Cruisin’ at the speed of fun
Monthly Crusin
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Mass Cruisers Auto Club July 2020
June Bass Pro Cruise Cancelled, What To Do!!
CARantine Cruising Adventures Part II
Remembering D.J. Arnie "Woo-Woo" Ginsburg
Arnie Ginsburg, image from Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame
INSIDE: PRESIDENTIAL MUSINGS EDITOR’S NOTE CRUZIN’ AUTO SHOWS & EVENTS We’re on the Web
Celebrating 29 Years of Cruisin’ Volume 29 Issue 7
www.masscruisers.com And Facebook
Cruisin’ at the speed of fun
Monthly Crusin Contact us by snail mail: P.O. Box 217, Wrentham, MA 02093 Or by email: HO350@comcast.net
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We have moved all monthly meetings to the Bass Pro Shops Conservation Room at 1 Bass Pro Place in Foxboro, MA beginning in May. Monthly meetings will still be held the third Tuesday of the month starting at 7 PM, guests and visitors are welcome to attend. Business meetings will be held an hour earlier, club members are encouraged to attend. DIRECTORY
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PRESIDENTIAL MUSINGS
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Club Officers President: Larry Nyborn Vice President: Open
JUNE BASS PRO CRUISE CANCELLED
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Secretary: Lesley Corda-Majeski Asst. Secretary: John Guravage
JUNE BASS PRO CRUISE CANCELLED
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Treasurer: Kevin Rushlow Asst. Treasurer: Rich Armando
CARANTINE CRUISING ADVENTURES II
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At Large Board Member: Steve Huntington
CARANTINE CRUISING ADVENTURES II
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REMEMBERING D.J. ARNIE "WOO-WOO" GINSBURG
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SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS
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CRUZIN’
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AUTO SHOWS & EVENTS
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Special Assignments Webmaster: Steve Vining
Managing Editor: John Buchanan Newsletter Editor: John Guravage Digital Graphics Editor: Open Facebook: Patrick Touhey New Members: Lou Valentine Sgts. at Arms: Rick Lawlor John Sturniolo Charity Coordinator: Open Food Pantry: Steve Fernald Bob Okerholm
By-Laws: Wayne Lestan MAAC Rep: John Buchanan Cruise Nights: Steve Huntington Sponsors: John Buchanan Fred Tierney Club Events: Rich Armando
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Presidential Musings By Larry Nyborn
EXCLUSITIVITY Ever wonder what it feels like to belong to an exclusive country club? Well, you don't have to because it you are involved in the automotive hobby you are already there. There is nothing more special and exciting than getting out into that garage and taking that classic out for a spin. You're the envy of the neighborhood because they don't have that '69 Chevy Chevelle SS396 in their garage and can't go to the local dealership to get one. We can all use an escape from the craziness around us and being part of the car club culture affords us this opportunity. Not thinking about a virus....when someone says that car is 'sick', that's a good thing! No political correctness to worry about. Some of us have given our cars names but absent are any sexual connotations.....no equality/inequality issues.... no racist issues/ we are all part of the automobile brotherhood. There is nothing like the freedom you feel when you step into another world(your garage) and hit the open road with that classic/antique/ resto/etc. Yes, these are exclusive benefits available when you participate in the auto hobby in general and specifically as a member of the Mass Cruisers. Keep on CRUIZN! Larry *** Editor’s Note ***
Our President Larry Nyborn in his 1986 Monte Carlo outside the classic 1940 Sterling Streamliner “Modern Diner” in Pawtucket, RI Here we are into July and it seems that while Massachusetts chose to take the slow road to reopen businesses, States that took the fast road are shutting down faster than the first Phase closings. The Massachusetts and Rhode Island data continues to look good with declines in both hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 continue its downward trend. We are constantly asked at area cruise nights that were fortunate to get permission from their local health boards and property owners to open during the second step of Phase 2 in June, “When is the Bass Pro Shops cruise opening?” We submitted a reopening plan for the cruise to Patriot Place earlier in June and have also been in touch with the State thanks to Senator Paul Feeley & Representative Steven Howitt and, the feedback from the state was not hopeful. Phase 3, however should be more in line with what looks like a fit for cruise nights in general. The other problem facing businesses and property owners is that cruise nights are not specifically identified in the detail list of affected gatherings. Despite that, some cruise nights have benefited by getting their local Board of Health approvals. That happened for the Wheels of Time Cruise in Raynham that got an initial O.K. to start on 25, but was later told to cease and wait until Phase 4 in July. Other cruises like the Star Drive-In & Lafayette Club in Taunton, while getting initial approvals to start their cruise nights in the second step of Phase 2, were also stopped and told they have to wait until Phase 3. Some Rhode Island cruises have also been successful obtaining state approvals during their Phase 2 opening while others will be opening this month when the R.I. Phase 3 openings start. Until then, we are finding other ways to enjoy our hobby in new and creative ways.
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JUNE Bass Pro Cruise CANCELLED...OH MY, what to do? By John Buchanan
O.K. Everyone was getting bummed out that all the Massachusetts Cruise venues and dates for June were cancelled or delayed until later in the month. Our own June 4th & 18th cruise cancellations generated several negative comments on Facebook about the whole cancellation situation to the point of ridiculousness. That proverbial phrase, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” comes to mind. Particularly so when Steve Huntington organized alternatives to our cancelled June cruise nights. Steve organized an ice cream cruise to Chucky’s Creamery in Cumberland, R.I. on June 4 and asked for other ideas from club members.
The Star Drive-In in East Taunton for June 18 was suggested but they had posted that clubs not come cruising in numbers that would exclude their reduced capability to serve their regular take out business during Phase 2. The other problem was our usual old stand by June ice cream cruise to the Ice Cream Machine in Cumberland had to be scratched because, like many of the small businesses in our area, their weekday open hours had been shortened to 8 PM and, with this being an after work cruise, that meant leaving later and not being able to enjoy the relaxing cruise and schmooze was running up against an early closing time. Chucky’s, which we’ve never been to before, actually has a larger on-site parking area with outside picnic tables and was open till 10 PM, EUREKA! B.T.W. We had a good turnout of cars for this cruise which assembled and left from the Wrentham American Legion parking lot at 7 PM to cruise over the back roads of Wrentham and Cumberland, plus the ice cream was super delicious. Chucky’s now serves chowder and clamcakes until 8 PM if you want to experience a true Rhode Island summer combo before eating your giant waffle cone filled with ice cream.
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JUNE Bass Pro Cruise CANCELLED...OH MY, what to do? By John Buchanan
Continued from previous page Because the Thursday June 18 Star Drive-In cruise was pulled together at the last minute and, for most club members, would not be easily situated for a back roads cruise, we agreed to meet at the closed Silver City Galleria mall overflow parking lot and cruise from there onto Rte. 140 to the next exit, Rte. 79, where the Star Drive-In is easily seen from the highway. We didn’t make lemonade from lemons, but they did have Lime Rickey’s in addition to all the traditional take-out roadside drive-in fare and ice cream. Social distancing and mask wearing, when inside, is strictly enforced to place your order and you wait outside until your number is called. We pulled out our folding chairs and setup for our outdoor picnicking CRUIZE SCHMOOZE. The regular Wednesday Star Drive-In cruise nights were approved to begin the following week, June 24, HALLELJAH!
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CARantine Cruising Adventures Part II By John Buchanan
We were rolling into June with that GET-AWAY-FROM-HOME COVID-19 BLUES cruising adventure spirit still running strong so I hooked up with Rick Hodgkins again for his Carenteen IV back road cruise through Wareham and South Plymouth to College Pond in the Myles Standish Sate Forest. By this time in June, Rick had moved his camper to its season spot at the Bourne Scenic Park campground so he also moved launching his Carenteen cruises from the Seakers parking lot on Main St. in the center of Buzzards Bay across from the Buzzards Bay Recreation area parking lots along the Cape Cod Canal. I missed the last cruise down to Falmouth and along the Nantucket Sound shoreline that was a reported success and instead opted for that solo cruise to Provincetown on Rte. 6A that I reported on last month. Rick’s Carenteen IV cruise was set to launch from Seakers, which had been closed, on Sunday June 7. But, unknown to Rick, the store was also opening for business that day. As good fortune would have it, the store’s owner, Diane AnnenBenson, loved having the cars use her back parking lot for launching Rick’s cruises. She even posted a video of all the cars leaving on her Facebook page https:// www.facebook.com/rick.hodgkins.9/posts/10220103620354802. Thank you very much Diane. And, the ladies enjoyed browsing through all the upcycled furniture, antiques and local art, even purchasing some items while waiting to launch.
Panorama shot of cruise parked at the College Pond roadside
Fellow club members Herb & Sandy Williams, who live in the Connehassett section of Wareham, were waiting in the Seakers parking lot for us when I pulled in. After leaving Seakers to negotiate the Bourne Bridge Rotary and sneaking into the Head of the Bay Road, we were transported into a different world away from all the bustle of weekend tourist traffic and businesses that cater to them, a step back in time as it were. We drove past the Grazing Fields Farm over a previously planned back road route that Rick had mapped out into Myles Standish State Forest to the College Pond parking lot, which was open the previous weekend, but apparently was closed ahead of the upcoming COVID-19 Phase 2 openings scheduled for Monday. Continued on next page
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CARantine Cruising Adventures Part II By John Buchanan
Continued from previous page Fortunately the Portable Restrooms were open and very clean as we parked alongside the road for our lunch break. After the lunch stop, it was off again out of the Forest and on to Rte. 28 and the Tremont Nail Factory back parking lot in Wareham for a planned pit stop before many of the remaining cars ether continued cruising Wareham’s back roads back to Seakers or took off for other destinations. Except for a few brief sprinkles that appeared with the overcast skies, it was another great cruise to share with fellow auto enthusiasts like Rick (Downshifters Car Club), Bob Knight (New England Car Cruises & events), Wayne DesLauriers (Wayne’s World Photography) and fellow Mass Cruisers’ Herb & Sandy Williams. B.T.W. Herb’s custom 1946 Ford Coupe is FOR SALE if anyone is interested. And finally, Rick’s Carenteen V cruise was already on my calendar for Sunday June 28, a 1 PM cruise over the back roads of Aquidnick Island to Brenton Point in Newport, leaving from the Ocean Job Lots parking lot in Fall River and being led by R.I. native Wayne Faust in his Plymouth Duster who is familiar with all the Island back roads. I’m packing my kite, in addition to a lunch and cooler, for this one. Relaxing at the College Pond lunch stop
Herb & Sandy Williams 1946 Ford Coupe exiting Seakers
Tremont Nail Factory Pit Stop in Bourne
Myles Standish State Forest in Plymouth
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D.J. Arnie "Woo-Woo" Ginsburg dead at 93 By John Buchanan
I’m sure you young “whipper-snappers” out there may not have noticed the passing of a Boston Radio D.J. legend, Arnie “Woo-Woo” Ginsburg at age 93 on June 26, but to me and all of us within the WMEX Boston AM radio station signal back in the late 1950’s when Rock & Roll was in its growth period recognized the passing of a legend from our era. It was radio D.J.’s like Arnie that popularized the culture of cruising around with nowhere to go but listening to the music and banter they would add to the music bringing them into our otherwise bland teenage lives. Arnie’s train whistle identifying his night time radio show “The Night Train” along with his other gimmick sounds of a cow bell, squeaky carrot, cuckoo clock & horn along with the promise of a free hamburger from one of his sponsors, Adventure Car Hop on U.S. Route 1 in Saugus, if you said the magic words “WooWoo sent me” had us tuning his show each night as we bounced the dial from AM station to AM station looking for our favorite Rock & Roll or Doo-Wop hits to sing along with. A bunch of finally took the bait and drove up to Adventure Car Hop in Saugus one night, no small feat driving through Boston on Route 1 from Attleboro to get one of those free “Woo-Woo sent me” burgers. It was one of the worst 1 ounce, I think it was beef, hamburgers I ever ate. We never went back there but we continued listing to Arnie blow his train whistle and play all the big hits on his Night Train show, and always with a knowing smile every time he did his Adventure Car Hop spot with, “Tell them Woo-Woo sent you”. Rest in Peace Arnie, you deserve it.
2007 Old Timers Reunion Arnie Woo-Woo Ginsburg with the Dr. Do Wop Doc Camaroe
The Adventure Car Hop print is available to buy on www.junkyardartist.com (Bill MacGregor)
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P.O. Box 217 Wrentham, MA 02093
Monthly Crusin