President’s Report for May 2011
May 15 2011
Hawthorne Station, May 2011, Newsletters Comments Off
I need a rest! That is what I feel like after the last three Mondays. I am not sure how we have found the time to do all we have done – or better yet how we get so much done with such a small group of dedicated people. The fact that our group has been able to do the things we have done over the years is because of the dedication of our members. Some can give just a bit of time while others give an extraordinary amount of time and together we all do some incredible work.. To everyone who has helped in any way I say Thank You. To those people who have gone above and beyond I give my deepest gratitude and respect, for without you the rest of the group would never have the opportunity to do what we love.
I would like to point out two people who deserve all of our thanks for always being there making things happen. First and foremost is Charles Smith. Without his efforts the Easter Train could not have happened and the station still need lots of work. Charles is someone we can all look towards to help lead this group, and I am proud to call him my Fridayend. Second is Frank Ball. Frank and I have spent many, many days and nights together working on the station, and he has spent even more days there with contractors making sure the work needed to get the station ready was done. He gave a lot of time before and after the Easter Train making sure everything was set and then put away. Frank has only been a member since September but he has put in what seems like years worth of work. I know that if we need something done both of these members will answer the call.
May 22nd is the next very important day for us, because that is the day we will reopen Hawthorne Station, which is very fitting because it was May 22, 1993 that our group held the last reopening of the station. That was we the first day we served as car and station hosts for the short lived #142 steam program. Eighteen years later I look forward to we will pull into the station with this year’s NYS&W southern division motorcar trip and open up chapter in the 117-year history of the little station on Royal Ave, a place we can be proud to say we not only saved – but also made better.
I look forward to many more years of working with you all and to seeing what other new and exciting things we can accomplish.