gateway news - St. Louis Gateway - Mercedes

GATEWAY NEWS
MERCEDES-BENZ CLUB OF AMERICA
SAINT LOUIS GATEWAY SECTION
“Serving the Greater St. Louis Area since 1972 !”
APRIL 2012
MARCH 2012
AUTOMOTIVE CLINIC EXTRAVAGANZA !
ST. LOUIS GATEWAY LADIES DAY OUT !
Reid Vann Luxury Import Service
Saturday, March 17th, 2012
v Make your reservations NOW for an Automotive Clinic not to
be missed ! The date of this Activity is scheduled for
Saturday, March 17th, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Longtime Gateway News advertiser and supporters, Reid & Liz
Vann of Reid Vann Luxury Import Service will host this
event at their facility. St. Louis Gateway Section members will
discover what is necessary to transform a “nice car” into a true
concours winner. And what perfect timing, as the St. Louis
European Auto Show will be taking place less than two
months later.
Other professionals who will be involved in the day’s activities
will include Mark Parafiniuk of Clear Auto Bra (314.518.6111
or mark@clearautobrallc.com), Saul Davidson of A&G
Mobile Detailing (314.575.0953 or saul_davidson@agmobiledetailing.com), Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists of St.
Louis (877.859.4335 or awrsmidwest.com), Steve
Schuchmann of Walco Auto Interior (314.220.7251 or
upholsteryrepairs@att.net), & Greg Miravalle of Professional
Dent Repair (314.495.6162 or gmiravalle@msn.com).
Food, drink, and give-aways will be provided. PLEASE
contact Rick Siefert (314.825.1903 or siefertrf@bv.com) to
RSVP for what will assuredly be a fun and educational event.
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PURINA FARMS / HAWTHORNE INN
Gray Summit / Labadie, MO
Saturday, April 21st, 2012
Purina Farms, located in Gray Summit, is a family-friendly
facility that features an Event and Visitor’s Center, along with
several Outdoor Canine Competition Venues, is an allinclusive destination for animal lovers and enthusiasts of all
ages. Fred Travis is in the process of putting together a visit
for us to Purina Farms. Unfortunately, the facility is not taking
reservations for group events until March 1st.
After our visit to Purina Farms, we will travel a short distance to
the historic community of Labadie. It is here where we will
have lunch together at the Hawthorne Inn.
Stay tuned for upcoming e-mail blasts that will provide details
of what will assuredly be a fun and educational activity for all of
us. You can also contact Fred Travis at 636.742.2256 or
alamoft@gmail.com.
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CALLING ALL ST. LOUIS GATEWAY LADIES ! !
Please join us on Saturday, March 17th for a Ladies Day Out.
This activity will include shopping in Kirkwood and lunch with
good friends and “non-car-related” conversation at Ameci’s !!
If you would like to be a part of this fun outing, PLEASE
contact Patti Siefert to RSVP at 314.378.0432.
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MASTODON STATE PARK / BLUE OWL INN
Imperial & Historic Kimmswick
Saturday, May 19th, 2012
v Looking to take a trip to where something big happened?
Why not join us for a short jaunt south on I-55 to the
Mastodon State Park? It is on this site, located outside the
small community of Imperial, where one will find the home of
the Kimmswick Bone Bed. This is one of the most famous and
extensive Pleistocene ice age deposits of fossils, including a
number of bones of giant mastodons.
Join us on Saturday, May 19th, at 10:00 a.m., when we will
depart from the Home Depot parking lot, located at the
southwest corner of Watson Road and Lindbergh.
Our group is scheduled for 10:30 to participate in a short video
and stroll through the museum, which Kacey and Bill indicate
is quite impressive. We will then witness a demonstration and
“try-it-ourselves” with a prehistoric tool that Missourians used
to bring down big game. They fitted their arrow or spear into
the tool for greater distance and power.
Departing the Park, our group will caravan on a short drive
together to Kimmswick and an opportunity to view the little
shops and just spend time enjoying each other’s company.
Lunch is scheduled for 1:30 on the outdoor veranda at the
Blue Owl Restaurant.
Cost for a fun-filled day with friends is a mere $3 for the Park
Tour and about $21 for one of the 3-5 specials that the Blue
Owl typically offers. This amount generally includes a
beverage (no alcohol), dessert (a piece of mile-high pie, etc.),
and tax and tip.
For further information and to RSVP for what will assuredly be
an enjoyable and educational day with your St. Louis Gateway
Section Friends, contact Kacey Cowdery at 314.968.5041 or
kaceycowdery@swbell.net.
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Gateway News – March April 2012 – Page 1 2012 MBCA
SAINT LOUIS GATEWAY SECTION
Officers and Board Members
SECTION OFFICERS
President
siefertrf@bv.com
314.825.1903
Vice-President
edbarutio2@att.net
636.273.9046
Secretary
dodiejerroy@yahoo.com
314.961.8881
Treasurer
ronfaerber@sbcglobal.net
314.434.4269
Rick Siefert
Ed Barutio
Dodie Frank
Dana Faerber
BOARD MEMBERS
Alan Barker
alan-barker@att.net
314.962.6857
Mimi Barutio
mimibarutio@att.net
636.273.9046
Sally Edmiston
rfedmiston@sbcglobal.net
636.536.1033
Mike Fults
mndfults@yahoo.com
636.575.2161
Jim Gruss (Membership Chair)
Jbgruss88@yahoo.com
314.452.3974
Russell Hughes
300sl@sbcglobal.net
636.938.4111
Patti Siefert
siefertpatricia@rockwood.k12.mo.us
314.378.0432
Bill Valle (Newsletter Editor)
cwvalle@swbell.net
314.968.5041
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John Dorsey (President Emeritus)
johndorsey@centurytel.net
636.456.3974
Jonathan Devers (Webmaster – Administrator)
314.306.0793
webmaster@gatewaymercedesclub.com
Cliff Reyle (Central Regional Director)
901.754.8574
Cliff.reyle@youthvillages.org PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
- Hello St. Louis Gateway Section Members Ah.........Spring, its right around the corner ! And yes,
although our winter was in no way considered a “bad” one
this year, I look forward to being able to enjoy the warmer
weather activities. Don’t get me wrong, 2012 may be
young, but we’ve already had a lot of fun together at the
New Year Brunch in January and our Member
Appreciation Reception in February. And, coming up in
the next few months will be some great outdoor activities.
On Saturday, March 17th, we will gather together for what
will assuredly be an interesting and educational clinic at
Reid Vann Luxury Import Service, hosted by owners and
club members, Reid & Liz. At the same time, Patti will be
leading the St. Louis Gateway Ladies on an afternoon
jaunt to historic Kirkwood for shopping and lunch together
at Ameci’s. For April, Fred Travis is putting together the
final touches on a tour of the Purina Farms facility in Gray
Summit and then lunch together at the Hawthorne Inn in
historic Labadie. And, on Saturday, March 17th, Kacey
Cowdery has assembled something different for us at
Mastodon State Park that will assuredly be interesting and
educational. Topping off this day’s activities will be lunch
together at the renowned Blue Owl Inn in historic
Kimmswick.
2012 is an election year for our Section. Please
consider running for one of the Officer or Board positions,
as it can be a very gratifying experience. Feel free to
contact me for further information.
The St. Louis Gateway Section Board of Directors very
much appreciates the support provided by the advertisers
in our Gateway News publication. By far, the greatest
expense that a Section has during the year is the
production of their newsletter. Advertisers offset these
costs dramatically. Please consider advertising with us,
as our rates are very reasonable, providing a great deal of
bang-for-the-buck. Our newsletter is distributed to our
240 memberships, as well as being placed in dealerships
and other automotive-related businesses. We also
include our advertiser’s websites on the St. Louis
Gateway Section website.
You are encouraged to continue to enjoy the wealth of
opportunities and activities planned for the remainder of
this year. We look forward to seeing and hearing from
each of you soon.
Gute Fahrt
Rick
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Gateway News – March April 2012 – Page 2
January New Year’s Brunch
February Member Appreciation
A GOD WINK WITH THE ST. LOUIS GATEWAY SECTION
Harry and Jauneta Hosmer
Rick Siefert asked if I would write a bit about our lives and meeting with St. Louis Gateway Section friends.
Harry’s and my history with Mercedes-Benz began with the purchase of a 1989 500 SL. It ended up being
totaled when it rolled down a steep drive because the ignition key could be removed before putting it in Park.
The ‘89 was replaced with a ’95 500 SL, which we still have at our home in California. We purchased our 550
SL in June of 2008. After an extensive orientation, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to remember where all of the
buttons and switches were. It was dark as we left the dealership and thankfully I found the lever to click the
night vision screen just in time to miss a deer lying in the middle of the freeway. An accident was avoided for
me, Harry, who was following behind, along with several others. Kudos to Mercedes Advanced Technology.
Also, the car has to be in Park before the key can be removed! We are happily still driving the 2008 SL in 2012.
A few years ago I read an interesting book called "God Winks." It is a collection of stories about highly
coincidental connections that happen while people are just going about their everyday lives. We’ve had our
good share of these and one very special one was the day we connected with our friends of the St. Louis
Gateway Section.
In September of 2008, I drove our then three month old 550 SL from our home in Hannibal to Springfield, Illinois
to visit the Lincoln Museum. I checked in at the Hilton and visited the museum early the next day. At lunch I
found a folder that someone had left on the table. Looking inside I discovered the itinerary for the St. Louis
Gateway Section’s Springfield tour. They were also staying at the Hilton. Seeing the planned evening activities,
I took the folder that night to the club’s Hospitality Hour to return it to its owner. Upon hearing that I was a
Mercedes-Benz owner, I was most cordially invited to join the group for dinner, even winning the prize for
coming from the furthest distance. I will admit that I cheated a little, as I counted the distance from our winter
home in California.
A heavy rainstorm overnight kept several couples from starting home, myself included. Again I was invited to
breakfast, after which Rick and Patti Siefert asked me to join them
and others to see the Frank Lloyd Wright House, which was
closing the next week, thanks to then Governor, Blagojevich. The
weekend was the start of great friendships and an invitation to join
the St. Louis Gateway Section.
Earlier that year we had acquired, by another set of “Winks,” a
Historical Register property in need of major restoration. The
house was built as a Summer House in 1870 from quarried stone,
cut and carted on Ox Cart by emancipated slaves of James B.
Brown. Mr. Brown was a pharmacist at the old Grants Drug Store,
made famous by the books of Mark Twain. Thus my interest in
Lincoln and the 1865 Emancipation Proclamation freeing the men
that built Stonecroft Manor.
Imagine my delight, when I found a replica of the Lincoln White
House Bed at the Museum and subsequently purchased it for our
Manor House. Many of you were among the first to see it when
you visited in 2009.
We have just returned from a trip to the country of Jordan. Our
years have been full with the many trips we have had in building
our Company as well as trips meeting with European Parliament
Members, Mid Easterners, and U.S. Congressional Members, all
working together for reconciliation around the teachings of Jesus.
Stonecroft is now restored. We are heading back to Hannibal in May and invite you all to come visit us again
this summer.
PLEASE WELCOME OUR NEW MEMBERS
Please help our membership grow. Member referrals are the
best way to recruit new members. And, for each referral, you,
as an existing MBCA member, will receive a FREE month of
club membership, simply added on to your current membership
period.
To the many of you who referred your family, friends, neighbors,
and business associates to become a part of our Club, thank
you so much for contributing to the success of the St. Louis
Gateway Section.
Since the last publication of the Gateway News we are proud to
announce and WELCOME the following new members:
Marsha Andreoff
Larry Crain
Sam Farrell
Chris & Laura Graczyk
Mitchell Halpern
Kenneth Haugk
Ted & Teddy Johnlikes
Mike Warakomski
Welcome to the St. Louis Gateway Section of the MercedesBenz Club of America. We have nearly 250 members within a
200-mile radius of St. Louis and invite you to join us at our Club
Events.
The success of our Club depends on the participation of the
members to our scheduled activities. Thank you for joining. We
look forward to seeing you at our next event.
The St. Louis Gateway Section Officers & Board Members
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NEW YEAR’S BRUNCH TOUTED AS BEST EVER !
On Sunday, January 8th, St. Louis Gateway Section
members certainly kicked off the New Year together in style,
as they enjoyed a wonderful brunch together at Bixby’s.
Bixby’s is located on the top floor of the Missouri Historical
Museum, providing a spectacular view of Forest Park.
Of course how could a Champagne Brunch exist without a
glass of champagne? Along with our champagne was a
buffet to die for, including the Benedict of the Day, bread
pudding with caramel sauce, Bixby’s signature omelet,
smoked salmon, Belgian waffles with pecan maple butter and
strawberry syrup, chilled salads, and a wide array of
desserts!
What more could we ask for on a beautiful day in January –
Fun, Camaraderie with fellow club members, and an
awesome array of delicious food to choose from? ! Thanks
are extended to Dana Faerber for hosting such a wonderful
Event for us !
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Gateway News – March April 2012 – Page 6
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MBCA Membership Form
Please print clearly
_________________________________________________________
Full name
_________________________________________________________
Associate member (spouse or dependent)
_________________________________________________________
Address
_________________________________________________________
City
State
Zip
(_____)________________(_____)_____________________
Home Phone
Business Phone
_________________________________________________________
Occupation
E-mail address
_________________________________________________________
Mercedes-Benz cars now owned (Model/Year)
[] New Member [] Renewing Member (check one)
If renewing, Member Number__________________________
Interests
[] Driving Events
[] Social Events
[] Technical
[] Car Shows
[] Car Care
[] The Star
Please enroll me as a MBCA Member for:
[] 1 Year ($49) [] 2 Years ($95) [] 3 Years ($139)
Make check payable to MBCA; Visa, MasterCard,
Discover and American Express also accepted. If using a
credit card, please complete the following
[] Visa
[] MasterCard
[] Discover [] American Express _______________
Expiration Date
__________________________________________________________
Account Number
__________________________________________________________
_
Applicant’s Signature
St. Louis Gateway Section____________________
Applicants Section Preference
Sponsor’s Member #
Annual membership dues include six issues of The Star.
Phone: 800/637-2360 8 AM to 5 PM M-F (Mountain)
Mail:
MBCA, 1907 Lelaray St., Colorado Springs,
CO. 80909
Web: www.mbca.org
Yes, Membership does have its Privileges.
At Tri-Star Mercedes we are committed to providing the finest Mercedes-Benz experience in the area.
For those of you, who have a special affinity to the Mercedes brand, be assured that we share that
commitment. To us, it is the only brand and, the only brand we represent.
We agree that there is only one choice in cars. We hope, you agree there is only one choice in dealers.
One Mile West of Clarkson on Manchester
636-458-5222 • www.tristarmercedes.com
CARS AND PARTS FOR SALE
Replica of 1936 540K Roadster. Car was built as close
to an original as possible. Bright red with tan leather
interior. Six-cylinder in-line engine with 4-speed floor
shifter. All independent suspension from 1960 300d M-B.
Both headlights (Bosch) & steering wheel are Pre-War
parts. Beltline & fender trim are custom made stainless
steel. All parts are Mercedes where possible. Runs well.
All records available. $30,000 OBO. 636.456.3974 or
johndorsey@centurytel.net.
CLS500 Limited Edition Sedan, 2006, Excellent
condition, Indium Grey, 864 Cashmere beige interior,
54K miles, 5.0 liter/302 hp, Harmon Kardon sound
system, sunroof, fully-loaded. Asking $38,500. Kent
Graves at 636.537.9100, ext 165.
230SL, 1966, Papyrus White with tan leather interior and
tan top, 4-speed, Euro headlights, wire wheels, 3.23 ratio
differential, 24K miles on engine and full restoration,
power steering/brakes, air conditioning, hard top, mint
condition. Alan Barker at 314.962.6857 or alanbarker@att.net.
Bosch left side headlight assembly (US version) for
W123 model (from a 1984 300D) 123-820-9461 and 0
302 653 002. $75. robert_nauss@umsl.edu.
Bosch left and right European model headlight
assemblies (including turn signal housings) for W126
models (from a 1985 280SE). Never used—installed US
model headlights during conversion. 0302 050 007/8.
$275 for both. robert_nauss@umsl.edu
450SL, 1974, Aqua Blue with blue leather seats (like new)
and blue soft top. 83,685 miles. 3-speed automatic trans.,
4.5 liter single overhead cam V8 delivers approximately 190
hp. Newer Bilstein shocks, newer brakes, stock alloy
wheels, hard top. Professionally appraised as condition
grade 3 (very good). Asking $12,500. Joe Folk @
314.772.3171 or Jnmfolk@gmail.com.
Set of OEM wheels and centers for 1996-1999 E320.
Very good condition but rubber is minimal. $60.00 each
or $200 for all 4. Hazet 2780 shock absorber wrench (MB part 202 589 00 09 00) like new, $50. Matador
sparkplug wrench (M-B part 123 581 00 67), Like new.
Olin Conley at 314.849.1889.
Set of (4) OEM wheels and centers for 1996-2002
E320 (210). Very good condition, 16"x 7.5" 11 spoke
alloy whls. Tires are Goodyear Assurance with
approximately 30% treadlife remaining. All (4) wheels for
$275. Dale Kammerich - 417.894.7684 or
kammerichd@yahoo.com.
Gateway News – March April 2012 – Page 11
TRI-STAR EXCEEDS ALL EXPECTATIONS FOR
MEMBER APPRECIATION RECEPTION !
It was a bright sunny winter day and the showroom at Tri-Star
Mercedes was filled with beautiful Mercedes-Benz and over
sixty enthusiastic members of the St. Louis Gateway Section,
enjoying good food, drink and companionship. Chris Strom and
Kate Hennekes, of Tri-Star, did an outstanding job of putting
together this annual event for us. The food & drinks were first
class, as was the home made desert, which was graciously
provided by Chris.
Paul Buch, Tri-Star’s new General Manager, welcomed the
members, after which Rick Siefert, our President, opened the
activities by introducing the Club Officers and new members to
the group, and talked about upcoming events. Chris then did a
walk around presentation of the new Mercedes-Benz ML Class
and pointed out all the new innovative features. She then went
on to preview the new SL “Launch Edition”, which will be
arriving in May. Following the presentation there was a drawing
for attendance prizes. The Grand Prize, which was a complete
detail job, was won by Jerold Anna.
It was evident that all the attendees enjoyed the food,
presentation and in particular the interaction with fellow club
members. Looking back on the afternoon what stands out most
is just being involved with the unique and friendly group of
members we are privileged to have in the St. Louis Gateway
Section. They are truly an outstanding group of individuals,
and we would encourage those members who do not regularly
attend our events, to come out and experience the warmth and
companionship that the club offers through its members.
Our sincere thanks once again to Tri-Star Mercedes-Benz for
sponsoring this event and in particular to Chris and Kate for
making the day so special for us. - Ed Barutio ⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔⇔
FREE CLASSIFIED ADS TO
ST. LOUIS GATEWAY SECTION MEMBERS
ADS WILL RUN FOR (2) CONSECUTIVE NEWSLETTERS.
TO RE-RUN, ADS MUST BE RESUBMITTED.
If you would like to place an advertisement, please
mail or e-mail it by the 15th of the month to:
David Wade
dwade@meadobrien.com
505 Redondo Drive
Chesterfield, Missouri 63017
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PHOTO CAPTIONS, See Page 3
(Left to Right, Top to Bottom)
- Carolann Sternberg and Marion Hughes
- Kent Trimble and Ron Faerber
- Mary Yager and Raul Peralto
- Cathie & Jerry Wille, Alan Barker, and Grace & Bob Bennett
- Tri-Star Host & St. Louis GW Section Member - Chris Strom
- Mike Fults entices Mark Saunders to order an “official”
namebadge
Gateway News – March April 2012 – Page 12
ST. LOUIS GATEWAY SECTION
623 WESTBOROUGH PLACE
WEBSTER GROVES, MO 63119-3536
AUTOMOTIVE CLINIC
LADIES DAY OUT
Reid Vann Luxury Import Service
Saturday, March 17th
PURINA FARMS / HAWTHORNE INN
Gray Summit / Labadie, MO
Saturday, April 21st
MASTODON STATE PARK
BLUE OWL INN
Saturday, May 19th