Leslie Long and Gene Mitchell are planning another Santa Ana Drag Strip and Main Street Malt Shop Reunion on Saturday, October 12, 2013 from 10 AM to 2 PM, or until you decide to go home. Gene Mitchell will cater the reunion for free and bring sandwiches, drinks, snacks, salad trays and desserts, all free of cost. Leslie will bring his extensive photo albums and research on the Santa Ana Drag Strip and also on dry lakes land speed time trial photographs from El Mirage. The event will be at Santiago Creek Park, right next to the creek bed, in a lovely tree shaded park setting with benches, tables, chairs and easy-up tents. Directions to the reunion; Santiago Creek Park is on East Memory Lane, just a quarter-mile east of Main Street on the border of the cities of Santa Ana and Orange. Turn off Main Street and go about a 1/4 mile to a signal called Lawson Way, turn right (towards the south) and drive down the embankment into the paved over creek bed. You will see the park right on the other side of the creek, up a few stairs. There is no cost to attend, for food or to park; and there is no registration or check in time. You simply come, bring your memories and photo albums and meet your old friends that you raced against. We welcome those who are younger and never came to the old Santa Ana Drag Strip. The reunion also honors the Main Street Malt Shop, where the local Santa Ana kids used to hang out before and after the drag races. This was their local place to be seen. Bring pencil, paper, camcorders, photo albums and your children and grandchildren. There are places to hike and a playground for the kids. If you have any questions, contact me at Rnparks1@juno.com, or go to www.landspeedracing.com. Leslie Long, Gene Mitchell and Richard Parks.
PS-and if you have a reunion in your area please send me the news to publish in the newsletter.
More information and updates on this and other reunions can be found on www.landspeedracing.com.
Congratulations to Michael and Tara Parks on the birth of their daughter Violet Julia Parks. This is Epi and my 6th grandchild and the 7th great-grandchild of Wally Parks. My niece, Mari Parks Bell and her husband Matt, are expecting their first child, a girl, in December. Mari is the daughter of my brother David and his wife Barbara Parks.
