Volume 23 #4 May, 2013 Upcoming Events May 11 Pi Meets WP Cruise or Sun Sep 7 or 8 Golf Outing May 18 Bayernhof Mansion Cruise Sep 14 Johnstown Incline Cruise hu Jun 6 WPMC Monthly eleconference Meeting Sun Sep 29 Bigler Rocks Cruise Jun 15 Forks of Cheat Winery Cruise -Sun Oct 5-6 Cruisin on the River/Zoomin in our Miatas hu Jun 27 WPMC Monthly eleconference Meeting or Sun Oct 19 or 20 Halloween Cruise Sun Jun 30 Stan Hywet Mansion (Goodyear ire Baron) Cruise Dec 7 WPMC Christmas Party Jul 13 -Sun Jul 20-21 -Sun Jul 26-27 hu Aug 1 or Sun Aug 3 or 4 Aug 10 Aug 24 -Mon Aug 31 - Sep 2 Pittsburgh rolley Museum Cruise Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Niagara Falls Wine Cruise with rillium Club WPMC Monthly eleconference Meeting Harmony Museum Cruise WPMC Picnic Debence Antique Music Works Cruise opless in the Mountains XIX with rillium Club PI Meets WP Cruise (or WP Meets PI) by Dennis Weber W PMC has invited PIMC to participate in our May 11, 2013 cruise. Presque Isle Miata Club, located in Erie, PA, will join us in a fun day of shopping, driving, eating, and top down zooming in Sunny Central Pennsylvania. We will meet under the large Premium Outlets Mall sign at 10:15 AM, urday May 11, 2013 in Grove City PA. he Outlet Mall is located at I-79 Exit 113 and Rt-208 in Butler County. he large sign faces I-79 on the East side of the mall. GPS 41.14099*N 80.15566*W As usual, have the Miata's tank full and yours empty. We will meet inside the Food Court of the Mall facing the large sign for a quick cup of coffee and making new friends. At this time, the ladies will have the opportunity to spend the next three hours shopping or enjoying the cruise. he shoppers will have 130 stores to shop for spring fashions. (continued on page 2)
2 (continued from page 1) he drivers will enjoy a challenging drive around Mercer and Lawrence Counties. Drivers meeting at 10:45AM and we will leave promptly at 11:00AM. Around 2:00 PM, the smiling drivers will return to pick up the shoppers and stuff their trunks with shoes, shorts, and shirts followed by a 5 minute drive to Lunch/Dinner. During dinner, we have the opportunity to meet a great group of people who all share the same passion for driving Miatas. We hope this cruise will lead to many more joint events with Presque Isle Miata Club. Please RSVP by April 30, 2003 to Dennis or Ruthann Weber at 724-342- 1296 or zoomtopless@live.com. Bayernhof Museum Cruise by Bill & Nancy Willis (Editor s Note - Information only - Cruise is full) he former home of Mr. Charles B. Brown, III, the museum's founder, is a 19,000 square foot museum which houses a large collection of music boxes and other fascinating automatic musical instruments, as well as many other interesting items. Mr. Brown's wish was that his collection be displayed in his home rather than in a "warehouse" type of setting. As a result, patrons visiting the museum see not only the fascinating music machines, but have the opportunity to experience a most unusual house as well. he building itself provides guests with an interesting experience as they pass from room to room, at times through hidden doors and secret passages. Almost the entire south side is glass giving fantastic views up and down the Allegheny River. Go to the website www.bayernhofmuseum.com to find out more. Admission is only $10.00 per person. Please give me the money for admission on., May 18, before we start the cruise. We are restricted to 16 people so please sign up as soon as possible. Lunch will be at Michael A's Restaurant and then off to Oakmont Bakery for dessert but save room for ice cream after the Bayernhof Museum. Please go to the Michael A's website www.michaelarestaurant.com and let me know your lunch selection so I can call it in ahead. Date & ime: urday, May 18, 9:00 AM - Leaving 9:15 AM Place: Kings Restaurant in Sarver GPS - Kings Restaurant, 400 Buffalo Plaza, Sarver, PA 16055 RSVP by May 3 to Bill at (H) 724-226-3461, (C) 412-335-3108 or boomermiata@comcast.net. Remember it is limited to 16 people so register as soon as possible to guarantee your spot. Forks of Cheat Winery and Distillery Cruise by Bob and Dorothy Wachter O n June 15 we will cruise to Forks of Cheat Winery near Cheat Lake in Morgantown, WV. It was one of the cruises that we led during Miata Mountain Mania in 2010. he cruise will take about 3 hours from Indiana, but it is worth the drive through the twisty and curvy roads of Indiana County. Once we reach Morgantown, we ll have lunch at Yesterdays Restaurant before going to the winery. he menu is on their website at yesterdaysrestaurantbarandgrille.com. Moonshine, grappa, and over 20 varieties of wine are available at the winery. Leaving the winery we will travel through Greene and Washington counties before stopping at the DQ for ice cream. Date & ime: June 15 - Meet at 9:15 AM - Leave at 9:30 AM Place- Sheetz in Indiana PA - 525 Ben Franklin Rd. South (corner of Warren Rd. and Ben Franklin Rd. ) RSVP: By June 13 to Bob or Dorothy at 724-357-8377 or bdwachter@yahoo.com
3 W Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens Cruise by Brian & Sheila Bell est Penn Miata Lovers, please join us on Sunday, June 30th, as we cruise the back roads of Pennsylvania and Ohio, enroute to a magnificent historic house museum and country estate, known as the Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens. Built in 1912-1915 for Frank Seiberling, co-founder of the Goodyear ire Co., this 65 room manor house contains art treasures from around the world. he property also offers a restored English garden, a Japanese garden, a lagoon, and scenic vistas. We will take a one hour guided tour of the manor house, and then a self guided tour of the beautiful gardens. Admission is $9.50 per person, and will be collected at the beginning of the cruise. A late lunch will be eaten shortly after our tour, followed by an ice cream stop on the way home. Please meet us at the Sheetz Gas Station at the Grove City Outlets(Exit 113 on I79 (Grove City) by 8:00, as we plan on beginning our cruise, promptly at 8:30. Reservations must be made by Sunday, June 23rd, by emailing bbell1@zoominternet.net or calling (724)458-5128. We hope you are able to join us. raveling to the rolleys - A Cruise to the Pennsylvania rolley Museum by John & Shar Whitmire J oin us for a back roads cruise on curvy, twisty, Miata roads in scenic Washington County to the Pennsylvania rolley Museum, the only museum of its kind operating on the 5' 21/2" gauge streetcar track common in Pennsylvania. Our WPMC tour will include a brief orientation video and photo exhibit in the rolley Museum and a guided tour of the rolley Display Building, which houses more than 30 streetcars. We will also be taking a scenic 4-mile ride on an antique trolley. After our visit to the rolley Museum we ll head to "Mr. Bigs" for a delicious lunch. (We'll let you all decide how the restaurant got its interesting name.) After lunch we'll cruise a short distance to our ice cream venue, on the edge of Canonsburg. For those who wish to head home from there, it is near I79, or you may cruise with us back to Moon ownship on more fun back country roads. Date & ime: July 13 - Meet at 8:30 AM - Leave at 9:00 AM Place: Giant Eagle parking lot in Moon ownship, 5990 University Boulevard, Moon ownship 15108 (Immediately across the street from the entrance to Robert Morris University) Fee: Group Rate Adults = $8.50, Seniors (62+) = $7.50. We will collect the rolley Museum fee at the drivers meeting (Cash or check made out to Shar Whitmire). RSVP: By July 8 to Shar or John at (412) 262-1813, (412) 716-4314 (John's cell), or johnandshar1@comcast.net. We need to let the museum know how many will attend. Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix by Wally Swarmer P reparations are well under way for this year's PVGP. Our car club will once again be participating in he International Car Show on urday, July 20. We will have a tent that can be used on urday and Sunday. All members are welcome and are encouraged to invite any Miata owners not in the club to join us. Check out all the activities included in the PVGP on their website pvgp.org. More details about our club's day will be included in next month's newsletter. June Deadline he deadline for articles for the June newsletter is June 8, 2013
4 opless in the Mountains - XIX by Steve Lapp he rillium Club of Canada has once again invited WPMC to join them for opless in the Mountains - XIX. Dates are urday, August 31 to Monday, September 2. An optional third day of cruising on September 2 may be added. As always, this event is about one thing - DRIVING. Over the course of two days, expect to drive your Miata over 350 miles on some of the best roads West Virginia has to offer. he cruise will operate from the Hampton Inn in Elkins, WV. urday s cruise will go north toward ygart Lake State Park, while Sunday s will head east toward Seneca Rocks. A limit of 20 cars total has been set and the procedure for registration follows. 1. Contact Steve Lapp at slapp@westpennmiataclub.com or 412-366-3388 to obtain a registration form. 2. Contact the Hampton Inn to insure rooms blocked for this event are still available. rillium is controlling the number of cars by the number of available hotel rooms. If a room is available, make your reservation, complete the registration form, and send it to Richard Rutsch, the leader of this event. Please contact Steve Lapp with any questions. Run with the Miatas Cruise Report By Shar Whitmire M iata cruises are always great fun, and this cruise was not only enjoyable but also informative! Cruising north and west from where we met near the Grove City Outlets, we were soon in Ashtabula County, Ohio, a regional heartland of covered bridges & wineries. Although we set out in chilly temps, we were all tops down within a short time. Our cruise leaders Larry and Pat Pietropaoli had clearly done their research and provided us with plenty of photo opportunities and interesting factoids regarding the architectural significance of the various covered bridges we visited, while cruising through the picturesque Ohio countryside. Noon found us at the beautiful Chalet Debonne Vineyards, where we were able to sit outside under tables with umbrellas, as we enjoyed our lunch and watched some colorful and interestingly shaped kites dance against a gorgeous blue sky. Departing from lunch, we cruised to the South River Vineyard, housed in a century-old church, where we enjoyed wine tasting and posing for our group picture. Cruising to our last covered bridge, more photos were taken before we headed towards ice cream and home. A wonderful day with great cruise leaders Pat & Larry and fellow Miata drivers! Pennsylvania s New Yellow Dot Program by Pam Gregar his new program has proven to be an effective way for drivers injured in an accident to relay important information to emergency response teams. All you need to do is place a special yellow sticker in the bottom left corner of the rear window. his alerts first responders to check the glove compartment for your emergency contact information, medical history, and a list of medications. It's also a vital tool in less serious accidents when victims are in shock and may have difficulty remembering things. Where to get a kit-----pennsylvania's Yellow Dot kits are available from: online at http://www.yellowdot.pa.gov/ (click on "How can I participate in Yellow Dot?") at one of Pennsylvania's 52 Area Agencies on Aging at Regional EMS/County Health Centers (Call 877-PA- Health 877-724-3258 to find the nearest center.) he kit includes a yellow dot decal, which you put on your vehicle's rear window. You need to complete a personal information form that asks for such things as your contact information, medical history, medications, and hospital preference. he document along with a photo should be placed in your glove box. he Yellow Dot Program is a cooperative effort among the state departments of ransportation, Health, and Aging, the Pennsylvania urnpike Commission, first responders, and local law enforcement.
5 2013 CRUISIN & ZOOMIN SEASON BY LINDA ZIMLIKI he 2013 cruisin season has started and we had perfect weather for our first cruise. here is a lot more to come. Some of this year s cruises have an attendance limit so it s important to contact the leader as soon as possible if you want to attend. We will also be joining other clubs for some of our cruises. he first one will be this urday when we will host the Presque Isle Miata Club. We have some schedule changes. he Debence Antique Music Works is now urday, August 24. he Johnstown Incline Cruise is now urday, September 14. A new cruise has been added - opless In he Mountains urday, August 31 to Monday, September 2 Labor Day weekend. It is hosted by the rillium Miata Club. Check out the article in this newsletter for more information. map on the cruise itself, the project was a lot of fun. here were fourteen cars behind us focused on our every turn. Speaking of turns, my navigator was a bit anxious when I advised that getting lost was the navigator's problem and all complaints would be passed along to the appropriate department. We held back a secret surprise till the last stop when I somehow became tired of driving and my navigator had to drive home, using the standard transmission, "first" time with eleven cars following, and watching...whatever you might have heard, it worked. We made it. o those great people who shared the day with us, thank you. You are what make these days memorable. Also, I just want to say thank you to all who offered support and encouragement along the way to support my wife's efforts to master the standard transmission. We can now plan longer cruises and many more destinations. For events that may interest you, please check past newsletters. If you are interested in other clubs regional events, check the bottom of the Calendar of Events on our website. Zoom, zoom zoom! Enjoy this year's Cruisin & Zoomin Season. Boomin' Zoomers by President Larry Pietropaoli here is a first time for everything... On urday, May 4, Pat & I conducted our "first" cruise: "Run With the Miatas" to Ashtabula County Ohio, visiting the covered bridges, wineries, and breweries. From the research, planning, two dry runs, newsletter advertising, game day orientation, and following our own Jim Pacillo and his Happy Miata
Officers e-mail: web site: wpmc@westpennmiataclub.com http://www.westpennmiataclub.com Founder: Paul Fronko President: Larry Pietropaoli Vice President: Larry Shockling (724) 869-9405 (724) 327-6922 West Penn Club Legalese he FUN N HE SUN IMES is published as a service by the West Penn Miata Club, Inc. a non-profit corporation. reasurer: Pam Gregar Secretary: Bob Coon Events Chair: Linda Zimliki Past President: Bill Willis (724) 331-9788 (412) 366-0261 (724)327-1762 (724) 226-3461 Editor - In - Chief: Steve Lapp Send all editorial contributions to: WES PENN MIAA c/o Steve Lapp 105 Gadshill Place Pittsburgh, PA 15237 e-mail: slapp@westpennmiataclub.com he WES PENN MIAA assumes no liability for any information contained herein; or injury or damage resulting from the use of this information. he ideas, maintenance, opinions, or modification tips expressed are to be used at the readers discretion. Individual contributors and/or editors express no approval, authentication, or endorsement. WES PENN MIAA c/o Bob Coon 111 Kinross Lane Pittsburgh, PA 15237 West Penn Address goes here Club leave room for mail bar code to go here