NAVIGATOR TO NEW YORK
Julia's Garage
By: Julia Serafine
In deciding to move to Rochester, New York this summer, Damian and I both came to the conclusion that our "made for the Arizona Sun" sports cars weren't going to cut it in the rough and tough weather of the Northeast. We knew the only way to get through the harsh winters was to buy an SUV. With all of the options there are today, we both agreed we wanted a nice mix between luxury and sports utility...after all, we were moving to downtown Rochester...not a farm. We needed something that would get us to all of the fantastic restaurants and art events, not something we needed to use for transporting hay.
Before we started our five day trek cross-country, we searched high and low for a vehicle that would suite our needs. Wefinally decided upon a 2004 Lincoln Navigator. We were very confident that this choice would protect us from the dreaded outside weather and the beautiful interior would keep us nice and warm! The car is big, luxurious and most of all, smooth. It can carry up to eight passengers and tow up to 8,600 pounds - this came in very useful when we had to hitch my new car to the back of the Navigator and tow it all the way to The Empire State. We had plenty of room to throw our suitcases and miscellaneous items in the back...including our Golden Retriever, Lady!
The two-position memory for the driver's seat, mirrors and pedals made it very easy for Damian and I to switch on and off throughout our drive. This was something that our SUV needed to have...there is a huge difference between five foot one and six foot two. And when the weather got cooler, the seat warmers came into play very nicely.
One of the Naviagator's neatest features is the amount of cargo space in the back. You can either do this manually, or if you opt to buy the ultimate package, a power folding mechanism for thethird row of seats is included. At the press of a button the rear seat folds down to provide a flush floor space for increased capacity. The second row of seats can also be folded down to provide a large cargo area. A power rear tailgate comes with the Ultimate package also; it opens in about 10 seconds and is handy when approaching the Navigator with an armload of groceries...or hay!
Considering its size, the Lincoln Navigator is remarkably agile. It is extremely easy to handle and is actually fun to drive through all the twists and turns in Upstate New York. There's little body lean and it's possible to drive fairly quickly without upsetting passengers, especially our little Lady when we are on the road to Lake Ontario. Power rack-and-pinion steering transforms the Navigator's handling dynamics. Lincoln worked hard on the steering system and the Navigator turns in quickly for corners, moving almost instantly once the steering wheel starts to turn.
Overall, the Lincoln Navigatior is a great fit for our family. It is stylish, yet gives us the power we need to make it through my first white winter. The inside is roomy and leaves plenty of room for future carseats and maybe even another playmate for Lady.
Two for the Road USA Radio Co-Host, Cathy Droz, attends Phoenix Citizens Police Academy.
October, 2009
Two for the Road USA
By: Cathy Droz
Questions by Bill Z.
I sit on the board of directors for Silent Witness, a non- profit organization that raises funds to financially reward those responsible citizens who report crimes leading to arrests. The monies come from private donations and fund raising, not from the city government’s budget. While rewards for information are offered, many are never collected. This is due to the civic responsibility of the citizens who are just looking to help and make a difference.
Originally from New York, I have many retired friends from the New York City Police and Fire Departments. I have always admired the work and sacrifice of these organizations, especially after 9/11, where one of those friends was affected by the loss of several of his colleagues. Since then I have wanted to communicate to the masses what our fire and police departments do to keep our communities safe, and to reinforce a sense of respect for these courageous individuals. I felt the more educated I was with what they do, how they do it, as well as the individuals themselves, the more effectively I could get the word out thru the media and word of mouth.
Being a member of The Board of Silent Witness has exposed me to the police force in many forms. I have been given insight as to why these men and women chose such a dangerous and demanding profession. The common thread I have found is they want to help other people in crisis, comforting the families of the victims and getting the bad guys off the street. As a whole, I have found the force to be compassionate, caring, dedicated and hard working.
So far, the six week Citizens Police Academy (designed to give key members of the community a first-hand look at our police at work) has been informative and eye opening. It has also been educational in learning how many departments are involved in handling everything from traffic tickets to human smuggling.
I am currently entering week four of a six week program, which includes the following topics
• Dynamics of Deadly Force Encounters
• Officer involved shooting
• Ethics
• Gangs
• Homeland Defense
• S.W.A.T.
• Communications 911
• Vice
• K-9
• Crime Lab /CSI
• Community based policing
• Amber Alert/Missing Persons
• Air Support
• DUI
• Motorists Assist
• Firearms Unit/Range/Arrest Tactics and
• a full shift ride along in a precinct unit
I leave class each week without knowing any police secrets or how to get out of a traffic ticket, but I do know that the Phoenix PD, as well as other law enforcement departments in Arizona, possesses state of the art equipment and technology to keep us safe. With potential budget cuts being considered, this is not an area we want to cut back on.
While Hollywood glamorizes some police departments, such as CSI (CSI Miami), the bottom line is that these men and women risk their lives everyday for our community.
When Two for the Road co-host Bill Z. asked Cathy on the radio about her academy classes, here is what she had to say:
What surprised you the most? The number of educated, attractive, strong, caring, high ranking women that serve in all forms of law enforcement.
Myths? I’ve not seen one donut at headquarters or in a patrol car
Which session so far has been an eye opener? Amber Alert/Missing Persons
If you could turn back time, would you ever consider being a police officer or firefighter? No, I am not that brave. I could work in the office of headquarters or Public Relations but that is it.
What do you hope to accomplish by taking this course? Communicating to others what I have learned, with the hope that they pass it along to their friends and families. To instill respect for the police, helping your neighbors and being observant at all times; “if it doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t.”
Wildest Goal? We start thanking the police, fire and Sheriff’s officers the way we thank the men in the armed forces in an airport. Yes they are paid to do their job, but you couldn’t pay me enough.
Worst Part of the Course: The photos of violent crimes against other human beings and exploited children.
For more about the Citizen Police Academy go to www.phoenix.gov/police/citaca1.html
MY FIRST CAR
Jane Seymour
by: Jim Prueter - AAA Arizona
Award-winning British actress Jane Seymour got her biggest break and made a splash as Bond girl Solitaire in the 1973 James Bond film “Live and Let Die.”
She is perhaps best known for role as frontier doctor in the hit television series “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” for which she won a Golden Globe. She won an Emmy for her portrayal of Marie Callas in the TV miniseries “Onassis” and another for role as Cathy Ames in the TV miniseries “East of Eden.” Most recently, she took a comedic turn as the wife of Christopher Walken’s U.S. Treasury Secretary in the 2005 hit “Wedding Crashers.” In 2007, she appeared on ABC’s hit series “Dancing with the Stars.”
In addition to her acting career, she is an accomplished artist, dedicated mother of six, committed philanthropist, and recipient of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation’s 2008 Philanthropy Award.
Seymour is also the official spokesperson for Camp Soaring Eagle in Sedona, scheduled to open in June. The camp — for children in the Southwest living with fatal or life-threatening diseases — is part of Paul Newman’s Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, which have hosted more than 100,000 seriously ill children from across the globe.
I recently spoke to her about her first car.
“I grew up in England where my father was a doctor. My first car was a 1947 English Ford that was absolutely one of the most difficult vehicles ever to drive. It was a manual shift with three gears, each and every requiring
a double shift.
“The car was given to me by one of my father’s patients because it was too difficult for him to drive. He gave me driving lessons in a local car park.
“I recall taking the written and road test for my driver’s license, which is at least ten times harder than it is here in the U.S. In fact, if you fail, you must wait a full year to take it again.
“The road test is 40 minutes long, but after about 20 minutes the instructor said he couldn’t believe I could drive that Ford, especially the way it shifted, and said he couldn’t do what I was doing. He said to quit, that if I could drive that, I could drive anything.
“Later, my father sold the Ford and got a used Humber Super Snipe that I drove. He never did own a new car.
I recall that he owned an English Rover, but borrowed my Humber for a black-tie event because the Rover
wasn’t reliable. My Humber eventually rusted out and died — but I still have the license plate.
“When I was going to school my father bought me a new VW Beetle because he said it had the best resale of any vehicle. It was marine blue, not the color I wanted, but one my father said would be easiest to sell.
“When I came to America for my acting career, I had no money so I drove cars from Rent-a-Wreck in Hollywood.
I rented and drove a classic Mustang. People always stopped me to inquire about the Mustang, thinking it was mine. One time I went to the Hollywood Hotel to pick up one of the biggest producers in the business, who thought it was one of the classiest things he had seen.
“Later I bought a Ford Pinto, then a Chevy Blazer. But my most special and favorite car was a beautiful 1976 Bentley that I bought from Goldie Hawn. I was with her when she bought it new and always admired it.
For the last few years I have been driving a Mercedes-Benz S-Class and get a new one every two years.
My next car will be a hybrid, but I’m not sure which one.”
— Jim Prueter
First Woman to Test Drive Cars for Manufacturers
By Cathy Droz and Cathy Burford
Just when I thought I had a unique job for a woman, I find out I wasn’t one of the first. Test driving cars for manufacturers is a very special and exciting job. Hey! I made a business out of it. I recently found out Emily Eilers was doing it back in l929 in California.
Better yet, Emily Eilers is an aunt of Cathy B. of ‘Rev up your RV’ and ‘Cooking for the Road’. Cathy brought me this article the other day. We had to handle it with kid gloves as the 80-year-old paper was disintegrating before us. I knew Cathy’s Aunt was in show business, but heck, test driving cars too?
The San Francisco Chronicles reported Ms.Eilers response to her test drive on August 4, 1929. In case you can’t read it from this photo, it states: Emily Eilers has just finished a day’s trip in the new Stearns Knight and she is all enthusiasm over its performance and easy riding qualities. “Why, you hardly know you are going any place-and there juts aren’t any bumps,” said she.
I wonder what the criterion was in those days for a test drive? Did she keep the car for a week like I do? Was the auto industry so savvy back then when it came to women’s influence and buying power for vehicles?
I wish I could have met Emily to talk about the changes and what it was like back in those days. Cathy tells me: Aunt Emily was first and foremost a real character. She was one of the ‘glamorous aunts’ who always had an hourglass figure, wore beautiful clothes, with her hair and makeup always in style. She was a dancer and entertainer in the Bay Area. Later she and her former husband ran a radio station in Hawaii during WWII. The show that seems most intriguing was “Hawaii Calls’ where they would take calls from GI’s in the Pacific Theater and then broadcast the show to the Mainland, so that their relatives could hear them. One of my most prized possessions is her Ukulele from that show. Never one to brag, I discovered many of her interesting career accomplishments after she passed away. The aforementioned automobile testimonial was one of those gems.
Julia says: Did you Know?
tearns-Knight was a luxury vehicle produced in Cleveland Ohio, first by the F.B. Stearns Company from 1900 to 1925, and then under ownership by WillysOverland Company of Toledo, Ohio until 1929.
Stearns became the first American automobile to use the sleeve valve Knight Engine in its vehicles in 1911.
Frank Ballou Stearns sold his company in 1925 to John North Willys who maintained the company as a non-integrated affiliate of WillysOverland.
Production of the Stearns Knight ended on December 20, 1929.
GOING DOWN MEMORY LANE
IN MY 2010 CAMARO
By: Carol-Ann Hoffmann
Whether you want a trip down memory lane or lots of attention, that’s exactly what you will get with the new 2010 Camaro. In my opinion GM has definitely come up with a winner! My Camaro is a 2SS with the RS pkg., Black inside & out with white rally stripes.
This is my 3rd Camaro, my first being a 1969 RS. I was only looking for style and fun with that one and I certainly received it. Number 2 was a 1986 IROC model. Again that was fun and had some power, but there were so many on the road that it didn’t have any special pizzazz! Now this one is entirely different. While driving I get lots of thumbs up from young and old alike. People flock around the car in parking lots, some even taking photo’s with their cell phones. Recently I was followed by a police car (oh oh) but when I turned into the parking lot all he wanted was to talk about the car (phew!)
Now being a product of the muscle car generation I have been fortunate enough to ride in Chevelle’s, 409’s, GTO’s etc. I still get goose bumps when I hear the roar of a loud exhaust system on a muscle car. This Camaro did the same thing for me when I drove it for the first time. I felt like I wanted to cruise down the blvd. As for the handling and power, it has it all! I love it just as much as my Corvette with a few minor exceptions.
The car is tight and handles cornering extremely well. Just a slight push on the accelerator will take you wherever you want to go very quickly. I especially like the tap shift option. I feel like I have the best of both worlds.
As for the interior, I am at that age (have you guessed it yet?) where comfort, convenience and a little luxury are important. This car has it! I especially like the steering wheel with all the controls right at you finger tips. The seats are very comfortable and easy to maneuver, however I do wish that memory seats were available.
Being somewhat electronically challenged, I found programming the radio, garage door opener, etc. was quite easy. That to me was a big plus. Having XM radio and On Star is also terrific.
All in all I am very happy with this vehicle and put it right up there with my Corvette. I can’t wait for the weekend so my husband and I can take a ride down memory lane again!
Woody Car Show Benefits Vicki’s Cure
May 15, 2009
By: Cathy and Bill
Retired firefighter Jerry Witt of Phoenix, Arizona has been battling fires and making our city a safe place to live for most of his life. However, his real battle was the one he shared with his beautiful wife Vicki Witt since l972.
Witt’s wife Vicki suffered from NF1, a tumor disorder that occurs in one out of every 3,000 births. Vicki’s wish was to make awareness of this disorder and raise funds for research and clinics, as well as assisting other family members whose loved ones suffer from the disorder. This was her dream, and the Witt family is making it come true through the Children’s Tumor Foundation and the Arizona chapter, Vicki’s Cure.
On May l5th, Jerry Witt and his sons along with Sanderson Ford and KOOL radio raised money to bring awareness to this disorder and show off some of the classic Woody automobiles in Arizona. Jerry is the president of the Woody’s Car Clubs of America, and his gorgeous ‘46 Mercury was a prize possession of his and his wife Vicki. They drove their Merc everywhere and had fun wherever they went.
As Jerry emerges as an advocate for the Children’s Tumor Foundation and travels all over to raise funds and speak on behalf of Vicki’s Cure, he shared his story briefly at the Sanderson Ford Woody Event. Along with David Kimmerle, the owner of Sanderson Ford and Tom Peake from KOOL radio, Wally Cahill of Motorsports Mania the KOOL oldies band and a gift from Hawaiian Airlines over one thousand dollars was raised.
For more information on Vicki’s Cure, NF1, Jerry, Vicki and their family, go to www.vickiscure.org. You can also donate to this cause on the website.
Pictured below are Jerry Witt and David Kimmerle of Sanderson Ford in front of
Jerry’s ‘46 Mercury Woody. Jerry will be interviewed on Two for the Road USA radio show in June.
DID YOU KNOW?
By Julia Droz
To understand why Ford built woody’s in the first place, you must understand the peculiar nature of Henry Ford. He believed that his company should be completely self-sufficient, from mining ore and operating rubber plantations to growing maple, birch, gum, and basswood for Model T floorboards and body frames.
In its quest for self-sufficiency, Ford Motor Company bought vast forest reserves on the rugged Upper Michigan Peninsula some 500 miles northwest of Detroit, and constructed a plant there, at Iron Mountain, in 1920. Ford grew its own trees, cut its own timber, ran its own sawmill, and cut and formed its own wooden body parts.
But no matter how many Tin Lizzies the assembly lines turned out, they never seemed to exhaust the company's forests. Typically, Henry wasted nothing: even sawdust and leftover wood pieces were turned into Ford Charcoal Briquettes. It was almost inevitable that the Iron Mountain operation would be tapped for production of wood station wagon bodies.
Welcome to Julia’s Garage both inside and out!
A Comfy Spot for your Cell Phone
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been using my already molded cupholders in my car as a place to put my cell phone when not in use. Yes, it clings and clatters when I make a turn; or flips when it should flop, but heck, what can you do? It is better than leaving it in my purse or on my lap in case I get a call or a text.
Now, I don’t text and drive and I do have a “no hands” set up for my cell, but Bell Automotive Products has a great device for your cell/blackberry/iPod etc. It’s like a piece of jewelry for your cup holder.
This phone holder, as pictured on this page, fits snug in to the already existing cupholders of most manufacturers’ cars. The inside of the phone holder is lined and fitted with foam rubber; adaptable to fit any size phone. The cell phone slides nicely in, and because foam hugs it, your phone wont move or get scratched. This phone holder also keeps your phone safe from any condensation remaining from your last big gulp or latte you had in the cup holder.
The phone holder has a black base and metallic trim so it’s attractive and doesn’t look like a silly add-on you got at the dollar store.
If you don’t use it in the car, it’s practical and neat looking at your desk at home or the office. You’ll always know where your phone is; when not up against your ear.
For more information on how to locate this Bell Automotive Product and pricing, you can go to www.bellautomotive.com or contact me at drozadgal@aol.com
WOW… For Your Auto
Odor Annihilator
Upon my return to Phoenix from my sister’s wedding in San Diego, I was provided the opportunity to drive one of the Two for the Road test vehicles, a 2007 Chrysler Pacifica. I brought back my sister’s wedding gown, a few gifts, left over beverages and the top tier of her wedding cake.
While stopping to get gas in Gila Bend, Arizona, an odor that smelled of rotten strawberries passed through the vents of the Pacifica. Not realizing that sixty eight degree weather would soon turn into one hundred degree weather, I opened the trunk to a lopsided, melted cake. The very thought of having to clean up the stain and eliminate the smell was making me carsick.
Once I reached Julia’s Garage I decided to test the Odor Annihilator. I thought this would be a major task but the directions were easy to follow with the whole process completed in ten minutes. In addition to the spray, all I needed was a wet cloth and sponge to clean the spot and then allowing it to dry.
The stains were gone, and to my sweet surprise the smell of rotten strawberries as well.
Tuff Buff
After I finished cleaning the inside of the Pacifica, I realized the outside was just as bad. I must have hit every bug on Interstate 8 on my way back from San Diego. That is when I decided to test out Tuff Buff. I was very interested in seeing how it has earned its name. Not too mention it is all organic!
I started by spraying it directly on the grille, used a soft cloth to clean the bug infested area and before I knew it, I could see my reflection in the chrome. The whole process took less than 30 seconds and I was very pleased with the results. I was so happy with it; I decided to clean the grille of my Nissan Altima as well. It was a good thing I stopped before I did every car on the block!
WOW Cleaner and Degreaser
With the Pacifica pretty much taken care of, it seemed my poor Nissan was feeling neglected. I detected some grease on the wheel wells. Since my car is black, it doesn’t show the grease as much, so I decided to do the white glove test and sure enough…the grease was there!
I sprayed the degreaser on a wet towel and gently scrubbed the surface where the grease was hiding. I was surprised to see that my purple towel had turned black. The degreaser not only cleaned the area, but left it smooth and shiny. I took it one step further and removed a grease stain from the carpeting in the trunk of my car using the same cleaning method.
The WOW Products clearly live up to their name. I like the fact that they have organic products, easy to follow directions, are reasonably priced and have a money back guarantee. These products also come in travel size containers which fit conveniently in your glove box. For more information please visit their website at: www.simplywow.com.
