These are not slot cars but wide-body, indestructible, 1/10th scale cars that measure 20" long by 9" wide that will provide you with the "ultimate interactive racing experience." According to R&G Club members, these replica Winston Cup stock cars will travel in excess of 200 MPH to scale.
   A Chinese auction, old tool display, car and a motorcycle cruise will be held both days from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hot dogs, hamburgers, Italian sausage, corn dogs and ribbon potatoes along with a beer tent and beverages will be available throughout the event.
   Admission for each day of the 'Grand Old Days' Tractor Pulls extravaganza is $6 or a two-day pass is available at $8.
   For more information, call Kathy Barton, 716-773-9130 or email to kabartob@aol.com.
   Time schedule:
• Garden Tractors - noon Saturday
• Antique Tractors and Pumpkin Cannon events - noon Sunday
• Live music by "Split Rail" - 5-9 p.m. Saturday
• Chicken BBQ - 4:30 p.m. Saturday
• Chinese auction, old tool display, car/ motorcycle cruise- 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
• Hot dogs, hamburgers, Italian sausage, corn dogs, ribbon potatoes, beer tent, beverages - both days.
• Burning Asphalt Race Tracks - Radio-controlled Racing Sunday only