Newsletter: 1/14/2004

THE CLRC CHRISTMAS PARTY was held on December 12 at Proksa Park in Berwyn, Illinois. The room was packed with over fifty members and their families and many neighborhood residents and their children. Santa was there with a special gift for each child, and there were some great door prizes for the adults later. Kids of all ages were able to run trains on the layout.

There are many who need to be thanked for making this a very special train event. First we would like to thank the Berwyn Park District and Rich Zarr for his help in seeing that Santa was able to make his appearance. Thanks to Herb Koch for pulling the trailer and for arranging for the food and soda. Thanks to Swav Kojro, who took a photograph of each child with Santa. Thanks to Charlie Cereghino and Dan Olech our Christmas Party Committee. Please try to patronize our contributing local train shops, namely, Berwyn's Toy Trains and Models, Chicagoland Hobby, and Trains and Cars of Yesterday. Finally, a special thanks to all members who attended , because you're what its all about!

OPERATION LIFESAVER took place at Proksa Park on December 13. Your club participated as one of the stations in the program. Members who helped had more time to run trains than they expected because of the low turnout of local residents. Thanks to all those who were there to help run trains and take down the layout.

THE JANUARY 2004 RUN-MEET will be held on January 16 in a church building next to the Ace Hardware Store located at 3935 W. Irving Park Road in Chicago (just east of the corner of Irving Park Rd. and Pulaski). The set up is at 5 P.M. and trains will run to? We're looking forward to seeing some of our members from Chicago and the northwest suburbs who may not have had the opportunity to attend a run-meet before because of travel time. Come and bring some trains to run! The layout will remain there over night and will be open to the public on Saturday, January 17. Member Lou Napravnik, the owner of the Ace Hardware, is sponsoring this event. Both he and his son, Ken, were at the December meeting and explained the purpose of this" reach-out event" Members who will be helping on Saturday will get preferred parking and will be treated to lunch. Members are also offered a discount on Lionel items at the Ace Hardware. Again let Herb Koch know if you will help run trains. This is a good opportunity for new members to participate.

IT'S TIME TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP! If the address label on this mailing says "Expires 2-2004" then you need to send your dues for next year. If you misplaced your renewal form, see Herb Koch or Charlie Cereghino at the run-meet for another or check the CLRC web site. When you renew your membership or if you are a member who has recently joined, you are entitled a $10 discount certificate good towards the purchase of a club car. These coupons are printed by Rich Thayer, VP and Membership Director, who passes them on to the secretary, Charlie Cereghino. Charlie includes them with the current newsletter. Many of you will find them with this mailing. In addition to the coupon you will find a 2004 sticker which should be affixed to the back of your name badge. If you do not have a name badge, you must wear this sticker on your forehead at all run-meets.(Only kidding; just wanted to see if you were paying attention!) In any case, please remove this sticker before redeeming the coupon for a club car or locomotive.

UPCOMING EVENTS - The February run-meet will be held at Proksa Park on Friday, February 6, 2004. We encourage you to bring your trains to run. Whether you do or just come for the enjoyment, you may want to consider coming a little early and help with the set up. Or maybe you might consider staying afterwards to help with the tear down. The regulars who pitch in every month could sure use some help. It makes everything easier and faster.

There will not be a show at Spring Hill Mall this year.

Your CLRC is planning to participate in the LOTS convention July 15 - 18, 2004 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the LCCA convention July 22 - 25, 2004 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Plan to spend a long weekend at one or both of these summer train events. You can show off your trains to a national audience of convention attendees. Herb Koch is coordinating these events. Please contact him at (708) 361-2483 if you can help. At this time we need more help at the LOTS convention.

There will only be one Boy Scout Merit Badge Jamboree in 2004.It will be held on October 16 and 17.

We would like to remind everyone that the deadline for ordering the "city" club cars is January 31, 2004. So get those orders in soon! Use the order form in the current issue of the Prairie State Express. Support your club and add to the good looks of your layout.

You can still get in on the special offer to purchase a club locomotive and a green or yellow CNW cylindrical hopper and receive an additional green hopper free. This is an excellent way for new members to begin a consist of club cars. See John at a run-meet or contact him at (847) 541-7339. The price for this combination offer is $310 plus $10 shipping and applicable Illinois tax. Use the PSE order form for this also.

PERMANENT HOME FOR THE LAYOUT -Your CLRC Board of Directors is actively investigating the merits of a building located in Streamwood, Illinois, to be used as a permanent home for the club. We will keep you posted as to the latest developments at the run-meet business meetings and in this newsletter.

PSE EDITOR STEPS DOWN - If you read the Winter 2003 issue of the Prairie State Express, you know that Lyle Eimen has decided not to continue as co-editor. Lyle has put in many hours since the first issue in early 1998. For that we would like to thank him. If you are interested in helping as co-editor, please contact Herb Koch at the number above.