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��������� SACRAMENTO AREA MIATA OWNERS ASSOCIATION June 2010

Robin’s Nest By Robin George Throughout the months it has been a continuing project to find that ideal home for the club. We have never stopped looking or accepting suggestions for the members. In an effort to find that place to conduct our General Meetings we will still be checking out

several areas and different times. Tex Wasabi’s Restaurant worked out for awhile until they changed managers. Initially I liked the upbeat atmosphere and the waiters and waitresses were very friendly. Plus they were very accommodating I’m sure because of their manager, Bob Smith. But with the change of managers that has changed. They cut down on the wait staff and we are now supposedly the noisiest group at the restaurant. US? And they no longer set up the meeting room for us as they did in the past. That’s my fault because I have a tendency to try to get things ready at my pace and my satisfaction not theirs. I want, you as members, to have a pleasant experience and enjoy your benefits as members of SAMOA. The search continues. View your email inbox frequently for future updates and location changes. This month (July) an article about SAMOA and its anniversary will appear in the local publication, “Inside Arden” by Inside Publications. Either check online or pickup a newspaper in the midtown/downtown area. http://www.insidepublications.com/ It can be picked up at local business establishments throughout Sacramento. Pick up several and it’s free. It is also online. They have interviewed us, been at a run, and taken numerous pictures. Should be interesting from a non-auto club view. We have a couple of show and shines coming up. Elk Grove Mazda has been supporting us, so let’s get out and support them. And we have our annual State Fair exhibit to participate in. Shine those Miata’s up and get out there. A reminder quoted from our forum: “If you are in the market for new wheels, tires, or other automotive performance products, you now have an opportunity to make that purchase and benefit your club at the same time. This offer is open to all, club members and non members alike, for OTM as well as Miata products. Here is the deal... Simply log on to the TireRack website using the link at the bottom of the SAMOA website home page. If you make your purchase within 60 days of this initial visit, SAMOA will receive a commission on your purchase. The club, in turn, will reinvest 100% of those commissions back into the club, and provide a full accounting of the club's earnings.

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You get the same low prices, excellent service, and quality products that you have come to expect from the TireRack. In fact, after you log on to TireRack using the link, you won't notice any difference in your visit to TireRack. But the system (hopefully) will keep track of how you navigated to their site. Use this link as often as you want. Urge your friends and relatives in the market to use it as well. And let us know how your TireRack purchase experience went. Please address any comments to us at freescopesdad@comcast.net or at robin@winfirst.com Thank you.

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Treasure Trove News By Jeanne George �������������������� ���� Mark Mattes Jason Moua Garry Pederson Brad Weston Jay and Amanda Weaver �

��� ������������������������������� Cavanaugh, Tom and Nancy Davis, Terese and Jimmy Carter Dugan, Cathy and Michael Lavoie, Mario and Cece Myers Jan Leininger Lobsitz, Jim and Lynda Smallwood McClure, Jim and Jackie Petrich, Ron and Mary Pat Pauly Rowell, Fran Self, Austin and Dennis Senger-Gibbons, Astrid Shuman, George and Jo Sipe, Mike and Jenn Young, Terry and Fritzie Stalcup �

��� ��������������after April 23 Jensen, Bob and Dee Bacon, Bob and Terri Loo, Diana Boire, Glen O’Shea, Julie Zander, Ron George, Robin and Jeanne Chermak, Ray and Susan Willet �������� ��� 144 Memberships, 239 members, 150 Miatas

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20th Birthday Party Update By Mike DeLaurentis **THE DATES September 24-26 THE DATES** The big birthday bash, celebrating our 20th anniversary as “Just a Little Car Club”, continues taking shape. Since last month:

• Mazda has agreed to give us a very generous donation to defray our expenses, • Elk Grove Mazda also is being very generous in underwriting the expense of the

Souvenir Program book that Diana Loo is creating, • Ron Petrich accumulated over $10,000 in raffle prizes, • The group of volunteers who will plan the Funkhana has been selected from hundreds

who offered to help. • Elk Grove Mazda is also going to do something for our October 17, monthly club

meeting/Birthday Picnic in Carmichael Park. NOTICE. This is not the regular Thursday night meeting but the irregular Sunday afternoon meeting. More to follow.

Raffle ticket sales are slow so at this point in time for every raffle ticket that has been purchased odds are that the ticket holder will win multiple prizes! Let’s open up those wallets folks. All – that is 100% - of revenue earned from ticket sales will go to some wonderful charities. Purchasing tickets each month will make it easier on the budget plus you’ll spread the ticket numbers around improving your odds of winning. Or buy them all at once but you are urged to buy them. You can see that work continues in the background. Between now and next month the planning committee will meet, identify issues, continue planning and I’ll report back to you in July. Comments? Questions? Contact me at 916.791.9418 or mdelaurentis@hotmail.com. Mike

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SAMOA Bear Valley Benefit Raffle by Ron Petrich As or upcoming weekend bash in Bear Valley continues to creep up on us, so do the depth and breadth of the raffle prizes that we have collected, through your [and others] generosity. The prizes are too numerous to mention here (see www.sacramentoareamiata.org/bearvalleyraffle.html for a complete list of prizes). Our efforts during the next three months will rather be focused on selling raffle tickets. When Robin approached me in January and asked if I would organize the raffle, he reminded me of how successful were the Got Guts at Thunderhill contests in raising money for charity. So our focus from the outset was to make a substantial charitable contribution while providing our SAMOA members and friends an enjoyable [and perhaps profitable] experience. With that in mind, please be generous in your raffle participation. Tickets can be purchased at each of the next three monthly meetings, at the event itself, or by mail [see the link above for tickets-by-mail details]. Tickets are $5.00 each and 5 for $20.00 and in multiples thereof. Winners do not need to be present, and all winnings of those not at Bear Valley will be mailed or delivered at club expense. Remember that 100% [not most, but all] of the money collected will be donated to the following four charities… �� The Children’s Receiving Home of Sacramento

The Children's Receiving Home of Sacramento is the safety net for the area's abused and neglected children between the ages of 1 and 17. As the only emergency shelter of its kind in Sacramento County, in effect; we act as the "front door" of the child protective system. With a daily capacity of 98, we serve between 1,200 and 1,800 children each year. As the crucial first link in the County's early intervention system, we provide proven strategies that stabilize, normalize, and produce improved long term outcomes for children. These children have been abused, neglected, abandoned, or have families who are otherwise unable to care for them. While their family situation is being stabilized or alternative care with relatives or others is secured, the children are provided with an array of much needed services and most importantly they are given hope.

�� The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America

The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to finding the cure for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. It was founded in 1967 by Irwin M. and Suzanne Rosenthal, William D. and Shelby Modell, and Henry D. Janowitz, M.D. Four decades ago, the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation created the field of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis research. Today, the Foundation funds cutting-edge studies at major medical institutions, nurtures investigators at the early stages of their careers, and finances underdeveloped areas of research.

�� The Lupus Foundation of America

The Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. (LFA) is the foremost national nonprofit voluntary health organization dedicated to finding the causes of and cure for lupus and providing support, services and hope to all people affected by lupus. The LFA energetically pursues

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its mission through five program objectives: 1) Provides direct financial support to researchers through LFA's own national research program, Bringing Down the Barriers. 2) Advocates for increased public and private sector support for research on lupus. 3) Translates research findings into medically sound information and programs for people with lupus, their families, physicians, and other health professionals. 4) Heightens public awareness of the impact of lupus. 5) Supports individuals with lupus, their families and caregivers.

�� Society for the Blind Founded in 1954, Society for the Blind provides comprehensive blindness services within the Sacramento region, including the Central Valley and Sierra Foothills. Society for the Blind was born in 1953 when a group of adult blind from Sacramento County formed an association to open a center where blind and visually impaired people could meet and interact with one another. On October 14, 1954 the Sacramento Valley Center for the Blind was incorporated. Our mission is to empower individuals who are blind or have low vision to live productively and independently by building confidence through training, tools and mentorship.

So when you go to sleep tonight, and every night for the next ninety days or so, just listen for the faint but persistent subliminal message droning in your ear… buy raffle tickets… buy raffle tickets… buy… The prizes keep getting better and better! Tickets for the benefit raffle taking place at the Bear Valley weekend event in September will be on sale at our meeting this week (June 10) and at all future meetings. They are also on sale by mail if you prefer to go that route. Cash or check is acceptable tender. For mail order, just go to www.sacramentoareamiata.org/bearvalleyraffle.html for complete details. Tickets are $5 each and 5@$20 and in multiples thereof. Winners need not be present to participate. While you are at the weblink above, check out all of the great prizes we have already collected. The estimated value of the prizes already in-house exceeds $10,000. And we are 4 months out...we will have a raffle of unprecedented proportion, so be sure to participate. And don't forget that this raffle is for a great cause...four great causes actually. 100% of the proceeds will be donated equally to The Children's Receiving Home, the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, the Lupus Foundation, and the Society for the Blind. Please be generous with your ticket purchases.

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Happy Independence Day SAMOANs. I hope you do, or did, something patriotic on the 4th. And with the economy still struggling I guess that shopping at Macy’s Giant 4th of July Sale might even be considered patriotic. But let’s get to SAMOA’s 20th birthday bash. Here are some updates on our plans.

• A printer was selected to do the printing of our souvenir program. This is going to be a great book including such things as the weekend schedule of events, attendees, driving directions for the Saturday run, club history and more.

• A few committee members have scheduled a meeting with the Bear Valley Lodge to review all of the details of our weekend and to ensure that we are all singing from the same sheet of music.

• One couple had to cancel so at least at this minute we have one room left at the Lodge. Unless someone else has called to reserve that room and you want to attend, call the Lodge and make your reservation. 209.753.3227. If the Lodge is filled additional accommodations can be found on our website.

• The Funkhana Committee met and has started to plan the Sunday morning activities. If you’re unfamiliar with a Funkhana Google it and you’ll find 18,900 results. Watch one or two videos and you’ll have the idea.

Those are the highlights from this past month’s activities. As usual contact me if you have any questions. 916.791.9418 or (new email) luv2sail@surewest.net. Mike DeLaurentis

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SAMOA History Part 6: Meandering Through the Years By Jeanne George As I continue this SAMOA journey down memory lane, if you missed an earlier article you can find it in the February to June Miatatudes newsletters posted on the web page. Most of this month’s information came from reviewing the Club’s past newsletters. Very few photos were available. It’s January 1994, SAMOA and other Miata owners were cursed with the “Battery’s Dead Again Blues.” When the Miata sat un-driven for weeks on end, especially during the winter months, the result was a very dead battery. Unlike other batteries, the Miata battery didn’t like to be drained completely. Do it once or twice and the battery stops taking a charge. Mazda was the only one to carry the Miata battery, at a price of $140. January 1994 Meeting: There was a scheduling error caused by a disgruntled fired employee who stole the Round Table Pizza parlor’s books. The manager booked a scuba club of over 100 people and was shocked when the SAMOA Club members arrived. Attendance was higher than usual since it was Election night and the Miata people were stuffed into a small room. ** A Mazda representative at the meeting announced a new Miata color would be released in March, Montego Blue. In addition, Mazda decided to release a Special Edition each year called the “M” edition, beginning with the ’94 Montego Blue.

February 1994: It was announced that the Officers purchased a set of Radios “for keeping the participants together on Club runs”. **The Valentines Fun Run had SAMOA’s largest ever turnout with 23 Miatas and 42 people. The early months of the year had few events, no new members, and newsletters were mostly tech. A new trend was developing: adding to or replacing their earlier purchased Miatas. There were 8 members with multiple Miatas; rather than squabble over the keys they just bought another one. Others chose to update their models and 7 had been replaced. David DeNuzzo purchased a new ’93 white. He lent his parents his red one for a month, and rumor had it they never gave it back!

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**One member rolled their Miata on Hwy 20 out of Willits. She was carried out on a stretcher and required 40 stitches. She indicated the hardtop was on, which is what saved her life. Similar stories were being reported in other chapter newsletters. April 1994: It was announced that a Miata Five Year Anniversary Album was being created. It was fashioned in the tradition of a school year book. The hardbound collector’s album included 300 pages of Miata’s past, present, future, unpublished photos and drawings of the concept car, interviews with the original design team, and highlighted coverage of national, international, and local club events. The first 4,000 copies will be autographed by Tom Matano {VP of Design for Mazda Motors of America}, Mark Jordan {Asst. Chief Designer for Mazda Research and Development of North America, Inc}, and Norman Garrett{Founder of Miata Club of American in 1987}. The deadline for Clubs and individuals to submit photos and stories was July 15, 1994. It was sold for $52.95 plus shipping and tax. [The Album was published December 19, 1994 as a limited edition. SAMOA Charter member, Skip Noyes purchased one of these albums and loaned it to me. The Certificate of Authenticity of Skip’s book is #2156 of 4000. I have been using it as a reference to fill in details of SAMOA’s beginning years as well as information regarding the Gold Rush events. SAMOA member David DeNuzzo submitted 4 pages of Gold Rush history and 2 pages of Club information.] May 1994 meeting: A Miata in the back parking lot was bombed with flour during the meeting by a Round Table Pizza employee. As a result, the Officers began looking for a new meeting place. June 1994: David DeNuzzo and 2 other SAMOA Miata owners drove 6,000 miles in 18 days to Indianapolis and back. At that Indy 500 race track, they joined 250 Miatas to race and lap the oval. The group broke the Guinness record for “most cars of a single make and model in a caravan”.

**Officers established authorized meeting places. All events were to start at one of these locations. (1) McDonalds, at Sunrise & Zinfandel in Rancho Cordova, (2) Carl’s Jr. in Rocklin, (3) the McDonalds at I5 & Meadowview Rd., (4) Burger King in West Sacramento, or (5) Muffin Treat in Fairfield.

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September 23-25, 1994: The 5th Gold Rush spawned the largest collection of Miatas yet; 280 cars and 550 enthusiasts gathered at the Folsom Radisson Inn. There were some challenges, such as how to park 280 Miatas in 240 parking spaces. Attendees drove from Florida and cities in between to Folsom and others flew from Japan, Germany, New York and Los Angeles. Gold Rush was the only major “Miatas only” National event to run each of the 5 years of the Miata’s existence. Since it was the 5th Anniversary of the Miata, many top Miata executives attended.

Friday afternoon vendors displayed their products. Evening drew the crowds to the tables for a Casino Night. Saturday morning it took over 2 hours at 30 second intervals to get all Miatas out for the rally. Back at the hotel the vendors were doing brisk trade with day trippers. The Saturday night raffle raised $3,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The funds provided for 3 wishes: a Disneyland trip for a 2 yr old battling with leukemia, a 9 yr old with leukemia was given Power Ranger toys, and a 15 yr old with sarcoma received a television, VCR, and a stereo. The Grand prize was a 4 day Cruise to Mexico for two, won by a BAMA couple. The award for the furthest travel in a Miata went to a Florida couple. Award for furthest travel not in a Miata went to a couple from Germany. They had flown to San Francisco and rented a Miata for the Gold Rush adventure. October 30, 1994: SAMOA members ventured to Carmichael Park and celebrated the club’s 4th Birthday. 30 Miatas in a rainbow of colors were parked nearby as the owners enjoyed food and fun. By this time, only 3 of the original Charter members were Club members. [Skip Noyes and Dennis Swaney are the only Charter members with the Club in 2010] November 5-6 1994: The Fort Bragg Trip was cursed with heavy rains. The resulting Miata gymnastics (doughnuts, half doughnuts, crullers) and mudslides created many challenges for the drivers. Those with Miata stock tires suffered severe spins and slides. One member was driving along when the rear end of the car started to slide. Scared, she got out and another more experienced driver offered to drive. Not a mile down the road she had the car about-faced in the middle of the road. “It was quite a sight coming around the corner and seeing the headlights of a Miata staring back at me!” That night’s gathering topic was “What kind of tires should we get?” The next day, several searched for a Dunlop tire dealer in Ft. Bragg before the return trip home. December 1994: David DeNuzzo decided to take on the task of Newsletter Editor. [In 2010, many of us now know David as The Crazy Red Italian. I don’t know when he got this moniker, but in his early days he hadn’t been tagged yet.] David wrote in his first newsletter a little of his background. He started his life adventure as a CADD (Computer Aided Design & Drafting)

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system engineer and project manager. Years later tired of the indoors he ventured into construction administration. Next he trained in architecture and worked locally with an architect for 8 years. Bored, he decided to try something different and started selling cars at Crossroads Auto Center in Auburn. His extensive Miata knowledge gave him an advantage and soon he sold his first Miata. January 1995: The year started off with problems. At the December Christmas Party, people indicated their intent to attend the $22 dinner, and then failed to show up the night of the gathering. Because there were so many no-shows the Club had to forfeit their deposit and pay for the un-eaten meals. Requests went out to the no-shows to reimburse the club for the meal cost. It was decided that at future parties, advanced payment would be required. **Round Table booked out the SAMOA meeting room night for the entire year: thus shutting out SAMOA. Quickly they arranged the January meeting to be held at the Spaghetti Factory in Rancho Cordova. The meeting was well attended considering it was the day after the Great Flood of ‘95.

The SAMOA telephone line was a victim of the flood and out of service for over a week. Members shared stories of their attempts to keep their Miatas above the rising water. **Elections were held but no one came forward for Events. As a result, the other Officers had to take up the slack. **At the Business portion of the meeting, it was determined that the club structure and by-laws were out of date, so a committee was appointed to review them and suggest changes. **By this time the Club was sending out 180 newsletters a month to members and other Clubs. **One member provided a testimonial to the importance of wearing your seatbelt, describing how she was punted into a concrete wall at 65 MPH and bounced around and around. February 1995: Officers couldn’t find another location to accommodate the group’s size, so they changed the day and week of the monthly meeting and continued at Round Table Pizza in Orangevale. Apparently the new day worked out as their largest crowd ever brought 75 people to the meeting to share their flood and Miata survival stories. **The Board voted to change the way club dues would be collected from new members. Sometime in the past they started charging new members $15 for the calendar year no matter when they joined. The Board changed it to quarterly rates instead. **A volunteer came forward to lead the Events Committee. Spring 1995 Heavy rains throughout the spring left events on, then off, then on, and off again. It made it very difficult to get the interest up. Lots of ideas were placed on the calendar but as the day approach only a few members attended them. Multi Miata Mania In just one year, the number of SAMOA families with more than one Miata had increased from 8 to 15 families.

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April meeting 1995: SAMOA gives approval for a new Miata Club in its “territory”. The President was approached by an individual in Modesto interested in starting a Miata Club. Technically, Modesto was in the SAMOA area, so according to the structure of the Miata Club of America, they needed to get SAMOA’s OK. A Modesto representative drove to Sacramento for SAMOA’s monthly meeting and presented his request to the attendees. He indicated had 40 Miata owners interested in starting a Club in their area. He was warmly greeted and given the green light along with offers to help them get organized. This new club became the Modesto Area Miata Association aka MAMA. It boasted to potential members “avoid the 90 mile drive to Clovis to take part in events”. Which was where the San Joaquin Valley Miata Club was located (SJVMC).

May 1995: The Crazy Red Italian—Automotive Accessories was listed in the newsletter selling customized air horns. David DeNuzzo had picked up several packages of two trumpet horns. He put together instructions and a mounting kit and an idea was formed. He sold the horns for $30 and could install them in 20 minutes. He always had kits available at meetings and events. [When Robin got his Miata for his 50th Birthday in 1997 the air horns were his first Miata add-on] By June David had installed 40 sets, by July 75 sets, and by summer he was shipping to other Miata owners. Summer 1995: the calendar was filled with racing events, 2 & 3 day weekend trips, autocross, and Time and Distance events. One successful event was a gathering of Miatas at Harris Ranch, 200 miles south of Sacramento. 60 Miatas on Friday night and 80 on Saturday filled the place up. 7 clubs were represented; SAMOA, BAMA, SoCalm, SJVMC, VROOM, MAMA, and Mooners (Reno Club). August 1995: It was reported that this year, there had been 11 official events which had been attended by 114 different people. The majority of members (61) had only attended one event. September 15-17, 1995: The 6th Gold Rush theme was Meet Me At The Movies. The location was moved to the Sheraton Hotel in Rancho Cordova and hosted 225 Miatas and 500 participants. A Four-day Mexican Cruise for 2 was the Grand Prize. A raffle to support Make-A-Wish resulted in a $3000 donation which purchased a lap top computer and printer for a 14 yr old who was confined to the hospital. October 29, 1995: SAMOA’s 5th Birthday celebration was held at a new location, Loomis Park. Attendance was down with only 40 people and 20 Miatas. November 1995: Events Chair announces his resignation and the Directors decide to leave the position vacant. **It was announced that the Club was running a deficit. As a result, the Officers proposed a December meeting to vote a dues increase from $15 to $24 (membership approved $20 instead). **An audit revealed that IRS and Franchise Tax filings had not been done in 3 years which were required due to the Club’s income and Gold Rush events. Concern was raised over possible penalties as a result.

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January 1996: David DeNuzzo, as President, convened the first meeting of the year with only 25 people attending. Pleas went out to the membership to volunteer to help get enthusiasm up. Spring 1996: Despite the high energy of the new Board of Directors, attendance at the events was low. Meeting attendance continued to be down and left them wondering why. Officers moved the meetings to the Red Tomato in Citrus Heights. Members liked the food selections better and the May meeting had 65 people. Due to conflicts the meetings were moved back to Round Table Pizza. **Citations were issued to Club members when sighted and reported doing the unacceptable. One example: driving with the top up, but the rear window zipped down for ventilation. Fines were $1 and would be used to fund a year-end party. **Efforts to increase participation included several suggestions: get more young people into the Club, get more people to write newsletter articles, and to make a parent’s night out with the Club paying for babysitters. July 1996: July was a rough month for SAMOA Miatas as owners met with other objects. (1) A Silver Miata crashed head on and was beyond repair. (2) On a club event, a Montego Blue went into a slip and slide maneuver and over an embankment. Its downward progress was stopped by two small trees. (3) Another car became the meat of a Mazda/Pontiac sandwich. Leading in his class in the IMSA races, the Miata was forced off the track and up an embankment ta full speed, causing it to do and end over end somersault and roll, eventually landing on its roof. Fortunately, none of the above 3 Miata drivers were seriously injured. August 1996: The Club welcomed new members Joe and Carol Rainbolt with their 1993 Red “complete with cow seat covers”. [If it wasn’t in the newsletter, I never would have believed it!] **On a recent run, the group leader was approaching Sunrise off-ramp when a large truck zipped past. The truck pulled in front of them, tilted on edge, wavered back and forth, did a 180 and slammed into the center divider. “It was all I could do to avoid being hit by the truck and the flying debris from the crash. Luckily, no one from the group was hurt, just a few shaken nerves.” Summer 1996: Events were plentiful from a picnic, drive-in movie, race events, Yosemite overnighter, and Virginia City overnighter. Attendance was down to 6 or 7 Miatas. One challenging event occurred during the hottest day of the year when temperatures reached 112 degrees. The West Coast power grid had failed and drivers fought the anarchy of uncontrolled and unlit intersections to the meeting place. Hopes were that the power would soon return and the cars headed to the hills. By the time they arrived at the drive-in movie theater the power was restored and the temperature had “cooled down to 97”. Many of the attendees decided to reenact their past memories and soon began car hopping. September 13-15, 1996: The 7th Gold Rush, MX Files, was held at the Sheraton Hotel in Rancho Cordova. Just over 150 Miatas and owners arrived from New Jersey, Canada, England, Australia, and points in between. Activities included A Time & Distance Rally, A Poker Run, Funkana, and other things of interest. Friday night offered a pasta buffet followed by Monte Carlo games. Following breakfast on Saturday morning people headed out on their choice of drives. Vendors were kept busy with the day visitors. The rally ended at the Funkana event. People were stumped by the MX Files theme and few came up with costumes. The evening included a banquet dinner, dancing, and the raffle generated $2,050 for Make-A-Wish.

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October 20, 1996: SAMOA’s 6th Birthday celebration was kicked off with a Scavenger Hunt that ended a Loomis Park. November 2, 1996: Ft Bragg trip had beautiful weather and a good turnout of 14 Miatas. The drive there was uneventful with a lunch stop in Oakville. Dinner that evening cooked by Ralph Gingrich included lasagna and salad. A surprise Birthday party was given to President, David DeNuzzo complete with Miata toys and cake. December 1996 meeting: The Board of Directors proposed and membership approved a revision of the dues structure. Dues were changed from pro-rated partial year for new members to a one-year (12 month) period for all new members. In addition to cover the increasing costs of the newsletter dues were increased from $20 to $24.

model representative of 1996 Miata

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Furlough Friday Topaz Redo August 6 By Jack Parker �

After our excursion of May 30th, I have decided that a few more fun runs are in order. So I am going to do a quick run down highway 49 to the beginning of one of the best undiscovered driver’s roads in California. This is an at the speed limit run on Cherry Lake/Cottonwood Road between Yosemite and Sonora. If you enjoy projectile vomiting decorating the pristine interior of your car then bring that screaming loved one. Otherwise solo might be your best bet. We will meet at the usual Parker Family location, Mar Sha Tes in Rancho Murieta. The location is 7238 Murieta Drive, in Rancho Murieta, which is loacated on Jackson Road south of Rancho Cordova. Planned meeting time is 9:00. A short driver’s meeting where instructions will be handed out and the obligatory safety precautions will be discussed. We will then proceed down Highway 49 and Pool Station, through Copperopolis and on into Groveland for the start of the main focus of this event, Cherry Lake/Cottonwood Road. The scenery is amazing and the road is actually about 53 miles of no stop signs that can be taken at your own level of comfort. We will follow this with a a little breather/lunch at a little mom and pop drive in located in Jamestown, California. From there it is on to home along Highway 49. I hope to see a lot of you retirees and furloughed workers on this event as the weekday start is slightly unusual and will avoid all of the traffice seen on weekends. For more information contact Jack at 916 718 1545 or email at hugosarducci@gmail.com. Letting me know that you are coming would be appreciated so we do not leave anyone behind. This is one of those events where it is really not important who is attending so an RSVP is not needed because we are going no matter what.

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So You Want To Do An Event? By Jack Parker So you want to do an event for the club and share a great restaurant, road, sightseeing location or whatever. It is not rocket science. Choose a date that is vacant on our calendar on our website. (http://www.sacramentoareamiata.org/calendar.html). Choose a starting location. Choose a meet and start time. And finally choose an ending location with a purpose. A restaurant is a great place to finish any run. The next step seems always to be the most difficult. Email the events coordinator (culdad@svics.com) and the website manager (freescopesdad@comcast.net) of your event details. The details need to include the start date, location, time and contact person for the run as well as an appropriate title. Another item that will make the run more attractive to members is a run description or purpose. Those could include sightseeing, a special twisty road, a charitable event, and a motor sports event and just about anything else you might find interesting to share with the club members. Keep in mind though that this is a car club and activities centered around the cars are always the most attractive events. After all of the above is done, make sure you write a newsletter article publicizing the event. When all else fails and you get stuck for an idea or route or whatever, give me a call at 916 718 1545 and I will be glad to offer advice. The club is member driven and only as much fun as you want to make it. So get out there and come up with lots of new roads and activities for the club to enjoy this year.

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Kirkwood Pancake Run By Bruce and Lee Ann Parrish Hello to All! I am Bruce and Lee Ann Parrish’s new (new to them) ride, a ’05 Blue Miata MX-5. I went on my first “run” with you guys last Saturday, June 19. Boy, what a ride it was! At first, I had to get over being only one of 21 beautiful Miatas. Being an “only Miata car” in a new family has its drawbacks, I suppose. Anyway, I readjusted my “ego” and prepared myself for a challenging run. I had heard that it was going to be a “Barf Bag” run. I was relieved to hear Jack say it was going to be a “Puttz” run. Getting out of MarShates’ parking lot was a bit of a challenge, given all the anxious Miatas wanting to get on with the run. After a few tries, together with other patient Miatas, we joined the run. Oh, what a site! 21 multicolored Miatas sprinting down Highway 16! All enjoying the morning chill in the air. The chill in the air and great fuel made me want to really run, but, alas, I kept my posture and stayed in line with the others. (You can check out some of the photos below.) Soon, we hit the twisty road leading to Plymouth. It was obvious that many of the other Miatas not only wanted to run, but did! I soon found my owner desperately trying to keep up. I was willing, but he was hesitant. Due to heavy traffic, we got held up at the Plymounth/49 intersection long enough to become the “leader of the pack.” Soon, we arrived at the Omo Ranch road and found a friendly and thoughtful Miata waiting to guide us on the correct route. What a relief to see a “friendly” face. Omo Ranch road turned out to be our OMG Ranch road! The “almost two lane” road, and at one place a one lane road, was a most challenging run. Soon after “taking the lead” again, I found my owner pushing me well beyond the limits previously experienced with him. I thought I would have an easy life, with only the occasional “challenge.” Boy, was I wrong. Some of those turns he pushed me through were harrowing (at least for me and my owner). I suppose it’s “old hat” to some of the other Miatas, but not to me! I must admit, though, it was fun! (since we survived!) What happened to that “Puttz” run? I must talk with my owner about defining “our” terms. Onward to Kirwood on Highway 88…. nice, pleasant, orderly. Boy, my owners, particularly Lee Ann, was really getting hungry. (Bruce ate before he left our garage.) Great, the Kirkwood restaurant is in sight! My owners can relieve their bladders and eat! Not so fast! My owners learned that the restaurant had no electricity and the bathrooms are locked! I heard my owners lament, “Say it isn’t so!” I knew they were in a lot of pain because they left all the other Miatas as they sat in the parking lot and their owners discussed an alternate plan. With little discussion, my owners took the first opportunity to find “comfort.” Feeling much more relieved, we enjoyed a beautiful drive through Mormon Immigrant Pass Trail, catching the last bits of snow. They stopped at a little restaurant, called the Naughty Pine, located in Pollock Pines. A short while later, my owners came out feeling satisfied and full! We took a leisurely circuitous route home. It was a great introduction to what we all hope are many fun rides in the future.

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What a great day! Met some beautiful Miatas and had a great run! It doesn’t get any better than this! Can’t wait until the next run!

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Rivercats Outing By Ron Petrich As of today we have exceeded the minimum number of 20 tickets required for our group rate at the River Cats game on Friday, August 20th. As an FYI, If you want to join the group please get your order form and check to me no later than June 30th. I am required to furnish the River Cats a check for the full amount on July 1st. I will purchase the number of tickets paid for as of that date. If you cannot meet this deadline you can of course still attend the game, but you will have to buy your tickets at the box office, with no assurance that your seats will be in the same section as the group. The meeting place and time has been added to the website at www.sacramentoareamiata.org/event_rivercats2010.html. The order form is also available there. Ron Petrich Media Director Sacramento Area Miata Owners Association

Elk Grove Mazda Show-n-Shine By Ron Petrich Mazda of Elk Grove has graciously invited SAMOA members to proudly display their Miatas in a Show-n-Shine at their dealership on Sunday, July 11, 2010. The car show will run from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and free refreshments (hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, sodas, etc.) will be provided, both to those displaying their cars and also to other attending club members. They have a capacity of about 20 cars for the show itself, so if you are interested in displaying your Miata, contact Robin George with your RSVP. Ron Petrich Media Director Sacramento Area Miata Owners Association

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A ROAD TRIP TO GUALALA Adi & Parvin Damania Our 39th wedding anniversary on June 11th was coming up and Parvin and I were thinking about novel ways to celebrate. Going for dinner in a posh restaurant was so passé, but a road trip to the sea sounded fun as the weather was just ideal. Then the University declared 14th and 15th June as “furlough” days (even if one came to work there was no pay). That did it. We booked a nice B&B in Gualala, packed a few clothes and toiletries and set off on Saturday for the coast in our 1999 10th Anniversary Miata “Blue Belle”. A spirited run on twisty Hwy 128, at times impeded by motor-homes and pick-ups dragging power boats, saw us on the Silverado Trail in about an hour from Woodland. A short stop in Calistoga was in order, and then back on the road 128 through lovely weather with not much traffic up to Geyserville, where we made another stop and leisurely partook of English tea and scones at the Hoffman House. Then another nice ride under the Fwy 101 and on to the Skaggs Spring Road. The traffic had by now almost dropped to zero and we were enjoying going up and down each canyon in the rolling hills where the road soon hugged the Gualala River. A sign board said look out for cows on the road. And soon enough, as if on cue, we came across a very large and heavy Heifer cow, who had detached herself from the herd, chewing tranquilly just by the side of the road. As we passed very slowly she looked at us with an expression of amused amazement which said “What are you guys doing here? Don’t disturb, I am eating!”. I would not like to run in to her on a blind corner on a dark night. That size cow could demolish our little Miata in one bump! Next, the road got narrower and narrower as we passed through excellent shaded fern-laden groves. The road was extremely twisty and with almost no traffic at all, but we were taken completely by surprise when a car with blazing head lights came hurling round a blind corner. We at once took added precaution of not only putting our headlights on but also giving a beep on the claxon at intervals to warn any motorist, pedestrian, cow or cyclist that may be lurking around the next bend. After a while, it turned in to a game for us. Where else can you sound your horn at random without annoying or hurting anyone’s feelings?

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Soon the fern-lined road came to and end and simultaneously Parvin shouted “I see the sea!”. We were at Stewarts Point. Gazing at the open sea on a clear bright day after miles and miles of twisty shady roads was an eye-opener! But our exhilaration quickly evaporated as we saw the prices at Stewarts Point’s only gas station! We turned north and pressed onwards to Gualala and arrived at our Country Inn B&B. We checked in to a lovely 19th century style room complete with a living plant whose branching were hanging close to our heads as we lay down to rest. The view of the ocean and the Gualala River, as promised on their website, was not disappointing. The manageress mentioned about a nice seafood restaurant, the Cove Azul Bar & Grill, with an excellent view of the ocean where the mention of her name would bring us complimentary glass of wine! So when evening came we made a beeline for this place and sure enough, without any questions asked, we had a free glass of wine each. Feeling in a fun mood, we ordered sea bass which was served with a nice salad and house tomato soup.

The next day, after a sumptuous complimentary English breakfast and also feeding “Blue Belle” some 87 RON liquid diet, we took off along the scenic Highway 1 north. Our goal was to go up to Albion and then take the Hwy 128 to Boonville, thereby going through the Navarro River Redwoods State Park. We also passed Pt. Arena light house on the left, and made a note to stop by on the way back. The morning was crisp and the scenery of the ocean on one side and rolling hills on the other with horses and cattle alternatively munching grass was so refreshing! Unfortunately, the grove in the redwoods where we wanted to take a picture of us with “Blue Belle” was totally taken over by a large group of noisy campers with their tents and motor-homes. So we had to settle for a shot in one of the turnouts. The rest of the Hwy 128, after the redwoods retreated in the background, was nice and windy as we passed several wineries. We just lazily drove south giving ample opportunity for any traffic at the rear to pass us by. At Booneville we took a right on to Mountain View Road. It was a nice and better road than the Skaggs and shorter too. Soon we were back on Highway 1 going south. We soon left the road and drove towards the Pt. Arena Lighthouse. A $7 per person fee landed us on the steps of the Lighthouse with its panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean. The fog horn driven by a small compressor was also worth seeing at the attached museum. A list of ships that ran afoul of the rocks at Pt. Arena was long and interesting, including a Japanese freighter that ran aground in the fog in the 1950s and whose captain ultimately committed harakari even though his ship was

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re-floated at high-tide a few days later with the help of Coast Guard tugs. A troop of sea lions occupied nearby rocks. The temperature on top of the Arena Lighthouse (20 stories high) was freezing even at mid-day! Lunch was a small one, consisting of soup and salad at a nearby diner which boasted to being the last good place to eat until Waikiki Beach! Obviously that was for consumption of sea-going folks! But for us less adventurous car-owners it was back on Hwy 1 and return to our B&B and some afternoon rest. After some shopping in Gualala in the evening we went to a modest “Pizza & Ice-Cream” place for dinner. We wanted to be a bit on the conservative side after splurging on the sea bass the previous night. While sitting down on the verandah and giving an order of a small (10”) Mediterranean pizza to the comely waitress, Parvin let it slip out that it was our 39th Anniversary. And like the magic words “Open Sesame”, out came two large wine-glasses, filled to the brim, with a lovely Mendocino winery cabernet! We topped off the pizza and wine with home-made strawberry ice-cream in a cone which was most generously filled with scoop after scoop of soft and smooth ice cream. We spent a fraction on this dinner than the night before and enjoyed twice as much! Which proves, once again, that the price you pay does not a good dinner make? It is the atmosphere, server, and the setting that counts.

After falling asleep with the sounds of the ocean we rose the next day to chirping birds and clear skies. As we packed our stuff for the journey home we wiped the dew from the car, checked the oil and water and began driving on Hwy 1 going south. Just past Sea Ranch we hit a bank of thick peasoup fog! We could not see beyond a few feet as we drove slowly and cautiously. One wrong move and we could be hurtling down into the Pacific! As it was a week-day we were pursued by a long line of everyday business traffic so we made use of turnouts at every opportunity to let them pass. Some “beep beeped”, which we concluded was “thank you”, and some just “beeped” which Parvin translated as “why the hell are you going so slow?”. Anyway, after several miles the fog slowly rescinded and we found ourselves at Bodega Bay. Another fill up for “Blue Belle” at outrageous price and back on Hwy 1 till we left it at Petaluma Valley Ford Road and then into downtown Petaluma. Fwy 101 soon loomed into view and we were soon going at a pretty good clip. Soon the fork for connector 37 came up and we drove back home on Fwy 80 going East. All in all it was a wonderful trip with many pleasant memories and pictures. You should try it some day.

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SAMOA Birthdays By Ron Petrich Birthdays in July… Wow! What a list. This month we get to see who we share our birthday with, which may or may not explain quite a bit! Jeanne George – Jul 2nd Lindsey Lohan Keith Tate – Jul 2nd Richard Petty Steven Blessing – Jul 9th O.J. Simpson Ken Clifford – Jul 10th Arlo Guthrie Sherri Rowland – Jul 10th Jessica Simpson Bob Carlson – Jul 11th Yul Brynner John Emelio – Jul 13th Jack Kemp Anne Jurach – Jul 15th Linda Ronstadt Fran Rowell – Jul 15th Kim Alexis Eric Vance – July 17th James Cagney Camie King – Jul 18th Harriet Nelson Gary Bechthold – Jul 19th George McGovern George Shuman – Jul 19th Edgar Degas Wayne Thomas – July 21st Ernest Hemingway Rod Johnson – Jul 22nd Bob Dole Nick Csik – Jul 23rd Omar Garciapara Richard Kelly – Jul 23rd Harold “Pee Wee” Reese Carol Rainbolt – July 23rd Monica Lewinsky Judy Cummings – Jul 24th Ruth Buzzi Gary Pederson – Jul 27th Norman Lear Chris Allen – July 28th Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Queta Martin – Jul 30th Emily Bronte Hugo Sarducci – June 32nd Mickey Mouse