Event Report

well, we did it again! Which is to say that we had ourselves another fine, fun time at the 2008 AONE Winter Party at the Josiah Smith Tavern in Weston, MA, on Groundhog Day.

Well, we did it again! Which is to say that we had ourselves another fine, fun time at the 2008 AONE Winter Party at the Josiah Smith Tavern in Weston, MA, on Groundhog Day.

People started drifting in a little before 6 pm (no, not that kind of drifting, at least in most cases) and before long we were over forty strong. All were carrying in various forms of comestibles to be laid out on the large table near the kitchen that was to serve as our buffet. Prior to dining, we poured ourselves some beverages and got reacquainted (and, in several cases, newly acquainted) with our fellow members and Significant Others.

At around 7, without needing to be called, everyone started lining up for our heralded pot luck buffet, and this year’s edition more than lived up to expectations. There was a wide assortment of appetizers, antipastos, salads, breads, pasta dishes—they were all terrific! Then came an equally delectable array of desserts. Our club never fails to please and amaze with its collective set of culinary skills!

Afterward, as the coffee was being poured, and the levels in the wine bottles had diminished considerably, the jovial chatter of the crowd drowned out whatever opera music might have been playing in the background. Alas, there was none this year, since its usual promulgator, club President Tom Lesko, was in hospital, having undergone a procedure to make his ticker tick more regularly. We’re happy to report that he’s now doing great, and eager to start planning the South Shore Beach & Waterfront Tour this Spring.

We next dimmed the lights, fired up a video projector, and settled into a slide show depicting the many various events our club held last year, in chronological order, starting with the January Thaw Tour and ending with the December Holiday Party, with all sorts of touring, track, autocross, concours, and social events in between. We often paused, commented on a few of the photos, and got a few things explained by the people who were involved. (And cracked a few jokes, of course.)

Following our reminiscences, your newsletter editor was embarrassed but pleased when Brian Shorey and Tom Letourneau presented him with a plaque marking the choice of Velocissima as the Classic Motorsports magazine Newsletter of the Month (in its March 2008 issue). Your editor promises to get revenge by presenting those two frequent contributors to our club’s success with plaques sometime in the not-too-distant future. [Seriously, I’d like to thank Brian, Tom, and all of our members for their thoughtfulness with this honor.—Ed.]

Then came the moment everyone was waiting for—the door prizes! Kevin Murphy took over Tom Lesko’s usual role in running the drawing and containing the feeding frenzy. As each attendee’s number came up, he or she got to choose an item from the door prize table, which contained Alfa-related items ranging from fender covers to AONE calendars to Alpha Romero T-shirts to key fobs to decals to oil pan drain plug Allen wrenches (that’s right!). We’d like to thank all of the Alfa Romeo vendors who donated or discounted items for our door prize table, especially International Auto Parts (www.international-auto.com), who gave us a half price discount on lots of items, and Andy Kress of Performatek (www.performatek.com), who donated the T-shirts. Please support our sponsors with your parts and accessories purchases!

Gradually, the evening wound down and people started drifting toward the exits (no, not that kind of drifting, at least in most cases). We wrapped up the leftovers, packed up the trash, turned down the heat, turned off the lights, locked the door behind us, and headed home.

Well, we did it again! Which is to say that we had ourselves another fine, fun time at the 2008 AONE Winter Party at the Josiah Smith Tavern in Weston, MA, on Groundhog Day.

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	Doug Sondak and Mark Ziburis chat in the foreground, as others begin to attack the food
	Another view of the fine spread of delights at the buffet table
	Kevin Redden, Frank Maldari, and Stephan de Pénasse obviously attending an Alfa Romeo party
	A panoramic view of the scene at the Josiah Smith Tavern, as the dining phase was winding down
	The door prize drawing hat is so small atop Kevin Redden’s noggin that it looks as if it were Photoshopped on by an amateur
	Jonathan Kirshtein, with daughter Rachel on his lap, and friend Paula, who’s also been known to spend time there
	Dave Pratt accepts a handshake and a plaque from Tom Letourneau, with Brian Shorey looking on
	The last act - Andy Kress washing out the coffee urn just before we leave