December 2014 N e w s l e t t er of the M ile - H i g h S ec ti o n Mer c e d es - B e n z C l u b o f America OVER 500 COPIES DISTRIBUTED MONTHLY IN COLORADO, WYOMING, AND UTAH IN THIS ISSUE.. PRESIDENT S COLUMN President Bob Mashburn DCPA BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR Jan 24, 2015 POKER RUN NETS $550 FOR PARKINSON S ASSN CELESETE FLEMING LONG TERM MEMBER PASSES AWAY CHANGE IN EDITORS DEB & JAY REMEMBER 2006-2014 EXTRA SPECIAL MERCEDES DEALS AT FERRARI OF DENVER MB SPRINTER DODGES CHICKEN TAX AND MUCH MORE! Page 2 Page 3 Page 3 Page 4 Pages 6-10 Page 5 Page 11 Extra! Extra! Read All About It! The Constellation Will Have a New Editor in January! January brings a new year and a new editor for the Mile- High Section newsletter! This is Deborah Hokanson s last issue as Editor. Karen Redel will take over as Editor of The Constellation beginning with the January 2015 Issue. Mike Redel will be the new Webmaster. Contact information for Karen /The Constellation is : Karen Redel 12245 Helena Street Brighton, CO 80603 Phone Number: (303) 637-0219 E-Mail: Constellation.mhs@comcast.net 2014 MHS Holiday Party Saturday, December 6, 2014 Cocktails at 6:00 p.m. / Dinner at 7:00 pm Mount Vernon Country Club 24933 Club House Drive, Golden / 303-526-0616 Enjoy Mt. Vernon s Sumptuous Buffet Awards & Prizes / Great Fun $60.00 per person REMEMBER, IT S TOY DRIVE TIME! In keeping with the MHS Holiday tradition of giving to children of FACES (Family Advocacy, Care, Education, Support), please bring one or more NEW, unwrapped toys to be donated to children served by this outstanding organization. Directions: The most direct route to Mount Vernon Country Club (MVCC) is to take I-70 West (into the foothills) to Exit 254, the Genesee Park Exit. At the top of the exit ramp is a stop sign, turn right at that stop sign. You are now going North on MVCC Road. Continue North through the MVCC Gate and follow the paved road for approximately 1.3 miles - the Club is on the left. To register contact Max Townsend at 303-770-1128 or by email at diandmaxt@aol.com. You must register with payment by December 3, 2014.
DECEMBER 2014 T HE C O NS TE L L A T I O N PAGE 2 Behind The Wheel - with president bob mashburn As 2014 comes to an end, I would like to thank Jay and Deb Hokanson for all their hard work on The Constellation over the past several years. I would also like to thank all the Board members and everyone who planned and helped with an event or a social this year. We have our Annual Holiday Party at Mount Vernon Country Club on December 6 th. Please don t forget to bring an unwrapped toy for FACES (Family Advocacy, Care, Education, Support). In 2014, we had great events Wings over the Rockies Museum; Forney Museum, Sky Sox baseball game; Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge; Moab road trip; Loveland Sculpture Show; our annual Poker Run; and Oktoberfest. We have many more events coming in 2015. In January a private tour of the Buell Theater, May 16 th Sky Sox Baseball game, June a Car show of our own, July-August a Regional trip to Pagosa Springs / Cumbres-Toltec and a Brewery Tour that s in the planning. Socials we have planned are: January - Lucy s Restaurant; February - Restaurant week and Valentine s day dinner at Mount Vernon; March - the Buckhorn Exchange; and April - Fourth Street Chophouse in Loveland. Mile-High Section, Inc. of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America Executive Board Officers President: Bob Mashburn.303.988-2710.bob_mashburn@yahoo.com Vice President: Randy Williams..303.799.4806.. ranphil39@aol.com Secretary: Reiner Haubold...303.986.5035... reinbold1@comcast.net Treasurer: Max Townsend.303.770.1128... diandmaxt@aol.com 2015 Mile-High Section Board Members Michael Davison...720-233-7411,.. mhd539@msn.com Mike Redel.....303.637.0219..... mikeredel@comcast.net Norm Franklin... 303-789-3915....gskolout@aol.com Lou Rogers...303-550-6543... lou.rogers@comcast.net Jerry Vergatos...720-939-2848...... vergatos@msn.com Natalie Mashburn 303-988-2710 nataliemashburn@yaho0.com Niels Haubold...303.949.7673.. n.hauhold@outlook.com Membership Chairperson Laura Lass...303.776.8276. laurawlass@gmail.com Social Chairperson Lou Rogers...303-550-6543... lou.rogers@comcast.net Look forward to seeing all you at a social or an event in 2015. Have a Happy Holiday Season and Happy New Year! Bob MBCA National President Terry Kiwala...312-286-0532 tkiwalajr@aol.com MBCA Vice President Laura Simonds..650-592-7613.simondsl@pacbell.net Rocky Mountain Regional Director Charlie Bennett..719-576-9737.charlesibennett@comcast.net Robert Bates Derek Fenning Byron Radcliff Ron Stits WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!! If you have not received your New Member Packet, or if you have questions about your membership, please contact MHS Membership Chair Laura Lass by phone at 303-776-8276 or by email at laurawlass@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you at our next event! The Constellation Newsletter of the Mile-High Section, Inc., Mercedes-Benz Club America, Inc. Mile-High Section, Inc. MBCA, Publisher Karen Redel, Editor 12245 Helena Street; Brighton, CO 80603 Phone : (303) 637-0219 E-Mail: Constellation.mhs@comcast.net We ask our readers to support the advertisers appearing in this publication. However, no inference should be made that advertising in The Constellation implies approval of products or services by the publisher, the Mile-High Section, its officers or members, or by the Mercedes- Benz Club of America. We encourage editors of other Mercedes- Benz Club newsletters to reprint articles that may be of interest to their Section s members. We appreciate credit being given to The Constellation. Those articles reprinted in The Constellation with permission from owners of copyrights on those articles may not be used without written permission from the original owners. Members are welcome to submit articles. Deadline for submission is the 10th of the month prior to the month the issue comes out. Articles should be relevant to the interests and activities of MBCA and its members. The Publisher reserves the right to edit or reject any article.
DECEMBER 2014 T HE C O NS TE L L A T I O N PAGE 3 Backstage Tour of the Denver Performing Arts Complex (DCPA) January 24, 2015 Meet at Backstage Coffee, 1000 14th St., Denver at 9:30 am Tour starts promptly at 10:00 am $10.00 per person Join us for a private 90-minute tour of the largest performing arts complex under one roof. The Denver Arts complex was established in 1978 and is home to Broadway touring musicals, award winning musical companies, a major symphony, and the Colorado Ballet. The complex consists of the Ellie Caulklins Opera House, Boettcher Concert Hall, the Temple Buell Theatre, the Garner Galleria Theatre, Conservatory Theater, and the Helen Bonfils Theater Complex. Our private tour will highlight the complex performing spaces, as well as costume, scenery, lighting and props department. We will meet at 9:30 a.m. at Backstage Coffee, 1000 14 th Street, Denver, Colorado (east side of the complex) prior to starting our tour; public parking is available at the complex on 13 th and Arapahoe. Directions and a map to DCPA can be found at http://www.denvercentger.org/plan-your-visit/directions-parking. Lunch will follow the DCPA tour at a restaurant to be determined. Payment is due by Wednesday, January 15, 2015. If you have any questions, please contact Natalie Mashburn at (303) 988-2710. Backstage Tour DCPA Saturday, January 24, 2015 Tour Registration Fee $10.00 Make your check payable to Mile-High Section, MBCA Send check & this form to: Natalie Mashburn, 3267 S. Dudley St. Lakewood, CO 80227 Name Phone: Email: Number Attending at $10.00 per person = TOTAL $ Payment is due by Wednesday, January 15, 2015 MHS POKER RUN NETS $550 FOR PARKINSON S ASSN As reported in the November 2014 issue of The Constellation, the October 12th Poker run was a huge success enjoyed by 21 members who traversed sun, rain, sleet and some snow to get to their final destination at Smokin Dave s BBQ and Taphouse in Estes Park. It was a great day with a lot of fun and surprises. MHS Board Members Lou Rogers and Jerry Vergatos attended the Partners in Parkinson's event on November 8, 2014, held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, where they presented two checks to Sheila Kelly VP of Development for the Michael J Fox Parkinson s Disease Foundation. A total of $550.00 was raised from the event fees and donations from the Estes Park poker run set up by Lou Rogers. Special thanks to all the volunteers who made the event especially fun. Everyone had a great time and helped raise money for a very worthy cause.
DECEMBER 2014 T HE C O NS TE L L A T I O N PAGE 4 Celeste Fleming, Early MBCA and MHS Member Passes Away In 1957 John and Celeste Fleming purchased their first Mercedes in Japan while John was stationed at the Yokosuka Naval Base. They brought that first Mercedes 190 sedan back to Denver with them in 1957. Once in Denver they found expert service for their Mercedes sedan at the local Studebaker dealership which had acquired the rights to sell and service Mercedes vehicles in 1957. John Fleming passed away in 2007 and Celeste maintained their membership in the Mile-High Section. The Flemings were the last of the MHS s original members with an MBCA join date in 1957. They may have been the longest surviving members of MBCA as well. The Flemings purchased a 1959 190SL a year after arriving in Denver and traveled to Germany to take delivery of the vehicle. At the time of John s death they still owned the 190 Sedan and 190SL, as well as several other later model Mercedes. The Studebaker/Mercedes/Packard dealership where the Flemings had their vehicles serviced was run by a fellow named Buckley who had heard that there was an American Mercedes car club forming and had joined early in its existence. He encouraged the Flemings and other Mercedes customers to join the club, and many did. The local section was started by a small group of Mercedes owners in 1956 or 1957 and was later incorporated as the Mile-High Section in 1960. Early members of the section included Arthur Ripley and his wife Helen. Arthur Ripley was a nationally known classic car dealer in Denver and is still listed in the provenience of many classic cars that come up for auction worldwide. Arthur was also an early founding member of MBCA and he and Helen planned many wonderful trips for the local club. Another early member was Pat Henry, who owned the Prospector Lodge in Aspen, Colorado. Pat hosted at least one annual overnight event at his lodge for the club for many years. The picture below was taken at one of those outings to the Prospector Lodge in 1958 with Mr. Ripley standing next to his vehicle (third person from the right) and the Fleming s 190 Sedan being the second vehicle from the right. Mr. Henry sold the Lodge in 1969 and it was later torn down. The location is now the Prospector apartment complex in Aspen. Celeste said it was quite a sight to see a long line of Mercedes vehicles winding their way from Denver to Aspen. She went on to say: In those days (1950 s) Mercedes were rare birds in Denver. People would pass us on the highway, almost crashing their cars as they sought a view of those exotics. From its start in 1981 John and Celeste were ardent supporters of Opera Colorado. Celeste was a member of its board of directors from 1985 to 2002 and held leadership positions in the Opera Colorado Guild. She also was a founder of Asian Performing Arts of Colorado and served as vice president of its board of trustees at the time of her death. Celeste passed away on October 18, 2014 at the age of 86. She was still a member of the Mile-High Section MBCA at that time. I spoke to Celeste on several occasions and enjoyed her stories of the early days of the club very much. Jay Hokanson
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DECEMBER 2014 T HE C O NS TE L L A T I O N PAGE 6 A Changing of Editors After eight years of Constellation Editorship for Deborah, MHS Webmaster for Jay and MHS Board Membership for both of us we are stepping back from actively participating in the management of the Mile-High Section. During those 8 years we ve had three Mercedes vehicles, two of which we still have. Jay was drafted as Section President just a few months after we became club members and served four years as Section President. Shortly after Jay became President, Deborah took over as Constellation Editor. Some 300 club events, 88 board meetings and thousands of hours producing The Constellation later we have decided that we would like to be just club members and enjoy events where we don t have an active involvement in planning. The car that started our MBCA journey - Our 1974 450SL (June 2005) On the following pages we remember some of the many people and events that have enriched our lives so much over these past 8 years. Saborsky Award and Special Presentation To Frank Barrett 2006 Award Presented in March 2007 Deb s First Constellation Issue May 2007 Garage Tour 2006 Ron Lass & Friend Holiday Party 2006 Jay takes over duties as MHS President Holiday Party 2006
DECEMBER 2014 T HE C O NS TE L L A T I O N PAGE 7 Concours d Elegance at the Broadmoor 2007 Colorado Grand 2007 Topless Rally New Mexico 2007 Halloween Party 2007 Oktoberfest 2007 Valentine s Party 2008 Scenic September Tour Jackson Hole, WY 2008 36 hours for kids $1.5 million raised 2008 L-R: Dr. Tom (Dr. Colorado) Noel, Max Townsend Officer of the Year Steve Dierks, and Jay National Board Jay Presents Max Townsend Holiday Party 2008 Meeting in Denver 2008 with officer of the year award Christmas Party 2008 Make-A-Wish Car Show 2008
DECEMBER 2014 T HE C O NS TE L L A T I O N PAGE 8 Make-A-Wish Car Show 2009 Remembering Bob Martin Holiday Party 2009 Presenting Member of the Year Award to Greg Voeltz MHS Board 2009 Board Luncheon at Mt. Vernon Country Club Garage Tour 2010 October Rally Missile Silo 2010 Happy Birthday Reiner 2010 Hokanson s SLK meets Buffalo at Custer State Park Fall Regional Trip to South Dakota 2011
DECEMBER 2014 T HE C O NS TE L L A T I O N PAGE 9 Rambler Ranch Annual Picnic 2012 With Tammy Allen Allen Unique Autos Grand Junction 2011 Forney Museum 2012 Money Museum 2013 Remembering Alex and Diana Poole Very Large Array Regional Tour 2013 New Member Party 2014
DECEMBER 2014 T HE C O NS TE L L A T I O N PAGE 10 Sky Sox Baseball 2014 Spring Rally Arapaho Wildlife Refuge 2014 Fall Regional Tour Moab, Utah 2014 Oktoberfest 2014 We turn over The Constellation editorship to the very capable hands of Karen Redel and husband Mike, who will become the new Section Webmaster. We look forward to reading Karen s Constellation every month and checking out coming and past events on our Website updated by Mike. For us, that s -30-! Jay and Deb Hokanson
DECEMBER 2014 T HE C O NS TE L L A T I O N PAGE 11 Assembly Redo: How Mercedes' Sprinter Dodges Chicken Tax FROM MBUSA LADSON, S.C. -- A curious exercise in automobile manufacturing takes place daily inside the old, 350,000-square-foot Western Star truck plant here that is now owned by Daimler. This is where Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Sprinter cargo vans are reassembled after being fully built and tested in Dusseldorf, Germany. It s the chicken tax at work. After the Sprinters are manufactured and ready for export, German workers strip out the drivetrains and fuel systems. The disemboweled vans are then exported to the Port of Charleston, S.C., vehicle bodies on one ship, mechanical components on another. After clearing customs, the vans and mechanical parts are transported 19 miles to the Ladson plant. The reassembly process sounds like a logistical and potential quality nightmare. American workers re-install drivetrains and fuel systems in the exact vehicle they were removed from in Germany. Any nuts, bolts or connectors that have been designed to be torqued down once are replaced with identical items shipped from Germany. Then, the reassembly line workers reconnect the brakes, refill all the fluids and fully retest the vans before they are cleared for shipping to dealers. The only U.S. content in the Sprinter is the battery. Daimler has a devised a reasonably efficient system. Between 66 and 74 vans roll off the 17-station line five days a week. Each van requires about 3.5 hours of work to reassemble. The Ladson plant is on track to ship about 23,000 reassembled Sprinters this year. The gyrations some automakers go through to avoid the 25 percent tariff on imported trucks seems wasteful and crazy. But some of it does make sense. For one thing, automakers can import a light truck and test the market without having to commit to a major assembly plant in the US. And the 90 people here at the Daimler plant are earning good wages reassembling the vans. So, you know they don t want any repeal of the chicken tax. The chicken tax traces back to an early 1960s trade dispute with several European nations. They accused the United States of dumping chicken in their markets for less than the cost to produce them. Tariffs on chicken imports were imposed, and President Lyndon Johnson retaliated by imposing a 25 percent tariff on potato starch, dextrin, brandy and light trucks that went into effect 50 years ago. Eventually, the tariffs were lifted on all the items except light trucks. Mercedes isn t the only automaker dealing with the chicken tax. So are Ford and Chrysler. Ford s Transit Connect, manufactured in Spain and shipped to the United States as a passenger vehicle, comes with rear seats, seat belts and windows. Once they land at the port in Baltimore, Ford converts about 70 percent of them into cargo vans by removing the seats, windows and seat belts. It is the same strategy Chrysler is gearing up for now with the ProMaster City small van, which is built in Turkey as a passenger vehicle. And Daimler is getting ready to expand its van exports with the new, smaller Metris coming next year. Like the Sprinter, it will leave Europe in pieces and be reassembled at the Ladson plant. The Metris will be built in Vitoria, Spain. Mercedes is hoping to build its U.S. commercial van business to 50,000 units per year. And once it reaches that threshold, company officials say, the door is open to constructing a plant to build Sprinter and Metris. Efforts to repeal the chicken tax over the years have not gotten much traction.
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DECEMBER 2014 T HE C O NS TE L L A T I O N PAGE 13 The Back Lot Sales and Services for MBCA Members by MBCA Members FOR SALE: 1977 450SL Black on Black 61K miles Both Tops like new Original optional chromed wheels Immaculate Condition $16,500 OBO Contact Mark 801-707-0811 Located in Salt Lake City 09/14 FOR SALE 1958 Mercedes-Benz series 219 Owners Manual Original in plastic sleeve. Also included in the package are 2 other books in German listing the Mercedes-Benz dealers in Europe, as well as a map of Europe depicting dealerships in Europe at the time. All in very good condition. $150 or best offer. 303-697-4059 and leave message. 04/14 FOR SALE: Four Wheels & Snow Tires for 99 & up 430ML 235-65 R-17 Cooper M&S 5 Hole Excellent Condition! $600 / obo - Call Jack 303-798-5153 11/14 FOR SALE: Ronal wheels, set of four 15x7 with 205/50R15 tires (50% tread). Made in W. Germany. Penta/early AMG style rims. 7Jx15 H2 et35. Wheels are in very good condition. Center caps included. Hard to find! $800/offer. Call Tim @303-810-0681 09/14 Running Board Trade I have a 2012 ML 350 that needs running boards. I m looking for someone with a 3rd generation ML who has running boards but really wants rocker panel covers. Let s trade. It s not a hard job to do. Dan Kerbs & Gary Gagnon can walk us through it and we ll each save over $1000. Contact Dave Carpenter at dave@dcarpenter.us or 719-532-0257. 09/14 FOR SALE: 1998 S600. 119,000 miles. 2nd owner last ten years. We have history back to new. It has never missed any repair or service and always at either Mercedes of El Dorado Hills or Mercedes of Rockln (Califorrnia). An always garaged car with no excuses or drips. $9,000 and please ask any questions. Contact Ken at 916-939-7314. Link to more photos: https://www.dropbox.com/s/1nok3pw312gehbk/kruezzr%209-24-2014%20037.jpg?dl=0 11/14 JOIN MBCA AND GET THOUSANDS BACK IN DISCOUNTS AND REWARDS Enjoy instant savings on parts & service at participating Mercedes-Benz dealers; discounts on items and apparel at our Club Store; free classified advertising; free technical advice from automotive experts; (up to) $1,500 off the price of a NEW Mercedes-Benz, and more. Pay just $49 a year for membership (slightly less when you join for multiple years). Go to www.mbca.org and fill out a Membership form on line, or call the National Business Office at 800-637-2360 Monday-Friday, 8 am - 5 pm Mountain Time. REMEMBER, MBCA MEMBERSHIPS MAKE GREAT GIFTS! Classified Advertising in The Constellation Members of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, Inc. may advertise in The Constellation to buy, sell, or trade Mercedes-Benz automobiles and related items at no charge, provided no commercial venture is involved. Ads may include a photo. Copy for the classified advertising must be received in writing by the 10th of the month prior to the month of issue. Ads will be published one time. To re-run, the ad must be resubmitted. Current membership number must be included for free ads. LET US KNOW IF YOUR ITEM SELLS MAKE ROOM FOR ADS FOR OTHER MEMBERS. Non-member and commercial venture advertising will be published at the rate of $10.00 for 3 lines per issue, plus $10.00 for a picture. Advertising in this category may run one, two or three times as requested and paid for in advance by the advertiser. Copy for the ads must be received by the 10th of the month prior to the month of issue and must be paid in advance, payable to Mile High-MBCA. Mail ads to: MILE-HIGH SECTION MBCA, 12245 HELENA ST., BRIGHTON, CO 80603 or Email to: constellation.mhs@comcast.net The publisher reserves the right to edit or reject any ad.
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THE CONSTELLATION MILE-HIGH SECTION MBCA Karen Redel, Editor 12245 Helena Street Brighton, CO 80603 Watch the Mile-High Section Website for Updates: Check Us Out At milehigh.mbca.org Revision date 2014-15 Event/ Activity Schedule Mile-High Section Mercedes Benz Club 10/24/2014 (Tentative 2015 Planning) For the latest updates and info visit the MHS website at www.milehigh.mbca.org December 2014 No Board Meeting in December 12/6/14 Holiday Party Mount Vernon Country Club Max Townsend 303-770-1128 / diandmax@aol.com No monthly social in December January 2015 1/8/15 January Board Meeting 7:00 pm Location TBD Bob Mashburn 303-988-2710 / bob_mashburn78@yahoo.com 1/21/15 Monthly Social 6:30 pm Lucy's Restaurant - Greenwood Village Lou Rogers 303-550-6543 / lou.rogers@comcast.net 1/24/15 DCPA Behind the Scenes Tour Denver Center for the Performing Arts Natalie Mashburn 303-988-2710 / nataliemashburn@yahoo.com February 2015 2/5/15 February Board Meeting 7:00 pm Location TBD Bob Mashburn 303-988-2710 / bob_mashburn78@yahoo.com TBD Valentine's Day Party Mount Vernon Country Club or TBD Max Townsend 303-770-1128 / diandmaxt@aol.com 2/18/15 Denver Restaurant Week Location TBD Lou Rogers 303-550-6543 / lou.rogers@comcast.net March 2015 3/5/15 March Board Meeting 7:00 pm Location TBD Bob Mashburn 303-988-2710 / bob_mashburn78@yahoo.com 3/18/15 Monthly Social 6:30 pm Buckhorn Exchange - Denver Lou Rogers 303-550-6543 / lou.rogers@comcast.net April 2015 4/2/15 April Board Meeting 7:00 pm Location TBD Bob Mashburn 303-988-2710 / bob_mashburn78@yahoo.com 4/15/15 Monthly Social 6:30 pm 4th St. Chophouse - Loveland Lou Rogers 303-550-6543 / lou.rogers@comcast.net May 2015 5/7/15 May Board Meeting 7:00 pm Location TBD Bob Mashburn 303-988-2710 / bob_mashburn78@yahoo.com 5/16/14 Sky Sox Baseball Game Security Service Field - Colo. Springs Bob Mashburn 303-988-2710 / bob_mashburn78@yahoo.com 5/20/15 Monthly Social 6:30 pm Location TBD Lou Rogers 303-550-6543 / lou.rogers@comcast.net June 2015 6/4/15 June Board Meeting 7:00 pm Location TBD Bob Mashburn 303-988-2710 / bob_mashburn78@yahoo.com TBA June Car Show Arapahoe Community College Bob Mashburn 303-988-2710 / bob_mashburn78@yahoo.com 6/17/15 Monthly Social 6:30 pm Location TBD Lou Rogers 303-550-6543 / lou.rogers@comcast.net July 2015 7/2/15 July Board Meeting 7:00 pm Location TBD Bob Mashburn 303-988-2710 / bob_mashburn78@yahoo.com 7/15/15 Monthly Social 6:30 pm Location TBD Lou Rogers 303-550-6543 / lou.rogers@comcast.net 7/31-8/2/15 Pagosa Springs-Cumbres & Toltec Trip Pagosa Springs / Chama, NM Jay/Deb Hokanson 303-935-8270 / dhokan@comcast.net