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From the President Bill Bauer WANTED: Women Drivers! Among the many PNWR events there are just a few that we reserve for special audiences. One of those is coming up on May 28. This is our annual Women's Day Drivers Skills event. This is a fabulous opportunity for women drivers to get together in an event all your own, at your own pace, learning what's important to you. Please find information about Drivers Skills and how to register in this issue. All PNWR women drivers and their friends are welcome and feel free to drive any kind of car you choose. See you there! This is a fabulous time of the year for all kinds of club events. I'd like to mention several that I was fortunate enough to attend since my last column. I nipped up to the San Juan Island tour in time for dinner in Friday Harbor. Due to business travel I missed the tour itself, but I couldn't miss the combination of a drive to Anacortes, a thoroughly picturesque ferry ride to San Juan Island, and dinner with PNWR friends new and old in Friday Harbor. A great time was had by all in one of the special places in Washington. Next up was testimony at the Ridge Motor Sports Park hearing for their Conditional Use Permit. This permit is the final administrative step for this proposed new motorsport facility. Tom Pritchett and I listened through the public commentary at the Mason County Courthouse, and contributed our testimony supporting the approval of the track. If approved we would have a new local track for Drivers Ed, Autocross, and Driver Skills in addition to our current facilities. Economically it would have a significant positive impact to Shelton. By the time you read this we should know the results of the hearing. I'm hoping… April 9 brought the More-Smiles-To-The-Miles tour – one of my favorites. It was close to get to, an easy drive in rural country, lasted about half a day, and we drove truly local roads that were like hidden gems of automotive delight. The scenery was beautiful, including our Porsche conga lines stretched along the roads. Lots of club members eager to say "Hello!" And, yes, the bakery goods in Snohomish are outstanding! The April Driver Skills event was filled to the brim with a waiting list. The 33 enthusiastic participants were treated to a Bremerton day with no rain – an astounding occurrence this year. We had our first handicapped driver, a very positive military veteran who operated the gas and brake by mechanical hand controls, meaning there were rods attached to the accelerator and brake which reached up to where he could push them with his hands. Of course he's steering with his hands too! Truly inspirational to the rest of us, and he drove every bit as hard as everyone else. I was very happy to meet many new members and contribute to our raising of the club's driving acumen as an instructor. Along the way I squeezed in attending the Alabama Indy Car race at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham. Not a club event, of course, but I wish we had something like this! The Barber facility is gorgeous and the track is equally rewarding for both drivers and spectators. The Alabama PCA chapter had a hospitality tent with a nice Porsche corral. This is the Porsche Sport Driving school facility so the school's fleet of 9lls, Boxsters and Caymans were prominently displayed on the track infield. If you are ever in northern Alabama it's well worth the stop. The club events above are just a sample of what you have available to you, so check out our event calendar for what's next. And if you have ideas for new events please let me or any of the board or event chairs know! See you on the road, at the track, in a club meeting, or at an event soon! At Left: Porsche Driving School cars on the infield at Barber Motorsports Park, with the entrance to the front straight in the background. 6 May 2011