FEATURE

News & Good Deeds That Shouldn't Go Unnoticed

Plenty of things happening as 2009 winds down toward it's inevitable conclusion. The newest items include a new president for the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers and a new candidate for governor in Arizona that won't leave much doubt as to where he stands on firearms.

Yesterday, I was surprised to see that O.F. Mossberg's Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Mark Kresser, would be leaving there January 1 for the president's job at NASGW. Kresser, in the eyes of many in the industry, is among the top echelon of management for the firearms industry. Mossberg's flourishing, and has brought out products that have resonated with customers, ranging from solid hunting shotguns to a pump model that comes in a sealed survival container, enabling it to be included in emergency packs for anything from sailing to backpacking.

One industry exec says the hiring of Kresser by NASGW is the equivalent of luring a "rock star" away from his band. I don't know if I can imagine the soft-spoken, but always enthusiastic Kresser fronting a rock band, but I do know that if he's traveling - which is often- he's always looking for chances to talk with either dealers or their customers. That, and an ability to translate what he hears into desirable product actually probably is enough to make you a rock star in the firearms business.

Like Steve Sanetti's move from Ruger to the NSSF, Kresser will bring fresh eyes and enthusiasm to NASGW- and a more than willing ear when members want to either voice an opinion or ask for constructive suggestions. The best tribute to his abilities might be the fact he's leaving on what could conservatively be called the best of terms with his former employer.

And a whispered rumor was confirmed yesterday in Arizona.

Owen "Buz" Mills is tossing his hat in the Arizona gubernatorial ring.

Former ironworker, Marine, and cable mogul turned shooting school owner Owen "Buz" Mills has filed the necessary paperwork to run for governor. Sources tell us Mills has been making the rounds with Republican leaders for some time and decided it was "time to step forward and do something" about the mess Arizona is in.

He's formed his exploratory committee and is, we're told, moving to get ready for the primary in August.

A lifelong shooter and passionate advocate for the Second Amendment, it will probably not be difficult to know where the straight-talking Mills stands on the issues. If nothing else, I'm betting he'll be a breath of fresh air in the business-as-usual political industry.

Today, a couple of good deeds that deserve recognition. The first, from Xerox, gives each of us the ability to send a holiday greeting card to military personnel stationed overseas. The designs are kids' drawings, and the cost is absolutely zero to you.

My selection for "Let's say THANKS" - kids' art makes the message even more poignant to our troops overseas.

It's called "Let's say THANKS" and it's a website where you can pick from a host of thank you themed cards, add a personal message, and have it sent to someone serving overseas. Xerox is running the program at absolutely no cost, and it's certainly worth doing.

If you think it's not really all that important, here's a response from one of our troops overseas:

"Thank you for sending the postcards to our unit! While soldiers routinely grab all the snacks, toiletries, magazines and books out of care packages, it is the letters, cards and postcards with heartfelt messages that mean the most and truly remind us that the folks back home care and appreciate what we do.

Thank you for showing that support. Have a great week and keep up the good work."
- A member of the Military Police

According to former Xerox chairman Anne M. Mulcahy, it's a program that has sent millions of messages to the troops, and has become one of the "most inspiring and rewarding programs" Xerox employees have ever had.

Take time to go send a message. You'll be glad you did - and so will some unknown soldier, sailor, marine or airman serving overseas this holiday season.

And it's not unusual for Julie Goloski-Golob to be dead-on-target. After all, Julie's one of the top women shooters in the world. But I happened to find out the other day that Julie's done something -quietly- that has reaffirmed my belief that she's one of the really good people in an industry with lots of good folks.

Julie Goloski-Golob before and after her donation to Locks of Love.

Julie says she loves this time of year because "the spirit of generosity thrives and people make gifts of time, money and themselves." This year, Julie's made a gift of herself - literally. She donated her hair - twelve inches of it - to Locks of Love, a program that uses donated hair to make wigs for cancer patients.

(Insert Photos #3 and #4 here. Caption: Julie Goloski-Golob before and after her donation to Locks of Love.)

Julie says it's the fifth time she's made a donation to the group. If you're not follicle-challenged (like me), maybe you want to consider participating. Learn more at www.locksoflove.org.

And if you want to know more about Julie, you can read Tammy Sapp's profile on her in this week's edition of The Women's Outdoor Wire.

We're hearing other whispers and are running them down, including a rumor about the impending retirement of a well-known shooting industry figure.

And as always, we'll keep you posted.

--Jim Shepherd

Dec 12-13	Level 1 Pistol Coach Course U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit's Phillips Range, Ft. Benning, Georgia
Dec 12-13	Day-Night Shooting Matches The Range, Oxford, North Carolina
Dec 18	FINAL EDITIONS OF THE WIRES for 2009
Jan 2	Little Princesses Ball West Virginia's North Bend State Park, Ritchie County, WV

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