SMOKE SIGNALS the Official Publication of the ANKOKAS, NJ Region AACA

SMOKE SIGNALS The Official Publication of the ANKOKAS, NJ Region AACA

March/April 2019 Volume 56, Issue 2 In This Issue:

AACA National Headquarters and America’s Automotive Library Solar Cars It Caught My Eye The Car is the Star Hero Cats Roadside Ramblings Carl Villone at the AACA display at the Philly Auto Show. Photo by D. Antinucci. In This Month’s Issue:

Looking Down the Road...... 1 News...... 2 Meeting Minutes...... 3 Solar Cars...... 4 It Caught My Eye...... 5 Car is the Star...... 7 Rummage Box...... 8 The groundhog Ankokas Calendar..... 9 says we are going to have an The cost is AACA Calendar...... 9 early spring and I guess we Fun Holidays...... 9 $35 for member 10 will see how that works out for Hero Cats...... and $35 for a guest. The Roadside the car enthusiast as an early 12 Hankins Award will be presented at Ramblings...... spring would be nice. The AACA Puzzle...... 15 this luncheon. Letter from annual meeting was held in We are always looking for the Editors...... 16 Philadelphia and unfortunately Marketplace...... 17 speakers for our monthly meetings. I was unable to attend due to If anyone knows of someone let prior commitments. However, I us know and we will see if we can did hear that Steven and Diana set something up for one of the should be congratulated once meetings. Does anyone have a car again for receiving the Master story about a project that they are Awards for their work on the working on and would like to talk web site and Smoke Signals. about at our meeting? Let us know So just wanted to say thank you as we would like to hear all about it. This newsletter is and congratulations for all you The next meeting will be held on a publication of the do for the club. Ankokas Region of the March 14th, 2019 at Antique Automobile Club We will be celebrating the the Haddonfield of America, located in 55th Annual Ankokas Charter southern New Jersey. Borough Hall. Material may be Luncheon on Sunday, March reproduced only if credit Hope to see you 24th, 2019 at 1pm. The is given to the source then. and we are asked for luncheon will take place at permission to reproduce President the Merchantville Country the material. Joe Dougherty If you have material Club, 501 Chapel Avenue that you would like to contribute or you have West, Cherry Hill, NJ. comments or ideas about the newsletter, please Your invitation contact the editor, Diana, to the Charter at newsletter@ankokas. com. Luncheon will be in the mail shortly and your response is requested by March 15th, 2019.

President Joe Dougherty. Photo by D. Antinucci. SMOKE SIGNALS Page 2

ghgh News & Events ghgh AACA National Headquarters and America’s Automotive Library

article by Diana Antinucci The plan is for the first floor to house several vehicle The AACA will be moving into a much-needed new displays, trophies, historical artifacts, office space and a gift building soon. Why much-needed you ask? The library today shop. The second floor will house the library and offer clean houses over 2,000,000 historical documents, including nine fire suppression, HVAC control, research space and a media collections from other car clubs, with new donations and room. See Rummage Box on page eight for more information collections coming in regularly. They will be receiving several about the new building and the capital campaign. P large collections in the future and the library is out of space. Also, headquarters for the national staff is cramped. The current building, originally the living quarters for Milton Hershey students, was never meant to serve as office space. It is also close to 100 years old and is in need of costly repair. The current location has only 13 parking spaces, no loading dock, no elevator and is not handicapped accessible. Why the chosen location? There is very little suitable open land for sale for new construction. The new building has 187 parking spaces, is located on six acres, is 35,000 square feet, has an elevator and loading dock and is located on a major highway next to Hershey Park, offering great visibility to the 10-12 million people that will pass by each year.

Architectural renderings of the new building. Provided by and used with permission from Steve Moskowitz, CEO AACA. SMOKE SIGNALS Page 3 gh February Meeting Minutes gh Meeting called to order by President Joe show or events relative to Ankokas be sent Dougherty. No new members present or directly to him at webmaster@ankokas. guests. com. Minutes were read by Bob Petters, sitting One more thing: Diana received the in for Steven (on vacation) for this meeting. AACA Master Editor award for her work Minutes accepted as read with no questions. on Smoke Signals in 2018. This was her Treasurer’s report given by Jeff. No 3rd year as editor and 2nd consecutive questions. Master award. Steven received the AACA Our Holiday party this year will be on Master Webmaster award for 12/8/2019 at the Madison our Ankokas.com website again. Tom McLarney for 2018. This was his 4th reported that the prices year as webmaster and 3rd have gone up a bit and consecutive Master award. the cost to members for Our annual Youth the dinner will be $42 and Scholarship award was Ankokas will pick up the discussed along with the balance of 26%. AACA building fund drive. It Bob Petters announced was decided to give $250 our Haddonfield show date to each for this year. The will be September 14th scholarship donation is and we are awaiting final in memory of Ankokas approval of that date from the members who died this Haddonfield boro officials. past year. They were Bob also provided Allan Vogelson and Mike Cooper. information from both Steven & Our charter luncheon is being set up by Diana for membership and Smoke Signals Joe & Nancy Dougherty and will be at the and our web site in their abstentia. We have Merchantville Country Club on March 24th. 5 members as of now who have not renewed Registration forms were passed out at the and we assume they are not going to renew. meeting and others will be mailed out. We currently have 52 active members and Tom Amendola bought another car, a 4 “friends” of Ankokas who do not have 1964 Plymouth sport fury convertible, to an AACA number. An official roster will be add to his museum. submitted in another week. Meeting adjourned at 8:17 PM to enjoy Diana again made her request for articles DD. (this time no cookies). for sale and or wanted and stories for the Smoke Signals which need to be to her Submitted by Bob Petters, acting Secretary before February 20 for the March/April issue. for Steven Soppe Steven requests any submissions of car SMOKE SIGNALS Page 4 Solar Cars: Driving on Sunshine article by Diana Antinucci Hyundai and Kia both plan on putting solar Katrina and the Waves might have been walking on panels on the roofs of some of their cars, sunshine, but what if you could drive on it? If electric sometime “after 2019”. These panels will be able cars seem like science fiction to you, buckle up because to charge 30-60% of a hybrid’s battery per day, while electric cars are already here, solar powered cars depending on weather and environmental factors. are in the very near future. German manufacturer Sono Motors is offering Solar power has been the hope of producers of the Sion, a fully electric vehicle with electric cars for years. It solar cells that can charge through would solve one of their solar power or through conventional biggest problems: the outlets. Charging it just through lack of charging stations. solar power will take about half the With solar power, it day, but in an eight hour shift, it would be unnecessary should have plenty of juice to drive to plug in. And getting people to adopt electric you back home from work. It can cars is becoming crucial. also be quick-charged electrically The Netherlands, to 80% in 40 minutes. A full “tank” Germany and India plan will give you a range of 250 miles. to go all electric from And even with an empty battery, it 2030 onward and the UK will travel up to eighteen miles just and France plan a fossil Tokai Challenger, winner of the 2009 Global Green Challenge. on solar energy stored in the 300 Photo by Hideki Kimura and used under the Creative Commons solar panels. The Sion will also offer fuel ban starting in 2040. Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Even China is looking “goSono”, an app that at banning fossil fuels. will allow bi-directional Solar powered electric cars charging that will let are the wave of the future, but your car power external until recently they were thought devices. And you can get to be not only impractical, but it in any color you want, impossible. as long as it’s black. Not anymore. Solar car racing Lightyear, a Dutch has been around for years, with company, recent winner the first race in 1985. These of the Climate Change cars are hardly your daily driver, Innovator Award, has the though. They are designed Lightyear One, a fully for solar panel placement and solar powered vehicle. aerodynamics, making them Theoretically, it can low to the ground and kind of drive forever without pancake or missile shaped. electrical charging and a That changed in December Sono Sion. Photo by S3412 and used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. fully charged battery has a 2018. The University of New South range of 250-500 miles. The Wales created a fully solar car that Lightyear One also has bi-directional charging. crossed the continent of Australia in just six days, using The Sono Sion will be on the market the last half about the same amount of energy as a four-slice toaster. Not only does this car look like a conventional four-door, of 2019 for about $18,800 and there are already it has a front and rear trunk, interactive screen controls, over 6,500 preordered. The Lightyear One is also parking sensors, back-up camera and a maximum due out in 2019, but will cost significantly more at speed of 87 mph. This car is not commercially available, $140,000. P but there are cars that will be… this year. SMOKE SIGNALS Page 5 ghgh It Caught My Eye ghgh article by Diana Antinucci GmbH Regensburg (FMR) to manufacture cars, including Mention the name Messerschmitt and anyone with the KR200, which started production in 1955, replacing knowledge of military history will think about fighter the KR175. The KR200 had a 191cc, two-stroke, fan- planes. Then there’s the other group of people: the car cooled engine with 10hp. It used the same frame as people. And if you say “Messerschmitt”, they think of an the KR175, but there were changes to the body, most odd three-wheel car that you don’t see too often. I know noticeably the front fenders now had cut-outs for the I certainly do after wheels. Underneath, the rear suspension one caught my eye in was redone and hydraulic shock absorbers Haddonfield. were now found at all three wheels. Entry to Messerschmitt was the car was gained by a plexiglass bubble founded in 1938 and canopy that was hinged on the side. Its low produced some of center of gravity and steering mechanism the iconic German that was attached directly to the front fighter planes of wheels gave it good handling and response. WWII, including the There were not a lot of options available first jet fighter, the Me for the KR200. There was an “export” 262. After Germany package that got customers two-tone paint, was defeated, painted hubcaps, upgraded interior, heater, Messerschmitt clock and canopy sunshade. In 1957, was banned from the KR200 Kabrio was made with a cloth making planes, convertible top. There was also a KR201 so they turned to Messerschmitt KR200 in Haddonfield. Roadster that lacked window frames, had manufacturing several Photo by D. Antinucci. a folding cloth top, windscreen and removable other things, including side curtains. The Sport Roadster had no top, sewing machines, prefab no windows and a fixed houses and, starting in 1953, small, canopy, so that the three-wheel cars. driver climbed in and Fritz Fend had been making three- out through the top of wheel carriages for invalids that had the car. Another German an option for a motor. Fend came to company modified the Messerschmitt with the idea that if the KR200 and produced carriage was scaled up a bit, it could the FMR Tg500 with a be produced as a car. Although the 494cc engine. Only 320 Messerschmitt name would go on the of these were made. car, a new company, Regensburger Perhaps the rarest of all Stahl und Metallbau GmbH, would Messerschmitts are the manufacture and sell the car. factory-converted Service The first car produced was the Cars that could be used Kabinenroller (cabin scooter) 175, or by service shops to KR175. The front wheels were powered Messerschmitt KR175. Photo by Mytho88 and used under the transport customer cars by a 175cc, 9.5hp, single-cylinder Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. to and from their garage. two-stroke engine that had a pull start. Only about 12 were ever An electric starter was optional. The KR175 had a made and there is only one known to still exist. suspension of rubber units held in tension and had drum One large change to the KR200 from the KR175 was brakes. Steering was done by handlebar rather than the addition of a reverse gear. Previously, to reverse steering wheel. While the car seated two, the passenger a KR175, you got out and pushed. Reverse was sat behind the driver. Over 10,000 were sold between achieved through two sets of contact breaker points. 1953 and 1955. To reverse, you stopped the engine and restarted In 1956, West Germany joined NATO and by pushing the ignition further in than normal. This Messerschmitt was again allowed to produce aircraft. did lead to some unintentional reverse driving. Messerschmitt sold Regensburg to Fend, who partnered Another improvement was an electric windshield with Valentin Knot to form Fahrzeug und Maschinenbau wiper, which had been manual on the KR175. The

continued on page 6 SMOKE SIGNALS Page 6 It Caught My Eye continued from page 5 lightweight car can easily skid. Steering should be free company claimed the 385 pound car could reach of play. Make sure the tires are correct. They are often speeds of 65mph with gas mileage of 87mpg. The replaced with unsuitable tires. The KR175 should have improvements to the design and its impressive gas tires with a 102mm width, eight inch rim size and a total mileage made the car and others like it fairly popular, wheel diameter of 16 inches. The KR200 should have coming at the beginning of the Suez Crisis. tires with a 112mm width, eight inch rim size and 15.9 Retailing for about $1,724 (about $16,000 today), the inch overall diameter. The ledge on the bulkhead that KR200 proved incredibly popular and sold almost 12,000 supports the brake servo should be examined for rust. in its first year and 40,000 overall. Sadly, as the Suez The interior is very simple, consisting of rubber floor Crisis faded, the very popular MINI was introduced and mats and vinyl seats (unless the German economy you’ve found the “Export” boomed, the popularity of option). Look for water damage, the KR200 waned. Starting but refitting an interior should in 1962, production not be too expensive. Make dropped sharply and sure the horn works as these ceased in 1964. can sometimes seize. Also If you’re thinking about make sure the car starts easily, owning a Messerschmitt, a Dynastart unit can be hard Autocar’s test drive from to find. A wealth of information January 11, 1957 may be and parts can be found at helpful. The reviewer said http://www.schmittparts.com. that the back seat had Expect to pay between room for “a small wife and $40,000 to $50,000 or more child, or a large wife and for a KR200, even more for a shopping basket”. They a KR175 and expect a long were happy with drive search. Not many are available, at 40mph. The KR200 especially in the US and you covered the quarter-mile in Messerschmitt KR200 Kabrio. Photo by Oxyman and used under may have to travel to find yours. the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. 29.7 seconds and went from Happy hunting! 0-30mph in 10.7 seconds, taking 20 seconds to reach 40mph. They remarked that the steering “needs some getting used to”. At speed, a small movement of the control could result in a sharp swerve, but at higher or lower speeds more pressure on the control was required. The reviewer also suggested that “a small mast with pennant might be fitted to mark one’s position in traffic.” There was a concern about being seen by other cars. As always, rust is an issue, particularly the floors. Lift the mats and check for rust, especially the front left corner. The body is made from four panels, floor ($286), two sides ($145) and the fire wall ($140) and these are available for purchase if you can do some welding. Damage to the canopy can be more costly, over $1,000 just for the plexiglass, plus shipping, probably from the UK, and they are tricky to fit. On a test drive, check for a gearbox that slips out of gear, checking all four gears. Expect some blue smoke, but a lot of it is a problem. Check that the aluminum engine casing is intact and not damaged as it is essential to cooling the engine. Check the rubber suspension and check the brakes, but avoid hard braking where possible because the Instrument panel and controls of a Messerschmitt KR201 Roadster. Photo by Noebu and used under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. SMOKE SIGNALS Page 7

A series about cars from movies and The Car is The Star television

“Without a real car, I’m only half a man.” article by Diana Antinucci

On March 13th, Herbie the Love Bug will celebrate Other cars had to modified for shots where it appeared its 50th anniversary. Its appeal was so widespread that Herbie was driving himself. This was achieved by that it made over $50 million at the box office and a system of sprockets and pulleys that connected to a was a movie both my grandmother and I loved. steering column under the front seat for a driver in the The cars used for The Love Bug had their badging rear of the car. These cars also required a second set of removed to prevent any pedals, clutch cables and a trademark issues. That shifter extension. The position movie proved to be of the rear driver was high astonishingly successful. At enough to allow him to see the time, Volkswagen Beetle out of the front windshield, but sales were slumping, so low enough to not be seen in Volkswagen endorsed the the shot. In later films, there films that followed and the was a hood-mounted fog light badging was reinstated upon that hid a camera that allowed Volkswagen’s request on the the rear driver to see where he Love Bug in later films. Bill was driving. Walsh, the film’s producer, The interior of the car was chose the red, white and blue a matte gray to help avoid paint scheme for the colors reflections from the movie of the American flag and the lights. The paint scheme number 53 because it was for the cars used in the first the jersey number of Los movie differed from the paint Angeles Dodgers player Don used in following films in that Drysdale. The Beetles from the stripes don’t cover the the first film were all modified valances or louvers and the 1963 Volkswagen Type 1 blue is a lighter shade. The (the official designation of color of the running boards what we know as Beetles) match the car’s paint, while in later films, the running boards with Deluxe Sunroof. At are black. Even within this least one of these cars had a same movie, there are small Porsche 356 Super 90 engine differences in the cars. When and some others had a racing, Herbie is fitted with modified Transporter engine A line-up of replica Herbies at Stanford Hall wider wheels than in non-racing scenes. (with large-bore cylinders, dual-port in England. Photo by Black Kite and used under the Creative Commons Attribution- Beginning with Herbie Rides Again in heads and dual carbs). These cars Share Alike 3.0 Unported license 1974, the blue paint was a dark shade with Porsche or Transporter engines and the stripes covered the valances also had Porsche brakes, upgraded shocks, EMPI and lovers of the car. The previously mentioned camber compensators and full racing roll cage and fog light was installed and the running boards were could do about 118 mph. Cars in later films often standard black. had a 1835cc Volkswagen engine with two-barrel In Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977), Herbie has carb, heavy-duty valve springs, external oil cooler, wide racing wheels and a silver external fuel filler cap. additional shocks and deep sump. The fog light now had a black cover and the interior continued on page 8 SMOKE SIGNALS Page 8 The Car is the Star continued from page 7 In Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005), computer graphics of the car had gray bucket seats with high backs allowed Herbie to show emotions and the car went to allow for a screen for the rear driver to view the through several changes from scene to scene within road. In total, nine cars were used for this film and the film. many were reused for the following film. Monte Carlo More than 100 cars were used in the films, parades, stickers were also added. ice shows and promotions, with about 50 still surviving. In Herbie Goes Bananas (1980), the fog light, roll Those not with us today were destroyed in stunts or bar cage, racing stickers from Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo and the silver gas cap were all excised. The car may still be around, but were sold and are living out used to walk the plank was never recovered. It still lies their days as unassuming Beetles. The 1968 film used somewhere between La Paz and Baja, California. Some eleven cars, four of which survive today. Herbie #10 of the cars used in this movie were recycled for use in was a stunt car which suffered serious damage during the 1982 TV series. filming, but was restored by its owner. This car was In Herbie The Love Bug (1977), the graphics used on on display at the AACA museum. The car appeared the car came from a 1974 Volkswagen decal kit and the in a junk heap in Herbie Rides Again and was sold by 53 decal is slightly higher on the car. The racing stripes the studio in the 1970s. The car was sold in 2016 to a are different sizes than in previous films and the blue private owner for $85,000. Herbie #2 resides at Terry’s has reverted to the paler shade. The sunroof is white Beetle Service in London and is powered by a Porsche (where it was gray in previous films) and the stripes do 356 engine and featured greatly in the 1968 film, Herbie not cover it. A stock interior was also used in the car #6 resides in Pennsylvania and was one of the rear and would also be used in the following film, along with driver cars in and Herbie #9 is in Swigart’s Antique chrome parts that received a dull coating to prevent Auto Museum in Huntington, PA. glare. The car was refitted with standard Beetle wheels. P ghgh From the AACA Rummage Box ghgh AACA Capital Campaign The AACA Board of Directors has entered into article by Tom Cox, Vice President - Public Relations an agreement to purchase the property owned by Since its founding 83 years ago, the Antique Automobile Pennsylvania American Water, which fronts Hershey Park Club of America (AACA) has served as the bedrock upon Drive and is contiguous with the Hershey Fall National which the antique vehicle hobby is built. We have outgrown show field. The building will support all aspects of the our present facilities. Our headquarters and library must event. It contains a two-story 32,000-square-foot office expand and modernize if we are to maintain our leadership building served by 187 parking spaces, a generously into the future. Our current library and headquarters building, sized loading dock, and an accessory six-car garage. is nearly 100 years old. An evaluation by building The existing building is in excellent condition and professionals determined it cannot be feasibly or because of its robust original design and current economically upgraded to meet our needs. systems, re-purposing will cost less than new Apart from supporting our nearly 400 Regions and construction. It will provide the space necessary for Chapters, National Meets and Tours, and supporting AACA to service the automobile hobby worldwide Antique Automobile magazine, AACA hosts more well into the foreseeable future. than 80 online forums supporting other car clubs On behalf of the AACA Board of Directors, our and vehicle brands. Our library curates more than Capital Campaign Committee, and the hundreds of two million historical documents of its own, and thousands who utilize AACA’s essential resources, nine significantly sized collections owned by I am asking for your financial support of AACA’s other major clubs and associations. It has Tom Cox. Vice-President, Public Relations new headquarters through donations. With become the leading support center for historical your support, we will succeed. It has been vehicle information, and its responsibilities to our members heartwarming to experience the tremendous support for and the hobby increase daily. Many recently donated literature this project thus far, but we still have a long way to go to collections will soon be arriving, including the one highly reach the finish line. Please consider making a donation of significant collection—to be soon announced—that will rock cash, securities, or saleable vehicles. The time is now to the automotive community. Our responsibility to step-up and step-up to secure the future of our hobby, and to give back continue our leadership is essential to the survival of all that to the club that has given so much to all of us. Time is of we value within the hobby we enjoy so much. We have no the essence, and we look forward to hearing from you. choice but to meet this challenge. P SMOKE SIGNALS Page 9 ghghgh Ankokas Events 2019 ghghgh March 14: 7:30PM: Ankokas regular monthly meeting on the May 9: 7:30PM: Ankokas regular monthly meeting Go to second floor of the Haddonfield Municipal Building, 242 Kings http://www.ankokas.com/calendar.cfm for more event Highway East, Haddonfield. listings. March 24: 1PM-5PM: 55th Annual Ankokas Charter Luncheon. Merchantville Country Club, 501 Chapel Ave. West, Cherry Hill, NJ. See ad on page 11. ghghgh AACA Calendar 2019 ghghgh April 4-7: AACA Southeastern Spring Meet. Hosted by June 26-29: Eastern Spring National Meet. Hosted by the Hornet’s Nest Region. Charlotte, NC. the New Jersey Region. Parsippany, NJ. May 30-June 1: AACA Annual Grand National. Auburn, Oct. 9-12: AACA Eastern Fall National. Hershey, PA. IN. Call 717-534-1910 for more info. Go to www.aaca.org/Calender/aaca_calendar.html for more information and listings.

ghgh Fun Holidays to Celebrate in March & April ghgh March 2: Dr. Suess’s Birthday April 1: International Fun at Work Day March 3: World Wildlife Day April 2: Children’s Book Day March 4: National Grammar Day April 4: School Librarian Day March 10: National Pack Your Lunch Day April 7: No Housework Day March 12: Alfred Hitchcock Day April 8: Zoo Lovers’ Day March 13: National K9 Veterans’ Day April 10: Golfers’ Day March 19: Let’s Laugh Day April 11: Eight-Track Tape Day March 20: World Storytelling Day April 12: Walk on Your Wild Side Day March 21: World Peotry Day April 16: National Librarian Day March 22: National Goof Off Day April 17: Bat Appreciation Day March 23: National Puppy Day April 20: Husband Appreciation Day March 25: Tolkien Reading Day April 21: Record Store Day March 28: Respect Your Cat Day April 23: World Laboratory Day March 29: Smoke and Mirrors Day April 27: Tell a Story Day March 30: Take a Walk in the Park Day April 28: International Astronomy Day Anna’s Hummingbird. Photo by Robert McMorran, US Fish and Wildlife Service. Public domain. ghghgh Local Events ghghgh

Annual Roebling Museum Car Show April 27, 2019: 9AM-3PM Rain Date April 28 100 Second Ave., Roebling, NJ

“A Salute to Veterans”. Registration closes at noon. $20 DOS. $5 spectator fee, cxhildren under 12 are free, includes admission to the museum. Vendors, food, ice cream, music, prizes. Hosted by Movin’ On KruZers. Call Bobbi 215-752-0484 or 215-820-3276.

Car graphics created by Freepik.com. SMOKE SIGNALS Page 10

gh Hero Cats gh In celebration of Respect Your Cat Day on March 28th. article by Diana Antinucci weakened by the injuries caused by the fire, died from a virus a month later. After three months, Scarlett and her Guard Duty remaining kittens were well enough to be adopted. In Mary Peckroad, a new mother, was afraid that her those three months, Scarlett’s story had gone national. cat, Mr. Meow, might be jealous of the new baby. After The League received 7,000 letters from people that bringing home baby Samantha, Mr. Meow did show a wanted to adopt Scarlett and her kittens. Scarlett got fan keen interest, often watching the baby closely. After a mail and gifts from as far away as the Netherlands, Japan few months, Mary hung a mobile above Samantha’s and South Africa. The kittens were adopted in pairs crib. One night, Mary heard Mr. Meow yowling and and Scarlett was adopted by thought maybe he had lost a family in Brooklyn. In her a toy. She chose to ignore it. honor, the North Shore Animal The noise grew more frantic League created the Scarlett and now Mary thought that Award for Animal Heroism. For maybe he had gotten stuck Scarlett, I think it was enough somewhere. She called to know she saved her babies. him, but he didn’t come, so she went to look for him. A Sailor’s Life Mary followed the noise to Simon, a black and white Samantha’s room. Every old tomcat, was found wandering wives’ tale she heard about the docks of Stonecutter’s cats and babies came back Island in Hong Kong by to her and she burst into seventeen-year-old George Samantha’s room in a panic. Hickinbottom, Ordinary Mr. Meow was there, sitting Seaman aboard the HMS on a dresser and peering Amethyst in March of 1948. into the crib. He looked at With rat infestations being Mary and screamed. Mary a problem on board ships, rushed to the crib and saw Hickinbottom thought a cat Samantha. Somehow, the would be a good solution mobile had fallen into the crib and smuggled the cat on and Samantha had become Scarlett and her new owner. Photo by Karen Wellen. Used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 1.0 Generic license. board. Rats ate food stored entangled, with one of the on board, contaminated the strings wrapped tightly around her neck. Mary cut the rest and spread disease. The captain found out about strings and rushed Samantha to the hospital. Thanks to Simon, but was a fan of cats and had one on a previous Mr. Meow, Samantha was going to be fine. command. Simon became a favorite with the crew, but especially with the captain, often sleeping with the A Mother’s Love captain, curled into his cap. An abandoned garage in Brooklyn erupted into fire The next captain of the Amethyst also took a liking and it wasn’t until after the blaze was under control to Simon. Unfortunately, the first mission with the that one of the firefighters, David Giannelli, noticed a new captain led to the Amethyst being hit more than cat carrying kittens out of the garage. Scarlett went fifty times by Chinese Communist gun batteries. One into the burning building five times, each time carrying of the first rounds went through the captain’s cabin, out one of her kittens. By the time she had rescued eventually killing the captain and severely wounding all of them, her facial hair had been burned away and Simon. Eighteen other crewmen were killed, twenty- she was so badly burned she couldn’t see. She touch seven were wounded and the ship was crippled within each kitten with her nose, making sure they were all range of the enemy guns. there, and then collapsed. Simon was missing for several days before being Giannelli took her and her kittens to the North Shore discovered on deck by Petty Officer George Griffiths, Animal League in Port Washington, NY where Scarlett who took him to sick bay. By this time, all the wounded was treated for severe burns. One of the kittens, continued on page 11 SMOKE SIGNALS Page 11 Hero Cats continued from page 10 for the press. He was awarded the Blue had been treated or evacuated, so the doctor Cross medal, the Amethyst campaign treated Simon. He was in a pretty bad way, medal, the rank of “Able Seacat” and the with facial burns, four shrapnel wounds and Dickin Medal, to be presented at a special a weak heart. The doctor predicted that ceremony. The Dickin Medal is awarded he wouldn’t last through the night. Simon to animals that display “conspicuous recovered and resumed his duties, but had gallantry or devotion to duty while serving to overcome the new captain, who wasn’t or associated with any branch of the Armed a fan of cats. Now not allowed to sleep in Forces or Civil Defense Units”. the captain’s quarters, the sick bay staff On his arrival in Britain, he was given thought it might be a good idea for the collar on which the medal would Simon to spend time in sick bay with the hang. But, like all animals entering the wounded in addition to cleaning out the country, he had to go into quarantine rats that had overrun the ship during his for six months. A “cat officer” had to convalescence. Simon did eventually win be appointed to deal with all of Simon’s over the new captain by excelling at both mail and presents, about 200 pieces of duties, even attending to the captain when post each day. Despite great care being he was struck by a virus. taken with him, two weeks before the After three months of being stranded ceremony Simon contracted a virus. In while talks to have the Amethyst The Dickin Medal. Photo by Andrew69. conjunction with his weakened heart, Picture is in the public domain. rescued went nowhere, the captain Simon couldn’t rally and died. Some decided to make a run for it. The of the veterinary staff felt he died of a daring escape worked and word quickly spread broken heart, separated from the ship and crew he about Simon. He became a celebrity in the British loved. Simon was buried with naval honors and is news and even internationally, posing for pictures the only cat to ever be awarded the Dickin Medal.P

Sunday Merchantville Country Club March 24th 501 Chapel Ave. W. 1PM-5PM Cherry Hill, NJ

55th Annual Ankokas Charter Luncheon

Invitations have been mailed. You must RSVP by March 15th. SMOKE SIGNALS Page 12

ghgh Roadside Ramblings ghgh Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle, Doylestown, PA

article by Diana Antinucci candle molds, bloodletting tools, cobblers’ tools, leather- In Doylestown, PA there are three poured concrete working hammers, threshing machines, tin smithing tools, castles built by Henry Mercer. The Mercer Museum was horn and tortoiseshell products, carriages, old cigar store built to house his collection of objects, Fonthill Castle was statues and stoveplates. There is also the last gallows used built as his home and the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works to hang a criminal in Bucks County in 1914. An antique fire was his business. Mercer built the structures from poured engine and a whaling boat hang from the ceiling. Among the concrete to prevent fire after the Great Boston Fire of 1872 collection in the upper stories is the only surviving Franklin destroyed his aunt’s collection of antique armor. They are Stove, made from Franklin’s original design. The back corner some of the earliest of the museum houses examples of rebar- Native American artifacts, reinforced structural some dating back to 10,000 concrete. BC. Many of the items are Henry Chapman still located where Mercer Mercer was an amateur placed them in 1916. anthropologist and In addition to the special archaeologist, a audio tour for children, the ceramist, world traveler museum has “Animals on and collector. During the Loose”, which invites his travels, he saw the children ages 3-8 to aid Industrial Revolution Mercer’s favorite dog Rollo swallowing up the in a scavenger hunt for trades of the past and “escaped” animal artifacts. determined to preserve There are also several other a record of those trades. scavenger hunt options with To do this, he designed sheets you can print before and built the Mercer you go that can be found Museum, without any at mercermuseum.org/visit/ architectural training kids-activities. and with the help of only The Mercer Museum ten men and one mule. is located at Pine St. When it was completed and Scout Way. They are in 1916, he filled it with open from 10AM to 5PM, the tools that trades Monday through Saturday The interior of the Mercer Museum. Photo by Bestbudbrian and used under the would have used before Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. and from 12PM to 5PM on the 1850s. In his day, Sunday. Admission is $15 these objects would for adults, $13 for seniors have been considered trash, cast-offs from a by-gone age and $8 for visitors ages 6-17. They offer a AAA discount that were no longer needed. But Mercer knew their value in and free admission to active-duty military personnel and telling the story of America before industrialization. their families. The Mercer Museum is partially handicapped The entrance to the museum is an addition to the original accessible, excluding the upper two floors. There is free museum. Here are the ticket booth, gift shop, temporary parking in a lot in the front of the building. The building exhibit space and a place to pick up free audio tours, for does not have heat and is mostly without electricity. It is adults and children. The museum itself is six stories tall recommended that you visit in fair weather, warm and sunny. with 55 exhibit rooms housing over 40,000 items, with over If you go in colder temperatures, wear your coat and hat. 60% of the collection on display at any one time. Most of Begun in 1908 and completed in 1912, Fonthill Castle was the rooms are dedicated to showing the tools or products also designed by Henry Mercer, starting with the interior of early American trades. Some of the rooms display rooms and working to the outside. It was built as his home, particular categories of objects, like lighting or architectural but also as a place to house his collections of tiles and hardware. Among the items found here are millstones, prints. Fonthill Castle was the first of the three concrete

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Roadside Ramblings continued from page 12 collection of over 1,000 prints and his personal collection castles Mercer built and people in town thought he was of over 6,000 books. The castle also has a crypt with no crazy, but when it was completed, he started a large bodies and a garage with no cars; Mercer never owned one. bonfire on the top terrace, proving that the building was Fonthill Castle offers one hour guided tours, but also fireproof. The castle is a occasionally offers in-depth tours that cover almost every mix of Gothic, Medieval and room of the castle. The Byzantine architecture, with Castle hosts about 30,000 44 rooms, 32 stairwells, 18 visitors a year from more fireplaces and 200 windows. than 35 countries ans has Originally, the interior was been featured on A&E’s painted in pastels, but “America’s Castles” series. none of the paint remains. Fonthill Castle is located There is one room in the at East Court St. and Route Terrace Pavilion, the site of 313. They are open from the home’s barn, that has a 10AM to 5PM, Monday room recreated as it would through Saturday and from have been when painted. 12PM to 5PM on Sunday. The home hardly lacks for Tours are by reservation, call decoration, however. The 215-348-9461. Admission floors, walls and ceiling are is $15 for adults, $13 for filled with tiles, some from seniors and $8 for visitors his own tile works, some age 6-17. Fonthill Castle has from 18th century Europe, limited accessibility, but a even some Babylonian Fonthill Castle. Photo by KForce and used under the tour of the ground floor only GNU Free Documentation license. tiles from 2,300 BC. Mercer also can be arranged. brought back other artifacts to his For those that want to visit both home. There are cuneiform tablets from Mesopotamia, his buildings, you can purchase the Mercer Experience Ticket, $26 for adults and $15 for visitors ages 6-17. P ghgh Hitchcock Trivia ghgh In celebration of Alfred Hitchcock Day on March 12th.

Despite being nominated five times, Alfred Hitchcock directed the first “talkie” released in Hitchcock never won the Academy Award for best Britain, Blackmail. director. Alfred Hitchcock released a When the studio balked at movie every year between 1925 making Psycho, Hitchcock and 1956, except for 1952. bankrolled the project himself Hitchcock was afraid of his and instead of his standard own movies and never went to see salary of $250,000, agreed to them. take 60% of the profits from Psycho was the first American the movie. He earned over movie to show a toilet. $15 million. Hitchcock’s father had the Hitchcock has two stars on police lock him in a cell for ten the Walk of Fame, one for his minutes as a child, inspiring a life- work in film and another for long fear of the police. television. Hitchcock invented a camera Hitchcock passed on the shot called the “dolly zoom” for director’s job for Rosemary’s One of Hitchcock’s stars on the Walk of Fame. . Photo the movie Vertigo. by Willem van Bergen and used under the Creative Baby. Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. SMOKE SIGNALS Page 14 ghgh An American Success Story ghgh In celebration of World Wildlife Day on March 3rd.

With World Wildlife Day approaching on March 3rd, my were crushed under the weight of the parent bird. In 1962, thoughts turned to one of the animals that became an Rachel Carson published Silent Spring about the dangers image of the movement: the American Bald Eagle. It is a of DDT. majestic animal, with a wingspan of up to eight feet and By 1963, only 487 nesting pairs of bald eagles weighing up to fourteen pounds, I am hard pressed to think remained. We were in danger of losing our national of a more impressive sight. Maybe its’ nest, which can be symbol. In 1967, bald eagles found south of the 40th thirteen feet deep, over eight feet wide and can weigh a parallel were listed as protected under the Endangered metric ton. But not that long ago, the sight of a bald eagle Species Preservation Act of 1966. In 1978, the species was very rare indeed and in New Jersey, nearly impossible. was listed as endangered throughout the 48 states, Bald eagles are highly vulnerable creatures. They take except in five northern states where it was listed as a long time, four to five years, to reach sexual maturity threatened. and only about 70% of young survive the first year, with With protections in place and DDT banned, eagles a total 80% mortality rate before maturity. They can live began to recover. In the early 1980s, there were about up to twenty years average in the wild and longer in 100,00 eagles and between 110,000 and 115,000 by captivity, but don’t breed 1992 in the US, Canada and well in captivity even under Mexico. On June 28, 2007, the best conditions. They the population was thought to prefer to live in very large have recovered enough that it trees capable of supporting was taken off the threatened their nests and located near and endangered species list, waterways, because while they but they are still protected will eat a truly vast diversity under the Bald and Golden of prey, including medium- Eagle Protection Act. Today, size mammals, waterfowl, the lower 48 states have more turtles, snakes and carrion, than 9,700 breeding pairs of over 50% of their diet is fish. bald eagles. These factors leave them Its history in New Jersey is vulnerable to threats to their even more astounding. Most preferred nesting sites and the Bald eagle at the Hawk Conservancy Trust in Andover, NH. Photo by people don’t know it, but waterways close to them and Lewis Hulbert and used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share New Jersey was down to a Alike 4.0 International license. they are slow to rebound. single pair of breeding bald In the 1700s, there were eagles in 1970, located in an an estimated 300,00 to 500,000 bald eagles in the United isolated forest in Cumberland County. There remained States. By the time the country adopted the bald eagle only one into the early 1980s. The nest failed to produce as its national symbol in 1782, that number was down to young for six consecutive years and in 1982, eggs were about 100,000 mature eagles, mostly due to hunting. Add removed from the nest and hatched by biologists then loss of habitat, and the situation was so bad by 1940 that reintroduced to the nest. Biologists continued this until Congress passed the Bald Eagle Protection Act which 1989, when a second bald eagle nest was located with outlawed killing, selling or possessing a bald eagle. In a female capable of hatching offspring. This was not 1962, an amendment to the act added the Golden Eagle going to be enough to recover the population and so and it became the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. over an eight year period, sixty eagles were introduced Loss of habitat and hunting paled in comparison to what to New Jersey from Canada. Today, there are over 150 was to come. After WWII, a new miracle pesticide was breeding pairs of eagles in New Jersey, mostly found in introduced, DDT. It was great and reducing the population Cumberland and Salem counties and on the bay side of of mosquitoes and agricultural pests, but it worked its way Cape May. They are still listed on the state’s endangered into the waterways and into the fish. DDT itself doesn’t species list because of their vulnerability, but with kill eagles, but it affects their ability to produce calcium, 123 new eagles leaving nests last year, it’s a heck of a required for egg laying. Eggs became so fragile that they comeback story. P SMOKE SIGNALS Page 15

ghghghgh Dr. Suess Puzzle ghghghgh

In celebration of Dr. Suess’s birthday on March 2nd, find the words from the list in the puzzle on the left. Answers are on page 16.

BLUE FISH BUTTER BATTLE BOOK CAT IN THE HAT GREEN EGGS AND HAM GRINCH HOP ON POP HORTON HEARS A WHO LORAX MAX ONCELER ONE FISH RED FISH SNEETCHES THING ONE THING TWO TWO FISH YERTLE THE TURTLE

ANKOKAS REGION, AACA ANKOKAS is a southern NJ Region of the AACA dating back to 1964. Ankokas Region PO BOX 343 Riverside, NJ 08075 www.ankokas.com [email protected]

KATHY PETTERS, PAST OFFICERS PRESIDENT [email protected] JOSEPH DOUGHERTY, PRESIDENT 856-767-4438 March is [email protected] 856-435-6798 DAVE HANN, DIRECTOR [email protected] TOM McLARNEY, VICE-PRESIDENT 856-304-3951 National [email protected] 856-461-6688 NANCY DOUGHTERTY, DIRECTOR [email protected] 856-287-2310 JEFF SCHULTE, TREASURER Flower Month [email protected] BERNIE SHUSTER, DIRECTOR 856-234-1623 [email protected] 856-429-7739 STEVEN SOPPE, SECRETARY [email protected] DIANA ANTINUCCI, DIRECTOR 609-848-4843 [email protected] 609-848-4843

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ghgh Letter From The Editors ghgh Diana: Hey sweetie, how was the AACA Annual Meeting? and comfort of the car so you can take it out and enjoy the Steven: It was great. I got to see my AACA friends from ride. Radial tires, aftermarket air conditioning and upgraded other parts of the country, there were some informative lights are just a few of the items that can be changed from seminars, attended judges school, and I even saw some fellow factory stock and still have an award winning DPC car. The Ankokas members. car can’t be a custom built pro-touring hot rod, but if it looks Diana: Nice to see club participation. close to stock, bring the car and show it off. Steven: There were some really Diana: Sounds like a great chance for informative seminars about showing your a lot of our members to ride up together car in Driver Participation Class (DPC) and show some cars. and Historic Preservation of Original Steven: Another highlight of the Annual Features (HPOF), restoration tips and Meeting was... the meeting. Saturday projects, some how-to instructions, the afternoon was the business part of list goes on. You know, every Ankokas the annual meeting where new AACA member should consider showing their President Mel Carson was introduced. car in the upcoming Eastern Spring There was discussion about fund raising National meet in Parsippany, NJ on for the new AACA headquarters coming June 29, 2019. Parsippany isn’t that far to Hershey. And lots of ideas about away. I’m thinking of showing the ‘70 recruiting new members. Challenger. Diana: Yes, membership recruitment is Diana: I thought you said the ‘70 very important. wasn’t good enough to receive an AACA Steven: We all need to think about award. The editorial supervisor has taken on an assistant. ways to bring new members into Steven: For point judging, you might I’m not sure why. Photo by S. Soppe Ankokas. It’s something we need to be right. But that’s what I learned about discuss at our next meeting. The AACA Driver Participation Class. DPC cars are evaluated, not point can supply us with advertising material. We can hand out an judged. You don’t have to have a perfect, pristine, trailer queen “About Ankokas” flyer when we attend local shows. If we all car to... “participate”. DPC is all about showing your antique put our heads together, I’m sure we can come up with lots of car that you enjoy driving and using as the car was meant to ideas. As was said at the meeting several times, “Come for be. A DPC car can have some modern improvements that the cars, stay for the people”. might not be historically correct, but they improve the safety Diana: And my cookies.

April is Car Care Month

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ghgh Member Marketplace ghgh Wanted: One of the following cars: 1977- For Sale: USA 960-T Pro Trig-Blast 78 Buick Riviera, 1969-71 Pontiac Catalina, Sandblasting Cabinet. New List Bonneville or Grandville or 1973-76 price…$1200.00. My price $500.00, you Chevrolet Caprice. Most colors considered. pick it up. Call Tom McLarney 856-461- No projects. Call Howard 609-820-0329. 8084. 06/10/18 For Sale: 1936 Ford Touring 4dr “Trunkback” Deluxe. Mileage on odometer For Sale: Aluminum System One ladder 82,033. Washington blue exterior with matl. racks for pick-up truck. Good condition. tan mohair cloth interior. V8 flathead engine, Asking $300. Contact Rich Howey 856-904- 3-speed manual transmission. Call Michelle 2359. Salerno 610-301-1072.

Wanted: ‘49 Buick Roadmaster 2dr. that To place an ad in Member Marketplace, needs restoring or a 1963 Pontiac Tempest. please e-mail [email protected]. Alan Coshland 609-801-1167. Important Reminder! There will be no regular meeting in April. The next regular meeting will be on May 9th at 7:30PM on the second floor of the Haddonfield Municipal Building, 242 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield.

Important Reminder! We’re on the Web! See us at: The Ankokas annual luncheon www.ankokas.com is on March 24, 2019. See the ad on page 9. Regular meetings are held on the second Thursday of each Send in your RSVP today! month at 7:30PM on the second floor of the Haddonfield Municipal Building.

Important Reminder! Director meetings are held on an “as needed” basis as We will have a tailgate determined by the officers. meeting in June. Look in NOTE: No meetings are the Smoke Signals and on scheduled in July, August or the Ankokas website for December. upcoming details. SMOKE SIGNALS Page 18 The Ankokas Region would like to thank its sponsors and encourage its members to patronize these businesses whenever possible:

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