Editorial

It’s a little early, but since this is the last newsletter before May 31st, let me be the first to wish you and yours a safe and happy Memorial Day! I know lots of you have treasure hunting plans for the three-day weekend and here’s hoping success for you all. Be sure to e-mail me if you find something special!

The Central Ohio Metal Detecting Association is in the spotlight in this issue of the Lost Treasure Online Newsletter as the Feature Club. You can also see and read about some of the club members’ Favorite Finds.

Did you know the Favorite Finds section is open to all our readers? If you have a find you’d like to see showcased, e-mail it to us and we will share it…everyone can use a little inspiration!

Writer Jay Pastor supplies the Tip From the Pros in this issue. Have a tip about treasure hunting? You don’t have to be a “pro.” Any treasure hunter with experience in the field has knowledge they can share with our readers.

In the Letter to the Editor section you will read about a bill pending in South Carolina that has treasure hunters there alarmed.

Read the latest news from the Industry Press:
Ocean Quest Adventure Resort Discovers Spectacular Images of WW2 Wrecks

Want to know what hunts are coming up in your area this summer? Check out all the upcoming events in the 2010 Calendar. Don’t see an event you know is taking place? E-mail it to us at managingeditor@losttreasure.com

THers’ News includes:
Space Rock Hunters Find Largest Chunk Yet of Exploded Wisconsin Meteor
Sailors Find Safe at Historic Hood Canal Mansion
Volunteers Needed at Mark Twain Dig
A Little Gold is Good

Until next time, hunt for the treasure, treasure the hunt,

TH'ers News

Space Rock Hunters Find Largest Chunk Yet of Exploded Wisconsin Meteor
WISCONSIN - The largest chunk yet of a meteor that exploded over Wisconsin last month has been found by intrepid space rock hunters. But the remnant, which broke into three pieces after hitting the ground, is still small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.
Marvin Killgore, the curator of meteorites for the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona, and his wife, Kitty, arrived in Mineral Point, Wisc., just days after the fireball sighting, and now have a 10.6-ounce (300-gram) chunk of space rock that may be the largest piece of the meteor found so far.
On April 14, people in southwestern Wisconsin and northern Iowa bore witness to a sonic boom and fireball that briefly lit up the late evening sky. The object, an ancient rock from space, entered the Earth's atmosphere as a ball of flames after a 4.5 billion year journey through the solar system.
NASA officials estimated that the meteorite, which measured about 3.3 feet (1 meter) across, exploded with a force equivalent to 20 tons of TNT.
Meteorite hunters from around the world quickly flocked to the Wisconsin farm community that has become ground zero for the meteor fall to try to get their hands on a piece of the debris. A farmer discovered the first fireball fragment the morning after it exploded.
The Killgores found their fragment on a road near a local candle factory. The rock was split into three pieces on impact, and was even marked by the gravel road where it landed.
The Killgores' space rock is a breccia – a conglomeration of rock fragments cemented together. It most likely originated in the asteroid belt that orbits the sun between Mars and Jupiter.
"This one is relatively pristine, handled by very few human hands," Killgore said. "And it hasn't been on Earth all that long. It's exciting to be the first one to see something like this, to pick it up and hold it in your hand, and to know that it just came from somewhere away from here. It's pretty awesome."
There are likely other larger fragments of the Wisconsin meteor still out there that will be found in the coming years, Killgore said, but these pieces will also be more weathered.
The Killgores work with Marc Fries, a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., to locate meteorite fragments. Using Doppler weather radar maps, they can triangulate the trajectory of objects that make it through Earth's atmosphere and reach the ground.
Since exploding meteors create clouds of debris (similar to atmospheric clouds) that are picked up by radar sensors, the area where pieces of the meteorite land can be detected using these meteorological devices.
"The pieces can fall anywhere," Killgore said. "It's basically like tossing a handful of gravel into the grass and then see if you can find them."
The meteorite-hunting duo has already amassed one of the largest collections of meteorites in the world, with their heftiest find weighing a staggering 1,600 pounds (726 kg).
A different sample from the meteorite had been previously found by a local farmer, who sent it to the University of Wisconsin for examination. It was found to contain traces of magnesium, iron and silica compounds, in addition to other common minerals such as iron-nickel metal and iron sulfide.
Courtesy of http://www.space.com

Sailors Find Safe at Historic Hood Canal Mansion
UNION, WASHINGTON - When a dozen sailors volunteered to help restore a neglected Victorian mansion, they didn't think there'd be treasure hunting involved.
The 120-year-old McReavy House, donated in 2008 by the descendants of the town developer for public use, sits above Highway 106, facing Hood Canal. From it, the "father of Union City," John McReavy, oversaw his hotel, mill, store and dock. Today, the olive green fixer-upper is hidden by overgrowth, waiting for a nonprofit museum society to return it to glory.
But it needs help.
Enter the sailors from the Bangor-based Trident submarine USS Alabama's Blue Crew. Twelve strong twentysomethings can transform a place in a hurry.
Recently, they got distracted from pulling ivy and Scotch broom, yanking nails, hauling junk and chainsawing trees by a big, locked safe in the house's creepy basement.
Sailors, surrounded by spider webs, attacked the stout, black case by the light of a dangling bulb. They peeled back the steel and chipped through a concrete casing until they could reach an arm through. Out came an empty lockbox, and another box. Then handfuls of historic papers, dating to 1875. Deeds. Tax statements. Plat maps. A historic mother lode.
"All of their important stuff," Mike Fredson, the museum board president, said of the McReavy family as he thumbed through the yellowed, foot-high pile. It included the 1925 marriage license for McReavy's daughter Helen and Ludwig Anderson.
"It was interesting to see all that old stuff," said Casey Bolin, a petty officer second class from Oklahoma. "We were joking we were going to find some gold doubloons in there."
It was as good as gold to Fredson.
Jeff Hughes, a petty officer first class from San Diego, had rounded up the sailors. He visited the mansion in December, looking for paranormal activity, which is a hobby of his. (He said the ghost hunters heard a 10-minute conversation between two men that wasn't picked up on their equipment.)
The safe had been sitting undisturbed in the abandoned house, along with a mixture of antiques and junk, for decades. People respected the house as an icon and left it alone, Fredson said.
"That's the metaphor for this house," he said of the safe. "It's been sitting here and nobody's broken in and wrecked it. It's time to open it up."
A handwritten sign on a basement door reads: "Caution. Very large aggressive bats may fly out when this door is opened." It sounds like a scare tactic against trespassers, but the stairs inside are covered in guano (aka bat droppings). On the front door, another sign politely asks, "Please don't break into building! This door is very fragile and will be damaged if forced open. Thank you!"
Amazingly, the sign has been successful The place has only been vandalized once, Fredson said.
The property is a disaster, taken over by ornamentals and native plants that have grown up during the past 30 to 40 years. A excavator knocked down a stand of small maples, virtually carving out a view of Hood Canal right before the sailors' eyes.
Although much of its intricate woodwork remains, the home has been bastardized over the years with an ugly extension, flattened roof, sliding glass door and non-period horizontal windows, to name a few.
The interior remains in surprisingly good shape, featuring ornate molding, a gorgeous stairway, artistic hinges and a floor-to-ceiling upstairs bay window with a million-dollar view.
The museum society hopes to receive a $200,000 grant in a couple months for the renovation. Once that's complete, they want to set up an artist colony - such as existed in the area from 1924 to 1952 - from which to draw sustenance.
The sailors enjoyed the work.
"We got to tear down a tree, break into a safe, typical sailor day," summed up Andrew Cullather, a petty officer second class from Houston.
The place is so overgrown, you can see where vines are making their way in doors in very noticeable ways.
That said, Mike Fredson, the former home builder who heads up the foundation to save the house says, "It's remained in reasonably good condition, without serious leaks, and that's what we're lucky for."
But the foundation still needs help. While the sailors from the USS Alabama have made a huge and amazing amount of progress (you couldn't see Hood canal before they started ripping up the brambles) there is more needed.
"We need contributed materials," said Fredson. "We need labor. We continue to work at it."
They also need money.
Courtesy of http://www.king5.com

Volunteers Needed at Mark Twain Dig
MISSOURI - Volunteers are needed from Monday, May 30 through Saturday, June 5, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., to help excavate Mark Twain’s uncle John Quarles’ house. This internationally known farmstead is where Mark Twain gained many of the ideas for his books.
The ca. 1840 house site is located four miles north of Florida, off Highway 107. A red/white building marks the entrance to the site.
Tools will be provided but volunteers are asked to bring a lunch and water. A restroom will be available. The area is not handicapped accessible.
Volunteers will work under the direction of professional archaeologist, Karen Hunt.
For anyone who has always wanted to be involved with an archaeology site, this is a rare opportunity. Volunteers can dig or help with the artifacts or other aspects of a dig. This will begin the fourth year of excavations at the site.
Parents, teachers, scout leaders and interested individuals are encouraged to come, spend a day or week learning about archaeology and Mark Twain. You are never too old to learn something new. Children fourth grade and older are welcome as long as accompanied by an adult.
The dig is limited to 20 people per day.
An open house will be held Saturday, June 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For information call 573-735-2784.
Courtesy of http://www.monroecity.net

Gold Prospecting
There's gold in them there waters
PENNSYLVANIA - It may be hard to believe, but there are specks of gold waiting to be discovered in most area streams - the reason Dean Ransom of Milton has been gold prospecting for 13 years.
"I've always been interested in fossils and rocks, and this is an off-shoot from that," he said.
Ransom is far from a novice. He belongs to PA Prospectors, as well as to Gold Prospectors Association of America (GPAA), and the Gold Prospectors and Treasure Hunters of America (GPTHA). For six years, he served as State Director of the GPAA and during that time, he worked with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) writing the current guidelines for recreational prospecting.
"Gold has always been," he stated, "it's one of the first minerals talked about in the Bible."
Ransom explained that gold is a noble metal which doesn't oxidize and it has always been prized. Contrary to belief, North Carolina was the first state in which gold was found.
According to Ransom, gold first originated in layers of glacial deposits which eventually broke off into smaller pieces. During high water, rocks were then washed into rivers and streams. "Every time flooding occurs, it whirls the sediment around and around, and because gold is 19 times heavier than water, it sinks to the bottom," he concluded. "About 80 percent of the gold found in Pennsylvania resembles grains of sand."
Soon we were off to a portion of Muncy Creek to pan for gold. This particular stretch of water is leased by the newly formed Muncy Creek Chapter of the GPTHA.
"Muncy Creek is a mountain-fed stream. Rains tear up the bedrock," he said as he carried his equipment: buckets, shovel, green basin designed just for prospecting and a classifier, which resembles a colander.
"First of all, you need to know how to read a stream," he said as we walked in a dry bed along the side of the creek which had apparently been underwater. Debris still was tangled in branch crevices around us.
"We have to search out where the high water deposited sediment," he instructed. He shoveled up sandstone into his bucket, and took it to the water's edge. "An indicating factor is quartz," he added. "It's always a good sign when you find that." Upon filling the basin with what resembled dirt and stone, he swished it round and round, allowing the larger stones to exit. "The gold will sink to the bottom of the pan," he said as he continued the twirling. Little ripples inside the pan caught the finer particles. "If we find fine black sand, there will be some gold."
And true to his words, black specks of sand were present.
"This is the simplest method and takes the least amount of equipment," he said.
When he finished, there it was! A few gold specks illuminated the bottom of the basin, and there was no denying it.
Then he went to a faster method. He used what he called a roto- pan. "It's manual, but it's five times faster than using the pan." This time, he chose much smaller stones in the sediment that had congregated off the main stream. He quickly put a shovel full at a time in the water-filled bucket and turned the classifier with quick revolving movements. What had been collected in the bottom of the bucket, was then placed in the basin for the final step. When he finished swishing the contents, gold specks again were present, and he put his find into a small plastic container to be taken home. The specks of gold would be individually suctioned out with a little instrument resembling an eye dropper and put into a vile for safe keeping.
"If we spent an entire day where we were, we could make maybe $35 to $40. Every gold speck is tiny, but it adds up."
For about $20 or even less, anyone can purchase a beginner's prospecting kit.
"The fun is in finding gold," he said with a big smile on his face.
For more information on prospecting for gold, go to http://paprospector.org
Courtesy of http://dailyitem.com

Deep-sea Explorers Appeal Ruling Over Treasure
TAMPA - Florida deep-sea explorers are appealing a judge's ruling that 17 tons of treasure recovered from a sunken Spanish galleon belongs to Spain.
Tampa-based Odyssey Marine Exploration filed an opening brief Monday with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta.
At issue is ownership of an estimated $500 million in silver coins and other artifacts salvaged from the shipwreck three years ago.
Last year a federal judge in Tampa ruled that Spain is the rightful owner of the treasure from the navy frigate Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes y las Animas.
But Odyssey argues it is entitled to most of the loot because historical records show the vessel was on a commercial mission when it sank under fire in 1804.
Courtesy of http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap

Summer Archaeology Camp for Kids
FLORIDA - School is just about out and the St. Augustine Department of Heritage Tourism told local reporters at Historic City News that it is time, once again, for summer archaeology camp.
As in the past three summers, there will be two one-week camps, splitting camp activities between
Government House and de Mesa-Sanchez Yard, where campers will participate in a real dig under the supervision of trained archaeologists.
In addition to working the dig, camp will feature a variety of archaeology-oriented activities and games. Amber Weiss from Florida Public Archaeology, City archaeologist Carl Halbirt and his crew of volunteers, along with members of St. Augustine Archaeology Association (SAAA), will assist at the dig by working side-by-side with campers.
Summer 2010 will be the fourth year that the Department of Heritage Tourism will run Archaeology Camp, a collaborative program utilizing the skills of local archaeology volunteers supplementing those of professional archaeologists at the city, county, and state levels.
Florida Public Archaeology has been instrumental in the development of age appropriate activities that help explain archaeological concepts and working vocabulary to the campers. In addition, volunteers from SAAA and City of St. Augustine Archaeology provide guidance and assistance at all of the stations and the actual dig site.
Geared specifically for those students entering fourth and fifth grade next school year, the two one-week camps will be held June 14 to 18 and June 21 to June 25, 9:00 am to 3:30 pm at a cost of $175 per week. Campers are required to bring a bag lunch daily.
For more information, call the Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum at 825-6830.
Courtesy of http://www.historiccity.com

A Little Gold is Good
BELLVILLE, OHIO - More than three dozen people - from teens to adults - braved blustery winds and near winter temperatures recently to play in the muddy bottom of the Clear Fork east of Bellville in hopes of finding a little gold.
Despite the allure of the glittery metal, members of the Buckeye chapter of the Gold Prospectors Association of America, to a person, will tell you they're not in it for the money.
"This isn't for someone who thinks they're going to get rich. This is a hobby," said Bud Kaczor of Fairview Park, state claims director for the group. "You put what you collect in a vial and brag about it."
The chapter held a "common dig" on land on Gatton Rocks Road that is leased from the Freeman Swank family. Members who have their proper claims club prospecting permit and a valid membership card can do their panning anytime at the site or two other Ohio claims near Zuck and Lucasville.
Kaczor made the claim for the club after finding gold in what he called the "Blue Lagoon" downstream. There was a commercial gold panning operation on the Swank property before the family purchased it, as well as an actual mine along what is now Bellville North Road in the mid-1800s.
"All the gold comes from the glacial period, all of it from the north from the Toronto area," Kaczor said. "The glaciers pushed it down, ground it up and left it here when they retreated 12,000 years ago."
As rain washes the nearby land, the structure of the riverbed acts like a giant sluice and gathers sand-like grains of gold in the riverbed as well as quartz rocks with flecks of gold.
Mansfielder Walter Urschitz, who grew up in Bellville, heard all the old stories about the local gold and started traveling and visiting gold mines in other states as he got close to retirement. He joined the Buckeye chapter of association after learning about the glacial deposits.
Chapter president Larry Koprevic, of Canton, said most members join because panning for gold is a family activity that can be done outside, where everyone can enjoy nature and have fun.
"The biggest thing is meeting with people," he said. "Sometimes I just come down here, sit along the bank at my camper and talk with people."
Sue Wills, of Ontario, joined the group after visiting the claim during the group's "Gold Rush Days" last fall.
"The kids always liked playing in the river and both boys are in Boy Scouts and like adventure. This is something different," she said.
Mike Shelby, of Johnsville, started prospecting for gold to supplement his therapy following a near-fatal industrial accident.
"The VA said I needed to get wet and sandy and this was cheaper than a gym membership," he said. "The kids enjoy it, the therapy has been great for my attitude and I've been a member ever since."
Aaron Yoder, of Howard, enjoys the hobby so much he could hardly wait to receive sand from an Alaskan gold panning site that he ordered for a Christmas present last year.
Steve Staggs of Canton, a tire tester for Bridgestone, is a typical chapter member.
"I've been doing this for five years and I don't even have one ounce yet," he said as he sat spooning river mud into his 'gold hound' separator, which is run by an electric motor powered by a car battery. "I do this all for fun."
The group's next event will be another common dig next month when they invite other clubs. This year's Gold Rush is Labor Day weekend.
Courtesy of http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com

Tip From the Pros

By Jay Pastor

If you hunt in rough neighborhoods, consider the advantage of dressing-down your detector by removing or obscuring flamboyant markings and decals, and by making your own appearance match.

It’s also a bad idea to brag about your machine to curious onlookers, show them your finds, or discuss the prices of detectors.

It may even pay you to demean its operation and complain that the stupid, cheap machine is erratic and a liar, that most of what you find is junk, and that you wish you could afford one that works properly.

It's better to be local character than a victim.

Letter to the Editor

South Carolina beach hunters need your help!

We have a bill in SC pending that, on first glance, appears to be an anti-trespassing bill. However, if you read it carefully, you will see that it will be used to potentially shut down metal detecting (as well as fossil hunting, arrow head collecting, etc) on all State property, levy huge fines and jail time for metal detecting without permission on private property, and possibly be used as a platform to heavily constrain or end the hobby here. State property includes ALL public waters and most beaches in SC. I've attached a link to the legislation that passed the House in February. We are VERY worried about this bill here in SC. I got a lesson in civics recently... here's what I learned:

Currently, it is in Senate Sub-committee. The Sub-committee members are:
Paul Campbell (R) (803) 212-6016
John (Jake) Knotts (R) (803) 212-6350
Floyd Nicholson (D) (803) 212-6040

If it does not come out of sub-committee by June 3rd, the bill dies and "they" must start all over again next year. June 3rd is the drop-dead date.

Senator Glenn McConnell (R) (803) 212-6610 is over the Senate Ways & Means Committee. Basically, he is the most powerful Senator and he determines if it leaves sub-committee and goes to a vote. If he is in favor of it - it will go up for vote, if he is opposed to it, it will likely die in sub-committee. If it goes up for a vote, it will likely pass at this point.

Senator McConnell is a very active member of the SCV and he owns/owned a very nice relic shop in Charleston (don't know if it is still open). No doubt, many of you all have done business with him in this regard - I think that means something, as it is our hobby that essentially supported his shop. We currently do not know how he stands on this bill!!! His aide is Paula Denson - very nice lady, several of us have spoken to her - please feel free to call her directly at (803) 212-6636...I think she is also an aide to the sub-committee. She keeps track of phone calls and reports them to all of the above Senators.

Please, PLEASE, make one phone call for us today - call Senator McConnell. He is "The Man." If you can make a call or two more, call one or all of the sub-committee members. Let them know that you oppose the bill. If you get an aide on the phone, ask them how that particular senator "stands on the bill" - they must tell you. You can also request that they notify you when/if it comes out of committee. More than likely, you will just get to leave a message - but that is counted by them.

In addition to dozens of SC residents that post here, I know that we have hundreds of "tourists" who have visited SC over the last couple of years for the purpose of metal detecting. Your opinion counts to them - let them know you would be very hesitant to visit and spend your vacation here if it passes. It is crunch time folks - making our voices heard over the next few days will determine what happens to this bill.

Chris Watson
SC Metal Detector & Relic Assoc.

http://www.scstatehouse.gov/cgibin/query.exe?first=DOC&querytext=4129&category=Legislation&session=118&conid=5347972&result_pos=0&keyval=1184129

2010 Calendar of Events

MAY
22nd – 23rd – Lisbon, North Dakota. NEW LOCATION! Minnkota Artifact Recovery Group’s 11th annual treasure hunt at Dead Colt Creek Park. Coins, Food, Raffles. For more info, contact Jeff Kehl at jkehl1963@yahoo.com or (320) 845-7814.

22nd – Onset, Massachusetts. The 18th Annual Open Treasure Hunt sponsored by the Gateway Treasure Hunters Club at the Onset Public Beach, rain or shine. Registration begins at 9 a.m. Easy access from I-95, I-495 and Mass. Routes 3, 6, 25 and 28. For more info, call Roy Gouge at (508) 759-9779, e-mail phylroy@verizon.net or visit the club’s website at http://mysite.verizon.net/gthclub22

29th – 30th – Casper, Wyoming. The Natrona County Rockhounds Club will host its Gem, Rock and Mineral Show 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 29 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 30 at the Natrona County Fairgrounds Industrial Building, 1700 Fairgrounds Road. Vendors, demonstrations, displays, silent auction, door prizes, raffles and more. Admission: $3, children 12 and younger free with an adult. For more information, contact Randy Sternberg at 307-234-6156.

JUNE
5th – Shawsville, Virginia. 19th Annual Open Hunt by the Roanoke Valley Coin & Relic Club at Camp Alta Mons. More info, Marilyn Epperly, 2136 Maiden Lane, SW, Roanoke, VA 24015, (540)342-0153 or e-mail grammaepp1@juno.com or Anna Feazell (540) 563-4118 or e-mail at shortbelle@aol.com

5th – Stanwood, Washington. Pilchuck Treasure Hunting Club’s 28th Annual Hunt, Junefest 2010, at the Stanwood Fair Grounds, 6431 Pioneer Hwy. Raffles: Main, 50/50, Silver Dollar and Treasure Wheel. Potluck lunch at noon, bring a dish. Kids’ Hunt (12 years or under). Check www.pilchucktreasurehunts.org for updated information. For more, e-mail pilchucktreasurehunts@yahoo.com

5th – Riverside, California. Route 66 Gold Miners’ 1st Annual Treasure Hunt, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Rancho Jurupa Regional Park on Crestmore Road off Mission Blvd. Metal detecting hunt, special key hunt and 50/50 raffle. Some prizes include a metal detector, gold coins and silver rounds. For more information, contact Larry Eleftheriou, Hunt Master, at Larrywaters1@aol.com or send pre-registration to Route 66 Gold Miners, Inc.,8251 La Palma Ave., Box 393, Buena Park, CA 90620.

6th – Topeka, Kansas. Topeka Treasure Hunters’ Open National Treasure Hunt at Reynolds Lodge at Lake Shawnee. Five hunts rain or shine, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. For more info, contact Russell Broxterman, 1210 School, Box 162, Auburn, KS 66402, (785) 256-2925.

12th – 13th – Hampton, Illinois. Cedar Valley Research and Recovery will hold their Fifth Annual Treasure Hunt at the Illiniwek Forest Preserve, Route 84. For more, contact Joseph Evans, 3427 Circle Dr., Cedar Rapids, IA 52402, Phone (319) 265-4418 or e-mail joeevans@imonmail.com

18th – 20th – Athol, Idaho. Northwest Treasure Hunters Club’s 38th annual hunt at the Farragut State Park. Contact Eric Payne at (208) 772-4794 or by e-mail at payneea@hotmail.com

18th – 20th –New Staunton, Pennsylvania. Treasurefest 2010 at the Fox Den Acres campground. There will be 10 hunts with a variety of themes. You can enter for one day or all three. The fee is $30 per hunt and registrations can be sent to Ed Burke, 84 S. Atherton Ave., Kingston, PA 18704, call (570) 331-0600, or e-mail potogold1@verizon.net, or Duane Biller (724) 439-1380, snakemandb@earthlink.net

19th – 20th – Hastings, Nebraska. The Nebraskaland Treasure Hunters Club’s Annual Hunt at the ghost town of Leroy, south of Hastings on Hwy. 281. For info, contact Dale or Marilyn Ratzlaff at (402) 736-4455 or dalyn@mainstaycomm.net

19th – 20th – Powell, Wyoming. The Wyoming State Mineral & Gem Show hosted by the Shoshone Rock Club and assisted by the Cody 59'ers at the Park County Fairgrounds, 655 5th Street. Admittance - Adults: $2 each, Ages 12-18: $1 each. For information, contact Jane R. Neale, (307) 754-3285 or Mary Ann Northrup, (307) 754-4472.

19th – 20th –Georgetown, Indiana. The Hoosier Hills Treasure Hunters Club and the Down n’ Dirty Diggers Metal Detecting Club will each host one day of this weekend hunt – the Diggers’ 9th Annual Open Hunt on Sat., and the Hoosier Hills’ “Second Day” Hunt on Sun. For more info on the Diggers, contact Mike Byrn by e-mail at byrn@hughes.net or call (812) 366-3558. For more on the Hoosiers, contact Chad Beesley at c.beesley@insightbb.com or call (812) 966-2137 or (812) 498-0336.

26th – 27th – Palmer, Alaska. Alaska Treasure Seekers’ 34th Annual Metal Detecting Hunt at the Alaska State Fairgrounds – France Equestrian Center – 2075 Glenn Highway. For more info, contact Cathy Lundine, (907) 696-1910 or e-mail lundine5@aol.com

JULY
10th – 17th –New Staunton, Pennsylvania. Treasure Week at the Fox Den Acres Campground. Three hunts a day with many other hunts and activities. For more info, contact Jill & Carl McFeeders, jcseeker@core.com or phone (330) 364-1608.

17th – 18th – North Conway, New Hampshire. The Saco Valley Gem and Mineral Club Show at the North Conway Community Center. Gem and mineral dealers, micromounters, silent auction and raffle. Free admission.

24th – 25th –Nekoosa, Wisconsin. MidState Metal Detector Club’s 14th Annual Open Hunt and State Championship at the Deer Trails Park Campground (please note the hunt location has changed). Contact Steven Miller, N3091 CTY RD B, Hancock, WI 54943, or e-mail stmill@uniontel.net

26th – August 1st – Vallonia, Indiana. Southern Indiana Treasure Fest 2010 sponsored by Pepsi-Cola at the Starve Hollow State Recreation Area south of Brownstown on HW 135. Jackson County Fair all week. Events for all ages every day! Free Kids Hunts ages 3-12, and Jr. Hunts ages 13-15 for $10. The week’s events sponsored and/or provided by Bounty Hunter, Fisher Labs, Garrett Metal Detectors, The Lincoln Hills Treasure Hunters Club, White’s Electronics, The Hoosier Hills Treasure Hunter’s Club, Real Treasure Hunters, Teknetics, Cannonball Express Metal Detectors, Wick’s Pies, Wray & Co. Treasure Shop, Tesoro, and The Down n’ Dirty Diggers. For more info, contact Chad Beesley at (812) 966-2137 or Terry Rittenhouse at (765) 857-2400.

AUGUST
7th – Orting, Washington. The Puget Sound Treasure Hunters Club, Tacoma, Washington, is sponsoring their annual Lenny Phay Memorial Hunt, “Silver Bonanza,” rain or shine. Two major silver hunts, one a silver dime hunt and the other a big silver hunt, plus a detector and a treasure chest raffle. Fun for the entire family, to include youth hunts. For more info, contact Jim Ratcliff, Sr. at (360) 556-3914 or Jim Ratcliff, Jr. at (360) 556-4009, e-mail scouthobby@comcast.net or visit http://sites.google.com/site/pugetsoundtreasurehunters/home

7th –8th – Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. 28th Annual Black Diamond Treasure Weekend sponsored by the Black Diamond Treasure Hunters Club at the Plymouth TWP. Recreation Field on Route 11. For information, send self-addressed stamped envelope to B.D.T.H.C., P.O. Box 1523, Kingston, PA 18704, or go to www.bdthc.org to download the flier. Send e-mail requests to treasure1@aol.com or phone Byard Derr (215) 536-0796, George Walko (570) 287-3602 or Ron Denman (570) 288-7787.

28th – 29th – Concord, New Hampshire. The Capital Mineral Club’s Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Festival at the Everett Arena, 15 Loudon Road (1,500 feet east of Exit 14, I-93). Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission $5, children under 12 free with an adult. Dealers, displays, raffles and hourly and grand show prizes. For more info, log onto www.capitalmineralclub.org

SEPTEMBER
4th –5th – Foresthill, California. Annual Foresthill Heritage Celebration, California State Gold Panning and Lumberjack Championships, and U.S. National Gold Panning Championships at the Old Foresthill Memorial Park. American Legion Post 587 Annual Pig Roast, music, family events, gold panning, food and craft vendors. Heritage 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, Championships Saturday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, call (530) 367-2891 or log onto www.goldhounds.com

10th – 12th – Derby, New York. The 25th Annual International Treasure Hunt at Wendt Beach Park on Old Lake Shore Road, 5 miles off Exit 57A on New York I-90. Rain or shine, silver and gold hunts. Registration both days from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Free camping available, no hook-ups or dump station. For information, call Joe, (716) 632-6129 or Louie, (716) 434-3712, write 5327 Ernest Road, Lockport, NY 14094, or log onto NFRHA.com

11th – Milan, Michigan. Michigan Treasure Hunters’ 37th Annual Open Hunt at the KC Campground. For more information, contact Vincent Tremain, 15552 Stonehouse Circle, Livonia, MI 48154, or visit www.michigantreasurehunters.com

11th – 12th – Boonville, Indiana. Lincoln Hills Treasure Club’s 4th Annual Treasure Hunt at Scales Lake Park on the sandy beach, sponsored by Robert Jackson. Entry fees put in the hunt as silver dimes. Prize donations welcome. Free Kids’ Hunt, Teens’ Hunt $10. For more info, contact Robert Jackson at (812) 925-3280 or (812) 305-0295.

18th – Knox, New York. 40th Annual Club Hunt with over $5,000 in prizes, sponsored by the Empire State Metal Detector Association, at the Knox Firemen’s Park. For info and registration form, go to www.esmda.org. For more info, contact Bob Lavoy at metal@nycap.rr.com or call (518) 356-0564.

19th – Lathrop, Missouri. 34th Annual Open Hunt sponsored by Mo-Kan Search and Recovery Club at the Lathrop Antique Show Grounds. For more info e-mail Terry Theiss at outboundace@hotmail.com, call Chuck Clevenger at (816) 436-0697, or visit the
club website at www.mokansr.com

25th – 26th – Mt. Vernon, Illinois. The Tri-State Metal Detecting Club will host its Annual two-day hunt loaded with silver coins, unique hunts, prizes, raffles, and lots of fun! For more info, contact Justin Stevens at (618) 201-1853 or by e-mail at tds62864@hotmail.com

26th – 27th – Java Center, New York. Genesee Valley Treasure Seekers, Inc.’s 10th Annual Hunt at the Beaver Meadows Campgrounds. Prizes include detectors, and gold and silver coins. Events benefit the American Cancer Society. For more information, call John Howard at (585) 663-7368.

OCTOBER

8th – 9th – Cullman, Alabama. 37th Annual Deep South Open Treasure Hunt, sponsored by the Warrior Basin Treasure Hunters Association and Garrett Metal Detectors, at Smith Lake Park. Prizes will include gold and silver coins, metal detectors, old coins, relics and tokens. Discount cutoff dates are 6/10 (up to 35% discount) and 9/30 (up to 15% discount). Sign up a new guest and save another 10%. Contacts: Joe Box: ulozifind@windstream.net, (205) 640-4116, Cell (205) 451-7693; Eddie Bradley: eddieb@wbtha.com; Lawrence McKelvey: lmckelvey@charter.net
Get all the details at http://wbtha.com/HuntPages/DSTH/DSTH2010/dsth.html

16th – Irving, Texas. The Lone Star Treasure Hunters Club will host its 36th Annual Open Hunt at the Mountain Creek Preserve from 8:30 – 4:30. Six hunts with lots of prizes, a cake auction, and a raffle. Headphones required. For more information, log onto http://www.lonestartreasure.com/LSTHOH201036th.pdf or contact Huntmaster Robert Jordan, 1705 Pecan View, Garland, TX, 75040, (972) 530-5832, e-mail bobby.jordan@tx.rr.com

30th – 31st – Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Open Hunt 2010 sponsored by the Lancaster Research & Recovery Club, in partnership with the Susquehanna Valley Metal Detecting Club, at the Lancaster County Central Park’s Environmental Center. Registration starts at 8 a.m. each day. All silver hunts - one each morning and afternoon, rain or shine. There will be a Kids Hunt (up to age 12), a Free Fun Hunt, and an Optional Gold Hunt. Questions? Call Mike or Sue Race at (717) 355-0691, or e-mail msrace@hydrosoft.net

E-mail upcoming events to managingeditor@losttreasure.com
 

Industry Press

Ocean Quest Adventure Resort Discovers Spectacular Images of WW2 Wrecks

StarFish 450F, the shallow water sidescan sonar system from Tritech International, recently completed the successful deployment of a wreck dive in the low-visibility waters of Conception Bay off Canada’s Atlantic Coast.
The high performance StarFish 450Fsonar was able to operate at low-range, enabling the wreck team from Ocean Quest Adventure Resort (OCAR) to collect amazing detail of World War II (WW2) ships, SS Rose Castle and PLM-27, which were hit simultaneously and sunk by a German U-Boat during the war.
StarFish was able to clearly scan the wreck of SS Rose Castle where visible structures, as identified in the scan images, included rigging, substructures and cargo holds. At approximately 160 feet deep, this wreck is the deeper of the two wrecks scanned by the OCAR team in Conception Bay.
Encouraged by the scans obtained from the SS Rose Castle, OCAR continued with a second wreck dive to the PLM-27. Lying in much shallower waters, the PLM-27 is sunk at 100 feet of water with only 50 feet to the deck. Again, from the spectacular sonar images produced by StarFish 450F, substructures such as the stern gun, torpedo hole, the derricks and the cargo hold were all clearly visible.
StarFish 450F is a plug-and-play side scan, easily powered from any source and comes complete with user-friendly StarFish Scanline software. OCAR was impressed with StarFish 450F’s capabilities and indeed its ease in usability, which allowed the team to complete both wreck dives in under one-and-a-half hours.
Andrew Hiscock, Wreck Booking Coordinator, OCAR comments on the different outlook StarFish gave their wreck dive: “We got amazing shots of both the wrecks from the StarFish 450F system and the scan of the PLM-27 could almost be used a map to navigate around the 400-foot wreck. After diving these wrecks for 12years, it was great to see them from a completely different perspective.”
OCAR is based in Newfoundland, Canada in the region of Labrador, where the facility is the only full service dive and adventure resort.
For more info, log onto http://www.starfishsonar.com

Feature Club

Club member Mike Haer, courtesy of http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20104110306

Central Ohio Metal Detecting Association
The Central Ohio Metal Detecting Association (COMDA) brings together responsible metal detector users in Columbus and Central Ohio to encourage and support the hobby through education, awareness and interaction with the public.

Mission
The Central Ohio Metal Detecting Association is a friendly, collegial organization supporting and preserving recreational metal detecting activity and providing fellowship among members through the responsible use of hobby metal detectors.

Values
COMDA and their members support and encourage the responsible use of hobby metal detectors including research, compilation, recording and preserving of historical data. COMDA is a volunteer organization; each member has a responsibility to contribute to the greater good of the organization and the community at large.The club strives to preserve metal detecting as a legitimate recreational activity and through organization, foster friendships and defending the privilege of hobby metal detecting.

Read more about the club following these pictures:

Benefits of Membership:
Ohio Metal Detecting Magazine
Organized Group Events
Monthly Meetings
Find of the Month Contests
COMDA Website
Buckeye Treasure Hunter Forum and Chat
Resources and Assistance
Preservation of the Hobby
Friendship and Fun!

Meetings
Meetings are held the third Saturday of the month from 2-4 p.m. at the Whetstone Recreation Center, 3923 North High Street, Columbus, Ohio.

Regular meetings and casual group hunts are open to visitors. A typical meeting may consist of a short session of association business, show-and-tell, Find of the Month entries and voting. They may also have guest speakers and presentations. A casual group hunt is an unstructured event, just day and time any of the members can set aside to get together for a while to detect and socialize.

Full membership dues are $25 per calendar year. Five dollars of this amount goes towards Federation of Metal Detecting and Archaeological Clubs (FMDAC) membership, as this national organization does important work to help support and defend our hobby.

To encourage new memberships, any member who recruits a new member that joins the association will be credited $5 (no cash value) per new member towards their own membership. A maximum of a $25 credit can be earned and is non-transferable. If you recruit five new members in a year, your membership for the next year is free!

Secondary membership dues for a spouse/domestic partner of a member are $15; Children of a member, under age 18, may join for $10 per year. Secondary memberships do not include FMDAC membership, but they may opt in to the FMDAC for an additional $5 per secondary membership.

At the discretion of the treasurer, membership dues can be paid with an equivalent in bullion value of good condition silver halves to be used for prizes. Value of coins is set on the date the coins are delivered to the treasurer using the www.coinflation.com Silver Coin Melt Value Calculator.

All communication with the club will be done electronically through e-mail and the COMDA website. If you require meeting notices and other communications to be mailed via the postal service, there is an additional $12/year fee which may be added to your membership.

Officers and Members:
Nick Arnold, Executive Committee
Ron Chesnut
Anthony Crabtree
Stephanie Fowler
Robert (Jim) Fracker
Justin Griffith
Mike Haer, Executive Committee
Kris Hetrick
Dan Hudnell
Lonnie Jones
Dave Lowy, Executive Committee
Jerome Perko
Matthew Slyh
John Tewell
Suzanne Webb, Executive Committee

COMDA is pleased to partner with the Columbus Historical Society finding ways they can work together to discover and preserve the history of Central Ohio. You can learn more about the Society and see their many free programs relating to Columbus history offered throughout the year at their website, www.columbushistory.org

To contact the club, e-mail centralohiometaldetecting@gmail.com

For more information, log onto http://www.ohiodetecting.com
 

Favorite Finds

Shown below are some of the Favorite Finds found by members of the Central Ohio Metal Detecting Association.

The coin shown (obverse and reverse) above was found by Mike Haer.

Shown above is a 1756 Spanish Reale coin/button with a shank attached to the back found by Justin Griffith.

An 1853 large cent found by Suzanne Webb is shown above.

Dan Hudnell found the coins and other items shown in the above pictures.

Mike Haer made the above great finds. 

Shown above are finds made by Anthony Crabtree.

Dave Lowy  made the finds shown above.

The finds shown above were made by Mike Haer.

And last, Nick Arnold made the great finds shown above.