HEADLINES Last Updated: August 1, 2002 11:27 AM Read these stories and more in the
NASH CAR LOVERS 'GO HOME HAPPY'
Vince Ruffalo sumed up the Rambler Centennial as a superlative. "Everything went just excellent," said Ruffalo, Rambler Centennial committee member. "We're so thankful that it all went so well. I'm sure that 99% of the people are going home happy." The Thousand Car Show on Saturday concluded the five-day 100th anniversary celebration of the Rambler after several days of Cruise-Ins, the Rambler Museum dedication, an old car parade and a two-day swap meet. Penny Hart estimated during Saturday's car show that 10,000 people attended with at least 1,000 cars on display. Ruffalo and Mary Galligan, president of the Kenosha Area Convetion & Visitor's Bureau, thought the numbers could have reaced as high as 12,000 to 15,000 people with more than 1,100 cars on display. "That place was packed," Galligan said. "The town truely benefited from this. Lucky the weather held out for us," she added. Kenosha's hotels were once again booked solid. People without RVs or
trailers even slept in their vehicles,
The combined economic benefit of the event was estimated to exceed $1.6
million. Galligan noted that
"It's been a busy, busy summer," she said. |
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FORMER KENOSHAN, AND CAR, COME HOME FOR CENTENNIAL
Driving over 2000 miles and staying just 20 hours, Jan Galligan who
grew up in Kenosha in the 1960's, made a cross country journey to be a
part of the festivities at the 100th anniversary Rambler Centennial. Galligan,
Calling their adventure "The 20/20/20 Trip" the pair drove a 1952 Nash Rambler equipped with a space-age telecommunications system which allowed them to monitor their progress, "to the foot," said Foss, and the mechanical well-being of the car. Asked why their trip was called "20/20/20" Galligan said that it was planned as 20 hours to get to Kenosha, 20 hours in Kenosha and 20 hours to get back home. "And, we're right on schedule, so far," added Foss. "Send us an email," said Foss, "we're set up for instant response!" In recounting his youth in Kenosha, Galligan said, "We didn't really have any Nashes in our family as I recall. My father was a Ford and Plymouth guy. Of course he worked for the newspaper, not American Motors, so I'm sure that made a difference. I do remember it seemed like every other car on the road in Kenosha was a Rambler when I was a kid, so this for me, is sort of like the old days, except now I'm older and witnessing it for the first time instead of trying, as an older person to recall what it was like when I was younger..." Galligan, a self-described artist/documentarian, said he was collecting
extensive documentation which would be organized into material for his
Web site (http://75Grand.com [click on 20-20-20]) when he returned to Albany,
where he has lived for the past 25 years. Asked to comment on an a report
that he had once been charged with posing as a New York Times staff photographer,
Galligan would make no statement, nor would he elaborate on
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