BEND
PRESIDENTSMESSAGE
Fred Nielsen President, High Desert Region PCA
president@highdesertpca.org
Driving events are one of the Club's most popular activities and usually are held between May or June and October Last year the Club offered drives for all Porsche vehicles, old Classic Cars and SUVs The first drive this year will be held on June 7 for all Porsche vehicles followed by a Classic Car drive on June 18 SUVs are encouraged to join the all Porsche drives
On April 19, Mark Taylor and other Club volunteers are offering a Driver Orientation Program This was originally designed as an orientation for new members so they know what to expect from and are prepared for formal Club drives. After discussion of the subject, we feel other Club members will also benefit from this program so we are opening the session to any Club member. The program will begin with a discussion and review of the Club's "rules of the road," followed by a drive and lunch at Brasada Ranch. If you are an experienced drive leader who is interested in helping with the event, please contact Mark Taylor.
On another matter, Stu and I attended a Zone 6 Presidents' Meeting on March 22. The following are important bullet points on items that were brought out during that meeting:
o Our Zone 6 has a new region. The Inland Empire Region which covered Eastern Washington was divided into two regions with the new 149th Region, Greater Columbia Region.
o -- PCA continues to grow and is financially healthy. On September 13, PCA celebrates its 70th birthday with an event at National Headquarters. Regions are encouraged to also hold an event that day
o -- PCA Project 964 is a Porsche 964 which was donated to the Club by a member, reconditioned, and is for sale on Bring a Trailer with proceeds going to PCA
o -- PCA has prepared a video celebrating the 70th anniversary providing the history of the last 70 years with the Club Richard Strahota, PCA National Treasurer, who attended our meeting stated that this is an excellent video and all members will enjoy it
o Discussion on how to reach out to and interest members who own 4-door cars in PCA activities.
o Participation in other Regions' events was encouraged and Audrey's Tri-Region Oregon Event was used as a positive example.
Fred Nielsen driving his 356
Fred Nielsen, President
Stu Malakoff, Vice-President
Jay Seeley , Treasurer
Trish Calderon, Secretary
Directors (Board Members)
Mark Taylor, Membership
Lisa Sarmiento, Safety and Insurance
Mike Simmons, Car Center, Moving Arrive and Drives, Track Events, Autocross
Greg Domantay, Car Center, Non-Moving Cars ‘n Coffee, Tech Sessions, Car Shows
Hack Heyward, Media Outreach
Audrey Moore, Tours
Sandy Wadsworth, Social Events
Volunteer Leadership
Ralph Anzellotti, downshift Editor-In-Chief
Linda Anzellotti, Event Calendar Maestro
Randy Lervold, Forums Manager
Laura Clark, Webmaster
Jeanine Faria, Financial Support
High Desert Region PCA Post Office Box 113 Bend, Oregon. 97709
HDR-PCA Established April 2000
www.highdesertpca.org
president@highdesertpca.org
As HDRPCA celebrates our 25th anniversary as a Region we should look north of us to the birth of a brand new PCA Region, Greater Columbia Region. This new region shares our northern border at the Columbia River. Just like us twenty five years ago, this new Region was chartered for many of the same reasons. I hope HDR can schedule a drive this summer where we can connect with our new neighbors (noted in light green in map below).
Published First of every month
Article Deadline 5th of each month
HDR-PCA Email Contacts
president@highdesertpca.org (Fred Nielsen) membership@highdesertpca.org (Mark Taylor) safety@highdesertpca.org (Lisa Sarmiento) socialevents@highdesertpca.org (Sandy Wadsworth) tours@highdesertpca.org (Audrey Moore) carevents@highdesertpca.org (Mike Simmons & Greg Domantay) advertising@highdesertpca.org (Ralph Anzellotti) webmaster@highdesertpca.org (Laura Clark and Hack Heyward) forums@highdesertpca.org (Randy Lervold) complaints@blackhole.com (Peaches Bachagaloopystein)
Introducing New HDR Leadership 2025
I attended U of O and graduated from Oregon State with a degree in Finance. After working in banking and investments, I spent the rest of my career as CFO for a company in Portland. I’m looking forward to serving in the Treasurer role and working with Jeanine and the Board to maintain the club’s strong finances
My wife and I retired in 2018 and moved to Arizona, where I bought my Polo Red 1969 912 and joined the Arizona Region club, transferring up here in 2023. We recently bought a house in Bend and now live full-time in central Oregon. We love the area, and it’s great to be closer to our kids and grandkids who live in the Portland area.
Sandy Wadsworth has recently taken on the role of Social Activities Chair for the HDRPCA. She and her husband, Val, moved from the East coast to Bend in 2022 and shortly afterward joined the HDRPCA. Having bought their first (and only) Porsche in 2018 - a 2012 911 Cabriolet - Sandy and Val were very excited about the local Porsche culture in Central Oregon and the very active local club.
Sandy, a Virginia native, went into the Navy right out of high school and stayed for a 20-year career. Her active duty took her to Japan, Guam, Pensacola, Florida (where she and Val met and married), Iceland, Spain, and finally Washington DC.
Now fully retired, Sandy enjoys kayaking and hiking in the summer - and of course driving her Porsche with the top down, always - and took up snowshoeing this winter.
Sandy is looking forward to her role in arranging fun social activities that keep the HDRPCA membership engaged and enjoying each other's company.
Jay Seeley , HDR Treasurer
Sandy Wadsworth, Social Events
HDR Meet and Greet Social
Blacksteer Steakhouse and Saloon, 63455 N. Hwy 97, Bend, OR
(by Cascade Village Shopping Center)
Date: Wednesday, April 16th, 2025
Time: 5:30-8:00 pm
Order off the menu.
Register on Club Express so we can give the restaurant an approximate headcount.
COWBOYS AND INDIANS TOUR
Thursday, May 15 - Sunday, May 18
Go back in history where the "Cowboys" and the "Indians" ruled the land. Oregon's iconic town of Pendleton is the home of famous Cowboys and Indians that we will get to know through our tour of the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame, the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, and an "Underground Tour" that is a "Place where culture is kept, history is told, and legends live on".
We will dine at local favorite restaurants including: Hamley Steakhouse and Saloon (Est. 1883), Prodigal Son Brewery and Pub, not to mention, a visit to the Wildhorse Resort and Casino! Our lodging, The Oxford Suites, is centrally located with 25 rooms reserved for our group (HDRPCA).
Go to https://www.oxfordcollection.com/hotels/suitespendleton/pendleton-hotel-rooms to view the rooms choices. Then make your lodging reservations direct by going to: https://reservations.travelclick.com/106565?groupID=4591042. Learn more about this tour and register by going to theCowboys and Indians Tour Page.
COWBOY DINNER TREE
May 31st
Join fellow HDRPCA club members on the yearly sojourn to the Cowboy Dinner Tree in Silver Lake, Oregon. The trip this year includes an added bonus of the option for lodging too. Participate in the drive and dinner OR the drive and dinner followed by an overnight stay. Either option will require a cooler for your leftovers.
This restaurant serves up enormous western-style dinners of either a 30oz. steak or a whole roasted chicken and all the fixings. Each dinner includes a hearty soup with homemade rolls, salad, a baked potato, dessert and drinks (coffee, tea, lemonade). Read more about this event and sign-up for dinner today on The Cowboy Dinner Tree Event Page.
VOLK und PORSCHES
HDRPCA Member Profile
Submitted by Val Wadsworth
Val Wadsworth has been a car guy since the age of eight when he helped his uncle rebuild the engine for his dad’s truck. Sandy came into the car culture in the early 90’s when their Navy careers allowed them to return from six and a half years overseas to the U.S. and a more settled life. D O W N S H I F T F E A T U R E D A R T I C
The purchase of a 1966 Mustang GT Fastback in 1993 was their entry to the National Capitol Region Mustang Club, an organization which Val eventually became President of. Val’s 50th birthday prompted the purchase of a Superformance Cobra replica, a car he had dreamed of since the age of 16. So, they joined another car club, the Capitol Area Cobra Club. Being members of both the Mustang and Cobra Clubs introduced them to a group of like-minded people, many of whom became lifelong friends.
Living in the DC suburbs wasn’t the life Val and Sandy had dreamed of, but Sandy’s parents were nearby in the Shenandoah Valley, so they decided to remain in the area after retiring from the Navy. Sandy worked as a defense contractor and Val had a small business restoring and repairing classic Mustangs and Cobras.
It was during this time that thoughts of a future retirement destination took root. Val had an uncle in Bend who he visited occasionally, and on a visit in 2010 he noticed that houses in that previously unaffordable town were now half price. It took a couple of years, but they were able to buy a house as a placeholder until they were free to move west.
In 2018 Sandy was approaching a milestone birthday and thought she might like to have a toy car of her own. Val suggested a Shelby Mustang convertible, but Sandy wasn’t especially interested. She eventually saw something that caught her eye, a Porsche 911 convertible. This sent Val into research mode, after all, he had never had any interest in, and therefore, no knowledge of Porsche 911s.
After some consideration of features, potential problems and price, he narrowed down the search to late 997s and found a Porsche specialist dealer in northern Virginia that had the perfect car on the lot. While enroute to their appointment to view that car, they received a call that the car had just sold, but they were welcome to come check out the other cars in the inventory. Having already committed an hour of driving time on the DC beltway, they decided to continue on and see what was on offer. After taking a quick look at the black beauty that had just been sold out from under them, they noticed a beautiful grey cabriolet next to it. The grey car was $20K more, but they took it for a test drive anyway. It was thrilling to drive, especially for someone who had never driven a Porsche before. But was it worth the extra money?
When they returned home Val jumped into researching why a 2012 911 was worth so much more than a 2010 911. He was soon bogged down in the intricacies of Porsche 911 evolution and after much consideration, or as Sandy would say, “analysis paralysis,” decided that the 991 series upgrades did justify the price.
Over time, Val and Sandy have come to appreciate that their car, like many Porsches, is quite unique. The original owner spec’d a base model Agate Grey Metallic Cabriolet but then added lots of options you wouldn’t expect on a base model. Two options in particular stand out, the Sport Chrono Package and Tubi aftermarket exhaust system.
Those, combined with the deletion of the model designation from the rear makes one think it could be an S model. Other options include the Premium Package Plus with 14-way heated and ventilated seats, PDK transmission, Bose Audio Package with Sirius XM and 6 disc CD changer, and front and rear parking sensors.
Val has recently added a sport steering wheel, Apple CarPlay and a backup camera to make the car even more enjoyable.
When the time came to actually move to Bend and into the house they had purchased as a placeholder, which only had a two-car garage, Val and Sandy had to decide on which of their three toy cars to keep In the end, the Cobra and Mustang were sold and the 911 was the only one to make the trip west.
Upon arriving in Bend, they were thrilled to find a thriving Porsche Club and joined immediately. Since then, they have been enthusiastically participating in club activities, particularly the driving events and multi-day road trips. Not only have they made new friends, but the car club connection has made it much easier to integrate into a new community.
The three of them – Val, Sandy, and their Porsche “Lula” – all feel very much at home. Oh, and they now have a house with a three-car garage.
Would you like downshift to feature your Porsche? Please contact me. ralph@teleport.com
“It’s not just the cars…….it’s the people”
Ken Moore
The January 7, 2025 fires which struck Los Angeles resulted in massive economic and human losses. Economic losses are estimated to reach up to $164 billion*. More tragically, 29 fire-related deaths have been verified.
An estimated 11,500 homes were lost in the six fires. That means at least 11,500 families have been displaced, losing everything from clothes to furniture to cars.
While these fires were 950 miles south of us here in bucolic Bend, the differences are small enough to be sobering. Pacific Palisades and Altadena, like Bend, is in the wildland urban interface (WUI). WUIs are known for extreme wildfire risk. Awbrey Butte, Sunriver, Tumalo, and Sisters are all in the WUI.
As fire ecologist George Wuerthner points out in his must-read Wildfire: A Century of Failed Forest Policy, the WUI is not only a dangerous place to live but also nearly indefensible against a wildfire. The only thing separating us from Los Angeles is that we have yet to have a tragic fire on the scale they experienced.
While Porschephiles like us mourn the loss of even a single 911, we must remember it is just a car and easily replaceable. This is why we have insurance. Losing a loved one, a home, and a way of life is not so easily replaced.
*UCLA Anderson School of Management Forecast estimate.
PCA will celebrate its 70th Anniversary on September 13, 2025
Besides great German food there was a big selection of Bier.
Prost German food was authentic, service was excellent. They no longer take German marks as payment.
Prost was a successful event and we will be back again to enjoy German food and Bier.
Our “club” was named COPE for nine months until we were granted a charter on April 29, 2000
This is our first newsletter after receiving our charter as the High Desert Region on April 29, 2000
HDRPCA TECH SESSION-
To preserve the beauty and value of your automobile, proper care is essential. Whether you are a Concours competitor or simply a proud Porsche owner, this seminar was well Attended.
We discovered easy techniques to maintain the exterior of our Porsches old or new, and learned about the advancements in carcare product technology. Achieving an incredible show-level shine has never been quicker or simpler.
Mike Simmons demonstrated on Fred Nielsen's 1959 356 paint correction and other methods he uses to maintain his cars. Eric Dinkel of Paintless Dent Repair demonstrated the art of removing dents and dings.
Porsche AG IPO vs 911
Ken Moore
Turn back your calendars to September 2022 You just inherited $250,000 from your long-lost Uncle Ludwig, who was a big Porsche fan To honor him, and his generosity, you want to do something constructive, and Porsche related with your newfound wealth. Do you invest the funds in the upcoming Porsche AG IPO, or do you buy that dream car you have your eyes on?
Your razor-sharp financial advisor says to buy the stock, while your beer drinking golf buddies say buy the car? Who is right?
On September 29, 2022, Porsche AG had an IPO, raising $10 billion* and valuing the company at over $75 billion. Shares were offered to the public at $90 apiece. This is all pretty straight forward until you look at the ownership structure of Porsche. Porsche SE, controlled by the Porsche and Piech families (both descendants of Ferdinand Porsche), owns 31% of parent corporation Volkswagen and a majority of the VW voting rights. Thus, the Porsche family controls VW which controls Porsche AG. VW has several brands in addition to VW including Skoda, Lamborghini, Ducati, Audi, Porsche, and Bentley Porsche represented just 3 5% of VW’s 2022 deliverables, 12% of its revenues, but accounted for 26% of VW’s profits Porsche is, without a doubt, the crown jewel of VW
This is a simplification of the ownership structure which is more nuanced and complex. Let’s just say the Porsche and Piech families have a sweet deal. Of course, this should be no surprise as this is the same firm that masterminded the confounding PCM system.
So, back to the original question. Do you listen to your razor-sharp financial advisor or your beer drinking golf buddies?
If you heeded the former, you would have bought Porsche AG shares for $90 in September 2022, creating a holding of about 2,778 shares. (The Porsche AG ticker symbol on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange is P911. Cute, huh?)
The Porsche AG shares would have paid you a nice 4.32% dividend, or about $10,800 annually. Federal and state taxes would eat up about half of that, leaving you with a still respectable $5,400 annually. Over two and a half years that totals $13,500 in income.
Today, based on the recent $53.50 market price of Porsche AG, your 2,778 shares would be worth $148,623, a far cry from your original $250,000 investment. Add back in the nice $13,500 in dividends you netted, and it totals $162,123. A not to be trifled with a net loss of $87,877.
Why the decline? Porsche has experienced supply chain disruptions (Ukraine), slumping Asian sales, poorly timed investment in EVs, and a comprehensive model refresh. This led to a compression of margins from over 20% to 14% and a drop in earnings of 23%. As a result, the firm is reducing head count by 3,900. Not a pretty picture.
If instead you heeded your beer drinking golf buddies, you would have been the proud owner of a nicely optioned Porsche 911 Turbo S, assuming the dreaded ADM was reasonable.
The Turbo S does not pay a dividend. In fact, the Turbo S is a money pit. Oil changes, service, tires, and insurance are just the obvious costs of ownership. What 911 owner didn’t dabble in upgrades? So for simplicity lets say the cost of ownership for two and a half years is $13,500.
What is that nicely optioned Turbo S worth today? Based on the most recent consummated sale on Bring a Trailer, the car is worth about $232,000 Subtract the approximate cost of ownership of $13,500, and you will net about $218,500. Your cost of owning a Turbo S for two and half years is $31,500.
So, would you rather lose $87,777 or lose $31,500? Clearly, buying the car is a much better use of Uncle Ludwig’s generosity than buying shares of Porsche AG. And this does not account for the pride of ownership and the thrill of driving the Turbo S, both of which are priceless.
The underperformance of Porsche AG shares is not to discount the quality of the enterprise. The world is full of lousy companies which provide wonderful products. Sirius XM and Mount Bachelor are two which readily come to mind.
Life is short, take my advice and buy the Porsche (the 911, not the stock)!
*All dollar amounts are based on approximate euro to dollar conversions at the time of writing
o r s c h e I n T h e Y e a r 2 0 0 0
SkidCar Training
Deschutes County SkidCar Training is an all-weather driver enhancement program taught with the aid of the SKIDCAR System. The SKIDCARframework attaches to the suspension of a vehicle to allow the front and rear tires to be lifted or lowered independently with a controller. The system allows drivers to experience the inclement driving conditions that cause a vehicle to lose traction in a safe and controlled learning environment. The course costs $100.00 and is available through Deschutes County Risk Management and sponsored by the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners.
Training includes one hour of classroom instruction followed by three hours of hands-on driving in the vehicle. The instructor will cover various techniques, including proper eye placement, acceleration, braking, steering, weight and energy management, as well as proper tire decisions and maintenance. Participants will learn the proper use of anti-lock braking systems and understand the differences between rear wheel drive, front wheel drive and four wheel drive systems, as well as Electronic Stability Control and Electronic Traction Control in modern vehicles. Participants will also learn about skid prevention, control and recovery.
https://www.deschutes.org/administration/page/skidcar-training carevents@highdesertpca.org (Mike Simmons)
CARS AND COFFEE
Cars & Coffee at Porsche Bend, 3rd Sunday of each every month, 10 AM - Noon
Join us every 3rd Sunday of the month as we gather and bring our Porsche community together for a cup of coffee and a shared enthusiasm for our cars.
We provide the Coffee, you bring your own mug or cup. Please wear your name tag
HDR-PCA MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
Mark Taylor, Membership membership@highdesertpca.org
Johnny Becklund Bend, Oregon
2025 911 Carrera
Mike Gecox Bend, Oregon
2024 718 Cayman GTS 4.0
Bruce & Tara Barton Redmond, Oregon
2005 Boxster S
Jim & Karen Parlette (transfer from Diablo Region)
Powell Butte, Oregon
2009 911 Carrera 4S
Troy McCabe (Test Drive Subscriber) Sisters, Oregon
PCA ANNIVERSARIES
Tenure Congratulations! We are very grateful to these members for their membership tenure anniversaries with PCA, not just with the High Desert Region
April PCA Anniversaries:
Michael & Kathy Timmerman: 29 years
Erik & Kim Norby: 22 years
Reza Sara: 19 years
John Gannon & Yvonne Hunt: 15 years
Mark Maffett & Kathryn Sentena: 15 years
David & Deanna Luman: 12 years
Craig & Kelly Todd: 10 years
William & Donna Kopacz: 9 years
Fred & Adriana Cronin: 8 years
Dean Angiola: 7 years
Patrick & Nicholas Feller: 7 years
Chuck & Kimberly McDonald: 7 years
Carolyn Houghton: 6 years
York Schueller & Karen Curtis: 5 years
Kelly & Julie Lang: 3 years
Peter & Stacie Barnes: 2 years
Michael Dillard: 2 years
Janice Hale: 2 years
Robert Jasper: 2 years
Robert Newby: 2 years
Greg Collins: 1 year
Victor Foster: 1 year
356 muffler main bearing. Other than a weird sound, smoke, and vibration , it works fine.
Contact Fred Nielsen
downshift features FREE HIGHLY CLASSIFIED ads for our club members. Private ads for Porsche related items such as cars, tires, wheels, accessories, or parts. You can place a free ad with a photo and up to 40 words.
Ralph@teleport.com
WANT TO BUY
I’m looking for someone in our area or even someone they know who is interested in selling their 911. Looking for a coupe. Not a concourse level car but a healthy drivers car with no major engine or transmission issues. Would consider late 70s or 80s 911S or 911SC with Black, White or Silver exterior with black interior. 541-410-0405
Andrew
W Engel
Porsche Panorama History
Each month we will look back at the history of Porsche Panorama Magazine and feature an issue. These historical issues are all on line for all PCA members.
This is the front cover of Panorama Magazine in April 2000, the same month HDR was granted a charter for a new Region
