Harry Huckemeyer
During these tough days when the world appears to have come to a standstill, all our prayers go out to all the special services that are out there daily performing their duties to help bring this disaster back under control. This includes much too many to mention, and at the risk of omitting some key personnel, I’ll leave it at that. Our appreciation goes out to all those who are still out there doing their job and making our lives as safe as possible as we anxiously wait for all this to pass. Also, our hearts and prayers go out to all those who have family or friends throughout the country who have been affected by this horrible virus that seemed to just pop up out of nowhere.
Adjustments had to be made by all to make the local environments as clean and safe as possible. The message has been loud and clear that we’re all in this together, and the government and medical professionals have provided us guidelines to follow that are all for the safety of all. Suggest you stay close to the media to stay current to new developments in a real-time manner.
The Short Line Model Railroad had a very productive first quarter, participating in several events around the Valley. Just about the last days of March, the Chandler Railroad Museum had its annual Railroad Open House, which I understand is celebrated nationwide. Our club had the good fortune of having a 20-foot display operating in one of the several Amtrak coaches located at the museum, along with many other older vintage coaches, a handful of privately-owned railroad cars, a few trolleys, and a larger assortment of other products from days of the past. The second quarter will be a little different. We canceled everything which we already had plans for, such as a few events on the road, our annual club get-together at Sisk Park in Palo Verde, all our workshops, and weekly Friday lunches typically held at the Sun Lakes Country Club.
One last thing, at all of our appearances, the audience is usually the young at heart of all ages. I know that as the summer approaches, many, at all levels from all levels of learning, are at the point where they were expecting to go through some sort of graduation, followed by a celebration. In just about all cases, these things have been canceled, traveling plans changed for many, and I’m sure a big disappointment for all those who will be personally affected. Obviously, I wish I had a magic wand to change that. My advice is to just keep the faith. It is what it is, and we can’t change that, but I’m sure your rewards will be plentiful as you pick up the pieces and move on to your next adventure with the knowledge you’ll bring with you, given to you by the teachers and professors you left behind, plus the self-satisfaction of such a special achievement as you move one step further to planning out your future.
If we can be of help in any way, please feel free to get in touch. I can be reached by phone at 480-802-4976 or email me at [email protected]. Now is a great time to try to repair those damaged fences that may be driving you crazy.