Another Note from Paul Buckley

Hello, readers of the Reporter. This is Paul Buckley, president of the Seekonk Lions Club.

As some of you may have seen in previous editions, we advertised our first annual classic car show at the Seekonk YMCA parking lot on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. While it wasn’t the best day for a show, the previous two scheduled dates were canceled because of rain and we were able to make it happen and wrapped it up before the first drops fell at 1 p.m.

I have to say, putting on this show was an experience for me. I had never been to a car show before, and although we barely squeaked out 30 vehicles, the cars that came were represented by proud owners who displayed the hard work they had put into these beautiful vehicles.

A few of us Lions entered our cars in the show: Len Silva with his 2022 Corvette; Keith Rondeau with his 1962 Ford Galaxie 500 Sunliner convertible; Steven Howitt with his 1982 Porsche 911SC Coupe and me with my 1997 Mustang GT convertible. The Rehoboth Lions Club brought its 1978 Lincoln Town Car, which it is raffling off (see its ad).

Having the event postponed twice was quite stressful, to say the least. Keith Rondeau and I handled the media and advertising for over a month. Keeping the word out that “the show will go on” was difficult. Planning an event around Mother Nature is a monstrous task. I think we learned a lesson from that, along with a few other things we’ll work on improving to make this event even better next year. We plan to hold it again.

The music from Bo-Dees included a fine selection of tunes, and the vendors provided much-needed drinks and food. Doorways representatives were there collecting donated nonperishable food. I would like to thank Seekonk CERT, our Community Emergency Response Team, for handling traffic. Outstanding! And, of course, a big thank-you to Kristen Carlson, the manager at the YMCA.

Now, let’s get back to the cars. There was a really cool display of vehicles, ranging from hot rods to vintage trucks. Owners came to compete for our prestigious trophies: Best in Show (pre-1960 vehicles) and Best Truck (post-1960 vehicles). I was recruited to be a judge, which was an honor, but it was outside my area of expertise. With the help of the two other experienced judges, I was able to contribute to the final decision…and it wasn’t easy.

Although all the winners deserve recognition, the Best in Show award went to local resident Don Gobin. He entered his 1958 Ford Fairlane, and it is a beautiful vehicle. His wife, Linda, also owns a 1973 Challenger, which they both enjoy taking on local cruises. They don’t attend many car shows, and Linda’s friend Cathy Blackledge, who showed her classic Mustang convertible, encouraged them to come to the Lions show.

Don said he bought the car in Wisconsin on Jan. 16, 2019, and has added a lot to it. It sports a 460 engine with two Harley four-barrel carburetors. He added a new exhaust system, with pipes running along the bottom of the vehicle, and put on new tires. The Fairlane is kept on a lift in his garage.

Don thought the car show was exceptional and was happy that he and Linda attended. He loved the high-quality trophy and was especially pleased to win, as he doesn’t usually compete in shows. Linda reminisced about hanging out at the “Pink Elephant” back in the day in Seekonk, or at Ratty’s in North Attleboro, where they used to see cars belonging to the “older crowd” like they seen at the Lions show.

Thanks again to everyone who participated. To be honest, we did such a thorough cleanup that we lost the names of some of the participants! Lions like to leave every place we use spotless—and we did that to a tee…perhaps a little too well.

So, to everyone who joined us, please come back next year and bring your friends. We’ll be sure to keep track of all the entrants in a safe, secure place!

Until next time…Paul