Chor

Good Day all, Sorry I’ve been slow on posting this years’ trips. Our first trip will be the **Cayman Islands Aggressor May 30 – June 6.** Why? The Cayman Islands have some of the best diving in the Caribbean. We dove Little Cayman in 2024 and the diving was some of the best we had done in the Carribean. During your Caymans Island liveaboard scuba diving trip, the Cayman Aggressor IV will dive the best of all three of the Cayman Islands, which includes the North Wall and South Wall in Grand Cayman, Bloody Bay Wall in Little Cayman & everyone's favorite, Stingray City. The Oro Verde, Doc Poulson, Russian Destroyer and Kittiwake wrecks are bustling artificial reefs that disguise once magnificent ships and are a must see for every diver. Some of the sites may include: **Grand Cayman:** the Purpose sunk Kittiwake, wreck of the 10 Sails, finger reefs, Stingray City, and a wall are all available off Grand Cayman. **Little Cayman:** Bloody Bay Wall is off Little Cayman and l is about 1,000 meters (3,280) deep and attracts all types of life. We saw sharks on almost every dive when we did Little Cayman a couple of years ago. The nice thing about a wall is that if the group goes deeper than you want to dive (or are certified for), you can just follow along above and keep the group in sight to stay with it. **Cayman Brac:** Easy diving, relatively shallow with incredible soft corals. It is also home of the Captain Tibbits, which is the only Russian warship in recreational depths, that I am aware of, and is one of my favorite dives due to the types of coral on it. It is also one of the few purpose sunk warships that still has its guns. * Diving begins Sunday morning and ends Friday around noon when the Aggressor returns to port. * Up to 5 dives per day (including night dive), averaging 24-27 dives on 7-night charters. * Depth Range: 25 – 110 ft (8m – 33m) * All dives are from the yacht. * 3mm wetsuit recommended, but exposure suit is a personal preference. * Water temperature range from 78 - 82F, 25 - 28C. * Boat has individual dive lockers and a camera table * All diving is done from the mother ship * You will set you equipment up once. No changing of tanks as tanks are re-filled with your gear on it (which saves a lot of time and effort, and which makes this some of the easiest diving that you will do) **Current pricing i**s $3,695 plus $95 port fee. If we can get a total of 5 people to sign up this week, we will get a $500 per person group discount, but I’ll need to have 5 paid people by Friday $/17 to get this. That would make a final price of $3,695 -$500 +$95 port fee for a total of $3,295. I’ll get the invoice on Monday 4/13 so I’ll be able to confirm the final price at that point. I’m seeing air fare to Grand Cayman between $500 and $600 at this point. Costs include all diving, all meals and snacks, accommodations, your own dive locker, and weights. I’ve added the port fees. You will be responsible for tips (unless you want me to handle that also), rental equipment if needed, etc. and air fare. I’ll go over everything in more detail at the info session. The $500 cost through Meetup to sign up is the deposit. I'll send an invoice to pay the remainder within a couple of days. $500 holds your spot, but you need to pay the remainder quickly as the full amount is due to Aggressor. You can pay with check or charge or similar payments. Remember, we need to get a total of 5 paid people to get that $500 discount, so share this info and bring a friend. I’ll go over flight arrangements at the info session, but I will be able to purchase round trip flights from DC for up to 7 other people. The benefit is that you share my status and get upgraded seats (if still available), free checked bags, and priority boarding. This is on American Airlines. I’ll be booking the air fare by April 17 for those that want to jump on this. There are 3 Types of cabins (prices may vary depending on room type): Master state Room has a King bed Deluxe state room has 2 single beds which can be pushed into a King bed Bunk-Style Deluxe Stateroom which has a full bed on bottom and a twin bed on top. Do you need to bring a dive buddy to get that price? No. You can come single as long as you are open to either the dive club or the Aggressor putting you with another person in the cabin. Due to the short notice of this trip, we will need to pay our full amount of the trip within a week or two, so as soon as you sign up and pay the deposit, I’ll be sending out an invoice for the remainder. Air fare is paid at time of booking, so if I purchase your air fare, I’ll need it on 4/17 also. We will have at least 6 spots on this trip, but let me know if you are considering joining so that I can get more. Other upcoming trips are Bonaire in the summer, and probably the Belize Aggressor in the fall/winter.

The Alliance is part of the Greater Central Ohio Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. We are an all-voices chorus dedicated to providing an inclusive environment for all those who love to sing, regardless of their race, gender identity, sexual orientation or musical background. The Alliance is the first and only all-voices barbershop chorus in Central Ohio. **Who:** Anyone with a passion for singing at a high level. Previous barbershop chorus/quartet experience not required. **When:** The Alliance rehearses weekly on Thursdays from 7pm-10pm. **Where:** Lord Of Life Lutheran Church: 2480 W Dublin Granville Rd, Columbus, OH 43235 To become a full member of The Alliance, we welcome you to start by visiting us for a few rehearsals to experience the group and sing with us! Then, you may begin the 2-part audition process for membership: the assessement, and audition. We strive to make our auditions as stress-free as possible to help you let your best singing self shine.

Join us as we get together to see Paul Rudd in the latest comedy-drama-musical from John Carney, POWER BALLAD! The film follows a washed-up wedding singer, a fading boy band singer and a stolen hit song. Here’s a description, trailer and plan for this event: DESCRIPTION: Rick, a washed-up wedding singer, and Danny, a fading boy band star, bond over music and a late-night jam session. When Danny turns Rick's song into a hit, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves. Power Ballad is written/directed by John Carney, the master of the modern musical and creative mind behind Once, Begin Again and Sing Street! It stars Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, Peter McDonald, Marcella Plunkett, Havana Rose Liu and Jack Reynor. BUZZ & ACCLAIM: The film premiered to rave reviews at this year’s Dublin International Film Festival where critics call it “a sure-fired crowd-pleaser” that “just might be the feel-good hit of the year!” Others say, “Paul Rudd delivers a career-best performance in this charmer” that’s both “hilarious and deeply moving!” SUMMER OF ICE CREAM, VOL 2: SHAKE NO. 8! Ranked the #1 Ice Cream Shop in Columbus in 2024, this is the perfect place to kick off our Summer of Ice Cream and grab a sweet treat after the show! Their menu features an array of traditional, specialty and vegan shakes, hot cocoa, and more! You can check out their full menu here: [https://www.shakeno8.com/menu.php](https://www.shakeno8.com/menu.php) PLAN: We’ll plan for a 7pm-ish showing and will meet in the lobby area about 20 minutes before the show. Once showtime is announced, advance ticket purchase is advised! Once you have yours, please list your seat number in the Comments section of this event. We'll head to nearby Shake No. 8 immediately following the show! Should be a fun one, Dan

Some trained COUNT volunteers work together once a month at RMH (http://www.rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer.php) as Housewarmers (usually on the 1st Sunday from 1 – 5 PM). Some schedule other shifts at their convenience. You may try this out with less fuss by following a "Fast track" or go through the normal process. Fast track • Arrange a time to shadow a COUNT volunteer. Call Dave Nohle at 614-268-9558 (cell). • Show up and try it out. • Complete application, etc. later. Normal process • Complete an online application (http://rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer/). • Attend orientation in advance. • At orientation you will complete forms agreeing to keep family/patient info private and allowing a background check and tour the facility. • Complete one training shift. Daily shifts are: morning 9 AM - 1 PM, afternoon 1 - 5 PM and evening 5 - 9 PM. • Schedule shifts online using the on the RMH scheduling system (http://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/?FROM=32895). The Ronald McDonald House (RMH) provides housing and meals for families with sick children. The Columbus RMH is the largest in the world with 137 rooms. COUNT has been volunteering there since May 2014. Housewarmers work with RMH guests to provide a home-like environment - greet, assist with family needs, answer phones, give tours, assist with checkin/checkout, prepare guest rooms after checkout, clean facility, laundry, restock supplies and staff the front desk. RMH Housewarmers volunteer at least one four-hour shift a month. All Housewarmers must complete an application and agree to a background check before they can be full fledged volunteers.

Short North Street Skates return Saturday, April 4 and we’re excited to get back rolling together. These weekly rollouts are a chance to move through the city as a group, build community, and create more visibility for skating and small-wheeled movement in Columbus. Details: Meet: 1160 N High St 9:30 AM meet 10:00 AM rollout All wheels welcome We’ll be skating through the Short North and surrounding areas at a steady, social pace. Routes will use a mix of streets and bike lanes, so comfort navigating the city is helpful, but you don’t need to be an expert. If you’ve been meaning to come out, this is a great place to start. Come solo or bring a friend!

Join us as we get together to see the top-reviewed comedy-drama, I LOVE BOOSTERS! The film comes from writer/director Boots Riley and follows a group of shoplifters who take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. Here are details, trailers and our plan for this event: DESCRIPTION: The film follows a group of shoplifters who take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. It is written/directed by Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You) and stars Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Don Cheadle, and Demi Moore. BUZZ AND ACCLAIM: I Love Boosters was the opening film at this year’s SXSW Festival and premiered to rave reviews! It is currently earning a tremendous 97% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes where critics call it, “an unexpected celebration of friendship, community, and solidarity.” Others call the film “an exercise in radical empathy,” a “masterful” and “optimistic” film designed to “provoke discussion” while making the audience laugh. TRAILER: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4lPRISgr9c](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4lPRISgr9c) SUMMER OF ICE CREAM: GRAETER’S! Established way back in 1870 in Cincinnati, this historic, family-owned brand is famous for their delicious small batch ice cream and any chocolate chunk flavors! They are currently the only commercial ice cream maker using the French Pot method that they’ve been using since they first opened! Plus, those chocolate chunks, oh my goodness! Vegan options are available. PLAN: We’ll plan for a 7pm-ish showing and will meet in the lobby area about 20 minutes before the show. Advance ticket purchase not required for this theater but Showtime and complete details will be confirmed/announced as the date gets closer. Look forward to seeing you there, Dan