Published: September 28, 2007 10:03 pm         

Vehicles, visitors welcome in Newport

Town preps for 40th annual Hill Climb

NEWPORT, Ind. — For most of the year, Newport is a quiet community of 600 residents.

Come the first weekend of October each year it is not only beaming with pride, but it is bustling with 100,000 visitors for the Newport Antique Auto Hill Climb.

The 40th annual Hill Climb gets under way Sunday night with the queen pageant and then resumes Oct. 5-7 with a street fair, parade and competition of cars.

“We have more than 250 cars competing and 400 show cars,” said Dave Bedwell, secretary of the Lions Club, sponsors of the annual event.

While many cars will be on display, others will try their luck at climbing the famed Newport hill that was used by car manufacturers in the early 1900s to test cars.

“This is the only event of its kind in the United States,” said Ed Conrad, another Lions Club member. “If you like old cars, this is the place. You will see more variety of cars here.”

Bedwell, Conrad and others are manning the phones at the Newport Lions Club office as they register car owners and flea market vendors.

“Everything is about the same as in the past,” Bedwell said.

This year the Lions will raffle off a 1947 Nash during the hill climb.

The parade on Oct. 6 is one of the biggest in the area, featuring bands, floats and other entries. The Illiana Antique Auto Club of the Danville area will have several cars in the area.

A dog show and gospel sing is set for Oct. 5, while a pretty baby contest is on tap Oct. 6.

More than 350 flea market and food vendors will surround the courthouse square for the three-day event.

This is the 40th annual Hill Climb, which originated with some pressure from the Terre Haute Auto Club, Conrad said.

“Tony Hulman (former owner of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race Track) was a part of it,” Conrad said. “The fire department had it a couple years and then Lions Club took over.”

The fire department handles the parking and traffic control from Indiana Route 63.

“We are busy, but we will be ready,” Conrad said.

14 seek queen title

Fourteen young women will seek the title of queen of the Hill Climb. The winner will be crowned during the pageant at 7 p.m. EDT Sunday at the Newport/Vermillion County Library.

-- Sierra Cooper, 19, daughter of Stephen and Sallie Cooper of Clinton, a 2007 graduate of South Vermillion High School.

-- Kylie Eldridge, 19, daughter of Mark and Karen Eldridge of Rockville, a freshman at Ivy Tech State College.

-- Alyssa Hanner, 16, daughter of Billie Jo Thomas of Rockville, a junior at Rockville High School.

-- Jessica Hastings, 20, daughter of Laura and Mark Hastings of Dana and the late Jim Hastings Jr., a junior at Ivy Tech State College.

-- Casey Hobbs, 17, daughter of Gary and Roberta Hobbs of rural Marshall, a senior at Turkey Run High School.

-- Elise Hobbs, 18, daughter of Dennis and Pam Hobbs of rural Marshall, a senior at Turkey Run High School.

-- Amanda LeClaire, 16, daughter of Brian and Janelle LeClaire of Newport, a junior at North Ver-million High School.

-- Cortney Leonard, 19, daughter of Mitch and Wendy Leonard of Rockville, a sophomore at Indiana State University.

-- Tiffany Marshall, 16, daughter of Chuck and Emily Marshall of rural Kingman, a sophomore at Turkey Run High School.

-- Taylor Mellay, 18, daughter of Carol Mellay of Rockville, a senior at Rockville High School.

-- Heather Morman, 16, daughter of Lorrie Davis and John Davis of Clinton, a sophomore at South Vermillion High School.

-- Elise VanSant, 17, daughter of Kevin and Tonya VanSant of Cayuga, a senior at North Vermillion High School.

-- Hayley Wolf, 16, daughter of Terri and James Wolf of Attica, a junior at Attica High School.

-- Courtni Wright, 18, daughter of Melissa Doughty of Clinton, a 2007 graduate of South Vermillion High School.

HILL CLIMB EVENTS

-- SUNDAY

7 p.m. EDT: Queen pageant, Newport/Vermillion County Library.

-- FRIDAY

6 p.m.: Street fair and flea market; dog show.

7 p.m.: Gospel music jamboree.

-- OCT. 6

All day: Flea market and food booths.

8 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Hill Climb registration.

8 a.m. to noon: Show car registration.

8 a.m. to noon and 1-4:30 p.m.: Hill Climb practice runs.

9 a.m. to noon: Pretty baby contest registration.

Noon: Big Wheel race for ages 3-8; collector car auction.

2 p.m.: Pretty baby contest.

5 p.m.: Parade.

7 p.m.: Cruise-In and street dance.

Dusk: Fireworks.

-- OCT. 7

All day: Flea market and food booths.

8-10 a.m.: Registration of competition cars and show cars; practice runs.

11 a.m.: Hill Climb competition.