The Steering Wheel

Our Mission Statement:
To share the love of our antique cars and to show them off.
To enjoy fellowship of other car enthusiasts.

OCTOBER 2011 Vol.11#07

Officers:
President: / Al Preisner / (616) 874-9336
Vice President: / Carl Esakson / (616) 677-5816
Secretary: / Nancy Brailey / (616) 363-3947
Treasurer: / Leon DeLange / (616) 878-3618
Board of Directors:
11/12 / Dennis Biggins / (616) 365-1371
11/12 / Nancy Brailey / (616) 363-3947
11/12 / Craig Chalmers / (616) 361-2220
11/12 / Sally Thelen / (616) 363-4121
10/11 / Fred Brailey / (616) 363-3947
10/11 / Cecil Chalmers / (616) 897-8348
10/11 / Jim Nyman / (616) 949-7879
Committee Chairs:
April Auction / Virgil Phelps / (616) 874-1289
Al Preisner / (616) 874-9336
Christmas Banquet / Louise Phelps / (616) 874-1289
Judy Swift / (616) 450-7245
Club Historian / Roseanne Lynch / (616) 460-2161
Club Picnic / John & Bonnie Woodman / (616) 997-6413
Membership / Al Preisner / (616) 874-9336
Metro 28th Cruise / Leon DeLange / (616) 878-3618
Newsletter – Typing / Bonnie Woodman / (616) 997-6413
Newsletter – Mailing / Marcia Rossman / (616) 784-5274
Retirement Visits / Cheryl Chalmers / (616) 361-2220
Sick & Shut-Ins / Linda Biggins / (616) 365-1371
Special Events / Ruth Esakson / (616) 677-5816
Cynthia Smith / (231) 937-4513
Tours: Dust-Off / Sean & Cynthia Smith / (231) 937-4513
Late Summer One-Day
Fall One-Day
Fall Two-Day

Events Calendar

** Indicates a SPECIAL Event

Sept 27 Tue GRACC Membership Meeting – 2161 Leonard NW – GR – St. Ann’s Home

Meeting @ 7:00 pm – Greeter: Dick & Dorothy Olmsted

Entertainment: Guest Speaker – Frank Boring ( GVSU Professor) on the

Veterans History Project

Oct 11 Tue GRACC Board Meeting – 2161 Leonard NW – GR – St. Ann’s Home

Meeting @ 7:00 pm - Host: Jim Nyman

Oct 25 Tue GRACC Membership Meeting – 2161 Leonard NW – GR – St. Ann’s Home

Meeting @ 7:00 pm – Greeters: Dennis & Linda Biggins

Entertainment: Fall Potluck

Nov 8 Tue GRACC Board Meeting – 2161 Leonard NW – GR – St. Ann’s Home

Meeting @ 7:00 pm

Nov 22 Tue GRACC Membership Meeting – 2161 Leonard NW – GR – St. Ann’s Home

Meeting @ 7:00 pm – Entertainment: Yearly Elections

Dec 13 Tue Annual Dinner and Awards Banquet – Boulder Creek Country Club

Cannonsburg – More details coming soon.

Dates marked in BOLD, Underlined and marked with a double asterisk ** are SPECIAL Events and Visits. Please make note of these dates. These events and visits earn points toward the year-end awards.

** We will now have a 50/50 Raffle and/or a prize drawing at all membership meetings – this is to help offset the cost of the Christmas Awards Banquet.

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FROM THE PRESIDENT

Hi Everyone,

(from Bonnie) – Al missed our board meeting so I’ll be doing his comments. I’m sure he would say that he hopes all is well, but we do have a few on our “sick & shut-ins” list – I’m sure they would appreciate a card, hoping for their restored health.

Events and Visits are starting to wind down, only one or two left to participate in. Fall is fast approaching. We have a guest speaker for the September meeting, a professor from GVSU, speaking on the Veterans History Project which should be very interesting. In October is our Fall Potluck, and it is always something to look forward to. It’s not too early to think of upcoming elections; we will need at least four new board members, so start asking around to see who would be willing to serve. That’s all for now, take care and hope to see you all at the next membership meeting.

Your GRACC President,

Al Preisner

$ Treasurer’s Report from Leon DeLange $

This is the September report for year 2011:

Treasurer's report
Balance August 23, 2011 $5,869.82
Receipts 353.00
Disbursements -110.15

Balance September 12, 2011 $6,112.67

Note: a further detailed report will be available at the September membership meeting.

Committee Reports

Sick & Shut-Ins

Linda Biggins – Chair

If you yourself, or if you know of someone else in the club who has been ill and/or in the hospital, has

had a death in the family, etc., please call Linda and let her know – 616-365-1371.

Judy Johnson has been in the hospital, was supposed to come home on Wed, Sept 14. Cards may be sent to: 1018 Colrain St SW, Wyoming, MI 49509

Roger Beard has been a bit under the weather also, cards may be sent to: 1109 Short St NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Fred & Nancy Brailey were in a car accident on the way home from Detroit – seeing Nancy’s Drs. – Fred is badly banged up with bruises, etc and Nancy ended up with a broken leg, along with bruises, etc. Fred is home and Nancy is back in the Nursing Home.

Cards may be sent to: 4393 Valley Vale Dr NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525

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Retirement Visits

Brought to you by Cheryl Chalmers

(616) 361-2220

St. Ann’s Home – Thurs, Aug. 11: Casey Meyer & Ruth, Bob & Ruth Wood, John & Judy Wilson, Ruth & Carl Esakson, Bob & Carol Diefenbaker, Cecil Chalmers, Craig & Cheryl Chalmers, Len & Judy Johnson, Denny & Linda Biggins, Sig & Margie Baumgart, Don Sheridan, Lavina Oosterhouse, Bob Giles, Dave Birdsall, Al Preisner, Dick & Dorothy Olmsted, John & Barb Rutka, John & Bonnie Woodman, Forrest Scott & Alice Cooke, Fred & Arlene Eisen, Roger Beard, Gene & Patti Birdsall, Jim & Penny Nyman, Ken & Nancy Bogardus, Roseanne Lynch, and Leon & Shirley DeLange brought their cars for a total of 28 cars great turnout. We were also visited by Pete & Alice Russo.

Sunrise Home – Fri, Aug 12: Craig & Cheryl Chalmers, Cecil Chalmers & Susan, Chuck & Judy Swift, Jim & Penny Nyman, Denny Biggins, Roger Beard, Casey Meyer, Dick & Dorothy Olmsted, and John & Judy Wilson attended.

Hearthstone – Wed, Aug. 17: Cecil Chalmers, Craig & Cheryl Chalmers & Justice, Casey Meyer, Denny Biggins, Bob & Ruth Wood, Dick & Dorothy Olmstead, and Pete & Alice Russo attended.

Oakrest – Thurs, Aug 18: Cecil Chalmers, Craig & Cheryl Chalmers, Dick & Dorothy Olmstead, Roger Beard, Casey Meyer, Denny & Linda Biggins, John & Judy Wilson, and Jim Nyman attended.

Northview Manor – Fri, Aug 19: Cecil Chalmers, Denny Biggins, Ruth & Carl Esakson & Michael, Dick & Dorothy Olmstead, Sally Thelen & Frank, Jim Nyman, Craig & Cheryl Chalmers, John & Judy Johnson, Casey Meyer, and Ken & Nancy Bogardus attended.

RestHaven – Tues, Aug 30: Dave Birdsall & Bob Giles, John & Barb Rutka, Cecil Chalmers, Len & Judy Johnson, Bob & Ruth Wood, Craig Chalmers & Justice, Denny Biggins, Jim Nyman, Casey Meyer, and Ken Bogardus attended.

We are coming down to the last few retirement home visits. Thank you for joining us at the past ones and we hope you can make it to the rest!

Thank you to all who joined us! Cheryl Chalmers

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Special Events

Brought to you by Ruth Esakson & Cynthia Smith

(616) 677-5816

The following are past events and those who attended …….

Sat. Aug. 13, 2011 - Grand Rapids West Leonard Library-Craig and Cheryl Chalmers, Denny Biggins, Cecil Chalmers, Roseanne Lynch, John and Bonnie Woodman, Carl and Ruth Esakson, Sally Thelen, Dick and Dorothy Olmsted, Al Preisner, John and Judy Wilson, Leon and Shirley DeLange, Bob and Carol Diefenbaker, Jim Nyman, Len and Judy Johnson, Casey Meyer, Roger Beard and Sig Baumgart.

Thanks to everyone for coming. The people at the library really appreciated it and are thinking of having us again.

August 20, 2011 - Greenville Parade: attendees were - August 20, 2011 Greenville Parade

Carl and Ruth Esakson, Cecil Chalmers and Susan, John and Judy Wilson, Al Preisner, Denny and Linda Biggins, John and Bonnie Woodman, Casey Meyer and Beth, Sig and Margie Baumgart, Dick Olmsted, Fred Eisen and Ron, Ken and Nancy Bogardus and Roger Beard.

Thanks again, Ruth & Cynthia

Membership

Al Presiner – Chair

Welcome to our newest members – Tim & Betty Afton. They live on the NW side of Grand Rapids and own two cars – a 1951 Pontiac Chief Coupe and a ‘Model A’ Replicar. Please be sure to say ‘Hi! and Welcome’ when you see them at the next club event.

We currently have 12 ‘Life Time members’ and 58 paid families, giving us a total of 69 families in our club.

Dues are $20.00 per family for the year. They can be paid by check made out to GRACC and mailed to: Al Preisner at 7973 Ramsdell Dr NE – Rockford, MI 49341-8079. They can also be turned in at the next club meeting.

Note: we have blank applications and some fliers that you can pick up at the meetings. Keep them handy so that if you talk to someone who may be interested in joining, you’ll have contact information to give out.

Extra Newsworthy News

Upcoming New Directory of Club Members

68 profile sheets were mailed out last month one to each family; so far I only have 30 returned. PLEASE – return yours (if you haven’t already) so that I can start working on the 2012 directory. I would like to get started and need the updated information.

SPECIAL NOTE TO THE SNOWBIRDS: If you wish to receive the newsletter while in the ‘sunny’ south, be sure to include your Winter address at the bottom of the profile sheet.

You can call or e-mail me if you have any questions.

Thanks, Bonnie (616) 997-6413 (or e-mail: )

Fifth Annual 28th Street Metro Cruise®

Metro Cruise Report

From Leon DeLange

On August 27, 2011, a beautiful day with a pleasant breeze, 20 antique cars and 38 club members and their friends gathered to enjoy a parade of beautiful old and modified vehicles at the annual Metro Cruise. We gathered at the parking lot of the Christian Reformed Church denominational building and shared the lot with the Christian Rodders Association. This was an excellent location, providing a prime place to display our cars and a generous lawn area to sit and visit together and watch all the vehicles going by. Members and their cars began arriving about 9:30 am. During the morning, canopies were put up, folks and cars continued to arrive. At noon, a delicious potluck lunch was enjoyed by all. The rest of the day included lots of interaction among members and friends and everyone enjoying the exhibition taking place on 28th St. Many people driving along 28th Street saw our cars, pulled in, parked their car and got out to walk around our attractive and interesting cars for a closer look.

** Auto Trivia Answer: Last month’s mystery car was a: 1949 Chrysler Town & Country Woody Convertible

Visit our web site at http://clubs.hemmings.com/gracc

Upcoming Car Shows/Cruises/Swap Meets - 2011

Cruises:

· April 15 – Oct 15 – Deanos Cruz In – Allegan – call Gery Bentley – 269-650-0010

· May 3 – October 25 – Mr Quick Cruise Night – Muskegon - call Ernie 231-788-2393

Back Seat Drivers

OCTOBER Recipes

Skillet Chicken & Rice

1 ¼ lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into cubes ½ tsp. garlic powder

1 ¾ cup chick Broth or stock ¾ cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

½ tsp. dried basil leaves, crushed 1 pkg (16 oz) frozen broccoli, cauliflower, carrots combo

Cook the chicken in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often. Remove chicken from the skillet. Stir the broth, basil & garlic powder in the skillet and heat to a boil. Stir in rice. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in vegetables. Return chicken to skillet. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.

Heirloom Tomato Salad

1 lb. mixed fresh tomatoes, chopped (red & yellow) ¼ cup Tuscan House Italian Dressing/Marinade

½ cup thinly sliced red onions 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

¼ cup crumbled Feta Cheese w/basil & tomato 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Combine ingredients – chill – serve ( if made ahead of time, don’t add cheese until ready to serve)

Cherry Nut Crunch

1 can cherry pie filling ½ cup oleo, melted

1 small pkg. Jiffy yellow cake mix ½ cup nuts, chopped

Butter a 9x9-inch cake pan, spread cherry filling on bottom of pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over cherries, drizzle melted butter over cake mix, then sprinkle nuts over top. Bake for 40 minutes at 375^ or until cake is brown. Serve.

A Donation Drive to help our Veterans

Boy Scout Troop # 367 is having a special ‘BINGO’ night for the veterans at the GR Home for Vets in Grand Rapids in November. They are in need of gifts to give as prizes. For those wishing to donate, bring your items to either the September and/or October meetings and we will see that they get in the right hands.

The following are suggested items that are in need.

List of items needed:

· AA Batteries

· Denture Cleaning Supplies

· Toothpaste (for sensitive teeth) and Toothbrushes (soft)

· NEW men’s underwear (in the pkg) size M to 5 XL

· NEW women’s underwear (in the pkg) size M to XXL

· NEW Sweatpants or other elastic-waist, washable pants – size L to 5XL (the very large sizes are needed the most) for both men and women

· Diabetic socks