Iniezione the Newsletter of the Northwest Alfa Romeo Club
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Iniezione The newsletter of the Northwest Alfa Romeo Club Nothing Half-Fast about this Lap of Washington! This year’s tour covered a LOT of ground, quite a bit in Oregon... Having lived in on the wet side of Washington for 45 years while being the father of a WSU graduate as well as a Coug myself, I have passed the Thorp Fruit Stand off I-90 Exit 101 hundreds of times. I thought it was probably started by the Thorp family, never imagining there was a settlement called “Thorp”. Then I went on the 2017 Half Lap, as always designed and led by Fred Russell. Was I ever enlightened!! Fred and the Gehrings showed up in their new Giulias at the Eastgate starting point for the 12th NWARC Half Lap of Washington. Some eyes were diverted as Dolly and I drove up in our week-old Stelvio. After the drivers’/navigators’ meeting and introduction of newer attendees, off went twenty-one participants in eight Alfas and a couple of “less Italian” cars. First stop was in Cle Elum for a pit stop and coffee re- plenishment at the Bakery, while a few folks crossed the street to Owen’s Meats (‘Candy store for the carnivore’). Then we were off to Thorp where Fred had arranged tours of the Thorp Mill and Museum. While half of us embarked on self-guided tours around the Museum grounds, a do- cent led the other half through the multiple floors of the Mill itself. The mill was built in 1883 to grind grain from the local farms into flour. It lay dormant for Alfas at Thorp Mill - Harry Reed about forty years until the mid-1980s, when locals opened the boarded-up doors and windows and found the machinery and mill virtually intact, exactly as it had been operating decades earlier. Volun- teers have since worked diligently making this historical artifact and the adjoining ice “farm” (which provided ice for the railroad) into an attraction worthy for visitors. Then we headed east past the Petrified Gingko Forest, across the Columbia at Vantage and then south, paralleling the river along SR-243. For me, the Merril ponders mill machinery - John Schommer best part of this route was getting passed by Mike Leonetti and Deb Dicka- son in Mike’s 8C Competizione. Oh! The sweet song of that exhaust note at WOT!!! After lunch in Desert Aire, we were treated to another “Russell Discovery”, the Wanapum Heritage Center. This $17 million display was built by Grant County PUD to help compensate the small Wanapum tribe displaced by the construction of the Priest Rapids Dam, and opened just two years ago. Continuing south into Oregon, we headed east to Pend- The 8C launches for the horizon - John Schommer leton, our base for the next two nights. The Holiday Inn opened its breakfast room for us to host “happy hour” with wine and munchies pro- (continued on page 4) Inside this October 2017 issue… * Half-Fast Lap of WA .. pp 1, 4 * AROO Old Super Tour …... p 6 * Membership ….........…. p 11 * President’s Column ......... p 2 * Driving School, Festa …... p 7 * Calendar …………...……… p 12 * Oct/Nov Club Mtgs …..... p 3 * Alfa 1900 CSS Touring ….. p 8 Next club events… * Car Pros Meeting ……....... p 5 * Alfa History Snapshot ...… p 9 * Club Meeting ……………………….. October 10 * Alfas at Goodwood …....... p 5 * Alfa News, Classifieds ... p 10 * Club Meeting …..….……….……. November 14 * Driving School ……………....…. November 19 President ’s Column By Fred Russell Countering the “Amazon Effect” good people. Our neighbors to the Each month, the Northwest Alfa Romeo Club has south in Portland, at least one event and sometimes many. Every time, or SoCal, and these events require people who take time out from even the Alfisti in their schedule to plan and organize whatever we en- ARA in the Bay joyed. They make calls, research options, organize area… these are the event or promote it. Their effort is exactly the all good strong same whether you attend or not. groups. Many Additionally, there are the club officers who own across the nation tasks through the months and year keeping the club are smaller and functioning smoothly. These are often not the sexy few have been fun tasks like being the President, they are often far growing like our harder work. Keeping the website updated or gather- chapter has done ing info, creating the layout, and publishing our news- recently. letter. Tracking new members and reaching out to Then why am I fearful, if we’re growing and there say hello. Paying our bills and keeping us out of fi- are new Alfa Romeos being sold in the area? Partially nancial trouble. Keeping our events calendar current because I fear for the smaller chapters outside of our and correct. region that were once strong and now have fewer Our November club meeting will be “awards members and minimal activities. I wonder how we night” for all the volunteer efforts that have been can help them with advice or tools that may make done over the last 12 months in support of us, and of their efforts easier. It’s kind of like an “It Takes a Vil- NWARC. It’ll be a chance to say thanks to each of lage” mentality. I’m also partially concerned at how these people. Maybe we should dress up and make it many long-standing Alfisti in our area who have been like the Academy or Emmy Awards… Okay, maybe members have let their membership lapse, or never that is a bit too much. We’ll keep it casual. sign up at all. These are good people, and many of them read the newsletter each month; some partici- The fun part is that these volunteers are you, or pate in events at times, and some even contribute just like you. All are part of families, busy with re- with articles and photos from events. These Alfisti sponsibilities and balancing their interests, and we all are doing exactly what I want all members to enjoy share a passion for Alfa Romeo. It’s easy to quietly doing. Since the membership cost is less than 20 appreciate what these people do while we are busy cents per day, it isn’t the cost that prevents them with whatever we are doing. I, for one, am glad that from keeping their dues current. I think it’s conven- we have a wonderful group of people as officers, ience. event planners, and volunteers. First off, it is so easy to pay for things online that One odd fear I have is making sure NWARC pop up with reminders… we don’t get those within the doesn’t fall victim to the “AMAZON Effect”. Amazon club. Secondly, perhaps if it was billed out monthly created a wonderful tool that many of us enjoy. It at $5.25 each it would seem mindless. It isn’t. Then worked wonders to be able to relax and shop for there is the fact that events and the newsletter are books while we sat on our couch, in our underwear, completely convenient, so we get the info even if we eating pretzels and sipping wine. Great books of all forget to pay our dues. kinds were there at our fingertips. It brought us the happiness we remember from spending hours in We solve this by each of us doing our part. We bookstores browsing books (hopefully better dressed support the local store… or local chapter, in our case, than when we were on our couch), chatting to the by continuing to read our wonderful newsletter, enjoy store staff looking for recommendations on favorite our events, share words and photos, and attend the reads. It came as a bit of a shock when we did get meetings… but also volunteer to help with tasks as dressed and headed towards those bookstores to find well. You don’t want to be the newsletter editor? that most of them went out of business because we Okay, but ask Jon how you can help with mailing or didn’t shop there as much. When we want them, soliciting ads. Not a website designer? Ask Earl how since we clearly don’t need them, they are gone. you can help in other ways like following up on events Camera stores are classic for having a “brick and or classifieds to ensure they are current. Don’t want mortar” location that we go to and look at a camera to run an event? Ask how you can help with a meet- or lens, then go home and buy it online to save a few ing, or the holiday party. Heck, a volunteer may be dollars. If we don’t support our own local stores, they able to help with welcoming new members or calling a won’t be there when we want and need them. The person whose membership is expiring! irony is that AMAZON has started opening storefronts If we work together, stay active, help others con- now that they’ve chased away all the good old mom & tinue to be part of this family in NWARC, we’ll never pop stores. see the “AMAZON Effect” in our chapter. We can Is our club in jeopardy of this “AMAZON Effect” stay strong, provide the support and social side and happening? I highly doubt it. We enjoy a strong Alfa welcome new members into this family we have come Romeo chapter in the wonderful NW with plenty of to enjoy. Thank you! - Fred Russell NWARC October 2017 newsletter page 2 October 10 - NWARC Club Meeting Board Members On October 10th we gather President Fred Russell at Wild About Cars Garage in (425) 308-6621 Kirkland for our monthly meet- [email protected] ing.