News

Smart cars join hot rods and cool music

By Dollie Gull

CAIRO — The crowd was a bit smaller than Cairo's Cruise Nite last July, but the they were enthusiastic and happy the rains had stopped. For them, there was music from the 1950's and 1960's, a good number of restored cars from that period, along with hot rods of various vintages and an entirely brand new “Smart Car” on display here at Angelo Canna Town Park.

Originator of Cruise Nite, Billy Veverka had started Catskill Cruise Nite in 2000, however, with the construction of Wal-Mart at that location, Billy moved Cruise Nite to Cairo and gained the support of the Cairo Chamber of Commerce.

Held each year, once in July and again in August, the evening's events have attracted hot rods and vintage cars from throughout Northeast New York for years. This August, when the event was held Friday night, Aug. 15, there were fewer than the 200 cars that were exhibited at July's Cruise Nite.

“Car enthusiasts come from all over,” explained Ververka who makes sure there is plenty of entertainment, good food and vendors at the Cruise Nite events.

“I get a lot of support from the Cairo Chamber,” he explained. “They pay for the bands that perform.”

Performing Friday were Johnny Rabb and “The Jailhouse Rockers” while the crowd settled under the picnic pavilion at the park and around the periphery of the pavilion on their own lawn chairs and folding chairs.

Johnny Rabb and his quartet played “good old tunes from the 50's and 60's,” starting off with an obvious crowd pleaser, “On Route 66,” which had smiles and enthusiastic stomping among the bystanders. They followed up with many other favorites from the era, including some of “The King” Elvis Presley's well known pieces, while others roamed the rows of vintage cars and hot rods on display.

Along with the Model T's from as far away as Mariaville, was a 2008 “Smart Car,” a two-seater produced by Mercedes Benz in France that gets 40 to 47 miles per gallon. Both the Model T and the Smart Car gained plenty of attractors who questioned the owners, learning that a couple of the Model T's had been painstakingly repaired, while the Smart Car, purchased in Latham just one month ago, is a product, not only of Germany, but Italy and France.

Owner Paul Leinbohn owns “two street rods,” along with other vintage cars and a fairly new VW bug. However, proud of this, his newest acquisition, he thought “folks might like to see the Smart Car” which is easy on the gasoline pocketbook.

His sign on the windshield answered a number of questions he said he was bound to be asked, “like how many miles to the gallon she gets, how fast will she go and what kind of engine she has.”

His sign noted that the Smart Car carries a three-cylinder, 71 horsepower German made engine that is designed specifically for those motorists who dislike paying today's high gasoline prices.

“She will really move,” said Lenbohn, proudly.

Over under the picnic pavilion, members of the Cairo Chamber of Commerce were selling “50/50” raffle tickets, while just behind them Angelo Larosa of Catskill's Village Pizzeria and another chef were cooking up hamburgers and bratwurst sausages. Selling the chamber tickets were Sharon and Neil Schoenfeld.

Meantime, masseuse Sylvia Gottesfeld, license physical therapist, was offering massages to anyone “with any aches or pains.” She had a special massage chair set up, also under the pavilion, where her customers could enjoy a great massage while enjoying the vintage music of Johnny Rabb and the Jailhouse Rockers.

Reader Comments

Submit a Comment