SERVING LICENSE PLATE HOBBYISTS
in NEW ENGLAND and NEW YORK
Previous Colonial Region Meets
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New Britain, CT
February 11, 2024
On Sunday, February 11, 2024, 121 ALPCA members plus 19 guests were welcomed into the hall at the New Britain, CT VFW by the Colonial Region Registrar Bob D’Amico #3745, Suzanne Long #13936, Director Chris Cooper #4723, and local host Bob Senatro #4962. The hall was filled with plates and people alike, as 65 vendor tables were called for and trading was brisk well into the afternoon. The Colonial Region continued the Winter Meet tradition of complimentary coffee, bagels, and donuts in the morning, plus a pizza lunch for all.
Steve Benson was recognized as the longest-distance member in attendance, hailing from Mesa, AZ.
Special recognition was paid to Cliff Costello, #4203 of Ballston Lake, NY. Cliff recently reactivated his ALPCA membership after decades of dormancy, and shared with those in attendance of how he submitted the design for the long-running current Massachusetts “Spirit of America” base which was chosen and implemented in the late 1980’s.
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Furthermore, we'd like to recognize the Colonial Region Registration Team!
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Meets are successful not just because of the people that attend, but because of those that do the hard work to make them happen. When I (Alan Young) wrote the meet report for Boxboro 2023, I thanked and mentioned multiple people - but I didn’t mention the heavy work done at the registration desk and during the days and weeks leading up to the meet. I’m beside myself that I didn’t thank Robert (Bob) D’Amico #3745 for his tireless efforts logging RSVP responses for weeks in advance of the meet, vetting membership status of all that responded, and making sure each person got a confirmation note back from him. In addition to all of that, Bob manages the registration table along with the devoted help of Suzanne Long #13936. These two, along with Chris Cooper #4723, made it possible for 231 members and their guests to get into Boxboro on the day of the meet.
Unsung heroes? Unfortunately, they were, it’s on me, and I can’t apologize enough for allowing their hard work to go unrecognized. Thank you, Bob, Suzanne, and Chris so much for your dedication to our meets, our members, and their guests!
Mike Glauboch #1901 shows that Colonial Region meets have something for everyone – even if your roots stretch all the way to NYC!
Boxboro, MA
November 19, 2023
The Colonial Region’s 2023 annual Fall Meet in Boxboro, Massachusetts attendance of 231 ALPCA members shattered the Region’s previous best meet attendance record of 207 members. Adding in 64 guests made for a total of 295 people in the hall. Members were in attendance from 25 states plus D.C., plus New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada.
This may well be the best attended one day regional meet ever in the history of ALPCA!
The Colonial Region’s fall meet has truly become a weekend event, starting the evening before the meet with our collectors’ dinner at a local restaurant that drew 35 attendees. The Region sponsored a 50th anniversary celebration featuring a cake and a reading of a letter from the late George and Ruth Feustel (ALPCA #193 and #195, respectively) inviting Conrad Hughson (ALPCA #290) to the meet in Staffordville, Connecticut where the Colonial Region would be formed, and the Region’s charter signed on May 19, 1973. Also in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Region, souvenir license plates were distributed to the first 225 ALPCA members attending the dinner and those entering the meet the following day.
The hall opened at 8:00am on Sunday morning, and trading was soon underway. Collectors continued to file in throughout the morning, filling 149 tables with for sale and trade materials.
16 collectors shared highlights from their collections through a broad range of their displays. Displays were judged by a volunteer panel consisting of Mike Glauboch #1901 (KY), Kevin Dacey #4792 (MA), Jim Moini #6215 (NJ), John Raiche #8200 (RI), and Joe Pugliese #11934 (NJ). The award winners were:
• Passenger Display, 1st Place: Don Asselin #6439 for his display “Rhode Island 1910 Time Machine”
• Non-Passenger Display, 1st Place: Richard Dragon #2658 for his display “Rhode Island Motorcycle Plates 1918 – 2023”
• Best Small Display (eight or fewer plates), 1st Place: Michael Crosby #8552 for his display “Sail Boston 2000”
• Best of Show: Richard Dragon #2658 for his display “Rhode Island Motorcycle Plates 1918 – 2023”
• Long Distance Award: Steve “16 Lizards” Benson #6649 from Mesa, Arizona.
• There were no entrants in the Junior Display category this year.
Meet host Alan Young #6954 presided over the annual business meeting, and all three-digit ALPCA members in attendance were individually recognized and thanked for their years of involvement. A special presentation of souvenir plate no. 166 was made to Terry Gulick, ALPCA #166, the lowest membership number in attendance, having joined ALPCA in 1957.
Attending ALPCA parent club board members in attendance were thanked for their service and attendance: Cyndi McCabe #8000, President; Bill Dickerson #2913, Director; and Andrew Pang #3877, Treasurer.
Being an odd-numbered year, the Region’s Director positions were up for election, and Chris Cooper #4723, Bob Senatro #4962, and Alan Young #6954 were re-elected for the following two years as there were no other nominees. David Nicholson #7019 was thanked for his many years of service as the Region’s appointed webmaster, and Joe Pugliese #11934 was appointed to and welcomed in the same position.
The meeting was followed by a donation auction featuring plates donated by the members in attendance, a kind donation of plates from Joe Hurd #1925 of Florida, a large group of 1960’s era sample plates donated by Joe Hanslip, and low number and souvenir examples of this year’s Fall Meet souvenir plate. The auction was managed by Bob Senatro, called by Joe Macera #10331 and Alan Young, and tallied by Paul Christian #1342. Trading continued into the afternoon, with the meet winding down by 4:00pm.
Be sure to attend our coming 2024 Colonial meets: New Britain, CT on Sunday, February 11th, Rollinsford, NH on Saturday, May 11th, and our annual “Box-Buster” event in Boxboro, MA on a date to be announced in November 2024!
New Britain, CT
February 11, 2023
The Colonial Region held its 2023 Winter Meet at the Pvt. Walter J. Smith VFW Post 511 Hall in New Britain, Connecticut on Saturday February 11, 2023.
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One hundred twenty one (121) ALPCA members along with seventeen (17) guests were greeted and signed in by Bob D’Amico, Suzanne Long, and Chris Cooper staffing the registration table. The Winter Meet was attended by members and guests from the New England states, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the Maritime Province of New Brunswick!
The Colonial Region once again had the pleasure of accepting new members to ALPCA: Zachary Peters #14186 and Herbie Corbett #14187.
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A full seventy one (71) of the registered members took advantage of the Colonial Region’s RSVP feature to let it be known they would be attending and request tables if they so desired. If you are not using this feature or don’t yet know about it, take a look at the Upcoming Meets section of this website and see how you can RSVP and request tables as the next Colonial Region meet approaches!
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Sixty nine (69) tables were soon filled and the complimentary coffee, doughnuts, and bagels provided for breakfast started to disappear.
After a morning of trading, catching up, and storytelling it was time for bidder registration and our midday donation auction. Joe Macera and Alan Young called the auction which was managed by Bob Senatro with assistance from volunteers displaying and delivering each lot of plates won. Paul Christian kept an eye on the bids and the bidders.
Once again, the Region’s thanks go to Joey Hurd (ALPCA #1925) from Florida for sending a wonderful selection of donation plates to us to bid on and add to our collections.
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After the auction it was time for hot pizza and cold soda before the plate trading resumed.
Boxboro, MA
November 20, 2022
On Sunday, November 20, 2022, ALPCA’s Colonial Region held its annual fall meet at the Boxboro Regency in Boxboro, Massachusetts, and what a meet it was! Attending were 206 ALPCA members plus guests for a grand total of 254 people from 21 states and two Canadian Provinces: New Brunswick and Ontario. Among those in attendance were an astounding 9 members with ALPCA membership numbers below 1350, each representing more than 50 years of ALPCA membership. As Colonial Region tradition holds, a dinner the night before was held at a local restaurant with 40 collectors in attendance, making the annual Colonial Fall Meet a weekend destination event.
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The hall opened at 8:00am on Sunday morning, and trading was soon underway. Collectors continued to file in throughout the morning, filling 129 tables with for sale and trade materials.
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14 collectors shared highlights from their collections through a broad range of their displays. Displays were judged by a volunteer panel consisting of Sal Dodd #5606 (NY), Jim Moini #6215 (NJ), Ed Suchodolski #9835 (VA), Marco Tramelli #10385 (NY), and Scott Anderson #12574 (MA). The award winners were:
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• Passenger Display, First Place: Christian Giunta #13213 for his Display “Rock and Roll”
• Non-Passenger Display, First Place: Ed Butler #6661 for his display of New Jersey Military Plate Toppers & Related License Plates
• Best Small Display (eight or fewer plates), First Place: Charlie Gauthier #1539 for his display “Inaugural Plates of President Eisenhower”
• Best Junior Display (entrant must be under 21 years of age), Gold Award: Teddy Cacy #13043 for his display “Quebec License Plates Between 1964 and 1971 Including 1967 Montreal Expo Front and Back”
• Best of Show: John Ciszek #12797 for his display “Massachusetts Registry Police History”
• Long Distance Award: Steve “16 Lizards” Benson #6649 from Mesa, Arizona.
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Meet host Alan Young presided over the annual business meeting, and all “Fifty-Plus” year members were individually recognized and thanked for their years of involvement. Attending ALPCA parent club board members in attendance were thanked for their service and attendance: Cyndi McCabe - President, Dick Yourga – Vice President, Bill Dickerson – Director, Mike Morgan – Director, Andrew Pang – Treasure, Al Matthews – Resident Agent.
The meeting was followed by a donation auction featuring plates donated by the members in attendance as well as a kind donation of plates from Joe Hurd of Florida. The auction was managed by Bob Senatro, called by Joe Macera and Alan Young, and tallied by Richard Dragon. Trading continued into the afternoon, with the meet winding down by 4:00.
New Britain, CT
February 5, 2022
The Colonial Region held its 2022 Winter Meet at the Pvt. Walter J. Smith VFW Post 511 Hall in New Britain, Connecticut on Saturday February 5, 2022.
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93 ALPCA members along with 16 guests were greeted and efficiently registered by Bob D’Amico, Chris Cooper, and Suzanne Kirk staffing the registration table. The attendees quickly filled 48 tables and enjoyed the complimentary coffee, doughnuts, and bagels provided for breakfast.
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After a morning of trading, catching up, and telling stories it was time for pizza and soda. Following lunch and bidder registration, the donation auction began.
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Alan Young called the auction, which was managed by Bob Senatro, with assistance from three volunteers displaying and delivering each lot of plates offered.
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Once again, the Region’s thanks go to Joey Hurd (ALPCA #1925) from Florida for sending a wonderful selection of donation plates to us.
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The Colonial Region also had the pleasure of accepting two new members to ALPCA: Kevin Denaro #13735 and Mike Goldblatt #13736.
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The winter meet was well attended with plenty of plate trading and camaraderie. All images courtesy of Steve “16 Lizards” Benson.
Leominster, MA
November 14, 2021
On Sunday, November 14, 2021 ALPCA’s Colonial Region held its first meet in 21 months, and what a meet it was! A record 207 ALPCA members plus guests from 22 states and the District of Columbia assembled at the DoubleTree Hotel in Leominster, Massachusetts. All were anxious to get back to buying, selling, and trading, but also to reconnect with friends we had not seen in too long a time. Among those in attendance were an astounding 11 members with ALPCA membership numbers below 1000, each representing more than 50 years of plate collecting.
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As collectors checked in to the registration desk, the first 185 were treated to a special gift: a souvenir license plate designed by regional director Corey Bourassa. As the doors to the hall opened at 8:00, the line began to move, and trading was soon underway. Collectors continued to file in throughout the morning, enjoying complimentary coffee and breakfast while filling 116 tables in the main hall and adjoining spaces. Piquing the interest of many collectors, the Wells, Maine, Auto Museum gave those in attendance a first chance to purchase plates from the museum’s extensive collection.
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15 collectors shared highlights from their collections through a broad range of their displays. Displays were judged by a volunteer panel consisting of Kyle Copeland #11838 (NH), Mike Duff #1628 (MA), Chris Fretta #8203 (VT), Jerry Tirrell #2369 (MA), and Steve Raiche #451 (FL). The award winners were:
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Passenger Display, First Place: Dave Lincoln #693 for his Display “Early Connecticut Plates”
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Non-Passenger Display, First Place: Marshall Chervin #2116 for his display of chauffeurs’ badges
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Best Small Display (eight or fewer plates), First Place: John Hart #12771 for his display “Maine State Police History
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Best Junior Display (entrant must be under 21 years of age), Gold Award: Teddy Cacy #13043 for his display “Well Used Porcelain Plate”
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Best of Show: John Ciszek #12797 for his display “Massachusetts Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) History”
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Long Distance Award: Jason Welty #13469 from Santa Ana, California In addition to the traditional Long Distance Award, a humorous “Low Distance Award” was presented to Steve Benson because lizards have exceptionally short legs.
Meet host Alan Young presided over the annual business meeting, where all three regional director positions were up for consideration. Alan Young and Bob Senatro will be returning for another 2 year term, Chris Cooper joining the board, and outgoing director Corey Bourassa receiving thanks for his excellent service.
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The meeting was followed by a donation auction featuring plates donated by the members in attendance as well as a kind donation of plates from Joe Hurd of Florida. The auction was managed by Bob Senatro, called by Joe Macera and Alan Young, and tallied by Paul Christian. Special thanks is due to the volunteer runners who displayed the plates and brought them to the winning bidders. As usual, there was something for everyone, from common plates to porcelains to an impressively crafted license plate birdhouse. The low numbered souvenir plates were a particular highlight.
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Trading continued into the afternoon, with the meet winding down by 4:00. Though it was a long day, members were already looking forward to the Colonial Region winter meet in New Britain, Connecticut in February.
New Britain, CT
February 1, 2020
ALPCA’s Colonial Region held its annual winter meet on February 1, 2020 in New Britain, Connecticut. 114 ALPCA members plus family, guests and friends attended the blockbuster event, our 4th winter license plate meet held in this 5,000 sq. ft. facility. ALPCAns from 15 states were in attendance, from Maine to Arizona. Art Phillips, ALPCA #226 from Colorado, was recognized as the longest-term member in attendance, having joined ALPCA in 1958. 65 vendor tables were filled. Free coffee and donuts greeted our arrival and a free pizza lunch for all followed our donation auction. Along with the plates donated by those present, Joey Hurd and Howard Pierpont once again sent boxes of donation plates to support our efforts. Thanks guys! Region Director Bob Senatro solicited and sorted the donation plates while Joe Macera called the auction along with Director Alan Young. Director Corey Bourassa kept track of the bids and receipts, as well as managed the meet registration process with his ladyfriend Jill. We rode the wave of success from our fall meet in Leominster last year where we had 155 ALPCAns in attendance, and we look forward to an equally strong Spring Colonial Region Meet to be held on May 2, 2020 in Brattleboro, Vermont!
Leominster, MA
November 10, 2019
The Colonial Region’s sixth Fall Meet at the DoubleTree Inn in Leominster, Massachusetts was held on Sunday, November 10, 2019.
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As expected, it was another outstanding event, complete with great displays, our donation auction, 8 new members joining ALPCA, attendees from 21 states and provinces, tons of plates covering 109 sold tables and ALPCA’s most well-attended regional meet of 2019!
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Following the 8:00am opening, the hall filled quickly, the coffee and breakfast was enjoyed, and the trading was well under way. As a surprise gift to the members attending, the Region provided each upon registration with a t-shirt commemorating the Colonial Region’s many decades of meets.
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Our Donation Auction (called by Joe Macera and Alan Young and tallied by Paul Christian) had lots of plates and plate-related items up for bid, including nice stacks of plates mailed to us in advance from Joey Hurd, Matt Klahn, Howard Pierpont, and Josh Friedman. Countless donors contributed in-person at the meet. Thanks everyone!
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Displays were judged by the team consisting of Kyle Copeland, Jeff Poulton, Joe Macera, Steve Raiche, and Dick Yourga. Categories and winners were as follows:
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Passenger Display: winner, Gerry Griffin, for his display of New Hampshire County coded number 1 plates
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Non-Passenger Display: winner, Bob Miller, for his display of New Hampshire non-resident plates
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Best Small Display (eight or fewer plates): winner, Larry David, for his display of New Hampshire first issue series plates
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Best Junior Display (entrant must be under 21 years of age): winner, Teddy Cacy, for his NWT Collector Vehicle sample plate
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Best of Show: winner, John Cizek, for his Massachusetts State Police History display
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Long distance award went to Jake Bear from Landers, California
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Besides the New England states, our attendees traveled from AZ, CA, CO, DE, GA, IN, KY, OH, PA, NC, NJ, NY, VA, and New Brunswick, Canada. As is the tradition for Colonial Region Fall Meets, Alan Young again organized a dinner and social gathering on Saturday evening before the meet for members and guests either staying over or local to the meet. This was truly a weeklong experience!
New Britain, CT
February 2, 2019
ALPCA’s Colonial Region held its 160th regional meet on February 2, 2019 in New Britain, Connecticut. 73 members plus family, guests and friends attended the chilly blockbuster event, our third Winter License Plate Meet in this 5,000 sq. ft. facility. One new member joined at the meet. Ten states were represented, from Maine to Arizona. Sixty-five tables were available for members to display all the great plates they brought. Free coffee and donuts greeted our arrival and free pizza followed our donation auction. As well as the plates donated by those present, Joey Hurd once again sent a box of goodies from Florida and Howard Pierpont sent a box from Colorado. Thanks guys! Region Director Bob Senatro solicited and sorted the donation plates while Joe Macera called the auction aided by Director Alan Young. Several members acted as auction runners. Director Corey Bourassa kept track of the bids while Treasurer Richard Dragon managed registration and overall region books. Copies of all Colonial Region bookkeeping records were offered for perusal to anyone interested in examining them.
Leominster, MA
November 11, 2018
The Colonial Region’s fifth Fall Meet at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Leominster, Massachusetts was held on Sunday, November 11, 2018. As expected, it was another outstanding event, complete with great displays, our donation auction, 6 new members joining ALPCA, attendees from 21 states and provinces, and tons of plates covering 99 tables. With 138 members signed in, this was ALPCA’s most well-attended regional meet of 2018!
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Following the 8:00am opening, the hall filled quickly, the coffee and breakfast was enjoyed, and the trading was well under way. Our morning meeting consisted of announcements, nominations and acceptance of 2019/2020 Director’s Positions, Presentation of Awards, and our auction.
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The region’s directors for the upcoming two year term are Alan Young, Bob Senatro, and Corey Bourassa. Our thanks to Dick Yourga for his contributions of knowledge and experience during his two terms as a Director for our Region.
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The panel of display judges was comprised of Rick Sutton (MA), Mike Glauboch (KY), Cyndi McCabe (OH), Stu Berg (MA), and Dave Nicholson (ME). Winners by category were:
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Passenger Display 1st Place – Reid Williamson for his display of plates no. 31 and 941
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Non Passenger Display 1st Place – Adam Garstka for his display of plates soley comprised of those from the Dave Kuehn collection
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Small display – Phil Leib for his display of 1913 NJ temporary and replacement plates
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Junior Display, Gold Award – Sam Farley for his display of Massachusetts temporary dealer plates
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Best of Show went to Adam Garstka for his display of plates from the Dave Kuehn collection.
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Our Donation Auction (called by Joe Macera and tallied by Paul Christian) had lots of plates and plate-related items up for bid including a nice stack of plates from Joey Hurd of Florida. Thanks Joey!
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Besides the New England states, our attendees traveled from AZ, CA, FL, GA, IN, KY, MD, NM, OH, PA, VA, NB and PEI with our Long Distance Award going to Jake Bear, of Lakeside, California.
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As is the tradition for Colonial Region Fall Meets, Alan Young again organized a dinner and social gathering Saturday evening at a local restaurant which saw over 30 members and guests either staying over or local to the meet. It was a great way to get geared up for the meet!
Brattleboro, VT
May 19, 2018
The Colonial Region Celebrated its 45th Anniversary to the day on Saturday, May 19, 2018 at the VFW Post 1034 in Brattleboro, VT. The 86 members in attendance quickly filled 60 tables and the day’s trading began. Our members and several guests came from the Region’s States as well as Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, New Jersey, and Virginia. Ontario, Quebec and Prince Edward Island were also represented at our meet.
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Our Treasurer, Rich Dragon, initiated an informal email survey prior to this meet to inquire of our membership how many members planned to attend the meet and if they required one or more tables.
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The response was positive, and the data gathered allowed for very efficient registration. Once inside, members and guest found donuts and hot coffee waiting for them.
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Following a morning of trading plates, swapping stories, and then regional announcements, we held what turned out to be one of our best donation auctions in recent memory. Joe Hurd form Florida sent us a great assortment of plates to offer for bid, and our host Conrad Hughson provided a box full of interesting New England plates. Thanks to both Joe and Conrad for helping to make an exciting auction!
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Pizza was offered to the membership following the auction and then we cut the 45th Anniversary cake. After all this, we were back to plate trading well into the afternoon.
Leominster, MA
November 12, 2017
The Colonial Region held its fall meet once again at the DoubleTree Inn in Leominster, Massachusetts.
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Our fourth time in Leominster, and our third Sunday meet, was an outstanding event. We had 143 members in attendance, along with 7 prospective new members for a total of 150 license plate collectors offering plates on every inch of the 103 tables sold. And this isn't even counting the friends and family members that also came to our fall meet. What's more, our registered members total more than any other regional meet in 2017 and more than half that of this year's International Convention!
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As usual our doors opened at 8:00 am sharp and members and guests quickly filled the hall. Once inside the plate trading, friend greeting, story telling and coffee and danish consuming began and lasted all through the morning.
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Following the regional announcements later in the morning Alan Young presented the well-deserved awards for member's plate displays.
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Matthew Roberts, of Damariscotta, Maine captured the Junior Gold Award for his display entitled “My Collection.” His display featured plates from all the various categories of his collection.
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Sam Farley, of Concord, Massachusetts, seized the Junior Silver Award for his display of Massachusetts Boat Dealer license plates.
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John Willard, of Haverford, PA accepted the First Place, Passenger Display Award for his display of pre-state plates. John's pre-states also earned the Best of Show award.
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Reid Williamson, of Richmond, Virginia took the First Place, Small Display Award for his display of no. 31 plates.
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Kevin Ray, of Farmington, Connecticut received the First Place, Passenger Display Award for his display of the Connecticut Early American plates and memorabilia of John Boal.
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And for traveling a (MapQuest verified) distance of 3,011 miles, the well earned Long Distance Award was presented to Jake Bear, of Lakeside, California.
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Great job, Gentlemen!
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Our license plate savvy judges were: Chuck Bahor, Mike Glauboch, Gerry Griffin, Bill Dickerson, and Jake Bear. With the caliber of the displays presented it was no easy task to determine the winners.
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After the Awards Ceremony, we moved right into our donation auction, called by Joe Macera and managed by Bob Senatro. Some pretty nice plates (some tough to find ones, too) were offered for bid.
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Once the auction concluded Reid Williamson organized a group photo shoot and then the trading continued well into the afternoon.
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As is now the norm for a Colonial Region Meet, we had members attending from our own region's states (New England states and New York) plus Ariz., Cal., Colo., Fla., Ind., Ky., N.J., Ohio, Pa., Va., W.V. and New Brunswick. We should also include Delaware as it is well represented by our own Dave Lincoln.
Arundel, ME
July 22, 2017
The Colonial Region made its first return to the state of Maine in many years on Saturday, July 22nd. Hosting this meet was Tim Stentiford, at his antique and classic automobile dealership and restoration facility, Motorland. Attendees have come to expect great things from Colonial Region meets, and this was no exception. Forty-plus members and guests attended the meet, which was held indoors with antique cars lined along all the walls. A catered barbecue lunch was provided as a surprise, free of charge thank you from the Region to everyone in attendance. With four new members signed up that day, and members from as far as Arizona and Prince Edward Island, Canada, this event embodies what the ALPCA spirit is all about.
Brattleboro, VT
June 10, 2017
We were back for the second time at VFW Post 1034 in Brattleboro, Vermont on Saturday, June 10, 2017 for another great Colonial Region meet. Trading on the floor was busy from 8:00 A.M. right through the morning. At mid-day we had a brief business meeting followed by a very successful auction. Besides the generous plate donations made by members we offered for bid a hand-made wreath constructed of patches of fabric displaying images of license plates. The wreath drew quite a bit of interest. Our meet was hosted by Conrad Hughson. The auction was called by Alan Young and coordinated by Bob Senatro. Our thanks to Al Matthews for our group photo.
New Britain, CT
February 4, 2017
This was our first time in this central Connecticut location. This hall offered easy access and enough space for sixty or more tables as well as our Winter Meet attendance of a record-setting 103 registrations including 91 members and 12 guests!
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Doors opened promptly at 8:00 AM for registration and a busy day of trading began as fast as plates hit the tables and members hit the floor. Trading continued well into the afternoon with the only interruptions being announcements, our donation auction and a group photo. Once again, our friend of the Colonial Region Joey Hurd from Florida donated a nice selection of plates for our auction. A few of which were offered for bid at the start of our auction by Alan Young. Our thanks to Joey! The rest of the plates donated to the auction were called by Joe Macera. The auction was coordinated by Bob Senatro. A Massachusetts passenger plate autographed by Tight End Rob Gronkowski, number 87 for the Super Bowl LI Champion New England Patriots helped to make our auction a great success.
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It is becoming more common to see ALPCA members travelling from afar to come to a Colonial Region Meet. We gladly welcomed fellow collectors from AZ, DE, IN, KY, MD, NJ, OH, OK and PA as well as our own region.
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Doughnuts and bagels were available free of charge in the morning to the those attending our meet while coffee, breakfast and lunch were offered by members of Post 511.
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Our registration table was manned by Dick Yourga and Alan Young. Photo images were provided by Cindy Merritt.
Leominster, MA
November 6, 2016
99 ALPCA members and 17 guests attended the Colonial Region's Fall 2016 Meet held at the Doubletree Inn in Leominster, Massachusetts on Sunday, November 6, 2016. Our third time in Leominster was packed full of activities. We had plenty of buying, selling and trading, members from near and far, award winning displays, a great auction and nominations for our biennial election.
Once again we were honored to have members fill our 7800-sq. ft. of Ballroom space. Some also took advantage of the host hotel's special room rate by staying in Leominster the night before the meet. We registered Plate Collectors from Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Virginia as well as from New Brunswick, Quebec and Prince Edward Island with the majority of attending members from the Colonial Region's home states. We also welcomed a new member that joined ALPCA during our meet. Awards for displays were presented by our meet host Alan Young.
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Ed Butler won Passenger-1st place, with NJ pre-states 1903 through 1907.
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John Willard won Non-Passenger-1st place with his Number one "actual issued" display.
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Sam Farley won Junior Display-Gold Award with his Massachusetts and Vermont favorite non-passenger types.
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Rick Sutton won Small Display-1st Place with his display of Massachusetts Distinctive Plates which also took the Best of Show!
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Our Long-Distance Award went to Steve Benson (ALPCA # 6649) of Gilbert, Arizona.
Auctioneer Joe Macera and Auction Coordinator Bob Senatro collected and presented donation plates for bid in one of our best auctions yet. Special thanks (again) go to Joe Hurd for sending more of his great contributions up from Florida to be auctioned. We also thank Chuck Sakryd for sharing his auction expertise with us.
ALPCA requires that all regions elect their Directors every two years. Our region received four nominations for the three Director's positions. As only three of the nominations were accepted those three individuals became the region's new Board of Directors. Alan Young and Dick Yourga continue into their second terms as Directors while Bob Senatro will fill the third director position. Our utmost appreciation goes to Richard Dragon, outgoing director, for his leadership and contributions to our region.
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Our heartfelt thanks also go to our guest Celeste Michaud for generously volunteering to handle the registration duties for our Fall Meet.
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Unfortunately, the Region did have some sad news to share during our business meeting. David Kuehn (ALPCA number 1953) passed away on November 1, 2016. David was a major force in the Colonial Region, well known and respected and largely responsible for keeping our region operating over the last two decades. A moment of silence was held for David followed by many members coming forward to speak on his behalf. David will be missed but not soon be forgotten.
Hopewell Junction, NY
September 10, 2016
The Colonial Region members met on Saturday, September 10 in Hopewell Junction, NY for a Summer gathering of License Plate collectors. Walter Oudheusden, Roy Rich and John Villani, welcomed everyone to the annual event. Heavy rain and some major road construction did not deter the forty-two members and 3 guests from attending. We were very happy to welcome some of the directors of the Colonial Region--Rich Dragon, and Alan Young and Bob Senatro, Secretary of the Colonial Region. We want to thank Bob Senatro for the extra plus effort of coming early and setting up and operating the electronic registration. Cindy Merritt was a huge help at the registration table, as well as gathering some great photos. The meet was well attended by members who make a point to "save the date" and join us each September. Members represented NY, VA, PA, MA, CT, NJ, OH, RI, VT. and Indiana's Chuck Bahor made the long journey.
Brattleboro, VT
May 21, 2016
The Colonial Region's triumphant return to the State of Vermont was held on Saturday, May 21, 2016. Conrad Hughson hosted our Spring Meet at the Brattleboro VFW Post 1034 in Brattleboro, Vermont. The registration tally was 78 members and 6 guests with 61 tables sold. Beside the Region's states we had representation from AZ, FL, IN, KY, NJ, PA, Ontario and Quebec.
Trading was busy from 8:00 AM until the afternoon with the only interruptions being the auction and the delivered pizza that followed. Those in attendance donated a great assortment of plates which were supplemented by a generous contribution from Joe Hurd in Florida. Thanks Joe! Alan Young called the auction which was coordinated by Bob Senatro. This meet was well attended and easy to find with good lodging and dining near-by.
Hadley, MA
February 27, 2016
The Colonial Region membership attended and enjoyed the second winter meet held at the Hadley Farms Meeting House in Hadley, Massachusetts and hosted by Dick Yourga.
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Colonial Region member Cindy Merritt took it upon herself to capture plenty of images to help us remember this great meet. 89 members, including four that joined ALPCA at this meet and five guests kept the trading and camaraderie lively well into the afternoon. Along with our New York and New England members we welcomed collectors from Mid-Atlantic states, as well as Kentucky, Arizona and Quebec. Some members took advantage of lodging at the Hampton Inn located right on the premises of this easily accessible venue. The region's meets have become the place to be for plate collecting.
Leominster, MA
November 1, 2015
Colonial Region Fall 2015 Meet Report: 111 ALPCA members and 8 guests attended the Colonial Region's fall 2015 meet held at the Doubletree Inn in Leominster, Massachusetts on Sunday, November 1, 2015. This was our second time in Leominster but our first meet held on a Sunday.
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We occupied 7800 square feet of ballroom space and offered 100 tables for trading at this year's meet. This is up from the fall 2014 meet with 5000 square feet and 75 tables for trading. As our fall meet attendance has increased by 66% since 2012, meeting on Sunday allowed us the space we now need at a rate that would not have been possible on a Saturday.
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An informal polling of the members in attendance was overwhelmingly positive toward having some future Colonial Region meets on Sundays.
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Although the bulk of attendance was from the northeast states we were honored to have members from Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Michigan, Virginia and Washington State as well as from New Brunswick, Quebec and Prince Edward Island! Our Long Distance award went to John Shoesmith (ALPCA # 8226) from Redmond, Washington.
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Awards for displays were granted to:
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Sam Farley (Junior Gold - US Dealer Run)
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John Rice (Junior Silver - European Run)
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Bill Christian (Passenger 1st Place - Railroad Theme Display)
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Reid Williamson (Non Passenger 1st Place - 1 through 100 Anything but Passenger)
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Don Asselin (Small Display 1st Place - 1904 Rhode Island)
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Kevin Ray (Best of Show - 1955 Connecticut Speaker of the House Legislature Plates)
Some truly great displays!
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In addition to winning the Junior Silver, 10-year-old Mainer John Rice became the club's newest member at the fall meet. His membership number (assigned after the meet) is 12176. What a great way to start in ALPCA and the Colonial Region!
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Auctioneer Joe Macera and Auction Coordinator Bob Senatro collected and offered up donation plates for bid in our best auction yet. Special thanks go to Joe Hurd for sending some nice graphics for the auction all the way from Florida.
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The Colonial Region's meets are lasting longer into the day, attracting more members and guests and bringing in collectors from greater distances. The trading is brisk, the displays are interesting and the membership in attendance is enthusiastic. Come to a Colonial Region meet and see for yourself!
Leominster, MA
October 25, 2014
The Colonial Region welcomed well over 100 ALPCA members and guests to its flagship meet for 2014 in a 5,000 sq. ft. function room at the DoubleTree by Hilton, where out-of-town attendees were able to stay Friday night in style. All 75 tables were filled with "for sale" and "for trade" material, and activity was brisk (to put it mildly) throughout the morning and well into the afternoon.
Wonderful displays of all shapes and sizes lined the walls, presenting an enjoyable challenge for judges as they made their rounds. Members were in attendance from Arizona, California, Florida, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and all six New England states as well as the Canadian provinces of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.
Don Asselin, Mike Crosby, Sam Farley, Gerry Griffin, and Terry Gulick were awarded first place plaques for their fine displays, and Scott Broady took the Long Distance Award home with him cross-country to California.
During the business meeting Rich Dragon, Alan Young, and Dick Yourga were elected to fill the three director positions, and together they will guide the region's meet planning, events, and general business activities for the next two years.
Secretary/Treasurer Dave Kuehn manned the registration desk cordially welcoming ALPCA members and their guests as well as tracking our donation auction. Following a lively donation auction organized by Bob Senatro and with auctioneer extraordinaire Joe Macera at the microphone, trading remained active until well into mid-afternoon.
