Director’s Thoughts for May 2014

April showers bring May flowers. Most people are familiar with this saying. The month of May is filled with the sounds of birds, the smell of fresh flowers & summer breezes from time to time. The month marks the end of spring at its best. There’s growing anticipation of backyard BBQ get togethers, outdoor activities & beach parties. School age children are anticipating the last day of school. Memorial Day falls on the last Monday of the month. It was originally known as Decoration Day. It commemorates the U.S. Soldiers who died in military service. But over the years it became more general in the fact that people would visit the burial sites of loved ones whether they served in the military or not. Memorial Day also kicks off the summer vacation season for many. The weekend itself is one of the most active shopping seasons of the year due to the nice weather & shift from winter to summer. Then there’s the family get togethers, fireworks & trips to the beach. May is the month when we begin planning for family get away’s after being inside during the cold winter months. Spring is finally here! It is time to get our cars out of mothballs & go cruising to wind up at some terrific shows. The weather here in PA is first class this time of year, & I am always ready to fire up my oh so loved Riviera & just cruise anywhere. After this past long, hard winter, the idea of a leisurely ride in the countryside is very appealing. So, fellow Buick enthusiasts, get your cars out of the garage & take them for a spin. No destination needed, just a spin to anywhere! 

Don Sterner 

“Free Spirit” Meeting Minutes, April 1, 2014

Director Don, called the meeting to order @ 7:36 pm. There were 21 members & 3 guests present. 

Tonight’s guest speakers, Lester Clore & Richard Check, talked to our group about the history & operation of the Bethlehem Steel Co. Lester’s family came to Bethlehem in 1953. His father got a job with BSC & remained there for 30 years. Lester, himself, was an employee there for 33 years. Richard, 81 years old, got his job with BSC on February 14, 1952. He was the 8th of 14 children, many of whom were employed by BSC. These 2 gentlemen gave us their opinions as to the rise & fall if this once great & powerful co. They reported that their opinion of the demise of the great co. falls in the lap of upper management. “If you want to run a company, you need to know something about the product”. Their talk was very interesting & informative to all of us!

Motion to accept March meeting minutes as printed in the April newsletter made by Dolores Kennedy, seconded by Kathleen Duckett, so carried. Motion to accept March Board of Director’s meeting minutes as printed in the April newsletter made by George Grossman, seconded by Thomas Sylvester, so carried.

• I. Committee Reports
  • A. Historian – no report
  • B. Kempton – Miller-Keystone Blood Drive will be taking place during the show, 8AM-1PM. Flyers are available for members to take to hand out.
  • C. Membership – No report
  • D. Newsletter – Watch May’s newsletter for chapter renewal forms.
  • E. Programs – –Guest speaker for May is Ms. Pam Bechtel, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels of Lehigh County.
  • F. Publicity – Don reported Kelly Haas resigned as chapter Publicist. In an e-mail to Don, she thanked all members for their support. Any volunteers?
  • G. Technical – no report
  • H.Ways and Means – Blanket sold to Mississippi in lieu of a 95th birthday!
• II. OLD BUSINESS
  • Tours:
    • April 9th Stacy Sterner will be taking the chapter on a tour to Martin Guitar, Nazareth, PA. Reservations due by March 30th.
    • July 19th will be Turkey Hill Tour with Sandy Sylvester.
    • August 8-10 will be weekend overnight tour to Huntingdon, Pa with Sally Getz.
    • December – America On Wheels Train Display.
• III. NEW BUSINESS
  • Received e-mail from member Dennis Snell on asking if the chapter would like to participate in showing their Buicks at the Clover Hill Winery, Breinigsville, Pa on Saturday, July 28, or Sunday, August 10 in lieu to an event the Winery is planning. It was discussed that since July 28 is right before DAF and that Sunday, August 10 fell during the 3-day weekend tour, it most likely would not work for some members. Dennis is looking for at least 7 members with their cars. No volunteers offered at tonight’s meeting.
  • 2016 National – the May 5th meeting is postponed. Calendar of Events – keep abreast of the events going on.
  • Car Sales – Sally reported she has received numerous car sales for the newsletter.
  • Motion made @ 9:05pm to adjourn by Isabel Lenny, seconded by Kathleen Duckett, so carried.

  Respectfully submitted: Respectfully submitted by: Stacy J. Sterner, Secretary

  Chapter Annual Picnic, Sunday, June 8, 2014

  • What: Annual “Free Spirit’ Chapter picnic
  • When; Sunday, June 8, 2014, 12:30pm.
  • Where: Weeping Willow Pavilion, Macungie, Park, Macungie, Pa
  • Menu: Chapter supplies drinks, meats, & utensils. Members bring:
    • Last names A-I = cold dish
    • J-R = hot dish
    • S-Z = dessert
  • Accessories: Short/long tales, tasty recipes, and empty stomachs, sense of humor, lawn chairs, & Buick enthusiasm!
  Turkey Hill Experience, July 19, 2014
  Please join me to take a tour of the Turkey Hill Experience located in Columbia, PA in Lancaster County, PA. It will be on Saturday, July 19, 2014. We will be taking a relaxed & enjoyable ride through the beautiful & warm countryside to get to our destination. Once there, a tour of the factory will be taken by 11:30am. The factory is Handicapped Accessible! After the tour, we will be stopping @ the Shady Maple Restaurant located in East Earl, PA for a smorgasbord lunch. Is your birthday on this date? If you have never been @ Shady Maple, this is the time to go to experience a new adventure! Hope you can join me on this scrumptious & wonderful adventure!
  • Members = $13.50 per member _____________________________________
  • Member Child(ren) (4-17) = $10.50 per child __________________________
  • Guest(s) = $29.00 per guest ________________________________________
  • Guest Child(ren) (4-17) = $21.00 per child ____________________________
  • Make checks payable to: “Free Spirit” Chapter of PA.
  • Mail to: Sandy Sylvester, 1010 Redwood Drive, Breinigsville, PA 18031.
  • Questions: 610-366-7151. Please respond by July 4, 214.
  April 9, 2014 – Martin Guitar TourOn April 9th, 14 members & 3 guests participated in a tour of the Martin Guitar factory in Nazareth. PA. The tour was very interesting. As per our tour guide, Ben, Martin is the largest, most precise acoustic guitar manufacturer in the world. The company employs about 600 local residents. The tour was very informative. It is amazing how many steps there are in the creation of just 1 guitar! It takes approximately 8 weeks to make a guitar from start to finish. The company produces about 250 guitars daily & they are shipped out all over the world. We even got to see a guitar that’s being made for the famous Eric Clapton! It is said that if you own a Martin guitar, you own the best. After our tour, we all went to the Rt. 248 Diner in Easton & enjoyed a lovely lunch. The quantity of the food @ the low & reasonably prices were had all. The food, the tour & the fellowship were amazing! For those members who could not attend, please try to get out & participate in our different tours. We truly have a very good time.
  STOP, YIELD & GO!John Rietveld, 50, enjoys waiting for the lights to change-on more than 100 vintage stoplights in his home-based museum of Traffic Control in Pella, Iowa (pop. 10,352). “Since I was a little kid, I’ve been fascinated with traffic signals,” says Rietveld, who @ age 6 drew chalk roadways & made stoplights & signs from shoeboxes for the sidewalks where he pedaled his Big Wheel.

  When he was 20, Rietveld bought his first traffic signal-an early 1950’s stoplight made by General Electric-from an antique shop in Sacramento, Calif., & he’s been collecting them ever since. Today, when he steps into his 1,700- square-foot basement museum, signals flash red, green & amber & direct pedestrians to “Walk” or “Don’t Walk”. From floor to ceiling, more than 100 vehicle & pedestrian lights blink amid some 500 street & highway signs, including original markers for Route 66 & Sunset Boulevard.

  Rietveld’s signs & signals date from 1915 to the 1990’s. His oldest stoplights have glass lenses, many with patterns & embossed commands-Stop, Go, Caution. “I really like the ornate ones,” says Rietveld, admiring his rarest stoplight, a 1915 cast-iron model that resembles a birdcage. Its 8-sided revolving cylinder displays “Stop” & “Go” above the red & green lights, & a bell sounds when the message rotates. Invented by electrical engineer Ralph W. Wiley, the light once stood @ a San Francisco intersection & is 1 of about 20 known to survive.

  Although many cities scrap their retired traffic signals. Rietveld discovers discarded markers 2 antique stores, highway departments & signal maintenance yards. He also gets leads from www.signalfan.com, the website that he created in 1997 for like-minded enthusiasts. Rietveld worked as a stage-light technician in Fullerton, Calif., before he & his wife, Jackie, & their son, Jacob, moved to his father’s hometown of Pella in 2005.

  The couple credits the collection with helping them see the light about their future. During the long road trip in California to buy a traffic signal, they had a heart-to-heart talk about where & how they wanted to raise their son. Jackie longed to be a stay-at-home mother, but they couldn’t afford that arrangement where they lived. So they loaded up their signals & signs & relocated to Iowa. One of Rietveld’s favorite signals is Pella’s first traffic light, which was installed at the intersection of Main & Franklin Street in 1950, about the same time his father learned to drive. The light hangs beside the newspaper article & photo that heralded its arrival.

  Rietveld, a technical writer for Vermeer Corp., opens his museum by appointment & enjoys seeing visitors’ reactions to road signs that bear head- scratching warnings such as “No Parking or Driving on Sidewalk” & “No Skiing Under Bridge.” Nearly every evening, he tinkers on his traffic controls. “They’re kind of mesmerizing,” Rietveld says. “Everyone who comes down here says ‘Wow!’ They leave with a new appreciation of signals.

  WHY I LOVE MY BUICK
  by Ed LennyWhen I was a child, our family didn’t own a car. That was something that came later-actually when I was 17 (which is also one heck of a song). In our neighborhood lived a bachelor Italian immigrant by the name of Nino. Each Sunday afternoon, weather permitting, Nino would bring his big, black, beautiful 1941 Buick into the alleyway behind our block of semi-detached homes, & park it behind the Finelli’s house, where he rented a room, & perform his weekly washing ritual (the car, not Nino). I would often wander down the block to witness this event, & also to admire this handsome automobile. On one occasion, Nino turned to me & asked me if I wanted to help him. I, of course, quickly said yes. My assignment was to scrub those impressive wide white wall tires. I could not have been happier (my I.Q. as a child was quite low, & some people feel that to this day it has not changed). Just to be this close to this wonderful example of motordom thrilled me. As a child I didn’t get out much as you might have surmised. I don’t recall how many times I helped wash Nino’s ’41 Buick, but I can tell you that it certainly left an impression on me (one time the handbrake wasn’t properly set & one of the rear tires rolled over my foot).

  Now, let’s fast forward to 1978. By this time, I was already involved in the old car hobby for 5 years. I owned 2 early Mustangs, a convertible & a fastback, & a Corvair convertible, but @ that time, these vehicles were not much more than used cars. I really had a desire to acquire something older. During this phase of my life, I made an annual pilgrimage to the large February old car auction & flea market held in the original Atlantic City, NJ convention hall. These trips were always a welcome touch of the old car hobby in the middle of winter. My companion was a close, & now departed friend, Jack Quay. On this occasion, February 1978, I also had taken my 3 sons (Larry, Moe & Curley) along. This was before the invasion of Atlantic City by the casino industry, so the convention hall event was much more family friendly, however, with the exception of the old car happening, someone could die of boredom in Atlantic City in the dead of winter.

  Well, the 5 of us arrived there early Friday afternoon in Jack’s station wagon. As soon as we had settled into our rooms (probably the old Howard Johnson Hotel, now long gone), we headed over to the hall. Our usual drill was to look over the cars sitting in the center of the hall awaiting their turn to go through the auction, & then to hit the flea market. The flea market @ that time was quite good, & also offered cars for sale that would not be part of the auction. We followed our usual procedure, & finally worked our way toward the back of the flea market. Suddenly out of the corner of my eye, I spied a 1941 Buick across the room. Grabbing everyone’s attention-& my wallet-we rushed over for a closer look. What greeted us was a 1941 Buick Super 4-dr touring sedan in 2 tones of gray with just 48,000 miles on its odometer. Visions of Nino’s ’41 danced through my head (obviously, they had crowded out the sugar plums). We were looking @ a beautifully maintained, all original, low mileage Buick with sparkling wide white wall tires.

  We all started climbing over this car like ants on a glob of fallen ice cream @ a church social. After I had asked the seller a few questions, I suddenly felt myself shaking his hand & saying something like, “It’s a deal”. Of course I hadn’t driven the Buick, & when I expressed my doubt about buying a vintage car without a test drive, I can still remember the seller’s exact words. He said, “You will be whistling all the way home”.

  Our original plan was to stay in Atlantic City until Sunday around noon, so I had the whole week-end to think about my purchase, & to wonder if I had truly found a nice, straight original Buick, or had I been betrayed by my long time admiration for ’41 Buicks, & seduced by pleasant childhood memories. Early Sunday morning, we met the seller @ the hall. I had to get my Buick out of the flea market (it was still parked where it was when I first saw it), before it opened to visitors. We parked our new purchase just outside the building & then continued about our visit.

  At noon, we loaded up. My oldest son, Mark, rode with Jack to keep him company, while my 2 other boys, Bill & Alan, climbed into the spacious back seat of the Super. The 2 ½ hour drive would have to be made over slush covered roads as the NJ & eastern PA areas were recovering from a snow storm. Wow, what a feeling as I guided my ’41 onto the Atlantic City Expressway, which connects Atlantic City with Philadelphia. She ran just as I imagined she did when new, & kept doing that with no problems for as long as we were together. This was the start of a love affair that lasted for more than 10 years & thousands of miles. I reluctantly sold my ’41 Super to make room for another Buick in 1988 but, it turned out to be everything I had hoped for, & more, & I whistled all the way home.

  How to Lock Your Car…NOT A JOKE!As I walked away I heard my car door unlock. I went back & locked my car again 3 times.

  Each time, as soon as I started to walk away, I would hear it unlock again!! Naturally alarmed, I looked around & there were 2 guys sitting in a car in the ire lane next to the store. They were obviously watching me intently, & there was no doubt they were somehow involved in the very weird situation. I quickly chucked the errand I was on, jumped in my car & sped away. I went straight to the police station, told them what had happened, & found out I was part of a new, & very successful, scheme being used to gain entry into cars. 2 weeks later, my friend’s son had a similar happening…

  While traveling, my friend’s son stopped @ a roadside rest to use the bathroom. When he came out to his car less than 45-minutes later, someone had gotten into his car & stolen his cell phone, laptop computer, GPS navigator, briefcase…..you name it. He called the police & since there were no signs of his car being broken into, the police told him he had been a victim of the latest robbery tactic—there is a device that robbers are using now to clone your security code when you lock your doors on your car using your key-chain locking device….

  They sit a distance away & watch for their next victim. They know you are going inside of the store, restaurant, or bathroom & that they now have a few minutes to steal & run. The police officer said to manually lock your car door—that way if there is someone sitting in a parking lot watching for their next victim, it will not be you.

  When you hit the lock button on your car upon exiting, it does not send the security code, but if you walk away & use the door lock on your key chain, it sends the code through the airwaves where it can be instantly stolen. This is very real. Be wisely aware of what you just read & please [ass this note on. Look how many times we all lock our doors w/ our remote just to be sure we remembered to lock them–& bingo, someone has our code…& whatever was in our car.

  CALENDAR OF EVENTSMay 2014
  3 – Hampton Mansion Car Show, Hampton National Historic Site, Towson, MD
  3 – Keyport, NJ show, www.jerseyshorebuickclub.org4 – 36th Annual GM on Display, Macungie Park, Pa. Don, 610-640-7464
  4 – 36th Annual GM on Display, Macungie Park, Pa. Don, 610-640-7464
  6 – Monthly chapter meeting, Starlite Diner & Lounge, Rts. 100/78, 7:30 p.m. Join members for supper @ 6:00 p.m. Guest speaker will be Ms. Pam Bechtel from Meals on Wheels, Allentown, Pa. Do you know of someone who may benefit from this local service?
  17 – 9th Annual Spring BOPC Show, Media, Pa.
  JUNE 2014
  1 – Franklin Township Fire Company Car Show, Lehighton, Pa
  8 – “Free Spirit” Chapter picnic, Weeping Willow Pavilion, Macungie, Pa.
  8 – 9th Annual Show, Bangor, Pa. c5showcar@yahoo.com
  20-22 – GM Nationals, Carlisle, Pa
  21 – 6th Annual Buick Show, Freysinger Buick, Mechanicsburg, Pa
  21 – 19th Annual AACA Museum Show, Hershey, Pa
  JULY 2014 (NO MONTHLY MEETING)
  19 – Turkey Hill Experience, tour master Sandy Sylvester
  23-26 – National BCA Meet, Portland, Oregon
  27 – Meadowood Regional Park Car Show, www.bcaboom.org
  CARS/PARTS “FOR SALE”
• 1937 Buick Roadmaster Phaeton (80C) – original black paint, black leather upholstery, top. 18,000 miles. Rochester, NY. $45,000.00. Bonnie 585-872- 1160, packv12bon@rochester.rr.com
• 1956 BUICK Century Riviera Series 60 – 4 dr htp. Original 322 “Nail Head” V8 Road Master engine (255hp) w/ “Dyna Flow” A/T & factory dual exhaust. PS, PB, PW & S. Sonomatic push button radio, factory deluxe lighting pkg. 72,700 original mi. Frame/body solid. Garage kept. Pics available. $15,000.00/negotiable. 570-309-2367, Robert.stavish@gmail.com
• 1960 Buick LeSabre Convertible, red color, 99% original, garaged x 28 yrs! Solid frame & floor pans. Int. intact with body in good condition. $8,000.00. Pics available upon request, mrsfink117@ptd.net.
• 1967 Buick Riviera – all original & in good shape! No rust, red paint w/ black vinyl top & interior. 93,600 mi. Garage kept. Pics available. $12,500.00, Don, 443-883-1776, dwfitzg01@comcast.net
• 1968 Buick Electra 225 Limited 4-dr Htp, Cameo Cream with black vinyl top & interior, excellent unrestored condition, 38K mi. All power, AC, 2nd asking $10,900. 610-530-1553, dwebster80@gmail.com
• 1969 Skylark Convertible – kimberly.pavlick@scranton.edu
• 1972 Buick Electra 225 – 2-dr Black, 455, ready for show. Garage kept, remote dr locks & trunk release, PW, PS, A/C. $11,000, OBO. Larry, 614- 206-4591 robinsle2000@yahoo.com. Pics available upon request.
• 1981 Buick Regal V-6 w/ A/T, A/C, new paint, excellent interior. Runs Good! Rally wheels. Asking $5,500 OBO. Tom Sylvester, 610-366-7151
• 1981 Buick Regal – 4 dr dark green in color. Garage kept in Berks County. 75,000 mi. 717-576-7588, dgetz101@hotmail.com
• 1937-38-39-40 Buick Straight 8 Engine Motor, $1500 OBO, 610-349-7760, robinbrumfield@rcn.com
• 1937 Buick Owner’s Manual, MINT condition! $40.00 610-489-1253
• 1952 Buick AM radio – John Giotti, 610-310-7512, jpgiotti@gmail.com
• 1963 LeSabre full size used hubcaps in good condition. Ed, 610-967-6053, nogasofpa@gmail.com
• 1972-79 Front Brake Rotors, Full Size Buick, new & US made with bearing races, $65.00/pair. kriebel12@verizon.net, 610-489-1253. Also, Silvertown Wide White Walls, 700×15, $100/4.
  In Search Of
• Late 1980’-Early 1990’s Buick LeSabre/Electra – In good running condition for daily driver use in local town driving, reasonably priced. Does not have to be in perfect condition. Harold, 610-826-2639.

Used it to haul children to school? 
Need to earn money to keep her running great?

Why not consider joining Avon and keep your baby in fantastic shape!

Mary Lacy, Ind. AVON Sales Rep.
639 W Tilghman St. Allentown, PA 18102
www.youravon.com/marylacy
610-820-9188