SAAC Presents:
A Visit to the Vinal Tech Cruise
Night, Thursday, May 17, 2007, Middletown, CT - A Good Event
Benefiting Some Good Young People (This
page created as of 6/18/2007)
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As I get older,
I tend to look at things a little differently sometimes--trying
to look a little deeper into the background of things and events
for additional meaning or significance. Oftentimes having taken
the time to investigate in this way pays dividends.
It was just such a circumstance that led me to notice a listing for the Vinal Tech Cruise Night that had been posted earlier in the year at the Connecticut Council of Car Clubs web site, and to make an inquiry to the listed contact for some additional information about the event. In response, I received a very nice e-mail from Vinal Tech "SkillsUSA" team advisor Michele Leahy, who provided many additional details about the event, which was being held to generate funds to help pay for the state-winning "SkillsUSA" team from Vinal's trip out to the national competition in Kansas City, MO, in June. Michele attached to the e-mail a letter from the SkillsUSA team captain, also a flyer and registration form for the event. In her e-mail dated 5/2/2007, Michele wrote:
"...Thank you so much for your help. I have attached a pre-registration form, flyer and the letter for the cruise night...Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated! Feel free to contact me at any time...We need to raise $13,000 to send our state champions to Kansas City, Missouri...read the letter it explains it all!! Again thank you, Michele Leahy..."
After a bit of browsing the Vinal Technical High School's web site (http://www.cttech.org/VINAL/index.htm), I was also able to find some info about the Vinal "SkillsUSA" team online at: http://www.cttech.org/VINAL/student/vica/vica.htm . It certainly sounded like a very good program.
The next thing I did was to update the event listing at the SAAC Calendar page, and also send in my filled-out registration form and donation, to be able to participate on May 17th, with my '68 VW Bug (thankfully it was an open evening on my calendar, to be able to make the drive up to Middletown--which also happens to be my old home town).
Come the evening of Thursday, the 17th of May, I got an early start directly out of work, and drove my '68 directly up to Middletown, angling over to toward the southwestern edge of town, not far from the Middlefield border. The weather was positively perfect-a sunny and bright evening--perfect for an old cars gathering.
Arriving at Vinal Tech High School on Daniels Street (property also bounded by Randolph Road at the north), there were students stationed at the driveway entrance to the school, and I was efficiently directed over to the large parking lot at the east side of the school building, where there were already many beautiful antiques, classics, hot rods, muscle cars, and trucks of all types and styles. I got the Bug parked, and then set about to hand out flyers that I had brought (Time Machines and Jazz Festival). After I got all the flyers handed out, it was time to browse more casually and snap some interesting views of the colorful assembled vehicles.
Among the many
eye-catchers for me were a positively gorgeous black 1953
Jaguar XK120SE fixed-head coupe, also fantastic 1947
Ford "pumper" firetruck with just the right
amount of "patina," and "Winslow Fire Protection
District" markings. I also got the chance to chat a bit with
the Winslow firetruck's "team," who were most happy to
talk about their history with the truck, and what they went
through to bring it to it's present condition. They were also
familiar with another similar-era and similar-bodied local
flathead Ford firetruck that I mentioned to them--the late Butch
Deming's '45 model, reference - http://members.aol.com/foxcraft/ButchAnd45FordFiretruck.html
- which we also understand is still kicking around in the area,
although not currently being shown.
As I browsed further, I noticed some cards on the windshields of a few of the cars that indicated they were owned by Vinal Tech alumni, and/or were "productions" of the Vinal Tech automotive shop! One such car fitting into the latter category was a very beautiful white 1951 Ford two-door "shoebox" sedan, with a very subtle "lead sled" look. The windshield card indicated it was owned by Dave Conant from Middletown, CT. A few short minutes later, while I was enjoying viewing and photographing this very slick '51 Ford, the owner strolled up, and I had a very nice conversation with him about the car, which he explained was expertly bodyworked & painted by students at the Vinal shop--most impressive! Mr. Conant was even so gracious as to pose for a photo with his car.
I was only able to stay around a short time in the early part of the evening, before having to scram home to pick up one of my kids from a meeting they were at. It was a most wonderful way to spend an evening, and I could not be happier about having been able to support a great bunch of dedicated students!
I wish to offer my congratulations once again the Vinal Tech "SkillsUSA" students on their great academic achievements--and also for producing a most wonderful antique auto cruise night! And as I know that it also takes dedicated teachers, parents, and advisors (including Ms. Leahy) to bring something like this off, I also with to tip my hat to all of them who also made the 2007 Vinal Tech Cruise Night a big success!
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Selected Photos from the Vinal Cruise Night 2007
BELOW: I walked up onto the embankment beyond the eastern end of the Vinal Tech parking lot to get this somewhat overall view of the cars assembled at the event. The Vinal school building complex is in the background of this shot.
BELOW: An overall view sighting down one of the rows of colorful cruise night cars on display--this one being the farthest eastern border of the Vinal parking lot.
BELOW: Another overall view featuring some of the spectacular hot rods.
BELOW: Black was the theme of this drop-dead gorgeous 1953 Jaguar XK120SE fixed-head coupe.
BELOW: Dave Conant from Middletown poses with beautiful subtle kustom '51 Ford Sedan.
BELOW: A rear view of the super-clean Conant '51 Ford.
BELOW: Here is a nice overall view of the wonderful 1947 Ford "pumper" firetruck with "Winslow Fire Protection District" markings. This fantastic firetruck fairly bristled with authentic period details. A large industrial water pump can be seen mounted just ahead of the front grille, which necessitates the extended front bumper. Note also the large spotlight mounted on the right side of the cab, just ahead of the passenger's door.
BELOW: And finally, just to prove we were there...
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