Wow, what a year! The year 2009 has really been a different type of year from what I am used to, although 2010 is shaping up to be a much better one. We have many things planned for next year – Holiday Party, HPDEs, Club Races, a Car Show, maybe an "Autocross challenge."

The annual Holiday Party is set for January 30 at Dave & Buster‘s in Westlake – dinner, games, door prizes; it promises to be a great evening. Admission price not only includes the dinner buffet but also a $15 game card to use. So mark your calendars and come out for a fun evening. Details are here on the website.

Our HPDE season is kicking off April 2 and 3 at Mid-Ohio. Friday will be a track day for instructors, Saturday will be a DE for experienced students. Along with this we are hosting a Club Race School. The Race school is open to anyone looking to get a racing license along with any advanced students or instructors who want to get the next level of instruction in driving. May 28-30 will be our annual Memorial Day weekend DE and race. The big news is we ?are adding a car show to it on Saturday, so no excuses about attending. You can be a student, instructor, racer or bring your car out to show it off and see what the weekend is all about. Details will be forthcoming on the website and in next issue of the newsletter. Another thing we are adding this year is on-line registration for the DEs through Motorsport Registry; that is planned to be on-line in early January.

In August we are co-hosting a Car Corral at Mid-Ohio for the ALMS weekend along with Allegheny and Buckeye Chapters. This just in the planning stages at the moment, but mark your calendars now for that weekend. Also in August is O’Fest, which is being planned as ?a family-oriented event. There will be many things to do, not just car-related events. There will be things for all to enjoy along with the “kids” -- both large and small. Organizers are looking for volunteers to help with the events; details will be available soon. So, if you are interested in volunteering, please let me know and I will get you info as soon as it comes out. Every month now the Central Region Presidents are having conference calls with Mike Lingenfelter, our Regional VP, so information is passed on quickly.

Another piece of big news is that yearly dues have been increased to $48 along with increases in the multiple-year costs. National decided to increase the cost after a long debate. The actual cost to facilitate one member right now is $45 and change. By increasing the annual dues to $48 they feel this rate should not have to be changed for a few years. Think about everything this membership offers to you and the price becomes quite cheap, I think.

We also will be planning other events throughout the year, so keep checking the website for updated information.