Karen and I just got back from a quick trip to Europe. It was sort of a “last fling” for us before our new baby arrives in August. We had a wonderful time of course, and we had the opportunity to swing by the Porsche factory in Stuttgart. Unfortunately the Factory Tour we had made an appointment for was unavailable because the Porsche representative I spoke with on the phone obviously forgot that April 12^th was Easter Monday in Germany, which is a legal holiday and thus the entire factory was closed!! While this was a big disappointment, we still had fun checking out the museum and taking a few snapshots. As far as our trip goes, it ended up working out fine because we got to our next destination…the city of Wuerzburg…three hours earlier than planned and we got to do several interesting things there that weren’t on our agenda. So…win some, lose some!

Glenn at his recent visit to the Porsche factory in Stuttgart, Germany

However, you should have no such disappointments here at home! We have tons of activity going on in the DER. One new event deserves a closer look: The inaugural Mackworth Island Show-n-Shine will be on July 25^th, and we’re working closely with other local car clubs to try and create a truly magnificent event. There will be a fun concours…nothing to stress over, and if you’ve never been to Mackworth Island before, you owe it to yourself to swing by! The proceeds will benefit the Baxter School for the Deaf. As host club, it’s important that we have a strong showing, so if you can stop by and show your car or maybe even lend a helping hand, I think it will be well worth your while. The club is viewing this event as an opportunity to “get our feet wet” before next year’s 2005 Zone 1 Concours and Rally.

Speaking of the 2005 event, we’ve had our first focus group meeting and we’re starting to get some volunteers! There’ll be more focus group meetings, so please attend and help play a role. I personally think that when this event is done, those who helped create it are going to feel an enormous sense of pride and accomplishment. The club is going to put its best foot forward for this event and I strongly encourage anyone who wants to participate. Please look to the Event Calendar for details about upcoming meetings.

Harry “Dutch” Dresser has graciously volunteered to organize another DER trip to The Balsams resort in New Hampshire. Last year’s Balsam’s run was an enormous success, and those who participated in it are still ranting and raving! So, it is very much by popular demand that we’ll be offering this wonderful tour again. Don’t miss out this time!

There are several events that are in the planning stages, including a tour of a vintage Lockheed Constellation prop-driven airliner undergoing restoration in Auburn! This event will include breakfast in the area, and perhaps the chance to see one of the massive 24-cylinder Pratt and Whitney radial engines fired up for us! If you love horsepower, this is a must-do event! As always, keep a sharp eye on the newsletter and website Event Calendars. The schedule is always changing. If you have any questions, please get in touch with the person listed as point of contact or feel free to give me a shout, and we’ll get you some answers right away.

We’re going to have a great season here in the Down East Region. We have a bunch of stuff going on, and we’d love to have your participation and help if possible. We’ve got a strong club with a lot of enthusiasm, and together we can have a banner 2004 season. I’ll see you around!