The Octagon 

 NEWSLETTER OF THE CLASSIC CLUB

Vol. 48                       No.2                    Issue 569                                    February, 2011

MAINTAINING THE BREED FOR OVER FORTY YEARS

PRESIDENT: Pete Rogers, 31104 Fairvista Dr., Tavares, FL 32778.  Phone 352-343-1855.   E-mail: pfrslot@gmail.com.

EDITOR:   Al Cook, 8554 Amber Oak Dr. Orlando, FL 32817.  Phone 407-678-6814. E–mail arcpa@mpinet.net.

WEBSITE:  www.classicmgclub.com  WEBMASTER:  Paul Plasschaert, E-mail: ebmaster@classicmgclub.com.   

MEETING:  As usual, it is the third Thursday, February 17^th at 7:00 PM in the Maitland Senior Center, 145 S Maitland Ave. in (can it be?) Maitland.    Directions: from Horatio and Orlando Ave. (AKA 17-92), Go West on Horatio to Maitland Ave. Then left (South) on Maitland Ave. to Packwood. Go right (West) on Packwood about ½ a block to the parking lot. Pull into the 1st driveway on the left.  We will discuss the upcoming tour to Blue Springs and the exciting events coming up this Spring.

JANUARY EVENT FOLLOW UP:  On Saturday, January 29 & 30, many of our members made the drive to Palatka for our Traditional January over-night tour.  This year we forgot to order freezing weather, but no one complained about the absolutely Florida-like weather we enjoyed.  The choreography won’t be nominated for a Tony Award, but we managed to meet up with a number of our flock in the big city of Barberville and then with 13 of our fellow MG friends from the Jacksonville area, after we arrived in Palatka.  That evening, we enjoyed GOF-level dining and companionship and returned to our various origins without incident the next day.  Sorry, no “disaster” stories to report, just a wonderful weekend!

 FEBRUARY DRIVING  EVENT:  On Saturday. February 19, 2011, we will visit some of Central Florida’s most beautiful natural areas at Blue Spring State Park and take a two-hour pontoon boat trip on the St. Johns River.  These areas were important shipping corridors up through the early 1900s (before roads and trains took over), and the wildlife continues to attract tourists and celebrities worldwide.  Our recent cold weather brought a record 300 manatees a day to the warmer water of Blue Spring.  Tour leaders are naturalist (and MG owner, extraordinaire) Bill Partington and boat skipper Rebecca, who will point out plants and dozens of species of birds, including elusive ones rarely seen elsewhere.

We will leave from the Starbucks lot on Highway 17-92 in Maitland (at the Publix Center, north of Horatio Ave.) and be led on our drive to the Park by John and Jean Camichos.  Come to get coffee or snacks, but know that we need to leave at 8:15 A.M.  Bring your binoculars and cameras (and a long lens, if you have one).  The cost for entering the park, located at 2100 West French Ave., Orange City, is $6.00 per car and the senior rate for the boat/tour, which leaves at 10:00 A.M. is $20.00 each person.  After our tour, at approximately 12:00 Noon, we will leave the Park and drive about 8 miles toward DeLand, to Pitmasters BBQ, located at 2400 S. Woodland Blvd. where we will enjoy lunch and MG fellowship.  Pitmasters is at a Publix Center on the left side of 17-92.

We already have 16 people signed up for the boat ride.  Anyone wishing to come on the boat ride/tour, please call Bill at 407-647-0467 by February 17^th.  If you can’t drive up with us from Maitland, or if you can’t take the boat ride/tour, please come along and meet up with our group at one of the points along the way!   

FUTURE EVENTS:    The closest of the Future Events is the next meeting of our Club.  We will assemble on March 17^th, NOT at the Maitland Senior Center, but at the home of Kathy and Al Cook to enjoy a traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal and attempt to conduct club business from that location.  Check our next Octagon for additional details.

Mark your calendars for March 20 when Mount Dora hosts their Second Annual Lake Dora Classic.  We will be planning activities of our own as well as viewing/participating in their show of  antique and classic cars.  If you are interesting in showing your Baby on that Saturday, please know that there is only pre-registration for the car show.  Check out their web site: www.lakedoraclassic.com.  More details about our activities on that day will be in next month’s Octagon.

Our own local British Car Breakfast Club will be hosting the 27^th Annual All British Car Show on April 1-3, 2011, with the big show of cars on April 2.  Again it will be held at Mead Gardens which has served us well in the past.  For information, please check out the web site: www.allbritishcarclub.com .

GOF DEADLINE APROACHING!  The 45^th Annual Gathering of the Faithful will be held this year on April 8-10, 2011 at lovely Weeki Wachee, organized by the Sun Coast Classic MG Club.  You are encouraged to both register with the club and get your registration in to their host hotel, NOW!  Please get your forms and information at www.gofsouth.com and do it (you know).  You can also call Diana or Ron at 352-593-4168 or Ralph at 352-796-6984 for more information.

FOR SALE:  Since no one told me of any items or autos for sale, I will remind you that we will publish your offerings here, at no cost to you, to folks who likely won’t buy anyway, but, who knows.  Please call Al Cook (407-678-6814) if you have an offering.