Show cars find own place to cruise
SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — While the Jeep invasion continued through the weekend, show cars found their own place to cruise, flex their muscles and show off their looks.
Enthusiasts and spectators gathered Sunday afternoon at Armco Park for an all-new car cruise, sponsored by the Butler County Family YMCA, which owns the park, and the Butler Rodfathers.
Visitors got to see cars from all sorts of makes, models and eras throughout the afternoon. Some featured slick, clean looks, while others shined with their unique modifications.
John Logan, of Cabot, brought a 1947 International that featured a rustic look revolving around the theme of “Sawhorse Saloon.” If it wasn't obvious, Logan's truck had all sorts of horse, saloon and saw memorabilia accenting his truck, which he started building off a Chevy S-10 frame.“The S-10 we started with was her Dad's,” said Logan, pointing to his wife Laura. “This was a little sentimental.”While some cruisers were local, there were plenty of out-of-state license plates, too, like one from Georgia and one from New York.While he didn't travel from out of state, John “Jiggs” Jerry, of DuBois, said he had plans to meet friends from his time living in Lyndora. While he waited for those friends, he showed off a bright red car with flyers and informational pamphlets strewn about it.Jerry said his 1991 Chrysler TC made by Maserati was one of only 7,300 made by hand between 1989 and 1991 in Milan, Italy.“It's a very rare car,” he said. “It's a very unique vehicle.”The car is a two-door convertible that shines brightly in the sunny afternoon light. Jerry said he had been a little leery of some early morning storms, but he opted to leave the hard-top at home, and he ended up being one of the first cruisers there.“I got a good shady spot, and I was able to watch all the cars come in,” he said.
A cruiser passenger, Rowan Hall, of New Castle, said she wasn't too fond of the hot weather, but it made for a pleasant event as she strolled around the other vehicle with her father.“I wanted to leave the house,” Rowan said.She pointed out her favorite up until that point was a truck that had body work around the grill, appearing in the form of jagged, shark-like teeth and a spatter of red paint imitating a bloody meal.“I don't know cars,” Rowan said. “I like colors, and I like weird looking ones, too.”Rowan also learned at the event that Armco Park was a private place for Armco employees and their families, until 2015, when it was gifted to Butler County Family YMCA.Carrie Ohorodnyk, who organized the event on behalf of the YMCA, said the cruise helped showcase all the park has to offer.“We're trying to bring awareness to the fact that this is a public park now,” Ohorodnyk said. “This also serves as a fundraiser for the park to keep up with capital expenses.”Ohorodnyk said the park could use the funds for upkeep and make things easier for one of the park's most frequent volunteers, John Gibson, who Ohorodnyk said probably spends about 40 hours each week working and performing maintenance in the park.Gibson, chair of the park committee and member of its board of trustees, said he has been a patron of the park since he was 5 years old. He said since his grandfather, his father, and eventually he himself worked for Armco, they had access to the space.“I can see it becoming more than what you see here today,” Gibson said. “Not only for the Y, but the community.”Gibson said he's glad to see the more than 75 acres become public grounds to be enjoyed and passed down.“When I come up here, It's like walking into a memory,” he said. “I want my grandchildren to have that.”
