Director’s Thoughts-March, 2015

The month of March is here! March to me is a really weird & crazy month. It’s supposed to get warmer but then we always seem to have a cold front. Then, on the other hand, March is an Awesome month! Winter is finally coming to an end, which always make me feel happier! We tend to think of March as a green month. You know, all those shamrocks, & also because Spring arrives this month & all the plants are beginning to come back to life & things are becoming more green outside. On March 8th, Daylight Savings Time begins. This gives us an extra hour of daylight every day. The days are longer. When you think about it, March is a real transition month. This is the month when all car enthusiasts begin to get excited! It is finally time to get our cars out of winter storage & ready for the open road again. I love driving my car, looking at it, cleaning & washing & shining it. I clean it inside & outside. I am very touchy about my car. I don’t want anybody leaning on it or closing the door too hard. I bet many of you feel the same way! You know what I mean? Sure you do! Think SPRING everyone, I know I am!
Your Director, Don Sterner

“Free Spirit” Chapter Meeting Minutes, February 3, 2015

Director Don Sterner called the meeting to order @ 7:25pm. There were 12 members & 1 guest present. Motion to accept January 2015 meeting minutes as printed in the February newsletter by Dolores Kennedy, seconded by Tom Sylvester, so carried.

The guest speaker for the evening was Christine Cleaver of Camelot for Children, Inc. The organizations main goal is to provide a social, education gathering place for children w/ special needs. They have been in business for 29 years & to date they are working w/ 127 families! All programing is FREE & is funded solely by contributions. Christine did a fine job of educating us as to the opportunities for special need children & their family’s right here in the Lehigh Valley!

Motion to accept treasurer’s report for January, Shirley Schaffer, seconded by Sandy Reiniger, so carried.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:
A. Historian – AOW tour pictures, Dec. 2014, to be placed on website.
B. Kempton – no report
C. Membership – no report
D. Newsletter –1 advertiser remains outstanding. Don will check this out after tonight’s meeting If you know of someone, or a business, please let Sally know & she will do the foot work.
E. Programs – next month’s guest speaker=David Webster, “Identity Theft”
F. Publicity – no report.
G. Ways and Means – Sally hopes to sell Blankets during the Hamburg Meet.

I. OLD BUSINESS
Storage containers – Clarence purchased containers to better store club items. New light weight car show signs will be designed over the next few months.
2016 – 50th Anniversary Celebration – The next meeting to be held during this year’s National Meet, Springfield, MO. Discussed was possibility of the GM Futureliner to attend this Celebration from Michigan; “Free Spirit” ladies to host hospitality room during this Celebration. Apparently all arrangements for the Celebration have been previously decided & that we should just sit back to see if the Chapter will be notified for our help. Sally has mentioned that the “Free Spirit” Chapter will have a table to promote our local Buick Chapter!
Greater Lehigh Valley New Auto Show – March 21/22, 2015 are the dates that our chapter will participating in to display our BUICKS! Please contact Don Sterner, ASAP, ASAP, if you will be participating.

II. NEW BUSINESS
Hershey Tour – April 11, 2015 – Stacy is pulling together a tour of Hershey, PA. We will have breakfast on the way out. The Hershey Trolley will give us a tour of the town which includes Milton Hershey’s Home, the Home for Boys, the original chocolate plant, & the Hershey Hotel. Then we will go on the ride of the Great American Chocolate Tour, followed by a Chocolate Tasting Adventure, & end up the day w/ an ice cream sundae! Keep your eye on your newsletter for details of this fine & sweet smelling tour. Mark your calendar to keep this date open for what will be a “SWEET” DAY.

Annual Chapter Picnic – June 14th – Watch your newsletter for more details. Shirley Schaffer has reserved the “Weeping Willow” Pavilion @ Macungie Park on this date.

Motion made to adjourn by Tom Sylvester, seconded by Dolores Kennedy, so carried, @ 8:35 pm.
Respectfully submitted by: Stacy J. Sterner, Secretary

Stabler Arena, Lower Saucon, PA, March 21/22, 2015
“Free Spirit” chapter has been invited to attend the Greater Lehigh Valley New Auto Show at Lehigh University’s Stabler Center in Lower Saucon, Pa. Member cars will be on display outside on Saturday/Sunday, March 21/22. Each “Free Spirit” car display participant will receive 10 tickets for free admission to the show. “Free Spirit” will be the only club participating to display our cars. Times roughly, 9am-5pm both days. Please contact Don/Stacy Sterner, 610-285-2346, dwsterner724@aol.com, ASAP if interested. Dennis Snell

Hershey Trolley Works Tour – April 11, 2015
We will begin our day w/ breakfast on the way out to Hershey, PA. On the Trolley work Tour, conductors dressed in period costumes entertain you on the most comprehensive, in depth, historical tour of Chocolate Town, USA, while hearing Milton Hershey’s life story. The tour includes small sweet treats throughout. Also, we will see & learn about Mr. Hershey’s mansion, his birthplace, the original chocolate factory, the new chocolate factory, the Hotel Hershey, &, of course, a stop @ Founders Hall @ the Milton Hershey School. This will be followed by Hershey’s Great American Ride Tour & Hershey’s Chocolate Tasting Adventure. Of course, there will be time to purchase goodies of your choice. We will end our tour with an ice cream sundae! Breakfast = pay your own.
Adult Member = $12.00 per person
Adult NON-member guest = $24.00 per person
Child(ren) of member (ages 3-12) = $9.00 per child
Child(ren) NON-member guest (ages 3-12) = $18.00 per child
Send a check, “Free Spirit” Chapter, to Stacy Sterner, 121 Pheasant Drive, Kutztown, PA 19530. PLEASE SUBMIT BY MARCH 25, 2015. Questions: staze1016@aol.com, 610-285-2346. Watch next month’s newsletter for the meeting place & time! Hope you will join me! Stacy Sterner

Tour to Collegeville, PA, May, 2015
Please mark your calendar for a Sunday in May to join me in taking a lovely ride through the countryside to Collegeville, PA. There we will be under the gracious hospitality of Howard/Martha Kriebel. They will WELCOME us into their quaint & lovely home which is an exact replica of William Penn’s Home. After this, we will then be taken on a tour through their collection of cars. From there, we will enjoy dining together @ a nearby restaurant. Please think about joining me for a fun filled day. Sally Getz

Get The Picture? Check Rear View Before Moving Your Vehicle
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that there are 210 fatalities & 15,000 injuries annually due to back-over crashes. Perhaps more alarming is that 31% of those fatalities are children under 5 years of age. These sad statistics led NHTSA to issue a final rule requiring all new passenger cars 7 light trucks to be equipped w/ back-up cameras by 2016, with full compliance by 2018.
To understand the benefits of these devices, AAA tested 17 vehicles across 11 manufacturers w/ factory-installed & aftermarket rear-view camera systems to measure the change in rear visibility vs. looking in your mirror. The study showed that:

• A rear-view camera increased visibility of the rear blind zone by an average of 46% for the vehicles tested. This ranged from a 36% improvement in smaller sedans to a 75% improvements in hatchbacks.
• Although these systems dramatically improve rear-view visibility, they don’t show 100% of the space behind the vehicle. AAA recommends drivers always walk behind their vehicle to visually confirm that there are no obstacles, & use the rear-view camera to check that nothing has entered the area since the driver’s walk-through inspection.
• Rain, snow or slush can cloud the camera lens, delivering blurry imagery. Walking around the vehicle – & gently wiping the camera – can help motorists confirm that the rear blind zone is clear.

Cameras don’t replace the need to walk around your vehicle before backing up, but they do deliver a clear view directly behind the vehicle where small children are most difficult to see.

Senior Driver Course Takes New Name: RoadWise Driver
New content covers must-have vehicle technology & adjusting to physical challenges that come w/ aging.
AAA’s Safe Driving for Mature Operation Course has a new name! The New Year sees the debut of RoadWise Driver, & the program is bigger & better than ever before. With new resources, data, & features, it is hands-down the best senior driving course on the market.

The program is completely backed by science. Utilizing industry research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety & the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the program presents helpful tips, methods, & practical things to keep in mind while driving.

The most popular topics include the top types of crashes among older drivers & ways to avoid them, medications & things to know about how they affect driving abilities, vehicle technology & what features are most important to have in your car, as well as top distractions that older drivers are prone to suffer from.

Older drivers also contend with changes to their bodies as they age. The course provides very practical tips & tricks on adjusting to changes in response times & reflexes, maximizing physical fitness to stay independent longer, & maintaining one’s mobility for a lifetime.

Everything is included in the course, & much of it is also found in the all-new HD DVD videos. The DVD’s include DriveCam video clips that depict actual accidents & highlight the factors that led up to the accidents – making the facts all too real for anyone watching. Class discussions are encouraged via Brain Training exercises. Lastly, real footage from Google GLASS user’s show how a driver can respond to situations in real-time, & either avoid or cause a fatal incident.

Other resources include a demo of AAA’s RoadWise RX – a tool that shows the effects of medications on the body & how multiple medications can change those effects. There are also presentations of AAA’s RoadWise Review for assessing one’s physical & mental aptness for safe driving; AAA’s CarFit for knowing how to optimize your car for safe operation; /AAA Foundation brochures; & the SeniorDriving.AAA.com website.

Identity Theft Checklist
Identity theft can create real & serious problems for any victim. You can never be fully protected, however taking precautions & being proactive can decrease the risk of becoming an identity theft victim.
Criminals use victim’s data to empty their bank accounts, make purchases, take out loans, open utility accounts, gain employment & even secure medical treatment. Due to the wide-ranging nature of the crime, it’s important that you take an active part in safeguarding all of your personal details.

Secure Your Paper Documents: Keeping your Social Security card, passport, mortgage statements & tax information locked securely in your home will cut down on your identity theft risk in the event a burglar breaks into your home.

Don’t Carry More Than You Need: Having a back-up credit card is good for emergencies, but walking around w/ 4 credit cards, a check book & your Social Security card will put you @ greater risk of identity theft if your purse or wallet is lost or stolen. Carry the bare essentials w/ you when you leave your home & know what type of payment system you plan to use.

Update Your Computer Security Settings: phishing scams, Trojans & key-stroke programs are common ways criminals trick you into revealing personal information. Protect yourself from these malicious schemes by making sure your security & anti-virus software is up-to-date. Avoid responding to emails from senders you don’t recognize. Legitimate companies NEVER ask for financial details via email, so do not respond, & contact the business immediately to alert them to the situation.

Don’t Reveal Too Much Online: Social networking websites are becoming more popular among criminals who use Facebook & Twitter to meet potential victims & pursue their information. Avoid posting details such as your mother’s maiden name, your address, place of birth & workplace. It may be fun to tweet that you’re on vacation or @ a concert, but this information may also alert criminals that you’re not home, giving them the opportunity to break in potentially undetected.

This identity theft checklist will help you get started w. being proactive for 2015 & from becoming a fraudster’s next victim. These are only a few suggestions that you should take to protect yourself from identity theft.

Check Identity Theft Checklist
Protect Your Personal Information: never give out any information to anyone without first understanding who will see it, who will use it, & how they will use it.

Watch Your Incoming Mail: Always make sure you take your mail out as soon as possible & if you are not going to be around, ask for a hold on your mail. Consider investing in a mailbox that locks.

Watch Your Outgoing Mail: Always mail your bills/payments from your local post office. Never leave them in your mailbox to be picked up because there can be enough information for an identity thief to use.

Choose Passwords Wisely: Make sure when you are choosing passwords for your accounts that they are not easily guessed & they are strong passwords. Also, change your passwords every 3 to 6 months.

Shred It All: It’s wise to make it a practice to shred any documents you no longer need. This means credit card statements, old or unused credit cards, bills, or any other document that contains personal information about you.
Know Your Credit Reports: be watchful of your credit reports & view copies from all 3 credit bureaus. Watch for items that are incorrect or suspicious to you.

Ensure Your Wi-Fi Network is Secure: Remember that free Wi-Fi in places like hotels, restaurants & coffee shops is often not secure. Make sure your network is protected when online.

Identity Theft On the Rise
Identity Theft is common – & it can occur in more ways than ever before. When you think about identity theft, you might picture a criminal eavesdropping w/ pen & paper in hand as someone reads credit card number over the phone. That kind of scenario still occurs, but it’s practically old-fashioned. That’s because today’s thieves can steal your personal information by using far more sophisticated techniques. And they’re doing it more often than ever. Since 2010, identity theft has gone from affecting 10.2 million people/year to 13.1 million people annually. How Do They DO IT? Today’s thieves can learn a lot about you by simply visiting your social media pages – especially if your settings are public. One common practice is to piece together bits of information you share on various websites. Just a few tidbits they can learn about you include your date of birth, your city, your mother’s maiden name, what bank you “like” & what Internet provider you complain about in your posts. That can ultimately help them decode your passwords & access your personal information.

All your data has value, & it’s being aggregated. Last year’s massive data breach @ Target highlighted how thieves can steal identities through a 3rd-party vendor. It’s important to note that public Wi-Fi connections in locations such as coffee shops, hotels & airports are even less secure. The moment you open your bank account, check your email or shop online, you could be revealing information to a hacker.

Traditionally, criminals used to steal credit cards & then maxed them out. Now they’re getting craftier. Some use your identity to get tax refunds, medical procedures or government services such as unemployment benefits.
RED FLAGS: Some of the more common known signs that you might be a victim of identity theft include getting collections notices or calls regarding your debt you don’t remember incurring; finding unfamiliar accounts or charges on your credit report; seeing unexplained withdrawals from your bank account; & having an especially difficult time applying for a loan or renewing a passport or license. Lesser-known red flags that you might be @ risk include the following:

• You get a medical bill or an explanation of benefits for procedures you didn’t receive.
• A health plan won’t cover you because your medical records show a condition you don’t have.
• Your health plan rejects a legitimate medical claim because the records show you’ve reached your benefits limit.
• The IRS notifies you that more than one tax return was filed in your name &/or that you have income form an employer you don’t work for.
•  You find errors on your Social Security statement.

A Word OF Warning: The Identity Theft Resources Center (IRC) suggests you keep the acronym SHRED in mind when it comes to preventing identity theft.
S: Strengthen privacy settings & passwords (always use 8 characters, upper case/lower cases, & @ least 1 number or symbol).
H: Handle your personal identifying information (like your driver’s license & passport) w/ care.
R: Read your credit reports annually.
 E: Empty your purse or wallet so you’re not carrying around personal documents like birth certificates or Social Security cards.
D: Discuss these tips w/ family & friends.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

MARCH 2015 (WEATHER PERMITTING)
3 – Monthly chapter meeting, Starlite Diner & Lounge, Rts 100/78. Supper @ 6pm, business meeting @ 7:30pm. Guest speaker is David Webster on “Identity Theft, Have You Been A Victim?”.
21-22 – Lehigh University Stabler Arena event. Place your car(s) on display. Let’s let the public know that a BUICK club is out there!
APRIL 2015 (WEATHER PERMITTING)
7 – Monthly chapter meeting, Starlite Diner & Lounge, Rts. 78/100, supper @ 6pm, business meeting @ 7:30pm. Guest speaker is a representative from “Habitat for Humanity”. Join us for a very informative evening on 1 of many community services!
11 – Spring Flea Market/Car Corral, Maple Grove Raceway, Mohnton, PA
17-19 – Spring Englishtown, NJ
22-25 – Spring Carlisle, Carlisle Fairgrounds, Carlisle, PA
26 – Auto Parts Flea Market, Leesport, PA
MAY 2015
3 – GM On Display Show, Macungie Park, Macungie, PA
5 – Monthly chapter meeting, Starlite Diner & Lounge, Rts. 100/78, supper @ 6 pm, business meeting @ 7:30 pm. Guest speaker is Ms. Jennifer Washney, Specialist Mission Delivery of East Central Division/American Cancer Society, Inc. Please join us! Who knows, YOU may benefit from this one day!
9 – Pottstown Cars: Coffee & Friends, Stowe, PA. Ray, 484-919-3424
17-21 -14th Annual Brass Era National Tour, Morgantown, PA. Jim Dix, 607-562-3501

CARS/PARTS “FOR SALE”

1917 Buick Roadster All restored. $25,000.00, 860-982-3001.
1927 Buick Sport Roadster (54) 3p, very rare car. Jack Bennett, representative for Rose Nemeth, (Erno’s wife,) Ringoes, NJ 908-303-5391
1956 Buick Century Riviera Series 60 – 4 dr htp. Original 322 “Nail Head” V8 Road Master engine (255hp) w/ “Dyna Flow” A/T & factory dual exhaust. PS, PB, PW & S. Sonomatic push button radio, factory deluxe lighting pkg. 72,700 original mi. Frame/body solid. Garage kept. Pics available. $15,000.00/negotiable. 570-309-2367, Robert.stavish@gmail.com
1962 Buick Skylark Conv. – Overall Good condition. Various NOS chrome installed. Runs/drives nice! Transmission, rear; top, & rear window good. Dave’s Interior Restorations, 525 Chestnut St, Emmaus, Pa 18049
1969 Skylark Convertible – kimberly.pavlick@scranton.edu
1981 Buick Regal – 4 dr dark green. Garage kept. 75,000 mi. 717-576-7588
1937 MINT Buick Owner’s Manual, $35.00. kriebel12@verizon.net
1972-’87 pr. of NOS brake rotors for FS Buick, $45.00. 610-489-1253
1983-’86 Buick Regal NOS headlight frame LF in original GM box, $25.00. kriebel12@verizon.net, 610-489-1253
1989 Buick Riviera 122,000 miles. Good condition, Garage kept. $3,500 OBO. 2000 miles on tires. New battery. Tom Kenn at 610-633-5285
In Search Of
1951-52 Buick Roadmaster RH grille bar extension. C. Wenger @ 443-710-6624, crewzn@broadstripe.net
Late 1980’-early 1990’s Buick LeSabre/Electra – In good running condition for daily driver use in local town driving, reasonably priced. Does not have to be in perfect condition. Harold, 610-826-2639.
1967 Buick Electra Convertible, 610-730-4599, dwebster80@gmail.com