A message from President Wally

Presidential Blog
Wally Kiehler
MHPVA President

At last year's winter meeting, I announced that this year (2007) would be my last as your MHPVA president. It is time to turn over the reins to another volunteer, with a new vision. My MHPVA pension is now fully vested and I am looking forward to an early retirement with full club benefits.

I would like to review my 15 years with with the MHPVA including the last 10 as your president. I attended my first Waterford rally around 1992 and rose quickly through the ranks. I became vice president in 1995 and after a long hard-fought political campaign became your president in 1998.

I ran my campaign with only two goals on my agenda (increase MHPVA membership and start a MHPVA Web site). Well, I only succeeded at the latter. I contacted Bill Duemling, the League of Michigan Bicyclist's Webmaster, and he offered to develope our first MHPVA Web site in 1999.

Before this new Web site, our typed newsletters were started by Mike Eliasohn, continued by Charles Brown in Florida, then were taken over by Ray Carpenter, and discontinued in 2003 after 88 typed newsletters. At this time, new club member Paul Bruneau volunteered to be our club Webmaster. He developed every thing that you see today on our Web site including a new "blog". This "blog" will provide us with more current up-to-date information and allow contributors to get their ideas to all of us more quickly.

During my 10-year tenure, I have been fortunate to have seen many things that have been new for me, such as recumbent trikes, streamliners (one with a video camera and screen to watch for steering, instead of a window), the introduction of low racers, an enclosed "Air Force One Screamer", got to ride Leon Chassman's 1,500-speed bike that made it into the Guinness Book of World Records, and many others.

I want to thank all of the current and past officers I have worked with for their support in providing what I have heard from many competitors is the best-run HPRA event in the racing series. Of course, I am talking about our Waterford rally.
And also Bob Krzewinski for organizing the WolverBent Cyclists club and finding us a location every winter for our annual meetings.

2008 will be the 25th Annual MHPVA Rally at Waterford. June 21 & 22 is our weekend this year. As usual camping, restrooms, and showers are included with the entry fee.

Thank you for your support and I look forward to seeing you all on March 1st at Washtenaw Community College and at Waterford in June.