VOL. 50 • NO. 9 SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA SECTION September 2012 2012 CALENDAR OF COMING ACTIVITIES SEPT 30* Oktoberfest, Kara Pannu (415) 205-0790 OCT 5-7* Sierra Nevada Rally, Robert Schilling (650) 619-7550 OCT 21 2013 Activities Planning Meeting, Eva Gordon (650) 834-2614 OCT 27* MBRDNA Tech Event, Richard Simonds (650) 592-7613 NOV 3* Chardonnay Cruise, Sandor Drobilisch (408) 782-2305 DEC 8 Holiday Party, Gloria Loventhal (408) 289-1933 *Register online at http://sections.mbca.org/sfba/section_calendar.htm (or form on page 9) ENJOY AUTUMN AT SIERRA NEVADA RALLY by Robert Schilling, Ex-Officio What: Sierra Nevada Rally (regional event) When: October 5-7, 2012 Where: Genoa, Nevada Cost: $100 per person (plus lodging) The turning fall foliage of the Sierras should provide a stunning backdrop of color along the scenic back roads route of the Sierra Nevada Rally over the first weekend in October. This Western Regional event, hosted by the San Francisco Bay Area Section, is open to all MBCA members and should draw Mercedes enthusiasts from Northern and Central California and Northern Nevada. The weekend includes a Friday night Welcome Reception and a great “fun” rally followed by a western-themed Awards Banquet on Saturday. Sunday is yours to explore the Carson Valley area on your own or join one of the First Sunday Drive routes back toward your home destination. The Saturday rally is not complicated and technical. Think part poker run, part treasure hunt, part trivia quiz, and part crossword puzzle. Add a great awards banquet with wonderful prizes, and you’ve got the idea! Our host hotel is one of Nevada’s finest historical properties. The 1862 David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort is celebrating its 150 th anniversary of offering healing natural hot springs and spa services to travelers including the riders of the Pony Express. After your arrival, you might need to “take the waters” in one of seven natural hot springs or two pools—and massage and other full spa services are available with appointment. SHOWING OUR PRIDE AT OKTOBERFEST by Kara Christelle Pannu, Hospitality Director What: Oktoberfest When: Sunday, September 30, 2012, 1:00 p.m. Where: Pier 48, San Francisco Cost: $25 per person Come join us at “one of the 10 best places to celebrate Oktoberfest in the US” (by AOL Travel) on Sunday, September 30 at 1:00 p.m. This is the very special 123 rd “German Sunday” when we will drink German beer, eat German food, wear German attire, while arriving in our German vehicles (some of which will be on a casual concours-type display for the crowd). It began with the Royal Wedding on October 12, 1810. Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event. Horse races marked the close of the event, and the decision to repeat the horse races in subsequent years gave rise to the tradition of Oktoberfest. Let’s keep the German tradition going and dance to the 21-piece Chico Bavarian Band. Please don’t miss this festive event at the reasonable price of $25 per person. It includes a beer in a commemorative mug and a pretzel as well as tons of fun and music. All of your MBCA friends will be seated at our own private table. We can all enjoy the German parade which begins at 2:00 p.m. The event is in a larger and better venue this year (Pier 48 instead of Pier 39), and the hall will be filled with that festive vibe on this very special German Sunday. Don’t miss the chance to show your German pride! Reservation deadline is Sept. 20. Please register online at http://sections.mbca.org/sfba/section_ calendar.htm (or form on page 9). Questions? Contact Kara Pannu at (415) 205-0790 or [email protected]. (Continued on page 6)
Transcript
VOL. 50 • NO. 9 SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA SECTION September 2012
2012 CALENDAR OF COMING ACTIVITIES
SEPT 30* Oktoberfest, Kara Pannu (415) 205-0790OCT 5-7* Sierra Nevada Rally, Robert Schilling (650) 619-7550OCT 21 2013 Activities Planning Meeting, Eva Gordon (650) 834-2614OCT 27* MBRDNA Tech Event, Richard Simonds (650) 592-7613NOV 3* Chardonnay Cruise, Sandor Drobilisch (408) 782-2305 DEC 8 Holiday Party, Gloria Loventhal (408) 289-1933
*Register online at http://sections.mbca.org/sfba/section_calendar.htm (or form on page 9)
ENJOY AUTUMN AT SIERRA NEVADA RALLY
by Robert Schilling, Ex-Officio
What: Sierra Nevada Rally (regional event)When: October 5-7, 2012Where: Genoa, NevadaCost: $100 per person (plus lodging)
The turning fall foliage of the Sierras should provide a stunning backdrop of color along the scenic back roads route of the Sierra Nevada Rally over the first weekend in October. This Western Regional event, hosted by the San Francisco Bay Area Section, is open to all MBCA members and should draw Mercedes enthusiasts from Northern and Central California and Northern Nevada. The weekend includes a Friday night Welcome Reception and a great “fun” rally followed by a western-themed Awards Banquet on Saturday. Sunday is yours to explore the Carson Valley area on your own or join one of the First Sunday Drive routes back toward your home destination. The Saturday rally is not complicated and technical. Think part poker run, part treasure hunt, part trivia quiz, and part crossword puzzle. Add a great awards banquet with wonderful prizes, and you’ve got the idea!
Our host hotel is one of Nevada’s finest historical properties. The 1862 David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort is celebrating its 150th anniversary of offering healing natural hot springs and spa services to travelers including the riders of the Pony Express. After your arrival, you might need to “take the waters” in one of seven natural hot springs or two pools—and massage and other full spa services are available with appointment.
SHOWING OUR PRIDE AT
OKTOBERFESTby Kara Christelle Pannu, Hospitality Director
What: OktoberfestWhen: Sunday, September 30, 2012, 1:00 p.m.Where: Pier 48, San FranciscoCost: $25 per person
Come join us at “one of the 10 best places to celebrate Oktoberfest in the US” (by AOL Travel) on Sunday, September 30 at 1:00 p.m. This is the very special 123rd “German Sunday” when we will drink German beer, eat German food, wear German attire, while arriving in our German vehicles (some of which will be on a casual concours-type display for the crowd).
It began with the Royal Wedding on October 12, 1810. Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event. Horse races marked the close of the event, and the decision to repeat the horse races in subsequent years gave rise to the tradition of Oktoberfest. Let’s keep the German tradition going and dance to the 21-piece Chico Bavarian Band.
Please don’t miss this festive event at the reasonable price of $25 per person. It includes a beer in a commemorative mug and a pretzel as well as tons of fun and music. All of your MBCA friends will be seated at our own private table. We can all enjoy the German parade which begins at 2:00 p.m. The event is in a larger and better venue this year (Pier 48 instead of Pier 39), and the hall will be filled with that festive vibe on this very special German Sunday.
Don’t miss the chance to show your German pride! Reservation deadline is Sept. 20. Please register online at http://sections.mbca.org/sfba/section_calendar.htm (or form on page 9). Questions? Contact Kara Pannu at (415) 205-0790 or [email protected].
(Continued on page 6)
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MERCEDES-BENZ CLUB OF AMERICASAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA SECTION
You can send that wonderful article or ad via E-mail or FAX to me for inclusion in the Golden Gate [email protected] or FAX 650-592-6318. Laura
The GOLDEN GATE STARPublisher Anza Group - San JoseEditor Laura SimondsPhotographer Sandy Drobilisch The Golden Gate Star is published monthly by the San Francisco Bay Area Section, Mercedes-Benz Club of America, Inc. Copy deadline: 10th of the month preceding the month of issue. Please type and double space copy.ABOUT OUR ADVERTISERS: We hope you will support our advertisers. No inference, however, should be made that advertising in THE GOLDEN GATE STAR implies approval of their products or services by the Club, its Officers or members, or by Mercedes-Benz - USA Inc. or Daimler AG.MEMBERSHIP information or renewal, call toll free 1-800-637-2360
BOARD MEMBERS’ MESSAGEby Kara Christelle Pannu, Hospitality Director
SUMMER HAS SWEPT BY....
In a quick bat of my tinted lashes brushing against my Burberry “Jackie O’s,” it seems the summer has flown by, albeit on fog-dampened wings, at least up in the hills where I have been most of the time. Sadly enough, I have rarely gotten to take Silver’s top down and bask in one of my leisurely sun-drenched drives, unless, perhaps, down to the Peninsula, or, frown, out east to the work hub of Fairfield.
The few summer events with the club that I did get to attend stand out in my mind as relaxing and interesting moments with folks I always enjoy meeting and reminiscing with. June started off with a bang at the Golden Gate Fields event which I found too exciting and fun to describe. It seems everyone won something, at least, and Howard Strause was certainly willing to share his knowledge on how to make the winning picks! I heard rave reviews (and saw lots of photos and video as well) of the Blackhawk Museum Tour, and recently thought the interior of the Old San Francisco Mint was a welcome surprise in the midst of the truly Metropolitan Center of 5th & Market Streets! Who knew?? All I have thought about since is planning an event so that I may revel in that beautiful “Granite Lady” dressed up in all her glory one evening by candlelight. Besides that, I am so looking forward to a giant stein full of cold German beer to kick off October. It is one of my favorite months (I am very into spookiness and scary stuff for those of you who don’t know), and I cannot think of a better way to welcome autumn than with all of my M-B friends at German Sunday on the last day of September.
Sadly, I have missed most of the First Sunday Drives, but I choose not to dwell on the negative since I get such a thrill out of living vicariously through all of my fellow drivers’ adventures in the newsletter. Otherwise, I really would like to see new faces at the 2013 Activities Planning Meeting and Board of Directors Meeting on October 21. I truly feel that we have all experienced interesting and diverse events in the past year. This can be attributed to our members’ ideas (and Eva Gordon’s hard work) which we mulled over quite a bit at last year’s planning meeting. Come join us this year and share your ideas. You will be surprised how open and happy we are to hear about new concepts and venues.
I sincerely hope next time I see all of you that I will be in the midst of the San Francisco “Indian Summer” I have been eagerly awaiting. As I sit here thawing my freezing feet by a roaring fire, I am dreaming of Silver (sans top) on a warm, sunny day, and me in my M-B cap, a gift from Bill Smythe. That would make my summer complete!
E-NEWSLETTER NOTICE – All members with e-mail addresses in the national MBCA membership database automatically receive the e-newsletter. Be sure that the MBCA National Business Office has your current e-mail address to receive the e-newsletter by contacting Renee Herbert at (800) 637-2360. Or send your address correction to Ann Bornstein (SFBA membership director) at [email protected]. Members with no e-mail addresses receive the printed and mailed newsletter. If you want to receive the printed and mailed newsletter, you need to opt-out of the electronic version by contacting editor Laura Simonds at (650) 592-7613 or [email protected]. To avoid being “undeliverable,” be sure to put our editor’s address ([email protected]) in your list of safe senders.
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In August seventeen stalwart MBZ’s gathered in Petaluma for a challenging drive up the Marin-Sonoma coast to the state historical park at Fort Ross. (Note to self: do not assume all Starbucks stores have adjacent parking lots!) Under constant cloud cover and occasional mist, we negotiated the twisty-curvies along Highway 1 to a rest stop at Bodega Bay, and then on to the Gold Rush-era Russian colony site.
As we headed back inland, the sun shone and spirits lifted. We enjoyed a great lunch at the Union Hotel in quaint Occidental. Situated on the “Bohemian Highway,” liberal “hippie era” lifestyles mesh with conservative rural culture in a friendly way, one that fosters stimulating art and interesting culinary works.
First Sunday Events are casual driving events that are held on the first Sunday of every month. To be notified of the next First Sunday event and for more information to links, event photos, please find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/FirstSundayDrives, or go to www.FirstSundayDrives.com, or send an e-mail to [email protected].
FIRST SUNDAY DRIVESMERCEDES-BENZ RESEARCH &
DEVELOPMENT NORTH AMERICA—TECH EVENT
by Richard Simonds, Technical Director
What: Technical Event at Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America (MBRDNA) When: October 27, 2012, 9:30 a.m. – ~2:00 p.m., including lunch hosted by MBRDNA Where: MBRDNA, 850 Hansen Way, Palo Alto Cost: $7 per person SFBA Section has been offered a rare opportunity to see the workings of the worldwide Research and Development team for telematics and infotainment systems in Mercedes-Benz vehicles. If names such as COMAND, Embrace2, and a variety of similar functions are familiar to you, you can see where the original development was done. A fairly small team of engineers and technicians does the conceptualization, research, development, and testing of all kinds of electronic functions that end up in our modern M-B vehicles, functions that are designed to enhance our enjoyment and add to our safety while we drive in the world’s finest automobiles.
We will see some of the most significant contributions made by the MBRDNA team in the recent past and will learn about approaches they are taking to create a “Dynamic Intuitive Control Experience” for drivers and passengers. One of their core principles is to design and develop systems that are easy to use and add value to your M-B experience. Page 22 of the May-June 2012 issue of The Star had a short article about the MBRDNA team and the new “Apps” that were scheduled for release. These new “Apps” are intended to integrate several key functions (such as find a product, find a store to buy it, get directions to the store, check product reviews, contact a friend for a personal review or recommendation, call the store on the integrated phone to be sure it will be open, and go there). This is the “App-ification” of the driving experience, and it can be done in a way that is both safe and within the law! Now that is amazing!
In addition to presentations about technology, we will have some time in the “Auto Lab” where prototype products are installed, tested, and used to refine and develop the technology before it is released for use in the latest M-B vehicles.
One important note: Because of space constraints, we will be limited to 40 members only (no guests). So, if this is one you want to see, be sure to register as soon as you can. For fastest reservation time, use our new online reservation form at http://sections.mbca.org/sfba/section_calendar.htm. Motorsportreg.com will also keep track of reservations and notify members when the maximum number has been reached. Reservation deadline is October 20 or when limit is reached. Yes folks, not only our M-B vehicles, but even our 54-year old SFBA Section is making a full-bore plunge into electronic technologies.
Questions? Contact Richard Simonds at [email protected] or (650) 592-7613.
NEWS & NOTESUrgent Need: First Sunday Drive Coordinator. James Lindstrom has resigned as FSD chairman. Many thanks, James, for all your fine work! He has agreed to continue as administrator through the end of this year. We need someone (or two someones) to volunteer to replace James for next year’s drives’ coordination. The job consists mainly of securing volunteers to plan each month’s routes and to publish the Google map link with a short description in the monthly FSD email blast. James will train! We also need volunteers to offer to plan routes for each of the next five or six months. We have many old routes to use in a pinch, but it would be good to try some new drives as well.
Need I say? FSD’s are one of our club’s most popular activities, so please step up and contact me at [email protected] or (925) 899-4298 (cell). If you’ve never planned a drive, I promise you’ll get all the assistance you may need—it’s not hard.--from Jack Weir, President
Wanted: Newsletter Editor. After many years, I will be stepping down as Newsletter Editor at the end of this year with the December issue. This is a very important job in SFBA Section. It’s the main communication tool with our members. This position is also a member of the board for SFBA Section (which meets only quarterly).
If you have an interest or experience in being editor, please contact me now at [email protected] or (650) 592-7613. Let’s talk about what’s required and the process. I’m happy to work with the new editor for a smooth transition, so please don’t think you’ll be “left dangling.”--from Laura Simonds, Editor
Holiday Gala, December 8. Do you know the way to San Jose? Our Holiday Gala Weekend will be on Saturday, December 8, at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose. It will be a Twilight Time Gala from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Co-chairmen are Gloria Loventhal ([email protected]) and Mauna Wagner ([email protected]). Look for complete details and reservation information in the October newsletter.
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SAIL THE CHARDONNAY AGAIN
by Sandor Drobilisch, Historian & Photographer
What: Chardonnay Sailing Tour & LunchWhen: Saturday, November 3, 2012, 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.Where: Santa Cruz HarborCost: $75 per person
Fall is one of the best times of the year to go sailing! Spend the day on the Monterey Bay! Take a first class cruise through the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary aboard the 70-foot sailing yacht, the Chardonnay. See protected wildlife, take in the beauty of the coastline, and experience the exhilaration of sailing. Relax on the spacious deck or in the cabin.
The large, modern galley and seating area are designed to accommodate a large group for daily sails. There will be lots of good food, wines, beers, and soft drinks served by the friendly crew while we landlubbers enjoy the magical view from the deck of this magnificent vessel! And for those who would rather be out of the wind, there is a spacious dining room below with all the comforts needed.
It was a bit more than four years ago when my beloved wife Lindsay organized this cruise in 2008 to sail on the Chardonnay on the open ocean for a couple of hours. Well, Lindsay passed away in 2011, and now I am organizing this event in her memory.
We will gather at 10:30 a.m. and sail 11:00 sharp! Check-in is at 790 Mariner Park Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95062. The yacht can take 49 passengers, so this is a first-come, first-served rule for reservations! Reservation deadline is October 22. Please register online at http://sections.mbca.org/sfba/section_calendar.htm (or form on page 9). Questions? Call Sandy at (408) 782-2305. For more information about the Chardonnay Sailing Tour, go to www.chardonnay.com.
WELCOME, NEW MEMBERSJuly 2012
(Order name badges from the National Business Office, (800) 637-2360, or online at the Club Store www.mbca.org.)
Rick Anderson, Scotts ValleyAlexander Bernard, San RamonJinxiu Chen, AlamedaEdward Collins, RichmondSeth Combs, San FranciscoPeter Grace, BrisbaneBruce Johnson, San FranciscoGeorge Lippi, San FranciscoDarren Lo, CupertinoJohn Lovetro, San JoseAlan MacRea, San FranciscoDana Mukhitdinova, Walnut CreekThor Peterson, SausalitoClancy Priest, DublinJeffrey Schwartz, San Jose
MEMBER ANNIVERSARIESWe’re proud to recognize our SFBA Section members who have recently celebrated a milestone MBCA membership anniversary. We appreciate that you’re part of MBCA and hope that you continue to enjoy the benefits of your membership for a long time. Congratulations!
William & Lee Walsh, San Francisco, 15 yearsIraj Soltani, Santa Rosa, 15 yearsDale & Kathy Schuett, Pleasanton, 15 yearsJonathan & Kiyo Weiss, Lafayette, 10 yearsWilliam Volkmann, Napa, 10 yearsJun Tambunting & Carol Resendiz, Hayward, 5 yearsLeo Rachal, Hercules, 5 yearsDianne Busse, Pacific Grove, 5 yearsEverett Burr Lewis, Danville, 5 years
ACTIVITIES PLANNING FOR 2013
by Eva Gordon, Activities Director
What: 2013 Activities Planning MeetingWhen: Sunday, October 21, 2012, 1:00-3:00pmWhere: Harry’s Hofbrau, 1901 El Camino Real (at Woodside Road), Redwood CityCost: Nothing, optional no-host lunch
Once again, it’s that time of year where we begin to plan our next year’s events. This has been another great year of events for our section, so let’s continue the fun! We invite all our SFBA members to attend our annual Activities Planning Meeting. We will hold the meeting on Sunday from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., just prior to the SFBA Section Fall Board Meeting which is from 3:30-6:00 p.m. We will meet in the private dining room at Harry’s Hofbrau, which offers a huge variety of fabulous food at reasonable prices; we encourage you to try their buffet lunch.
This is the time when we will ask members for suggestions of events and venues so that we can include them in our 2013 calendar of events. The meeting is open to the entire membership. We strongly encourage you to come and help us plan where and when we will go and what we will do in 2013. As always, we are also looking for members to host and volunteers to help at these events, so please don’t be shy. This is your club too, and it is all run by volunteers!
We would appreciate it if you would RSVP for the event by contacting me if you will attend. Or if you cannot attend but have an event idea or would like to volunteer, please contact me prior to the meeting and let me know. Looking forward to hearing from you, Eva Gordon at [email protected] or (650) 834-2614.
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NEW MAGAZINE ABOUT MERCEDES CLASSICS
Sundial Magazines, British publishers of the monthly magazine Mercedes Enthusiast, have launched a new quarterly magazine Classic Mercedes. It will focus on the world’s best and most coveted classic Mercedes-Benz models, from the iconic SL Gullwing of the 1950’s through to the modern classics of the 1980’s and 1990’s.
Classic Mercedes will have a strong international theme sourcing the broadest possible spread of material from across the world with company and model profiles, plus guidance on buying. The photographic element will be a pronounced feature of its presentation.
It is designed to complement Mercedes Enthusiast which maintains its policy of covering all aspects of the Mercedes brand while leaving the new Classic Mercedes to concentrate on solely classics. Classic Mercedes is targeted at the affluent collectors and enthusiasts of the brand which will be emphasized by the high quality production and paper stock.
Classic Mercedes went on sale in selected Barnes & Noble stores in early August and will cost $12.50 per issue. If you can’t get to a B&N store, then you can order Classic Mercedes on the website ($12.50 inc. air mail) or subscribe for just $40. For more information, go to www.classicmercedesmagazine.com.
MEET YOUR BOARD MEMBERSRich Persoff, former Director at Large (with Ann Bornstein, Membership)
For a number of years I had wanted a classier car than standard Detroit iron (although I never saw another bronze Mercury Montego like mine that tragically ended its life as a “$5 a Smash” high school fundraiser). A post-war R-type Bentley, the first production car to go faster than 100 mph (though it took a good minute to get there!) seemed about the right combination of style, cost, and dignity for a recent widower. Now, of course, I realize that I wasn’t “Roller” material, and as it so often does, fate stepped in, parking a silver 350SL in front of the auction house that was handling the sale of our beautiful but “not me” antiques. The pre-E-Bay “buy-it-now” price was within budget. Love at first sight!
Truthfully, I had never considered being a Mercedes owner—weren’t there questions about slave labor and old Nazis? But my heart told my brain that at the worst, this 1972 model had been engineered and built by their children and grandchildren. Who was I to visit the possible sins of the fathers on workers who were probably just as honest and glad of a good job as anyone in the U.S?
With the purchase made, I took off the hard top and invested in a dark blue Spanish shepherd’s beret. Ann says the combination was irresistible. Gas being cheaper, we drove all over Northern California, carefully marking our routes travelled with black flow-pens on an plastic-sealed Auto Club map. It was our challenge to go and return by roads we hadn’t been on before, and sometimes the maps were not at a large enough scale to keep us off spooky back roads that looked like perfectly acceptable grey lines.
My 350 (it never had an affectionate name) has served as a truck hauling plants, soil, and fertilizers. Once a largish shrub tree sat on the seat and poked its head where the top had been—Ann took this picture of the “Bonsaimobile.”
Best mileage ever was 19 mpg. Driving about 6000 miles per year, repairs and maintenance have averaged $2,000 per year for seats, body work, painting, and timing chains. If you hear a clattering noise, have your car immediately towed to the garage. I confess that instructions directing one to tighten bolts to X “Newton meters” give me serious paranoia about doing repairs myself.
SIERRA NEVADA RALLY(Continued from page 1)
For photos and more resort information, visit their website at www.DavidWalleys-resort.com. We have negotiated great rates at this premium resort! $79 nightly for a hotel-style room and $109 nightly for an apartment-style one-bedroom suite. Cost for the event is $100 per person and includes Welcome Reception appetizers, a box lunch for the Saturday rally and the Awards Banquet dinner. Please register for the event online at http://sections.mbca.org/sfba/section_calendar.htm (or form on page 9). Registration deadline is Sept. 19, but seating is limited at our very special award banquet venue, so make your reservations early! Promotional pricing codes for the negotiated room rates will be provided with your registration confirmation so you can make your reservations directly with the hotel. Please contact Robert Schilling at [email protected] if you have questions or would like to volunteer to assist with this event.
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CLASSIFIEDS
FOR SALE: 1988 560SL. Turquoise blue/green. 125,000 miles. Convertible/hard top. Excellent condition. All records. $14,000. Contact Leslie at (925) 937-1651 or [email protected].
FOR SALE: 1982 300D Wagon. White/blue; 220,000, miles, automatic, tow package. Interior in good condition. Exterior has some minor dents. Recent rebuilt transmission, service records available. Contact Tony at (831) 747-7054.
FOR SALE: MBZ Hardtop Holder (230SL, 250SL, 280SL, 450SL, 500SL, 560SL). $150. Contact Ron at (408) 265-1534.
Please support our commercial advertisers! They support our club. Be sure to tell them that you’re a member of the club and saw their ad in this newsletter.
[Remember, classified ads are free to members, $25 for non-members. Your classified ad will appear both in the newsletter and on our web site for one month. Send your “for sale” or “wanted” ad to Laura Simonds, editor, [email protected], or (650) 592-6318 fax.]
TRAIPSING THROUGH GOLD RUSH HISTORY
by Jack Weir, President
And, traipse through the history of the (old) San Francisco Mint we did. Several dozen club members and guests gathered for a fascinating tour of a classic 19th century building, now empty but steeped in the tradition of the California Gold Rush.
The massive old structure, called the “Granite Lady,” was designed to accommodate bankers who needed a reliable way to convert gold dust and nuggets from the Gold Country into usable and consistent coinage. This eliminated the need for payment by the “pinch”—the variable amount of dust that could be picked up between the thumb and forefinger. Large-handed bartenders and waiters were much preferred.
The Granite Lady was nearly impregnable. Steel and iron vaults lined the basement, many with two combination locks for security. The public spaces, such as the Receiving Room and the Assayer’s Office, were beautifully and ornately painted, disguising the fact that the floors, walls, and ceilings were made of iron. Armed guards patrolled on intricate ironwork balconies.
The building easily survived the 1906 earthquake and could probably withstand anything today short of a ground zero nuclear hit. No longer in operation, it sits waiting for the implementation of a museum, if and when history buffs amass the funds necessary.
Following the tour, many adjourned to the nearby ‘Wichcraft Café for an interesting selection from their menu of soups and sandwiches. Thanks to Kara Pannu and our tour guides for an informative outing.
Reservation deadline Oct. 20 or when the limit of 40 attendees is reached. Please register online at http://sections.mbca.org/sfba/section_calendar.htm. For confirmation, include email or phone number above. Confirmation sent upon receipt of registration.
Reservation deadline Sept. 20. For confirmation, include phone # or email above, or register online at http://sections.mbca.org/sfba/section_calendar.htm.
Reservation deadline Oct. 22 or when the limit of 49 attendees is reached. Please register online at http://sections.mbca.org/sfba/section_calendar.htm. For confirmation, include email or phone number above. Confirmation sent upon receipt of registration.
Reservation deadline Sept. 19. Please register online at http://sections.mbca.org/sfba/section_calendar.htm. For confirmation, include email or phone number above. Confirmation sent upon receipt of registration.
VOL. 50 NO. 9 • SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA SECTION • SEPT 2012
MAILING ADDRESS: 2909 BRITTAN AVE. • SAN CARLOS, CA 94070
Please send any address changes directly to MBCA at 1907 Lelaray Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80909, or call 1-800-637-2360. We cannot process address changes locally.
