In The BreezeIn The Breeze

May 2014 Official Newsletter of the Bluebonnet MX-5 Miata Club Still Free!

Mazda Unveils the 2015 N...er...C3? At New York Auto Show

In 25 years, the Mazda MX-5 Miata has become a cult icon and entered the Guiness Book of World Records as the best-selling, two seat, open top sports car. But that is old news, and we are here to show you just what Mazda plans to do in celebration of Miata’s 25th year in existence. The automaker launched a 25th Anniversary Edition at the New York Auto Show to show buyers just how important the roadster is to Mazda.

The special-edition MX-5 Miata is based on the power retractable (PRHT) version of the car, giving this drop-top a nice and quiet cabin when the top is up—I noticed this in my recent test drive of the Club version. The 25th Anniversary Edi-tion will be exclusively available in Soul Red Metallic—a proper color for the iconic sports car.—with contrasting black mirrors, A-pillars and top. On the inside, the special model gets off-white leather seating and door trim, and a hand fin-ished decorative panel.

Under the hood, things will remain the same, as it will feature the 2.0 liter, fouir cylinder mill that cranks out 167 horse-power and 140 pound-feet or torque when mated to the standard six-cog manual. You can also opt for the six-speed auto-matic trans, but that results with in 11 fewer ponies under the hood. This special MX-5 also gets the added benefit of Bilstein dampers to keep it glued to the road in the twist.

Unfortunately, there are no real modifications to this car other than the exclusive colors inside and out, the hand-worked decorative panel and badges, but it still is a nice send off for the NC generation MX-5.

Inside this issue…

New York Show Just Another Disappointment……………………………………………...Cover Story

Officers, New Members………………………………….………………………………………………………….2

Velocity Read (President’s Message)…………………………………………………..……………………….3

Save the Date!......................................................................................................……………………………..3

Miata Club Cruise…………………………………………………………………………….……………………...4

Go Fly A Kite…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5

Shady Oaks Open House…………………………………………………..……………………………………….6

Boquillas is Back!......................................................................................................................................8, 9

Leon’s Tech Corner…………………………………………………………………………………………………10

Meet Jeff Ravlin……………………………………………………………….………..…………………………..10

PAGE 2 MAY 2014

2014 Club Officers

President and Newsletter Editor

George Lucas president@bluebonnetmiata.org

Vice President

Jim “Jimbo” Treat vicepresident@bluebonnetmiata.org

Secretary

Stephanie Turner secretary@bluebonnetmiata.org

Treasurer

Joe Knight treasurer@bluebonnetmiata.org

Membership

Lisa Martin membership@bluebonnetmiata.org

Webmaster

Don Privett webmaster@bluebonnetmiata.org

Don’t forget our Sponsors!

New Members

Thomas Woodley San Antonio

2000 Mahogany Mica

Lee and Susan Riddell New Braunfels

1997 Montego Blue Mica

David and Carmen Cate San Antonio

1991 Classic Red

Jessie Fuentes Live Oak

2001 Pure White

Kim and Terry Clendenen LaCoste

2011 Liquid Silver Metallic

Mark and Marie Harris San Antonio

2001 Sunlight Silver Metallic

MAY 2014 PAGE 3

Velocity Read… Mazda has been very successful as the ultimate tease regarding the long awaited ND. Imagine the disappointment when 25 invitees from the northeast part of the coun-try were selected to see the unveiling of what was thought to be the 2015 ND, fourth generation MX-5. What they really saw was a warmed over NC2. Now Mazda is forced to either call the ND a 2015 1/2 or 2016 as the unveiling revealed yet another special edition of an NC2, the 25th Anniversary Edition model. Pretty much looking like the Club edition released last year, it has to be a huge disappointment to those of us on the edge of our chairs having hoped to see the ND at last. Oh, the newest NC2 offering is special indeed in that it will only offer 100 Anniversary Editions in the entire US. And, the New York model shown was said to have the new Skyactiv engine and the new chassis promised for the ND. That wasn’t true as you will read in the cover article provided by Top Speed.

Maybe the gear heads out there will be excited over these new changes underneath this, another NC2. But c'mon, we're expecting a new look, a new, yet throwback, to the original roadster that captured the enthusiasts in 1989. Me, I'm yet again, rolling my eyes as it seems Mazda has done another Charley Brown kicking air as Lucy pulls the ball from the tee as poor 'ol Charley whiffs and falls.

All I can say regarding this latest Miata ploy is "Arrrgh!" and I’m very happy I have the NC I have as I pretty much have no stake in an ND.

I do feel the pain of those waiting for the ND, however.

Zoom Zoom!

George Lucas, President and Editor

Save the Date!

The 2015 Bluebonnet Club Anniversary Miata Round-Up plans are underway. The date for next year’s event is Thursday, April 23rd through Sunday, April 26th and the event will be held at the Y.O. Ranch Hotel in Kerrville.

The Bluebonnet Miata club has been host several times for this regional event and Miata enthusiasts from across the country are expected to attend in 2015. What makes this event so special is that 2015 is the year Bluebonnet Miata Club of San Antonio will celebrate our 20th anniversary!

So mark your calendars and plan to be a part of the fun! The Event committee Chairs have begun their planning and will soon be reaching out to you, the membership, for volunteers and with more information – we want to do a fabulous job and show the rest of the country how a Miata Roundup is done…..Bluebonnet style!

Cheryl Knight, Co-Chairperson

Committee Chair & Co-Chair

Event Rohm Thompson & Cheryl Knight

Branding Don & Judi Privett

Registration Leon & Pat Franklin

Runs/ Activities Joe Knight & Mark Hungerman.

Prizes & Giveaways Jim Treat & San Antonio Co-Chair: George Lucas,

Hospitality & Decorations Dave & Marilyn Hamilton

Marketing Stephanie Turner & Lisa Martin

PAGE 4 MAY 2014

Miata Club Cruise By

Dave Hamilton

On 22 February, 15 members of the Bluebonnet Miata Club set sail on the Caribbean Princess out of the new Houston Cruise Port. After a day at sea our first port was Cozumel, Mexico. Marilyn and I decided to spend the day on the Isla Pasion which is better know as Passion Island. We had to take a scenic 45 minute boat ride to reach the private island. We were joined on the boat by Don & Judi and Marilyn McCullen. Pat & Leon joined us on the island but they got there via the Twister Speed Boat which is su-per fast! The island is very peaceful with beautiful beaches. Lunch and drinks were provided by local individuals who were fun and informative.

Our next port was Roatan, Honduras. We decided to rent a cabana on the beach for the day. We shared it with Rohn & Barbara who were cele-brating their 48th wedding anniversary. The cabana came with beach chairs, double lounges, beach toys and a hammock. We also had a waiter who served food and drinks. This beautiful beach is located right next to the cruise ship and you can reach it by either walking or taking a scenic chairlift. The weather was beautiful and this was truly a fun-filled and relaxing adventure.

That evening Judi arranged for the entire group to have an outstanding dinner in a private dining area on the ship.

Our third port was Belize City, Belize. Marilyn and I opted for a city tour and excursion to the Mayan Ruins at Altun Ha. This turned out to be one of the most interesting tours we have ever taken. It is esti-mated that the Mayans settled here approximately 5,000 years ago. They were a very advanced civilization especially in terms of astron-omy, mathematics, construction and culture. How this civilization suddenly vanished remains a mystery to this day.

The evenings were filled with food, drink, shows, music, visiting, fun and laughing. On one of the last days at sea we had a group party on Don & Judi’s balcony. We actually opened the doors that connected all the balco-nies but we all ended up on Don & Judi’s. It was a great way to end the cruise. By the way, whatever happened on that balcony stayed on that bal-cony!

This was the 4th Miata Club Cruise and hopefully, there will be many more in the future.

PAGE 5 MAY 2014

The Hamilton's picked the perfect Saturday to take us on a run up to New Braunfels and a beautiful park for a fun “Fly A Kite” event! Lots of folks showed up with many colorful and fancy kites! The Hamilton’s brought snacks for everyone and it truly was a wonderful day of fun. Oh, and did I mention it was windy (Dave must have connections with the weatherwomen) and almost everyone flew kites with ease!

Great job, Dave and Marilyn!

PAGE 6

MAY 2014

An old friend, J.C. Hererra, invited the entire club to enjoy his Ranch’s first Open House of the season. A fun place with games, rides and lots of good food, Shady Oaks was a veritable mini Disney land for us grown up kids. Lots of picnic tables and even more shade, we dined outside on shish kabobs and played games until most of us were ex-hausted.

Good job, J.C., I think it was a hit!

PAGE 7 MAY 2014

We Want We Want YOU YOU Involved!Involved!

Willow City Loop Run Photos

PAGE 8 MAY 2014

Thanks to David Hamilton for submitting this story from the Express-News. Since we may have this as one of our options for this years Head for the Mountains trip, I thought you all would enjoy the article. Thanks , David! -Ed

BOQUILLAS DEL CAR-MEN, Mexico — Having a taco lunch with her husband, Wes, at Falcon’s Restaurant on her first trip to

Mexico, Catherine Riley expressed contentment. “I’ve really enjoyed it. It reminds me of some little villages I visited in Morocco,” she remarked. The Rileys, of College Station, were among about 80 people who crossed the Rio Grande by metal boat Saturday to observe the

anniversary of the reopening of the international crossing here at the Big Bend National Park. Some came to visit relatives, others to listen to an afternoon concert in the plaza featuring Los Pinches Gringos, and many

more simply to get a taste of Mexico. The easy river passage to the old mining town was among about a half-dozen “informal” crossings in Texas that were shut in

the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, in a dramatic tightening of the border with Mexico. Five hours from the nearest city in Mexico, the town below the Sierra del Carmen, a highly popular destination for park visi-

tors, was dependent on the United States for everything from gasoline to mail to emergency medical service. During the closure, about half the residents left, almost all the businesses closed, and eventually few here believed that their

lifeblood to the United States would be restored. But last April, after more than a decade of quiet international negotiations, the crossing was reopened. And on Saturday, in an

event that included cake, cookies and celebratory words, park officials celebrated the anniversary of that historic event. “It’s a very good day for us and a happy first birthday for our Boquillas port of entry,” said Park Superintendent Cindy Orr-

Jones in a brief ceremony on the U.S. side. Orr-Jones praised the efforts of “multiple agencies on both sides of the border” for making the reopening possible, allowing for

the reunification of friends and families, and the sharing of cultures. The only real change is in the crossing process. Before, both Americans and Mexicans could come and go without documenta-

tion. Now, visitors must pass through a newly built kiosk manned by a park ranger. To re-enter the United States, each traveler must have a passport or similar document for remote inspection by a U.S. immi-

gration official in El Paso. In the first 12 months since the reopening, more than 7,800 travelers visited Boquillas, perhaps a quarter of the old annual

traffic, according to Boquillas businessmen. Over the year, there was only one unusual incident. In October, an arriving pedestrian was found to be the subject of an out-

standing warrant and was promptly arrested, Customs and U.S. Border Patrol officials reported. According to David Elkowitz, the park’s chief interpreter and spokesman, the crossing quickly reclaimed its place as a very

popular feature of the park. “People are really glad it’s open, plus we have the scientific angle, we are better able to work with officials in the protected ar-

eas of Mexico,” he said. “One of the original concepts of the park was (to) experience the culture of Mexico, and without this, you wouldn’t experience

it directly,” he added. On Saturday, many old-timers from Terlingua and the Big Bend area mingled with tourists and caught up on old friendships

with residents of Boquillas. “It’s just a river. It’s not a wall. Since the beginning of history, people have been coming across. People here are neighbors.

They should be able to visit,” said George Womack, the percussionist for Los Gringos. Among the most noticeable changes were fresh paint on many businesses, a new kindergarten and clinic, and a second restau-

rant, joining Falcon’s. But overall, it seemed very much like old times, from the $5 burro rides from the river into town, to the tykes selling trinkets

and crystals, to the old troubadours belting out songs for tips in the cafes. “I think it’s amazing a town would survive here so far from any place in Mexico,” said Melanie Slaga, who came from San An-

tonio with her husband, Brian, and sons, Brendan and Andrew. The Slagas came bearing several hundred dollars’ worth of soccer balls, and baseball equipment, plus clothes that they handed

out to Boquillas’ youths. “The kids loved it. They knew exactly what we were doing,” said Brian Slaga. For other visitors, the reopening had a lot more significance. Janahi Pena, 13, of Fort Stockton grew up in Boquillas, and during the 11-year closure, which necessitated a two-day drive

through Ciudad Acuna and Melchor Múzquiz, she rarely came. On Saturday, she was playing in the streets with a mob of her cousins, including Tania, Victoria, Mireyea and Miriam, all of

whom live in Boquillas, enjoying once again the easy access to family. “I really love it here. I grew up here with my grandmother. Before, when it was open, I came a lot,” she said. “I’d ride horses all day here. I was only 6 months (old) when they put me on a horse for the first time,” she recalled. For Adrian Valdez Cabello, 38, one of those who stayed in Boquillas during the long years of isolation, the reopening meant

the end of hardship. “All the business people left for Musquiz or the U.S. We stayed so no one would rob the place,” he said. To feed his family, Valdez and two in-laws would disappear into the brush for three weeks at a time with a string of 15 burros,

cutting candelilla plants to sell for the wax they contained. “We’d get about 320 kilos in three weeks. We were paid 25 pesos a kilo. It was hard. It was the only way to eat,” he said. Now he manages the boats that cross the tourists at $5 a head, and all is fine, he said, sitting in the plaza as Los Gringos

warmed up for the afternoon concert and people began to dance. “I feel very good today. There’s a lot more money for the town,” he said. jmaccormack@express-news.net

After Decade-plus Isolation, Boquillas is Back

PAGE 9 MAY 2014

Rancher Joaquin Sanchez Luna, 83, plays traditional Mexican tunes for

American tourists at cafes in Boquillas del Carmen.

Boquillas is Back!

Bob Bono and Paula Jampsa dance in the Boquillas plaza, where Americans and Mexicans gathered to celebrate the anniversary of the reopening of the

Big Bend border crossing.

MAY 2014 PAGE 10

Motion Induced Blindness Submitted by Leon Franklin

 

In a motor accident, wherein a speeding car hits a slower moving vehicle coming from the side, the speeding car drivers often swear that they just didn't see the ve-hicle coming from the left or right. 

 

Well, they aren't lying. They really don't see the vehicle coming from the side, in spite... Of broad daylight. This phenomenon on the car drivers’ part is known as “Motion Induced Blindness”. It is unbelievable but it is true, and it is definitely frightening. Air forces pilots are taught about motion induced blind-ness during training, because it happens faster at high speeds; and to some extent it is applicable to car drivers also, especially the fast ones. So, if you drive a car, please read this carefully. 

 

Once airborne, pilots are taught to alternate their gaze between scanning the horizon and scanning their instru-ment panel, and never to fix their gaze for more than a couple of seconds on any single object. They are taught to continually keep their heads on a swivel and their eyes always moving. Because, if you fix your gaze on one object long enough while you yourself are in motion, your peripheral vision goes blind. That’s why it is called motion in-duced blindness. For fighter pilots, this is the only way to survive in air; not only during aerial combat, but from peacetime hazards like mid-air collisions as well. 

 

Till about three decades ago, this “heads on swivel & eyes moving” technique was the only way to spot other air-craft in the skies around. 

 

Now they have on-board radars, but the old technique still holds good. Let me give you a small demonstration of motion induced blindness. This is the same demonstration that is used for trainee pilots in classrooms before they even go near an aircraft. Just click on the link below. You will see a revolving array of blue crosses on a black back-ground. There is a flashing green dot in the center and three fixed yellow dots around it. If you fix your gaze on the green dot for more than a few seconds, the yellow dots will disappear at random…, either singly, or in pairs, or all three together. In reality, the yellow dots are always there. Just watch the yellow dots for some time to ensure that they don't go anywhere! 

 

http://www.msf-usa.org/motion.html <------ go here to watch demo 

 

(You can alter the background color or the rpm of the array by clicking the appropriate buttons.) 

 

So, if you are driving at a high speed on a highway and if you fix your gaze on the road straight ahead, you will not see a car, a scooter, a buggy, a bicycle, a buffalo or even a human being approaching from the side. Now reverse the picture. If you are crossing a road on foot and you see a speeding car approaching…, there’s a 90% chance that the driver isn't seeing you, because his/her peripheral vision may be blind! And you may be in that blind zone!

Thanks, Leon! -Ed 

MAY 2014 PAGE 11

Thanks to the 20 volunteers that showed up for breakfast, I mean highway cleanup on Saturday. Weather was fine and we have some good patches of Bluebonnets this year.

MeetJeffRavlinRecently I met with the new e-commerce director at North Park Mazda, Jeff Rav-lin. After we visited, he responded to my visit.

-George Lucas

It has been a pleasure meeting with you and seeing your passion for your club and the Miata. As you are aware and wanted me to share with the club North Park Mazda is a proud sponsor and continues to support the Bluebonnet Miata Club in several ways. I would also like to share with you that we would like to be your clubs dealer of choice for sales and ser-vice. We are the # 1 Mazda Dealer in the Gulf Region, which is 3 states, including our beautiful state of Texas. There's a reason. One of course is always the best price. Price is never an issue here at North Park Mazda with a Price Match Guarantee No hassle price match guarantee – We will match any written car buying club price (just come see me or mention that you are in the Bluebonnet Miata Club). We will not lose a deal over price! We pride ourselves in giving our customers superior customer service and satisfaction before, during and after the sale. We want to be your dealer to service all of your automotive needs for life. North Park Mazda is part of the Kahlig Auto Group Family of Dealerships. We have 10 dealerships and a full line of quality manufacturers. Should you be interested to see who we are visit www.npmazda.com or our selec-tion of over 2500 pre-owned vehicles can be found at www.kahligauto.com. I look forward to joining y’all at a meeting soon.

Jeff Ravlin

eCommerce Director

210-353-3300

Check your mailing label for your renewal date.

Please renew your membership promptly!

In The BreezeIn The Breeze

Bluebonnet Miata Club

San Antonio, Texas

http://www.bluebonnetmiata.org

Upcoming Runs and Events

Saturday, April 26th, North by Northeast Run (Formerly Fall Creek Wine Run), led by Mark Hungerman. Details soon!

Saturday, May 3rd, Painted Churches Tour Revived!, led by George Lucas. Details to be sent out soon!

Saturday, May 3rd, Hill Country Run, led by Stephanie Turner. Details TBA.

Monday, May 5th, Sundaes on Monday, hosted by Tom and Sandee LeMasters. Details TBA soon!

Saturday, May 17th, Classic Cars and BBQ Run, led by Dan and Betty Hicks. Meet at Bigs Va-lero at 11:00 a.m. and depart at 11:30 a.m. After a run through River Road up to Canyon Lake, Wim-berley and San Marcos, we’ll have a late lunch at Hays County BBQ. After lunch, we’ll make the short drive to Dick’s Classic Car Museum. Admission is $6 per person for our club.

Sunday, May 25th, 25th MX-5 Miata Celebration at Harris Hill Raceway, hosted by Tejas Miata Club and Roger Beasley Mazda. FUN FUN FUN!!!

Tuesday, May 27th, Monthly meeting at Bigz Burger Joint. Meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. Come early to socialize!

Remember When?