ctci international convention - Arizona Classic Thunderbird Club

ARIZONA
BIRD CHATTER
Volume 43
Number 8-9
August-September 2014
CTCI INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
The CTCI international Convention was held
July 1 thru 6 in Springfield, Missouri. This event is
held every other year and is usually hosted by a local chapter. This year’s convention was hosted by
CTCI and their staff. They did a great job and it was
a very enjoyable event.
As announced at previous ACTC meetings, our
club organized a group to travel to Springfield.
Those attending from ACTC were Jack and Nikki
Musselmann in their white 1957, Chris and Sharon
Ames in their white 1956, Chuck and Judy Thompson in their red 1957 and Kathy and Mike Price who
drove their van and served as our support vehicle.
The group left from Pinetop on Monday, June 29 to
begin their three-day journey
to Springfield, which was approximately 1300 miles. The
first night was spent in Clovis,
New Mexico, the second night
in Enid, Oklahoma, and we
arrived in Springfield on July
2 in time for the evening welcoming party.
The ‘Birds ran great
throughout the trip. The only
problem encountered was the
Thompsons’
brake
light
switch failing. A part was
found at NAPA in Eager, Arizona. Unfortunately, we
were unable to loosen the old switch. So, when we
arrived in Enid, a call was placed to a local CTCI
member, Richard Eck, who arranged with his local
mechanic to do the job. He graciously met us at our
hotel and led us to the mechanic’s shop. Twenty
minutes later, we were back on the road to Springfield. Local help and hospitality is one of the many
benefits of being a CTCI member.
The trip home was also uneventful. No bad
weather either way. No serious car troubles. Just
lots of open space and hot weather. Our group had
fun traveling together. Trips like this are a great way
to get to know your fellow T-birders. Our only disap-
pointment was that the Ames’ did not travel back to
Arizona with us. Following the convention, they
drove their ‘Bird to Iowa, found a place to store it
and then flew back to Arizona. In August they plan
to fly to Iowa and drive their ‘Bird in a local car show
and parade in Clear Lake.
So what exactly happens at a CTCI convention? Lots! We arrived two days before the actual
car judging. The night that we arrived CTCI hosted
a welcoming party for all attendees, which included
sliders and snacks and a no-host bar. It provided a
nice opportunity to meet T-birders from all over the
country (actually the world). This year’s convention
had over 165 T-birds registered. Almost every state
was represented, plus several members from Canada,
one from Norway and one
from Sweden.
Thursday was cleaning
day. This year’s convention
took place inside an air conditioned convention hall. On
Thursday, we moved our
cars inside the hall to our
assigned parking space.
Cars were limited to less
than five gallons of gas in
their tanks. For those who
did not trailer their car, the day was spent cleaning
and polishing. For those who needed less time to
clean, CTCI had planned a riverboat cruise with entertainment beginning mid-afternoon and lasting
through dinner. Be sure to ask Judy about the attention she gained sitting on the floor picking butterfly and grasshopper bodies from the radiator with
chop sticks. Her efforts made a BIG difference
when the car was judged.
Friday was judging day, the reason we drove
all that way. The day began with a participants
meeting at 8:00 AM. At that meeting they explained
[continued on page four]
Page 2
I received a letter the other
day from Ron Rietman. He and
Debbie are in Washington
State. Ron enclosed an article from a local newspaper with a photo of a snowplow clearing the highway
at a mountain pass on July 2. It looked like there
was at least 10 feet of snow still on the ground. Ron
said the salmon were about to start their annual
run. I think he might have been checking out the old
rod and reel at the time. I was glad to see that these
fine club members had made their annual trek to
cooler country. And then it happened: Ron asked if
I had fried an egg on the sidewalk yet. I couldn’t let
a good friend down and it was quite hot outside. So
I immediately went…. to my smart phone which is
actually quite smart. I Googled “frying egg on the
sidewalk,” and on YouTube there is a video of some
poor chap in Florence, Arizona, frying an egg on the
sidewalk when the temperature was 117°. So, yes,
Ron, frying an egg works quite fine. Now get out
there and catch some of those salmon.
Our July meeting at the Martin Auto Museum
was a great one, with about 72 people present! Not
bad for a July meeting. This is probably one of my
favorite places for a meeting. The cars were great
and so was the food. Sam Ciammitti and Frank Graziano did a wonderful job organizing this event,
which included a vast selection of Dunkin’ Donuts
and Dunkin’ coffee. And while I was inside the air
conditioned building, Parliamentarian Mike Wood
was outside in the heat inspecting the T-birds. And
he never complained. Thanks, Mike, for doing such
a great job assisting the club in giving special recognition to those members who drive their Thunderbirds to the meetings.
As for the nominations for the 2015 Board positions, Dede Ross, Don Rebtoy, and Sam Ciammitti
have all volunteered to run again for their position so
we now have someone to fill all spots. Sam advises
that he would be glad to give up his position if someone else would run since he has done this job for
several years.
I spoke with our Public Relations person, Mike
Trapasso, and he advises that in addition to driving
his non-air-conditioned ‘55 ‘Bird to the San Clemente
show where he won an award, he also still drives it
to work in the summer about 1/3 of the time and to
the grocery store and to church on Sundays. He
loves driving his collector car as well as all the compliments people give him. I suspect Mike would get
the award for the most T-bird miles driven in Phoenix
this summer.
August-September 2014 Arizona Bird Chatter
Enjoy your summer, folks! We will all get back
together again at the next meeting in two months on
September 14, and in the meantime…. keep driving
those roads!
Gregg Thurston
Arizona Bird Chatter August-September 2014
JULY MEETING MINUTES
President Gregg Thurston called the July
13, 2014 meeting to order at 9:40 AM at the
Martin Auto Museum. There were approximately 72 members and guests attending. Gregg
then led our Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. A
motion to approve the June minutes was presented
and seconded.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Ken Kowalski mentioned he again brought pictures of the T-bird/bus
accident discussed previously. He indicated it went
up for auction on eBay for $1175 without the hard
top and it didn’t sell. But when the hardtop ALONE
was offer, it brought $1026. ▪ Gregg said the Thunderbird shirts were in and that the club would be gifting a shirt to Mr. Martin for his hospitality today.
HOSPITALITY: Yvonne Wagner reported
that several members had had surgeries. ▪ We were
sad to hear that Jeannie Kennedy’s brother passed
away. ▪ The Marchisottos welcomed a baby granddaughter. ▪ A card was passed around to say “Hi” to
Anne Hoag who has been unable to attend meetings recently. ▪ Guests were welcomed, as was
Warren Johansen, a former member from the ‘80s. ▪
Bob Bodell just celebrated his 88th birthday! “Happy
Birthday” was sung to our members with July and
August birthdays. Yvonne reported that Ken and Iva
Lane were both born on the same day!
ACTIVITIES: Myrna Foster called on members who were hosting events. Gregg Thurston
spoke about the Grand Canyon trip and asked us to
stay tuned for pictures. ▪ Chuck Thompson updated
us on the trip to the annual CTCI convention which
covered 2700 miles. Three ACTC ‘Birds attended
and awards were won by all three. Chuck wanted
us to know that CTCI members helped him get his
car back on the road. He said you can count on
CTCI members no matter where you go; just look in
the membership roster. ▪ Paul Fruscello mentioned
there were still rooms available for the Route 66
event in Flagstaff September 5-7. If you are going,
look for his e-mail with details. Refer to the activities
section in the newsletter for details on all events.
SECRETARY: Dede Ross had no report.
TREASURER: Tom Wagner gave the current
balance in both accounts.
WAYS & MEANS: Don Rebtoy mentioned
the Thunderbird t-shirts were in; be sure to pick
yours up. He also presented a prize to two club
members for purchasing the most shirts. Mike Trapasso tied with the Fosters and were each given a
“light up your life” flashing cup for their purchases.
He also displayed a Route 66 perpetual calendar
that is available for purchase.
MEMBER AT LARGE: Sam Ciammitti
thanked Frank Graziano for securing the Martin Museum for our meeting. In September we will be
back at the Elks Club.
EX-OFFICIO: John Marchisotto was not in
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attendance, but Ken Falkenberry announced
that those running for positions are Jim Rodgers (President), Myrna Foster (VP), Dede
Ross (Secretary), Tom Wagner (Treasurer) and
Don Rebtoy (Ways & Means). We are still trying to secure someone for Member-at-Large,
and it is possible we could recruit Sam Ciammitti again. Nominations are still open if you
want to throw your hat in the ring for any office.
MEMBERSHIP: Pat Ciammitti reported
membership stands at 126 households, 220 members and 107 T-birds: (23) ‘55s, (32) ‘56s and (52)
‘57s.
NEWSLETTER: Barb Blair was not present.
CTCI: Chuck Thompson mentioned he has
applications available.
TELEPHONE COMMITTEE: Kathy Marchisotto was not in attendance.
NOMINATIONS: John Marchisotto was not
present.
PARLIAMENTARIAN: Mike Wood reported
(5) ‘57s, (1) ‘56 and (2) ‘55s in attendance plus various other cars. He favored a 1957 T-bird belonging
to Pat Cox, who has had the car for 30 years; it was
her daily driver for 10 years! She earned a $20 gas
card. ▪ Mike is looking for a new home for his “red
nose pit bull dog,” saying she is spoiled but a good
friend.
NEW BUSINESS: Mike Wood mentioned a
possible fund-raiser “Left, Right, Center.” He proposed possible games after a meeting with players
sharing their winnings with the club. Also shared
was the idea of a car wash. Myrna Foster suggested in lieu of lady members appearing in bikinis
washing cars, perhaps we could do a calendar in
partnership with the Cameo Club. ▪ Mike Wood
spoke for Jeannie Kennedy, who was not at the
meeting, about a possible Halloween Party, and ask
if anyone has access to a club house that could be
used to hold such an event, as both the Elks Club
and the FOP Lodge were too expensive. ▪ Linda
Young said on Saturday, August 2, there will be an
Artists’ Retreat at the Embassy Suites near P.V.
Mall. All types of art work will be displayed, including paintings, jewelry and all types of crafts. Mention ACTC or the T-bird club and you can get in
free. Check out www.artunraveled.com to get an
idea of what will be available.
E-MAIL COORDINATOR: Shirley Pettingell
was not in attendance.
PUBLIC RELATIONS: Michael Trapasso had
no report; it’s too hot for car shows now.
OLD BUSINESS: Pat Ciammitti volunteered
son Robb Devlin to help out temporarily on the website. Thanks, Robb!
SPLIT THE POT: Mike Trapasso won $65.
A motion to adjourn the meeting at 10:30 AM
was made and seconded.
Respectfully submitted,
August-September 2014 Arizona Bird Chatter
Page 4
[continued from front page]
ACTC ARCHIVES
the rules of judging. At 9:00 AM all cleaning and
working on the cars stops and the judging begins.
Cars can register for the following categories:
Original with under-carriage judged
Original without under-carriage judged
Non-original with under-carriage judged
Non-original without under-carriage judged
Touring Class with hood open
Touring Class with hood closed
In all of the classes, the cars are judged
against a maximum number of points. Points are
deducted for judged imperfections: bugs on the radiator, glove box door fit, dents in the threshold panels, etc. Judges cannot touch the car and will not
reveal any deductions to the owner at the time of
judging. Once the judging was completed, CTCI
had planned a driving tour to a local ice cream drive
-in, complete with band and car show.
Saturday was a free day. Once again, CTCI
had planned another great trip, this time a tour of
local caverns. Then, in the evening, the awards
banquet. A very nice formal dinner for over 400
people followed by the long-awaited awards.
Awards were given to over 20 chapters for their fine
newsletters. Following that, the car awards started.
Congratulations to Chris and Sharon Ames, who
received second place in the Touring Class, and to
Jack and Nikki Musselmann, who received a gold in
the non-original class, and to Chuck and Judy
Thompson, who received a gold in the non-original
class. ACTC was well represented! It should also
be noted that Chris Ames volunteered and served
as a judge (not for his car) at this event.
So, wrapping this up, it was a great and worthwhile trip. Next year, there will be a CTCI Regional
Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico on August
26 thru 30. Why not try a new experience and join
us on that trip. Mark your calendars now. Fun
awaits.
…. Chuck Thompson
On a hot August Sunday 25
years ago, 47 T-birders had a
$6 breakfast at Piccadilly's Restaurant at 15th Avenue and Bethany
Home. They drove 14 T-birds to that meeting and
ACTC Prez Don Ulses announced that he thought
that was a pretty good showing for a group that size
and he hoped to see 50 T-birds at a future meeting.
A Region 3 CTCI convention was held at Hood
River, Oregon in August 1989 and was well represented by several AZ club members. Hilton Humble made us proud by being awarded the BEST OF
CLASS and BEST OF THE BEST awards for his beautiful ‘56 T-bird at the windy car show on the Columbia River bank. Making the award possible was Hilton’s wife Ardell, who cleaned all five of those wire
wheels!
Attendance was up at the September 1989
meeting with 77 members having breakfast for $8 at
the Shalimar Country Club in Tempe. Current club
membership numbers were announced: 131 family
memberships or 240 people in our club. It was a
good year. It was also a good year for Fred and
Karen Artus….. they got married!
Prez Don Ulses said he was still looking for 50
T-birds at a meeting.
Plans were under way for London Bridge Days
at Lake Havasu and the Gilbert Days parade. It was
a busy time.
The September minutes in the 1989 Bird Chatter filled three full pages and the 13 advertisers’
business cards filled another two pages in the eightpage Bird Chatter newsletter. In comparison, the
minutes in the July 2014 Bird Chatter filled 3/4 page,
and seven
advertisers’
business
cards filled
one page in
the colorful
12-page
Golden Quill
Awardwinning Arizona
Bird
Chatter.
….Stewart
Wright
Arizona Bird Chatter August-September 2014
Page 5
GRAND CANYON WEEKEND
Early Friday morning on June 20, Linda and I
met with John and Gail Dalmolin, their daughter,
Emily, and her friend, Sophia, at the McDonald’s at
Carefree Highway to begin the scenic trip to the
North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We stopped at
LITTLE AMERICA in Flagstaff to meet with Ed and
Kennedy Torel, dog Gretel, and Larry and Phyllis
Braasch and grandson, Logan, who was visiting
from Illinois. Lunch was at the scenic restaurant at
the Cameron Trading Post.
a large meadow, and at the cocktail party we
watched deer grazing. On Saturday morning we
observed a large herd of about 63 buffalo just inside
the park entrance.
When we arrived at the Grand Canyon North
Rim, we spent some time enjoying the canyon and
ate lunch at the Grand Canyon Lodge restaurant. Emily: “If I eat that grape, will Mom miss
it?” Sophia: “You better not, he has a camera.”
After lunch we drove north across the painted
desert, large areas of colorful ash and volcanic rock,
to Marble Canyon, taking a brief stop to walk out on
the Navajo bridge which spans the narrow canyon
and the Colorado River below.
Leaving Marble Canyon behind, we drove
along the majestic Vermillion Cliffs, and wound our
way up the old 1950’s highway 89A which climbs up
on top of the Kaibab Plateau to Jacob Lake, and
then it was on to the Kaibab Lodge. We spent both
nights in individual cabins at this family-owned historic lodge located about five miles outside the park
at an elevation of 8,700 feet. Our cabins overlooked
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August-September 2014 Arizona Bird Chatter
Sophia, Emily and Logan decided to take a
closer look at the canyon at Cape Royal Point. I
must admit, my knees grew weak and my hands
shook as I took this photo!
Logan, Larry and Phyllis chose this table by
the window.
“I remember you folks
from a few years ago.
Where’s that lady who fed
me all those nuts?”
After lunch we visited one of the most scenic
places at the Grand Canyon, Angel’s Window, at
Cape Royal Point.
That night we were all thankful to be sitting
around the table at the Grand Canyon Lodge for one
last look at the canyon from a much safer distance. Later that night back at the Kaibab Lodge,
with jackets and sweatshirts on, we looked through
the telescopes at the rings around Saturn and knew
that this is truly a marvelous world in which we
live. As we headed back to the Valley of the Sun on
Sunday, we all asked ourselves, “When are we coming back?” ….except for Larry Braasch who kept
asking, “How am I ever going to explain these photos to my grandson’s mother?!”
…. Gregg Thurston
Arizona Bird Chatter August-September 2014
FLAGSTAFF ROUTE 66 DAYS
September 5-7
If you are planning on joining us
for this event, please let me know by
either e-mail or on my cell phone, (602)
380-8819. Also, I need to know if you
will be caravanning and stopping for
lunch on Friday, joining us Friday night
for Happy Hour and dinner at the hotel, and Saturday night for dinner at Jake’s on the Green restaurant at the Continental Country Club.
I think there is still room available if you would
like to enter a car in the show. I have entry forms; if
you need one, please contact me.
This year we will be staying at the Marriott
Courtyard Hotel again. The room rates will be the
same as last year, $119 per night plus tax, double
occupancy. The number for the hotel is (928) 7745800. Make sure that you mention the Arizona
Classic Thunderbird Club to get the good rate. The
hotel reservation cutoff date is August 15.
Friday morning, September 5, we will meet at I
-17 and Carefree Highway at McDonald’s at 9:00
AM. We will leave by 9:30 AM and caravan to Cliff
Castle Casino where we will stop for lunch. We
have two options for lunch: the Mountain Springs
Buffet and Johnny Rocket Café. Both are good
places to eat. After lunch we will continue on to
Flagstaff. For those who are in the show, we will
continue to downtown Flagstaff and pick up our
show packets. Everyone else will exit at #341 and
go to the hotel to check in.
Friday night we will have our Happy Hour in
the hotel bar. They will give us the corporate rate
for the drinks, $2 for local beer and $3 for wine and
well drinks. I plan on having the Friday night dinner
in the hotel conference room again, and will have it
catered by Olive Garden Restaurant. They did a
great job last year. I will also have appetizers for
the Happy Hour from the Olive Garden. I am hoping
to keep the cost the same at $18 per person. I will
collect the money for the dinner Friday night at the
Happy Hour.
Saturday is the show. We will try and leave
the hotel by 6:30 AM. I think we should just go
straight to the city hall parking lot and park under
the shaded canopy. It was a nice area last year and
Page 7
close enough to enjoy the show and downtown
Flagstaff. If you do not want to leave early for the
show, the hotel has a shuttle that will bring you to
downtown Flagstaff later.
Saturday dinner will be at Jake’s on the Green
at the Continental Country Club. It is about a 5- to
10-minute drive from the hotel with lots of parking. I
will have directions from the hotel. Entrees range
from $15 to $25, and it is a complete meal. We will
be ordering from their main menu, and they will provide separate checks.
Sunday we will head home, either caravanning
or individually.
Thank you for choosing this event!
…. Paul & Jean Fruscello
RUN TO THE PINES
SEPTEMBER 26-28
If anyone is planning to
go to the Pinetop Car show
this September, you should
know that the show is sold
out. If you’d like to go just to
spend the weekend and get
away from the summer heat
and need a room, please
contact me, and I’ll give you a room reservation
number. We have seven rooms left at the Hon-Dah
Casino. All you have to do is transfer the reservation number that I give you from the AZ Classic
Thunderbird Car Club into your name. The phone
numbers for the casino are (928) 369-7600 or (800)
929-8744. Please let me know when you make
your reservation.
Whether you have entered a car in the show or
just plan to go for the weekend, if you’d like to caravan, meet at the Denny’s on Shea and Saguaro
Boulevards in Fountain Hills at 10:00 AM on September 26. We will leave at 10:30 for lunch in Payson.
Jerry Bestland has volunteered to lead the caravan. Thanks, Jerry!
On Friday there is the BBQ at the casino, free
for those who have a car entered in the show. For
others who would like to attend the BBQ, tickets are
available. Everyone will be on their own for Saturday night’s dinner.
…. John Marchisotto
August-September 2014 Arizona Bird Chatter
Page 8
HALLOWEEN PARTY
WANTED: Three tall men.
Acting talent optional.
WANTED: Three witchy-type women who don’t
mind looking nasty for one night. No acting or singing talent expected.
WANTED: Some inexpensive place to have the
party!
You know of a place? Call me: Jeannie K at
623-249-4316 or 702-573-2184.
WANTED: Lots and lots of enthusiastic people
to attend said party, no matter where it’s held.
Are you one of them? E-mail me: jeanniek228@gmail.com
WANTED: Anyone, male or female, who would
like to join the committee to put this all together.
New to the club? This is a good way to get
initiated! Jump in!
…. Jeannie Kennedy
MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS
March 6-8, 2015
Thanks to all of you who registered
for this event for March 6-8, 2015.
The Caballeros have just recently
deposited our registration checks, and I
suspect that we will soon be receiving the
postcard confirmations in the mail. Not
sure how long it might be ‘til those cards
show up, so please be patient. If you gave
me a check, they did receive it and you
will have a spot in the show for 2015.
If you registered a vehicle for this show, you
are on my hotel list. Likewise if you went with us
this year, unless you told me not to include you. So
if you would like to attend next year but didn’t go this
year and didn’t register a vehicle for next year,
please let me know and I’ll get you on the hotel list.
As for the hotel, room confirmation numbers at
the Clarion won’t be available until later in the year,
and once I get them, I’ll e-mail each of you with your
number. I’ll also let any of you know if you need to
call the hotel to give them your credit card information or update what Theresa has on file for you.
If at any point before the show you need to
cancel, please do NOT call the hotel to do so; just let
me know and I’ll take care of your cancellation, and
may also be able to sell your registration.
Remember, when you call me or e-mail me for
a room, a registration or a cancellation, you aren’t
bothering me, you are doing it right!
…. Tom Wagner
(602) 448-1891
tywagner56@msn.com
What has to be the most elegant McDonald’s in
the world is located in New Hyde Park, NY. If you
look closely, you’ll see Kathy Marchisotto on the
front porch waiting for John to take this picture.
Remember to wear your
name tag to meetings!
There’s a $1 fine
for failure to do so!
WAYS & MEANS
Wow!
Bumper 2 Bumper
shirts were a hit at your T-bird store,
D
selling like hotcakes to ’55, ’56 and
’57 owners and fans alike.
If you missed your chance to own one of these
hot t-shirts, you’re in luck ‘cause a re-order is to be
launched soon. Call me right away!
Our T-bird store’s newest way to keep track of
the days is via a neat metal perpetual Route 66 calendar with a map of the highway in the background.
A perfect guy or gal Christmas/birthday gift for home
or shop use. This new featured calendar is bargain
priced at $24. Rush orders possible!
…. The Don
Arizona Bird Chatter August-September 2014
~ WE
Page 9
ACTC ADVERTISERS ~
Sandy Trasente, Owner
3515 West Union Hills #102, Glendale, AZ 85308
Phone (602) 896-4000 or (888) 896-1199
E-mail: KruiseAway@aol.com
Web: www.arrowhead.cruiseholidays.com
E-mail: rob.slagle@sstireaz.com
ROB SLAGLE
Picture from the Past
“I got my
purse at the
99¢ store!”
August-September 2014 Arizona Bird Chatter
Page 10
~ NO AUGUST MEETING ! ~
~ SEPTEMBER MEETING ~
~ REFERENCE NUMBERS ~
September 14 ..................................... Elks Club
14424 North 32nd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85032
Phone: (602) 482-2335
9:30 AM breakfast meeting .......................... $11
Call Sam at (480) 544-8840 with
last-minute reservations or cancellations
Please give your caller an accurate count!
All ACTC meetings
are smoke-free!
~ NO AUGUST ACTIVITY ! ~
~ SEPTEMBER ACTIVITIES ~
September 5-7 ............... Route 66 Flagstaff
September 26-28 ............ Run to the Pines
Web address ......... www.arizonaclassicthunderbirds.org
Submit articles and/or information to:
Arizona Bird Chatter
P.O. Box 5008
Carefree, AZ 85377-5008
NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: 20th OF THE MONTH !
Arizona Bird Chatter
Published by:
Arizona Classic Thunderbird Club
CTCI Chapter 35
Post Office Box 5008
Carefree, AZ 85377-5008