2012 Holiday Party - a Big Success!
It was a great turnout for our annual holiday party and everyone who came showed a great deal of holiday spirit. Attendance was augmented by a very special announcement by our treasurer George van der Wouden. His son Steven and the rest of the van der Wouden family used the occasion to celebrate his engagement to Meagan Markessinis.
President, Ron Tanner reviewed the club's activities and briefed the group on the upcoming 2013 events which will include hosting a regional event. A slide show of the year's programs was prepared by Tim van der Wouden. There were a lot of smiles as pleasant memories of the past year were viewed. The holiday dinner party was held Saturday, December 16, 2012, at Treviso by Mallozzi's at the Italian American Community Center, 257 Washington Avenue Extension, Albany, New York. Many thanks go out to Chuck and Bobbi Trimarchi for planning the event and seeing it through to its very successful completion.

• Sat. & Sun., Mar. 2, 3 - Keeler 6th Annual Indoor Sidewalk Sale
  Come in out of the cold to Keeler Motor Car Company in Latham to browse their 40,000 square foot facility
  packed with imports and domestic cars, trucks, SUVs, SAVs and even convertibles for astounding offers!
  Sale hours are from 10 AM - 5 PM on Saturday and 11 AM - 4 PM on Sunday
  Door prizes - 2 tickets to Les Misérables at Proctors and an Apple iPad (must register to win)
  No purchase necessary. Must register in person on either day of event during sale hours. One winner per household.


• Sat., Mar. 9, 9:30 AM - Noon - Mercedes-Benz Club Tech Session at:
  Keeler Motor Car - 1111 Troy-Schenectady Rd - Latham
  Saturday Morning, March 9, 9:30 AM - Noon
  "What is it?" "Where is it?" Why?" "What to do about it?" "Runs like a top."
  Learn something. Good friends. Free of Charge!
  Demonstrations • Photo-ops • Refreshments • Mutual Admiration
  Shine up your car, display it proudly indoors. Prizes and fun.
  


• Sat. May 4 - New Members Luncheon at Gilded Otter Brewing Co. in New Paltz
  
  FREE for new members and a guest if you joined since April 2011!!!
  $30 each for members prior to April 2011.
  
  Cash bar (Non-alcoholic beverages included)
  Served luncheon meal including:
  A mixed field green salad with choice of dressings
  An entree choice from:
  
  • Bistro Steak with Madeira Demiglaze, Roasted Red Potatoes and Sauteed Vegetables
  • Shawangunk Jambalaya, Rice Pilaf and homemade cornbread
  • Chicken Schnitzel with a Lemon Caper Sauce, Roasted Red Potatoes and Sauteed Vegetables
  • Cajun Rubbed Tilapia with Spinach Pecan Pesto, Rice Pilaf and Sauteed Vegetables
  • Spaghetti with Meatballs in a Classic Tomato Sauce and Toasted Garlic Bread
  Dessert: Apple Almond Tart with Ice Cream
  
  R.S.V.P. by April 26, 2013 Chuck Trimarchi
  Please arrive at 11:30 AM for photos with your car!!


• Sat. Jun. 8 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM - Keeler's 5th Annual Summer Block Party:
  HUDMO Club members - come and show your cars. The event will be held at 1111 Troy Schenectady Rd, Latham NY 12110. There will be food and music, with different events going on in every building. Keeler Motor Car is our best corporate sponsor. Here's how Keeler describes the event:
  • Check out vintage Mercedes-Benz vehicles when the Hudson-Mohawk Mercedes-Benz Club of America rolls into town
  • The BMW Car Club of America Patroon Chapter will be there showing off their classic BMWs
  • A host of shined-up MINIs will be on display courtesy of the MINI Performance Group
  • Grand Opening of the New Keeler MINI Showroom
  • See a gathering of smart cars at our 6th Annual smarty Party at smart center Latham
  • Live Entertainment from 11:30 - 3:30 by The Audiostars
  • Live remotes from PYX 106 and KISS 102.3
  • Enter to win an Apple iPad*
  All this and more in one day!


• Sat. Jun. 15 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM - Street Survival: "It's more than driving - it's about living!"
  Sign up your teen and/or 20-21 yr olds today! (Parents are encouraged to stay for the school day if they wish.) The primary emphasis of Tire Rack Street Survival is a "hands-on" driving experience in real-world situations! We use your own car to teach you about its handling limits and how you can control them.
  The students will become more observant of the traffic situation they find themselves in. They will learn to look far enough ahead to anticipate unwise actions of other drivers. As the students master the application of physics to drive their cars, they will make fewer unwise driving actions themselves. They will understand why they should always wear their own seat-belts, and why they should insist that their passengers wear seat-belts, too!
  This class sponsored and conducted at the Saratoga Automobile Museum
  "Few people realize driving is one of the most dangerous things they do. A car traveling at just four mph has more energy than a bullet. That's a lot of responsibility." - Bill Wade, National Program Dir.


• Sat. Jul. 13 - Annual/Regional Car Show: Stars at the SPA "Celebrating The Golden Age"
  

  Location: Saratoga Automobile Museum -                   Spa State Park,                   110 Ave of the Pines,                   Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Tel: (518) 587-1935 Fax: (518) 587-4149   9:00 AM to 10:30 AM - Registration: 11:00 AM - All cars in place and detailing ends 12:00 PM until 2:00 PM - Judging

  Competition classes include, Modern (15 years or younger), Classic (50 years or younger) Antique (over 50 years old) with both Concours, Concours d'Elegance, and popular choice (to be judged by the public). Awards will be given for the most authentic festive attire depicting the dress for picnics and celebrations in the early days of Saratoga Springs. Start putting your period outfits together today and join us for the fun. There will be music, fashion, food, fun and great fellowship.

  
  The Entry fee for MBCA members is $75.00 per person, payable in advance. This will include your entry in the show, snacks during the day, and a very special three course sit down dinner in the Arches at the famous Gideon Putnam Hotel. The hotel is located near the Auto Museum which is in the beautiful Saratoga State Park. A cash bar will be available in our dining room. The entry fee for the show only is $25.00.
  
  The entry fee for non-members is $49.00. This will include a free membership to the Mercedes-Benz Club of America. If you want to attend the dinner, the cost for both registration and dinner for non-members will be $99.
  
  View and/or Print the documents: Registration Form Display Card News Release
  
  You can read additional information and comment at DiscoverSaratoga.org, SaratogaAutoMuseum.org, MBCA.org.
  


• Labor Day - Mon. Sep. 2 - A Day at the Races: Annual Labor Day Lunch Buffet
  at Saratoga Race Track . Join us to celebrate the finale of the 150th Anniversary Racing Season at the famous Saratoga Race Track for a day of food, music, and of course, races! We will have a reserved place on the home stretch in an air conditioned tent. Great fun and a chance to win big! See you there and good luck.

  $30.00 includes: Buffet, tax and gratuity Admission to the Club House Racing Program and Private Betting Area Waite Staff, Cash Bar and Private Rest Rooms

  Tickets purchased after August 16, 2013 will be $35.00
  Tickets will be distributed at the Main Track Gate on Day of the Event
  Flier and Registration Form available here.
  


• Farberallye 36 - Sep. 27-29 - Presented by Northern New England Star Section, MBCA
  A Driving Event in the Fall Color - the 36th annual Farberallye, this year in Waterville Valley NH, in the heart of the beautiful White Mountains. Visit their web page for further details.


• Sun. Sep. 22 29 - Legends of the Autobahn at Historic Old Westbury Gardens Long Island
  Hosted by our neighboring MBCA New York City-Long Island Section, Meet Classic, Exotic & European Car Enthusiasts as we Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Mercedes-Benz Pagoda! Details and Registration Form at NYC-Long Island Section MBCA web site. RSVP by Sep. 1, 2013 to reserve lunch. (Sep. 21: Rescheduled from 22nd to 29th due to rain.)
  


• Sat. Oct. 5 - Fall Rally and Tour - This is our own section's event that you won't want to miss!
  Join with other Mercedes-Benz drivers (actually any brand of vehicle is welcomed) as we do a challenging rally through beautiful hillside and horse country on roads seldom traveled. The rally will begin at Gigi Market, 227 Pitcher Ln, Red Hook, NY 12571. (Gigi Market is part gourmet, part deli, and part bakery where you will find some great eats - delicious bakery goodies, fine salads, every ones favorite this time of year - cider donuts, and some of the best coffee you will ever enjoy, so you're welcome to arrive an hour or so earlier for a great Farm Fresh Breakfast.) Pitcher Lane is off Route 9 and the market is about ½ mile up the street. The $10 fee per car is payable at the start line.
  
  The fun will begin at 11:30 AM with a drivers meeting. As we step off you will be headed into the most beautiful rolling hills and horse farms that Dutchess County has to offer. It will end at a surprise restaurant in Dutchess County, where you can have a late lunch or early dinner in a scenic setting.
  
  This year we are adding a rallye component which will make this a very exciting event. The rallye, while not a 'speed and distance' event, will be a challenge for all. The route has been driven three times, but is somewhat tricky, offering those who participate an opportunity to use their mapping and riddle solving skills. The course will present challenges to all, even the most experienced. It will be a chance to have fun while you test your abilities. These routes are setup so that a GPS is of little use, and we have done our best to be sure someone gets lost, which is part of rallying. Don't worry, each car will have a 'Panic Button' map which can be opened if you are totally lost. Do plan to join the challenge!
  
  For those who choose to just do the 'Tour', you will travel the same route as the rallye, but at a more leisurely pace. Your route will take you on many roads less traveled with a great number of photographic opportunities.
  
  This has always been one of the Hudson-Mohawk Section's most popular events. Please join your fellow members and help us to continue our successful track record.
  See you there!
  
  Here are the details:
  • What: 2013 Fall Rallye and Tour
  • Date & Time: October 5, 2013   11:30AM
  • Starting Point: Gigi Market, 227 Pitcher Ln, Red Hook, NY (Mapquest) (Google Maps)
  • Cost: $10.00 per car, payable at the start line.
  Please let Ron know AS SOON AS POSSIBLE as we need the list of Participants for the Restaurant.
  We have ordered "top down weather" but we will throw the starters flag whether rain or shine.
  Bring a potential club member with you.
  P.S.: Congratulations to Dan and Gail B. for correctly providing all 31 answers to the Rallye questionnaire!
  


• Thu. Oct. 10 - Special preview of "Big and Bold: Contemporary Paintings, Collage, and Sculpture from the Albany Institute's Collection"
  We are pleased to offer the following kind invitation for what sounds like a pleasant and enlightening evening for some of our members and associate members at the Albany Institute of History and Art (located at 125 Washington Ave., Albany New York): "The Social Committee of the Albany Institute of History and Art is pleased to welcome the Hudson Mohawk Section of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America to the October edition of our "Inside the Institute" series, on Thursday, October 10 at 6:30 PM. This intimate, invitation-only event will consist of a guided sneak preview of the exhibit "Big and Bold: Contemporary Paintings, Collage, and Sculpture from the Albany Institute's Collection" (in the Institute's recently renovated Lansing gallery). The evening will also include a behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum's state of the art storage facility. Wine and light hors d'oeuvres will be served. We look forward to seeing you there, and introducing you (or possibly re-introducing you) to all the Institute has to offer. The museum has indicated they can accommodate up to 16 people, so we will provide them a list of attendees based on a first come basis.


• Sat. Dec. 7 - Christmas Holiday Party
  Saturday, December 7, 2013 6:00 - 10 PM
  Albany Marriott 189 Wolf Road, Albany, NY 12205
  Hudson Mohawk Mercedes Benz Board invite you and your guests to the Annual Holiday Party.
  Cost $40 per person
  
  Menu Selection :
  
  • Grilled Fillet of Salmon with Dijon Cream Sauce
  • 8 Ounce Club Sirloin
  • Chicken Alexander - Breast of Chicken filled with Spinach, Roasted Red Peppers, Cheddar Cheese and topped with an Alfredo Sauce
  • Eggplant Roulade with Penne Pasta
  Hors d'oeuvres 6:00-6:30
  Cash Bar
  RSVP with menu choice.