Rosina Poole and Frederick Wheaton were voted in as new members of the Bel Air Corvette Club at the club’s monthly meeting held in August 2011. Both Rosey and Fred are retired from the Federal Government, where they both worked at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Edgewood, Maryland. They both served in the military. Rosey is a member of Women’s Army Corps Veteran Association, and is also a member of the American Legion. Fred is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. They reside in Harford County, Maryland. Rosey and Fred own a silver 2007 Corvette convertible, bought because Rosey loved it so much. It is reserved for driving on special occasions, nice weather, or the times when Rosey needs to feel some wind in her hair. This is the second Corvette that Rosey has owned. She has had a passion for Corvettes for many years. Her first was a 1974 “sparkling” blue T-Top coupe, which Fred helped her to restore. Both Rosey and Fred participated in 15 BACC social events and the Perry Point VA Hospital show prior to becoming official BACC members. Besides their enthusiasm for all of the club events, what really impressed the BACC members was Rosey’s and Fred’s diverse trio of cars: the Corvette convertible, of course, but also a Cadillac XLR, and a Dodge Viper.

Steve Baily is married to Paula, his wife of sixteen years.  They have two boys, JT(age 12) and Alex(age 10) who I’m actively trying to inspire interest in my Corvette hobby.  They’ve lived in Fallston since the summer of 2005.  Steve is a licensed CPA and hold the title of Director of General Accounting with Constellation Energy Nuclear Group where he has been employed since 2000.  He’s an accountant by training (pays the mortgage) but he prefers to work with his hands.  He’s a firm believer if you want a job done right, you do it yourself.  Needless to say, he does most of the mechanical work on his cars himself.  He’s a big fan of motorsports and like riding anything that has wheels.
He has two Corvettes, a ’69 and a ’06.  His story dates way back to 1970-71 when he was in kindergarten/1st grade when his dad and three of his buddies went through their mid-life crisis’ early and each bought a muscle or sports car.  Of the four cars (Jag XK, Olds 442, C2 split window, & C3 roadster) one stood out as his favorite because he thought it was the coolest car in the world, a ’69 black small-block four-speed roadster Stingray.  He moved away from that area a year later but growing up he constantly reminded his dad that if his buddy ever wanted to sell the ‘69, to please give him first shot at it.  In 1996, his dad called and said his buddy was finally ready to part with it so he scrounged up the cash and bought the car sight unseen (having not seen it since 1971). Over the years it was a year-round daily driver including the Lancaster, PA winters.  The car was driven by his kids and neglected.  Needless to say, it was very rough when he bought it.  After fourteen years of storage(including in the proverbial barn), He started the long process of doing a full frame off restoration myself(first frame-off for him).  Right now it’s the car is completely disassembled down to the frame and he’s working on getting it cleaned up and straight.  He’s doing most of the work himself.  By his estimation, I’ll probably have three years in it before he’s done.
His other toy is a low mileage bone-stock 2006 2LT Victory Red  6-speed manual coupe.  He hasn’t performed any modifications to it yet so it’s exactly as he drove it off the dealer lot five years ago.  It’s not a daily driver but rather a weekend cruiser and soon to be auto-crosser.(He’s waiting for his 1998 215k mile Honda Accord to die first – Steve doesn’t throw things away unless they’ve worn out their usefulness)  Once the Honda is out of the way, he’ll probably commission the C6 to be my daily driver.  He commutes thirty miles each way every day so he might as well enjoy the commute.

Mike and Kathy Newberry have a 2006 Victory Red Coupe. Their Bel Air sponsors were long-time friends, Steve and Ann Janowich. Mike is retired from the Baltimore County Police Department and has a fire investigation company. Kathy is a materials manager for McCormick. Both live in Jarrettsville and have a son Mike who is serving in the United States Marine Corps. Mike’s love for Corvettes began with a ride in a friend’s ‘68 coupe in the early 1970’s. He has owned a 72 LT1 roadster, ‘79 coupe and ‘87 coupe since. The 2006 Corvette was purchased at Kathy’s insistence after a road trip to the museum in the ‘87 coupe. Kathy commented while watching the C6’s being built during a VIP tour of the factory that “these are cool, why don’t you get a new one.” Mike came home and ordered his 2006. He returned to the factory to watch it being built and drove it off the assembly line.

We are pleased to welcome Bryan and Bonnie Hannan who were voted in as new Bel Air Corvette Club members in January 2011. Bryan and Bonnie are newlyweds (November 19, 2010).  Bryan is 42 years old. He was born and raised in Baltimore’s Belair-Edison area.  He later moved to Towson, MD where he attended Loyola High. Bryan has loved Corvettes ever since he was 6 and road shotgun in his dad’s buddy’s 1973 Stingray.  Later in life he became infatuated with ’58-’60 straight axles.  His dream was to acquire one as a resto-mod with all the underpinnings and safety of a c5.  This dream proved too costly.

Bonnie is 33 years old. She was born and raised in Mt. Rainier, MD. Later she and her family moved to Mt. Airy, MD where she attended Liganore High.  Bonnie has always loved muscle cars, especially her dad’s 72 Chevelle SS.  Bonnie caught the Corvette Flu when she and Bryan went to Corvettes at Carlisle in 2008. 

When Bryan and his dad went to Carlisle in 2010 without finding the right deal, it was Bonnie who told him not to give up.  Three weeks later, Bryan found a 2001 navy blue C5 convertible with light oak top and interior and a 6 speed manual.  Bonnie convinced Bryan to sign the contract after much indecision on his part.  Needless to say the couple loves every moment they spend driving around in their new toy, especially when the top is down.  The couple even took time on their honeymoon in Nashville, TN to drive up to Bowling Green, KY and visit the National Corvette Museum.  Bryan and Bonnie would like to thank everyone in the club for being so hospitable.  And, a special thank you to Bill Etzel for being their sponsor.  The couple resides in Perry Hall, MD with their two children

Rick Wegner is the oldest of four children and was born and raised in Baltimore.  Life was great as he was a huge fan of the World Champion Colts and Orioles!  He met his beautiful wife, Catherine, at Northern High School.  They have a son, a daughter, and one future Corvette-driving grandson.   Cathy and Rick run their business, RMI Medical Solutions, LLC, from their home in Jarrettsville.  RMI is the first Maryland based ICAEL accredited mobile cardiac ultrasound lab.  They also perform vascular ultrasound studies, and sell GE cardiovascular ultrasound systems.

It began for Rick in the spring of 1968, when a returning Vietnam veteran neighbor brought home a new Le Mans Blue/Blue 4 speed Convertible with a white top.  He never saw anything like it before.  Isn’t it funny how you never forget your first ride in a Corvette? Vettes were out of his reach during the teen years, with their exorbitant insurance rates.  They were also impractical once he was married with small children.

Since 1992, Rick has greatly enjoyed the annual pilgrimage with friends to Corvettes at Carlisle.  More than anything, this has kept him interested in the Corvette hobby.  Having the opportunity to meet and chat with the Corvette engineers and gurus over the years was high on his list.  It is exciting to see how America’s Sports Car has developed into a world beater from the early days. 

Rick acquired his first Corvette in the spring of 2005:  a Red/Red 72 LS5 Coupe.  After more help, years and dollars invested than planned, it has turned out to be a really good car.  In 2006, Rick added a 2001 Z51 Torch Red Convertible.  It has a Vararam Cold Air Intake, 160 Stat, and tune from East Coast Supercharging which helped him enjoy evening top-down cruising.  He still says "What great cars they are!"

Bel Air Corvette Club welcomes Bob and Carolyn Kreisel. Bob grew up in the Gardenville-area of northeast Baltimore and graduated from the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and the University of Baltimore.  Bob worked as an Industrial Engineer at General Motors in Baltimore for twenty years and then was owner/manager of Meineke Muffler in Aberdeen for nine years. He then, with Carolyn, operated a teen maternity home for four years. Bob now works for John Deere in Whiteford.

Bob liked Corvettes since 1953 and always wanted one. But, like many Corvette owners, never thought he would own a Corvette. He and Carolyn always kidded each other that after the kids were grown and moved on, they’d never own another station wagon or have to haul around tons of baggage; they would get a Corvette, pack light, and hit the road. Ten years later, after the last child was out of the house, they purchased their first Corvette in October of 2009. At last, fifty-six years after that seeing that 1953 Polo White Corvette, they bought a black on black 2001 coupe. Now they would like to hit the road for those long trips and go to the Corvette Assembly Plant and National Corvette Museum this coming summer.

Bob and Carolyn are looking forward to many activities with the club. Those include rallyes, shows, parades, Eat-n-Rides, and drags. We think the Kreisels have found a great club and a great bunch of people who enjoy the Corvette lifestyle.

Bob and Carolyn have been married for forty-three years and have made their home in Harford County for the past forty years. They have two sons and one daughter and five grandchildren. Bel Air Corvette Club should have five new FCOA members soon.

=============================================================

When I was 14 years old, and in the 8th grade, my best buddy Fred’s older brother bought a new ’67 Stingray Corvette. I’d never seen anything like that in my young life! He showed me the massive 427 engine under the hood, and I remember him explaining to me that this carbureted 427 was more powerful than its 1966 fuel-injected predecessor. He let his brother, Fred, sit behind the wheel, and allowed me to sit in the passenger seat.  I noticed a factory-installed, personalized plate on the dash that said the car was built especially for him. WOW!!! Would they ever build one for me?

After a lifetime of waiting, they did build one for me, on 11/11/08. When I took delivery at Bowling Green, Kentucky assembly plant in on 12/12/08, it was one of the biggest days of my life. After my factory tour, they gave me a tour of the National Corvette Museum. There I noticed a display wall with hundreds of Corvette Club emblems, and pictures of “Corvette people”   participating in all sorts of fun activities. WOW!!  Would they ever let me into a Corvette Club?

Well, you have, on January 11th, 2010, and I’m very excited to start participating in all the fun activities that our club provides.

About me, I was raised east of Highlandtown, which is now called Johns Hopkins Bayview area. I went to Our Lady of Fatima grade school and Archbishop Curley High School. (I hung around the Circle Drive-In after CYO.) I now live in Fullerton, off of Belair Road, just inside the beltway. I have worked as an electrician for 36 years with the IBEW Local #24, and am now doing consulting work for the Maryland Transportation Administration.

My wife is Mary Faith Ferretto, and she is a geriatric social worker of 28 years, currently in private practice as a geriatric care manager. We have been married 20 years. We have 2 grown daughters.

I am into NASA, science fiction, toy trains, comic books, models, and motorcycles. My ‘Vette is an ’09 Cyber Gray Coupe, with a Z-51 performance package. I had “HWY RUN” on my ’83 Camaro for the 11 years that I owned it. I now have that vanity tag on my new “Vette.

=============================================================

We are pleased to welcome Steve and Ann Janowich to the Bel Air Corvette Club. Steve is a retired Baltimore County firefighter and a good friend of Clip Heath, his BACC sponsor. Steve and Clip were stationed at near-by fire companies over their long careers with the BCFD. Steve and Ann live in Perry Hall.

Steve had told his wife for several years he wanted to own a Corvette. With a growing family and not enough seats to accommodate the entire family, Ann surprised Steve when he retired with a 1990 Coupe. Red, of course. He has worked on his pride and joy over the months and now has it in Concours event condition. He and Ann hope to participate in as many Bel Air CC events as they can possible and find enough time to enjoy his retirement. His first competitive event was playing navigator with Steve Johnson in the G-burg triple rallye in March 2009 where they finished third in one of the events.

For some part-time fun these days Steve works for the Baltimore Ravens as an equipment assistant and in the administrative services department.

=============================================================

The Bel Air Corvette Club is pleased to welcome Andrew Maggitti. Andrew was voted in at the July monthly meeting. Even though his BACC sponsor is Steve Swann, many of the Bel Air members are well acquainted with Andrew through his business.

At the core of every Corvette enthusiast one can find a hearty appetite. Andrew is a chef and is the owner of Maggitti’s Italian Market at the intersection of MD Rte. 165 and MD Rte. 152. Many of the Bel Air members have found a new home for those appetites and have been graciously welcomed by Andrew and his fiancee, Margaret.

Although a native Marylander, Andrew found his first Corvette in 2004 while living and working in Atlanta, Georgia. Georgia may have been on his mind but owning a Corvette had been on his mind a lot longer. He found a 1973 Medium Blue (922) coupe out in the country where a gentleman was willing to part ways with the car. It was in “pretty good shape” but Andrew wasn’t really sure what he had bought. He had been looking for a classic but instead, found the Corvette.

Before moving to Texas he bought a 1981 beige (59) coupe and plans on keeping both cars. He says he hopes to do a partial frame-off restoration on the ’73 with the help of Gallant’s Auto. The ’81 will have to occupy second selection on the menu because Andrew wants to get the ’73 ready for the upcoming shows and other Bel Air events.

=============================================================

We would like to extend a warm welcome to Bill and Carolyn Dotterer who were voted in as new Bel Air Corvette Club members in the early summer. Bill has a 2002 Millennium Yellow Coupe. Their Bel Air sponsor was his long-time friend, Henry Jones.

Bill and Carolyn are both retired and were born and raised in Baltimore. September marked their forty-sixth wedding anniversary. They have two daughters and two grandsons. Bill retired from Amtrak where he was a passenger locomotive engineer.

“Carolyn and I share the love for Corvettes. My passion or the fiberglass icon began in 1956 when my father was shopping for a new Chevy. We were on the showroom floor at Belair Road Chevrolet when the Cascade Green beauty with Cream coves caught my eye. From that day on Corvettes were they dream."

“The dream became a reality. From my first Corvette, a solid axle to my C5, they all had their own personalities. The 64’ Stingray, the '66 Big Block, the '76 that I rebuilt from the rubber up, the '88 4+3, the '94 Torch Red rag top, all different.” Bill loves to drag race and has raced all of them. The sound of a solid lifter Corvette coming to life, the rumble of a big block or the whistle of a fuelie. Oh, baby.” One of their grandsons shares the same passion for Corvettes and has even amazed long-time Corvette owners with his amazing knowledge of America’s sports car.

Bill and Carolyn have found many new friends since becoming members of the club. They look forward to the shows (and maybe some drag racing) and many social events in the coming “retirement” years with their new Bel Air Corvette Club friends.