Volume 102, Number 3    Cass City, Michigan - Wednesday, April 9, 2008

The 
Cass City Chronicle is published every Wednesday.
John Haire, Publisher






















Rawson 
Memorial 
District 
Library

The Haire Net

Memories of a 
long gone era 

  A few tidbits gleaned from the pages of Michigan daily papers that sparked memories of a long gone era. 
  The promoters at Lincoln Park are in the midst of a campaign to make the home site of Preston Tucker a memorial, hopefully to attract tourists.
  He had a varied career before entering the automotive business and oceans of publicity as he built a demonstration car, the Tucker Torpedo, and toured Michigan. 
  The WOW! factor was extraordinary and the citizens gathered to ogle the car as it cruised the state. 
  The car had features that attracted attention from everyone, not just car buffs. It was far ahead of its time, too far, too soon, with pop-out glass windshields, reinforced carbon frame, seat belts and padded dashboard.
  The car was built in Chicago and the factory survived just long enough to produce 51 cars. During the brief time it was in the planning and limited production phase, the name Tucker was about as well known as Henry Ford.
  When I viewed the car, I can remember saying to myself, who wants to pay for all that extra junk?

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  The Chronicle ran a business column written by Bill Myers, who was a former owner-publisher of the Lapeer County Press and later a banker and financial advisor. He was ahead of his time and interested in space travel.
  It must have been 25 years or so ago that he signed up with a deposit to be one of the first civilians to take a jaunt into space. Health issues nixed his chance for the ride.
  But the space travel that Myers visualized is about to be realized, if plans announced by Virgin Galactic prove accurate.
  The company plans a flight sometime during the second quarter of 2009. It climbs to about 68 miles, slows and passengers experience weightlessness for 5 minutes and can see a 1,000-mile earth view. 
  The 3-day flight is not for everyone. It requires passengers that can stand the physical demands of the journey
  Oh yes, there is one more little requirement. Passengers will be charged $200,000 for the trip. 

Complete Coverage of the Cass City Trading Area