Director’s Thoughts, JUNE, 2018

Summer weather is finally here!! Everything has just been coming more & more alive & green!! Have you been to a show lately w/ you BUICK? Well, if you haven’t, you still have most of the summer to attend one, for before you know it, guess what? The cooler weather will be upon us.

Will you be attending DAF in August this year? If you are, will you be attending club day on Sunday, August 5, 2018? I will need 4 volunteers to help park the Buicks as they filter in in the show field that Sunday. If we DO NOT have volunteers to park, we WILL LOSE our shady area next year. For those of you who helped park BUICKS last year, you know the Cadillacs or Olds mobiles lost their spot for this year, therefore, will be out in the hot steaming sun up on the ball field this year. So, again, I need 4 volunteers to start off that early morning to park BUICKS!! I know some of you guys do help park when you get there, but I need 4 volunteers to be there very early, 7:30-8:00AM. Please let me know, 610-377-6130/484-464-3418 BEFORE August 1st! “THANK YOU” in advance!

Can you believe it? It’s only 3 month away from the NE PA ALL BUICK REGIONAL to be held in Lehighton, PA!! Did you register your BUICK(s)? If you did, “THANK YOU”. If you haven’t, get your registration in today! As of now, we have 13 registrations. As the time gets closer to the end date to register, I am certain, & very positive, that we will make our goal of registrations!! Thus far, the planning of things is going smooth. Of course, there are little items that cannot be taken care of till closer to the date, but overall, things are running well. As w/ the request of needing volunteers for club day during DAF on August 5th, we will need volunteers to help out in many ways to host the Regional. Saturday, September 22, 2018 will be the biggest & busiest day, but Thursday, September 20th & Friday, September 21st will need volunteers to help along the way. Women will be asked to bake & bring their favorite desserts & or finger foods for the Hospitality area. Let everyone enjoy your GREAT baking items that are SCRUMCHIOUS!!

The last thought I’d like to share, is to wish all you FATHER’s a most relaxing, unstressed, do as you please FATHER’s DAY! It is YOUR day. You do as you see fit!! ENJOY!!

Your elected Director, Sally Getz

“Free Spirit” Chapter Meeting Minutes, May 3, 2018

Meeting called to order @ 7:30 pm by Director Sally Getz. All were “Welcomed” to the meeting. 13 members in attendance.

Motion to accept April meeting minutes as printed in the May newsletter, Dolores Kennedy, seconded by Isabel Lenny, so carried.

Treasurer’s report – April report given by Sally Getz, motion to accept Dan Atwood, seconded by Alice Schaffer, so carried.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:
A. Historian – no report
B. Kempton – Kempton flyers available for members to hand out.
C. Membership – renewal dues, $12.00, are due by June 30, 2018. Dolores collected $1.
D. Newsletter –
E. Programs – an appraiser will be a guest speaker during a chapter meeting when we return back from the summer break. Be sure to keep abreast of the date in your monthly newsletter.
F. Publicity – Kempton show has been placed on internet web sites
G. Technical – no report
H. Ways and Means – Sally has received numerous items from a member for the chapter to sell.
I. OLD BUSINESS: Sally has received 12 BUICK REGIONAL Registrations thus far!! Officers/BOD’s were invited to physically the site of the upcoming NE PA REGIONAL MEET, Phifer’s Ice Dams, Lehighton, Pa on April 22nd.
Reminded everyone about the chapter picnic, June 3rd , @ Macungie Memorial Park.
II. NEW BUSINESS: REMEMBER, LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS to help park BUICKS on Sunday, August 5th, during /DAF 2018. If we DO NOT HAVE volunteers, we MAY LOSE the nice shaded area. PLEASE contact, Sally, 610-377-6130, 484-464-3418 before July 30th!

Watch future newsletters for day tours coming up!

The treasury books were audited on April 22nd by Don Atwood, Dolores Kennedy, Shirley Schaffer, all was in good standing!

Motion to adjourn, Isabel Lenny, seconded Shirley Schaffer, so carried @ 8:20 pm.

Respectfully submitted, Don Atwood, Secretary

Chapter Badges

Please remember to wear your chapter badge that has your name on it. Wearing it to the monthly chapter meetings is a must, or you will owe $1.00 to Dolores Kennedy. Also, please wear it to the periodic chapter events, thus everyone can get to meet/greet you if you are a new member. If you do not have a badge w/ your name on it, please contact Dolores Kennedy & she’ll be more than happy to see you receive a badge!

Annual Chapter Picnic, Sunday, June 3, 2018

This year the Chapter picnic will be held under the Weeping Willow Pavilion, Macungie Borough Park, Macungie, PA. While the chapter provides the meats, drinks, utensils & paper products, the membership is asked to bring their favorite food selections they are most proud of according to the table following:
Last names starting with”

• A-I = hot selection
• J-R = dessert selection
• S-Z = cold selection

Bring your favorite “comfy” chair & your BUICK stories to share w/ others. What better way to spend a Sunday none other than w/ other fellow friends & members! Back by POPULAR demand = BUICK BINGO!! Don’t forget to bring your quarters to play! If you do not play, you may miss out on some GREAT prizes!

So come on out & enjoy the fun-filled day that is being planned for you @ the “Free Spirit” chapter picnic,

Weeping Willow Pavilion, Macungie, Pa.

REMEMBER YOUR CHAPTER BADGE!!!!

Sally Getz

June 3, 2018 is National Cancer Survivor Day

Observed annually on the first Sunday in June, National Cancer Survivor’s Day has been set aside to “demonstrate that life after a cancer diagnosis can be a reality.” Each year on National Cancer Survivor’s Day, events and celebrations are held and hosted around the United States by local communities, hospitals and support groups honoring cancer survivors. Events may include parades, carnivals, art exhibits, contests and testimonies. President George W. Bush and the National Cancer Institute director each included a commencement at the 2008 celebration. More information on National Cancer Survivor’s Day can be found on their official website.

HISTORY

National Cancer Survivor’s Day was first announced by Merril Hastings during the second national conference meeting of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivor-ship in Albuquerque, New Mexico on November 20, 1987. Hastings then filed the name as an International Class 042 Service and also registered it with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in the name of Pulse Publications. The first National Cancer Survivor’s Day was held on June 5, 1988. There are over 1,500 national days. Don’t miss a single one. Celebrate Every Day with National Day Calendar!

Do YOU know of a Cancer Survivor? Call/text/write/sing to them today. Let them know they are a TRUE SURVIVOR!!

CHAPTER RENEWAL DUES

During the picnic, Dolores Kennedy, membership chairwoman, will be more than happy to accept your chapter renewal dues. They are still held @ only $12.00 for a year. Be sure to see Dolores, or mail your renewal DUES ASAP. Please see the renewal form in this newsletter.

CLASSICS & CRUISERS ON HAMILTON COMING JULY 21

Car enthusiasts should mark Saturday, July 21 on their calendars! That’s when classic cars will be making a return to Downtown Allentown. At a late morning news conference at PPL Center today Mayor Ed Pawlowski, flanked by a 2003 Thunderbird, a 2002 35th Anniversary Limited Edition Camaro, a 2012 Lamborgini Performante’ and a 1962 Mercedes 190 SL, announced that during the July event, Hamilton Street will be closed from 6th Street to 9th Street, and lined with classic and muscle cars of many makes, models, and time periods.

Organized by the City of Allentown Department of Parks & Recreation, Allentown Police, America On Wheels Museum, Friends of the Allentown Parks and the Allentown Chamber of Commerce, “Classics & Cruisers on Hamilton” will re-live the days when Hamilton Street in Allentown was the hub of gathering to park and show off your vehicle.

The car show will directly benefit two Allentown-based non-profits: America On Wheels Museum and Friends of the Allentown Parks.

“America On Wheels Museum is fueling up with excitement to be a part of the team that brings cruising to Allentown. We take great pride in entertaining and educating the public on the unique vehicles that will attend this event,” says Linda Merkel, Executive Director of America On Wheels Museum. “We couldn’t think of a better place than downtown Allentown, Hamilton Street, with many wonderful restaurants.”

“This is an exciting event which showcases the rejuvenation of Allentown’s downtown area, bringing tourists to our many fine restaurants and, of course, to relax and enjoy Allentown’s wonderful parks,” stated Karen El-Chaar, Executive Director with Friends of the Allentown Parks.

Registration opened today for the 2018 show, both online https://fotap.wordpress.com/2016-great-events/classics-cruisers-on-hamilton/ and at America On Wheels Museum. The cost is $20.00 per vehicle in advance, and $25.00 per vehicle after July 15, 2018.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Interested businesses or organizations should contact James.Stanko@allentownpa.gov or Christy.Alvord@allentownpa.gov or call 610-437-7757.

Northeast PA All Buick Regional, September 20-22, 2018, Lehighton, Pa

WOW! Can you believe we are in 2108 already? It just seems like yesterday we just got started in 2017!! The time is going by quickly, don’t you agree? This means it is now, only 3 months away from the 2018 NE PA ALL BUICK REGIONAL!! Can you believe it? I am so excited of being a part of this Buick chapter in hosting such an event. For you, the members, is what makes this chapter the GREATEST!!

Buick Will Cease Using ‘Buick’ Badge on Vehicles From 2019

GM Authority recognized that the recently unveiled 2019 Buick Envision is missing something: a “Buick” badge on the left side of the tailgate. Every other vehicle the carmaker sells features that script, but not the new mid-sized crossover. When the site asked about the omission, “representatives recently told GM Authority that Buick will stop using the brand badge on the rear of its vehicles, starting with the 2019 model year.” The only identifiers that will remain are the three-color Tri Shield logo and the model nameplate, i.e., “Envision” or “Regal.”

It’s a bold game for a mass-market major automaker, though Audi, Hyundai and Volkswagen follow the same trend. Even Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Aston Martin affix their brand names to their vehicles within company icons or on brake calipers, albeit in small fonts. The coming Continental will wear the word “Bentley” across its trunk, silverware the present Continental does without. Porsche allows customers to delete model designations, but it must be requested. At the other end of the spectrum, the Ford Mustang Bullitt wears zero badges, but the Bullitt is a special edition of a well known model that otherwise advertises its provenance everywhere.

Buick plays in hard-fought segments where mass appeal overrules instantly-identifiable design daring. Those kinds of carmakers usually want to take every opportunity to advertise every sale. Remember the last Buick to go without a make badge? The terrifically handsome Buick Avista concept that wore only two Tri Shield logos and its model name on the decklid. Perhaps that gave Buick some ideas. If the carmaker plans to start putting out cars like the Avista, then this move makes perfect sense.

Self-driving Vehicle Involved in Pedestrian Death

A fatal pedestrian crash involving a self-driving Uber SUV in a Phoenix suburb could have far reaching consequences for the new technology as automakers & other companies race to be the 1st w/ cars that operate on their own. The crash was the 1st death involving a full autonomous test vehicle.

The Volvo was in self-driving mode w/ a human back-up driver @ the wheel when it struck the 49-year-old female as she was walking a bicycle outside the lines of a crosswalk. Uber immediately suspended all road-testing of such autos in the Phoenix area, Pittsburgh, San Francisco & Toronto. The ride-sharing company has been testing self-driving vehicles for months as it competes w/ other technology companies & automakers like Ford & General Motors.

Though many in the industries had been dreading a fatal crash they knew it was inevitable.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which makes recommendations for preventing crashes, & the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which can enact regulations, sent investigators. Uber CEO expressed condolences & is fully cooperating w/ the investigators. The public’s image of the vehicles will be defined by stories like the crash. It may turn out that there was nothing either the vehicle or its human backup could have done to avoid the crash. Either way, the fatality could hurt the technology’s image & lead to a push for more regulations @ the state & federal levels.

Calendar of Events

JUNE 2018 “HAPPY FATHER’s DAY, DAD!”
2 – MBT Bus Spring Fling, AACA Museum, Hershey, Pa
3 – Annual Chapter picnic, Weeping Willow Pavilion
8-10 – Elegance @ Hershey Weekend, AACA Museum Hershey, Pa
15 – 39th Annual Antique Truck Show, Macungie, Pa
16 – 23rd Annual AACA Museum, INC. Community Car Show & Market
19-23 – Buick National Meet, Denver, Colorado
29 – 30 – Pypes & Exhaust & Max Performance Car Show, Hatfield, Pa
30 – Buick Car Show, AACA Museum, Hershey, Pa

JULY 2018 “HAPPY 4th of JULY”
1 – Anthracite Region AACA, 33rd Annual Car Show
21 – Allentown Classics & Cruisers Day, Hamilton St., Allentown, Pa
31-August 4 – National Oldsmobile Meet, Gettysburg, PA

AUGUST 2018 “HAPPY SUMMER”
3-5 – DAF, Macungie, Pa

CARS/PARTS “FOR SALE”

1962 Buick Skylark Conv. Overall GOOD condition. Various NOS chrome installed. Runs/drives nice! Transmission, rear, top & rear window good. Dave’s Int. restorations, 525 Chestnut St., Emmaus, Pa 18049

1965 Buick Electra 225 4 dr, hardtop, Black. 62,634 original miles. 425 engine. Aluminum valve covers, chromed air cleaner. NO AIR! Vacuum trunk release, PS, PW, PB, power seat & antenna. AM/FM radio. Chrome wheels, remote mirror. UNRESTORED, ALL ORIGINAL CAR! Trim code 642. Garage kept! $8,000.00. 610-377-6130.

1967 Buick Special Deluxe Sport Coupe 2 dr, 300 2-barrel. Spruce Green exterior w/ vinyl top, black interior. 68,305 original miles. Power steering, manual brakes. RH mirror, AM/FM radio. Spinner wire wheel covers.

UNRESTORED, ALL ORIGINAL car!! Garage kept! Runs good! $8,500.00. 610-377-6130
1972 Chevrolet Caprice 2 dr coupe, Brown. 75,800 original miles. Garage kept!! AM/FM radio, Comfortron, Alloy Wheels w/ locking lugs. UNRESTORED, ALL ORIGINAL CAR!! Garage kept! Needs brake work. $4,000.00. 610-377-6130

1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible 2 dr 350 V-8. Bronze exterior w/ Saddle Brown leather interior. Garage kept! $25,000.00. 610-377-6130

1974 Buick LeSabre Deluxe Maroon/maroon Covertible, 61,000 miles, garage kept, $14,500.00, Nick Meritus @ 610-692-7777

1976 Chevrolet Impala 2 dr. Green w/ tan Landau top w/ tan leather interior. 92,092 original miles. UNRESTORED, ALL ORIGINAL CAR!! Runs GREAT! Garage kept. $4,000.00. 610-377-6130

1991 Chevy Suburban, 2500, Big block, 454 engine, 111.530 original miles. Turbo 400 transmission. Black w/ gray interior, 3rd seat, AC (front/rear), AM/FM radio, tow package, cassette player, power door locks/windows, vent shades, tailgate window, in GREAT condition. Garage kept! Very powerful! $10,000.00, 610-377-6130

In Search Of

1948 Buick Special 2 door back chrome. Doug @ 570-573-0948.
1967 Buick Electra Conv. 610-730-4599, dwebster80@gmail.com