Glistening Chrome Draws A Crowd To Ashlar

By Kendra Bobowick

As if strewn with holiday tinsel, the chrome lines of classic cars sparkled in the early afternoon sun of Saturday, August 11, when they spent a few hours in one of the parking lots of Ashlar of Newtown. Pausing to look under a hood or glance at polished dashboard instruments were car enthusiasts, owners, and residents of Ashlar of Newtown, who enjoyed Big Band sounds (as provided by a DJ), aromas of grilling, and the gleam of antique American automobiles parked in the lot for the annual car show.

“We donate our time for the residents,” said Classic Nights Car Club of Monroe President Fred Loulis. “We come here yearly.” Mr Loulis’s wife Peggy, who is the Lockwood Lodge recreational director at Ashlar, said that included in the day’s show and outdoor barbecue were awards and trophies for the car owners.

“We have a nice day,” she said. “People come from far and wide with their cars or as spectators.”

Reclined in a lawn chair in the shade beside a row of restored cars including her husband Tim Jones’s 1956 Thunderbird was Darlene Jones. The couple has personal reasons for participating in the show.

“My in-laws live here,” she said. Looking across the rows of raised hoods of Ford Thunderbirds, Dodge Chargers, Chevy Corvettes, and more, Ms Jones said, “They like it.”

Local car owners included Ralph Esposito, who stood near his bright yellow fully refinished 1967 Corvette and Brewster resident Tony Miliambro who sat on the bench seat of his restoration in progress — a 1933 Ford pickup truck.

Also taking advantage of the nice day and the lot full of old cars were Dorothy and Charlie Pancoast of Trumbull. Dorothy has a special connection with Ashlar.

“I spent three months of [physical rehabilitation] here. It was wonderful,” she said. Noting the terrible shape she was in when she arrived at Ashlar, Dorothy said, “Look at me today.”

The nostalgic music that spilled from a DJ’s speakers would likely have been on the radio during the previous decades when, like the cars, Frank Sinatra, Frankie Avalon, Ray Charles, The Chiffons, and Jerry Lee Lewis, captured attention. Enjoying the show with his wife, Mr Pancoast said, “I have been an old car buff for years.”

Family members and car owners were not the only attendees to participate in the afternoon show at Ashlar. Other frequent visitors to the senior living facility included Abby and Spencer. Abby, a greyhound representing the local greyhound adoption organization, Greyhound Rescue and Rehabilitation, and Spencer, a golden retriever, both visit Ashlar regularly. Abby’s owner John Manley said that visits with the shorthaired, sleek dog helps patients through their rehabilitation. Spencer visits the facility with his owner Carol Elstein, who comes to the Toddy Hill Road location to see her father, Louis Porrata.

Ms Elstein said, “Spencer spends time here and gives my children a chance to volunteer and for people to enjoy a friendly animal. He’s a lovable, giant puppy.”

Among the cars on display was a model that reminded Mr Porrata of a car he once owned. He pointed toward one with a rumble seat, a fold-down seat at the back of an older vehicle, that he said reminded him of a 1934 Ford that he owned.

Decorating the curved hoods or broad door panels were ornaments that reflected each viewer’s gaze as one person or another leaned in to see a car’s details. Adding to the assortment of shapes and colors were a pair of Dodge Chargers owned by husband and wife Alan and Lori Zelanski, who added the deep red and soft gray of the two 1960s models. Further along the row was another car that looked enticing to young Monroe resident Sarah Laskey who peered into the lost era of V-8 engines, bench seats, leaded gas, and leather and chrome interiors.

Following the car show was a reunion for physical rehabilitation patients who had spent time at Ashlar.