From the Driver’s Seat – Sep2017

SEPTMBER 2017 – Thirty years ago, I was there when the City of Santa Clarita was formed and the Founding Fathers rolled out their model of what they thought the new city should be, and what their plans for the future would be. Over the year’s the city has made many changes from the original plan, and the city continues to evolve. Our club wishes the City of Santa Clarita a Happy 30th Anniversary.

Next year, our club will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary, and like the city, change is taking place in our club. Our club is evolving, and change is a course of nature. As Corvette owners, we are acutely aware of change in the cars we drive. Some of us, maybe a good number of us, remember when the first Corvette rolled off the line in 1953. We have seen seven generations of Corvettes, and every time there’s a generation change some people are resistant to the change, but eventually accept it. The same goes for our club when it comes to change. Some of the old guard are comfortable with the club as it was in the earlier years, and don’t like change, and I can understand that. However, what would the Corvette be today if it never changed from the original production model?

I’m reluctant to use the term change when it comes to our club, but would rather say evolution. As recently as the past five years our club has evolved, and is a different model, but still an active club, so yes, we’ve changed/evolved. As the president of this great club, I take a lot of responsibility for what happens in the club, and I accept that, and I surly don’t want to be a Capt Edward John Smith. Fortunately, Corvettes are land locked so a drive to Catalina is out of the question

As I alluded to in my last “Driver’s Seat”, we are evolving, and although we may look the same, but we will be different. We are refining our look, becoming more in tune with today’s styles and the Corvettes we drive, and becoming a more up to date image as we celebrate our club’s 40th anniversary.

I want to thank everyone who donated clothing and money for the victims of Hurricane Harvey. Some of you even went out a purchased new clothing and necessities to donate, and thank you for going above and beyond. Every piece of clothing was taken directly to Texas for distribution through a church in the devastated area. Deana Shaver was instrumental in finding the right person to accept, sort, categorize, and deliver everything directly to the church after the Red Cross stopped accepting clothing. Thanks go to Ed and Deana Shaver and their neighbors, Diane and Eric Green of for taking on this monumental task. For once, we know exactly where our donations went in this type of disastrous incident.

This month was fun filled, with a little something for everyone. Not only did some of drive and eat (something we’ve been known to do from time to time), but we actually had dinner and a live show at the Glendale Center Theater where “Footloose” was performed. There was our Taste of the Town at Marston’s in Valencia, and the run to Prescott, AZ, with a stop hosted by Tony & Kathy Munshi at their new home. They even offered to let the club members who drove to their home wash their cars in the driveway. Thanks Tony & Kathy, but a 6-hour drive-to wash-a-car?????

Lastly, with the holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) just around the corner, and family get together events, our activities for November and December may be impacted, and for sure there will be no Taste-of-the-Town in December, but a great Christmas party to look forward to.

Dwight