The Flying Yankee Seat Raffle has passed the halfway point.  We have now sold more than half of the 750 tickets being offered in this first-ever Seat Raffle.  We are grateful to everyone who has purchased tickets thus far.  This is a win-win offering.  As a Friend of the Flying Yankee, we know you care about the restoration of this historic train and want to help as much as possible.  This is an opportunity for you to support the restoration efforts while affording yourself an opportunity to win two seats, which will be yours to use four time a year and will be yours forever.  We can't do this without your support and we hope that, if you haven't purchased tickets yet, that you will.  Tickets are only $25 each and, since we're selling only 750 tickets, the odds are very good.  You sure won't get odds like that playing the lottery.  Also, we have some other wonderful prizes to go along with the seats.  Of course, you are encouraged to purchase five tickets for $100 as that's your best value (you get one FREE) and it also increases your odds of winning.  If every Friend of the Flying Yankee purchases a ticket or tickets, we will have sold all 750.   And, with the holidays just around the corner, wouldn't some Seat Raffle Tickets make a great stocking stuffer?  Second prize is a priceless, complete set of glass, hand etched Flying Yankee Dinnerware.  Third Prize is framed, signed, numbered (only 2,000 in existence) Steven Cryan print of The Flying Yankee crossing the Frankenstein Trestle in Crawford Notch.  Fourth Prize is a a set of four glass, hand etched Flying Yankee mugs.  Fifth Prize is a glass, hand etched Flying Yankee Hurricane Lantern.  Perhaps you've wanted to be a Flying Yankee seat owner, but felt you couldn't afford to purchase a seat?  Here's your chance to possibly join the ranks of Flying Yankee seat owners while helping to support the restoration project.  Tickets are only $25 each or five for $100.  They can be obtained at the final Open House of 2008 on September 27, online by  clicking here  or by calling 603-745-3974 or by sending a check or money order to The Flying Yankee Restoration Group, Inc., PO Box 145, N. Woodstock, NH 03262.  Only 750 tickets will be sold.  The winners will be announced at the April 3, 2009 Flying Yankee Celebration.  You need not be present to win.

Giving Thanks this Holiday Season

There are many things I have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.  First and foremost, I am grateful to have a supportive wife, a wonderful daughter and two beautiful and very healthy grandchildren.  I am grateful to be a part of this historic restoration project and to be able to carry forward with Bob Morrell's wishes and vision for the Flying Yankee.  I am thankful for my dedicated, hard working volunteer Board members, Dick Hamilton, Wayne Ruggles, Carl Lindblade, George Howard, Phil Bell, Stew Park, Steve Taylor, Dick Towle and Jim Welch.  I am thankful for all the help and many hours of volunteer work put forth by Patricia Taylor and Bill Goldwaithe.  I am thankful for all the fine folks at the Hobo Railroad, the Cafe Lafayette Dinner Train and the Comfort Inn.   I am thankful for having someone like Robert Caron, who donates so many incredible and historic items for our Celebration Auction.  I'm grateful for the generosity of so many businesses who generously donate items for our auction.  I am thankful to have supporters such as FairPoint Communications, Southwest Airlines, Bombardier, WHOM, WPKQ and WOKQ.  And, for people like the Goodins and the Cosgros, George Foster and Mr. & Mrs. Al Patten.  Thank you for the support of The Bristol 'S' Gauge Club, the Amherst Rail Society, the B&M Historical Society, the Mass Bay Railroad Enthusiasts, The Bedford Boomers, George Campbell, Jack Ferns, Kit Morgan and Lou Barker at the Department of Transportation and a whole lot of graditude to Executive Councilor Ray Burton, a public servant without equal.  A special thanks to former Flying Yankee President, Paul Giblin, who may have moved on, but who will never leave the project behind.  He has been a constant source of information and support.

I am extremely thankful for the many people who have purchased seats through the Naming Rights Program:  Edward and Karen Dooks, The Lincoln Zephyr Owners Club, Karen Harvey, David Williamson, Stew Park, John E. McNamara, Dave Waller, Steven Adik, David Learned, Tom Robichaud, Heather Story, Michael Greene, Natalie Smith, Gerard J. Fowler III, Miriam Morrell, Stanley Hamel, John H. Emery, Donald Albershardt, Matthew Cosgro, Nancy LeDuc, Joan Weinstein, Mark Young, Clyde Taylor, Elgie Goodwin, Francis Harrington and Terry Hall.

Mostly, I am thankful for the support of every single person who has helped in some small way, from putting a few dollars in the donation jar at train shows or Open Houses, sending in contributions, large or small, sending old photos or other historic items, purchasing Flying Yankee Retail items, purchasing seat raffle tickets, or simply providing whatever support they can offer. 

I have never been a part of something like this, something that is so  much bigger than I.  The only way this project will be completed is with the support of people around the country.  To all of you who have been helpful in any way, I thank you and hope I can count on you for your continued support as we all move forward, together, to get The Flying Yankee rolling again.

The Holiday Gift that Keeps on Giving

As you probably know, the restoration of The Flying Yankee is being accomplished almost exclusively through donations.  In order to move the project forward, your continued help and support are both needed and appreciated.  No contribution is too small and, certainly no donation is too large.  We still need to raise more than $3 million to complete our mission.  What better gift this holiday season than to purchase a pair of seats for the Flying Yankee lovers in your family?   Maybe your parents or grandparents, or even your children, would love to know that they own a seat or two on this historic train and that they will be theirs forever.  And, they will also have the pleasure of knowing that this gift has tremendous meaning, that it will help restore The Flying Yankee and help it with its mission of Economic Development and Education.   Only a dozen seats remain in the $4,500 section while a good selection of seats still remain in the $7,500, $12,500 and $25,000 sections.  We can't do it without you.  Please check our our Naming Rights program.  Purchase a seat or two and keep them forever and hand them down to your children and grandchildren.  You can be a part of the legacy we hope to leave behind or can provide a gift to someone you love that will last a lot longer than most any other gift you can buy at the store..  To find out more about our Naming Rights Program, please click here.  We also have several other ways you can contribute to the effort on our home page.   If you can't purchase a seat at this time, perhaps you can purchase raffle tickets and/or make plans to attend our Fourth Annual Celebration on April 3, 2009.   With the end of the year just around the corner, now is the time to make your tax plans and it is a perfect time to make a tax deductible donation to the Flying Yankee.  A special thank you to everyone who has already purchased a seat, made a donation, purchased a raffle ticket, or attended our Annual Celebration.

Flying Yankee Receives Tax Credits from NHCDFA

The Flying Yankee is pleased to announce that it has been awarded tax credits in the amount of $150,000 from the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority.  The Flying Yankee can sell those tax credits to eligible New Hampshire businesses.  Any participating business can make a donation to the restoration project and receive 75 percent of the contribution back in the form of rebates on state taxes, including the Business Profits Tax and Business Enterprise Tax.  In addition, the entire amount of the donation can be used as a charitable tax deduction.  This is indeed welcome news for The Flying Yankee.  In fact, the Board of the CDFA was said to be quite impressed with the project and its mission and really showed its support by granting these credits to a project that is totally different than anything they have supportged in the past.  However, said funds will not be available until fiscal year 2010, so we continue to seek your help in the form of contributions and Name Rights purchases.  We are grateful that the NHCDFA found our project to be worthy of these tax credits as it was a very competitive program.

See The Flying Yankee on Chronicle

The Flying Yankee was featured on Chronicle last year on WCVB, Channel 5, in Boston. You can view this segment, by clicking here.  Our homepage also still has links to the latest feature stories from the Laconia Evening Citizen and N.H. Troubadour.  And, better still, WCVB, Channel 5, will be rebroadcasting the feature in its entirety on December 24.  Be sure to see it then.

Trains Galore through Christmas at Hobo

Plenty of fun can still be  had at the Hobo Railroad.    This is a great time for family fun as the Santa Express rolls down the track 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Nov. 28 and 29 and at 1 p.m. on Dec. 6, 7, 13 & 14.  Santa is on board the train to visit each family and has a gift for each child. The price is just $15 per person with ages two and under free. Cookies and hot chocolate included in the fare. Reservations are accepted ONLY for groups of 10 or more For Further Information call (603)745-2135 or visit www.santatrains.com
  Winter is also the time for the ever popular Polar Express.  This experience includes a wonderful evening train ride, a sea of elves, and of course, Santa himself! This adventure is our rendition of the children's book, The Polar Express©, written by Chris Van Allsburg and published by the Houghton Mifflin Company.Lincoln, in the north country of New Hampshire.

The train is full of children and adults, dressed in their pajamas, about to live the experience of the little boy in The Polar Express©, written by Chris Van Allsburg and published by the Houghton Mifflin Company.

The story focuses on a little boy who has been told by his friends that there is no Santa Claus. Unwilling to believe this, he lies awake in his bed on Christmas Eve, waiting for the sound of Santa's sleigh.   Instead, he hears the hissing steam and squeaking metal of the Polar Express as it stops outside his window, ready to take him and other children to the North Pole.

The Polar Express Event is one of the major fundraisers for the "Believe in Books" Literacy Foundation. This event is greatly enhanced and brought to life with the collective efforts of many volunteers, all dressed in appropriate outfits, along with an extremely dedicated staff.

Traction Motors Next Step in the Restoration

The next planned step in the restoration of The Flying Yankee is the completion of the GE-721 Traction motors.  These original motors will be used in the restored train and have already been inspected and it was determined that these traction motors should be used in the retored Flying Yankee.   One of the two traction motors has already been completed and the other needs some work and that work will be done in the shops at the Hobo Railroad over the course of the upcoming winter.  We'll keep you updated on the progress.

Mark your Calendar for these Great Events

Fourth Annual Celebration

We have a couple of wonderful events coming up that you should make plans to attend, so get out your calendar and mark these down.  The first is a tried, but true event, the Fourth Annual Flying Yankee Celebration (formerly known as the Gala), which will be held this year on a Friday night, April 3, at the Executive Court in Manchester, NH.  This is a wonderful event and we hope you'll be able to attend and help us celebrate the 74th anniversary of The Flying Yankee.  This is a great time to get out for an evening with your significant other while knowing you are also helping to advance the cause of the restoration of this glorious and historic piece of Americana.  We are still working on details and should have tickets available at the first of the year.  The event will consist of a cocktail hour, a fabulous dinner and dessert.  We will have our huge and always popular silent auction and the evening will end with our live auction.  In between, we plan to offer live music and dancing.  A special rate at the adjacent Best Western, a beautiful and nearly brand new hotel, will also be available for attendees.  We are very pleased to annouce that Southwest Airlines is back as the Presenting Sponsor and FairPoint Communications is returning as our Platinum Sponsor and we are grateful for their support.  Tickets for the Fourth Annual Celebration will be available very soon.  We hope to see you at our Celebration this year.

White Mountain Railfest Weekend

The other event being worked on as we speak is the First Annual White Mountain Railfest Weekend, presented by The Flying Yankee and sponsored by Railfan and Railroad Magazine and brought to you in association with The Hobo Railroad, Clark's Trading Post and the White Mountain Central Railroad, the Cafe Lafayette Dinner Train, Comfort Inn & Suites and the Lincoln-Woodstock Chamber of Commerce.  This event is scheduled for June 12-14, 2009.  You will have the opportunity to enjoy special photo shoots, ride the Hobo Railroad all the way to the historic Ashland Station, ride the White Mountain Central Railroad steam eninge, visit Clark's Trading Post and see countless restored steam engines and many other pieces of rail history.  The Comfort Inn and Suites, the official lodging property of The Flying Yankee, will have special room rates available for that weekend and the Chamber will have many other lodging options available.  This promises to be a huge and very popular event and we'll be sure to provide  more details and they become available.  Again, tickets should be available around the first of the year. 

Come see us at the Amherst Railway Society Show in Springfield

The Flying Yankee will once again be participating in the Annual Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Showy at the Eastern States Exposition Ground (better known as the Big E) in Springfield, January 24 and 25, 2009.  We expect to once again be located right next to the Hobo Railroad exhibit in the Better Living Center, the largest of the four buildings that are filled to the brim during this show.  This is the largest train show in the northeast and I hope I'll get to see a good number of you in Springfield in January.

Donations that Make Dollars and Sense

Stock Transfers

The Flying Yankee Restoration Group is set-up to accept stock transfers for anyone wishing to contribute to the restoration in that manner.  Just call the office at 603-745-3974 and we will provide you with all the information you need.   Giving long-term appreciated stock offers you a two-fold saving.  First, you avoid paying any capital gains tax on the increase in the value of your stock.  In addition, you receive a tax deduction for the full fair market value of the stock on the date of the gift.  For income tax purposes, the value of such gifts may be deducted up to 30% of adjust gross income, with an additional five-year carry forward.  Example:  If you purchased stock many years ago for $1,000 and it is now worth $10,000, an outright gift of that stock would result in a charitable deduction of $10,000.  In addition, you permanently avoid paying capital gains tax on the $9,000 of appreciation. 

Bequests

While you are considering your 2008 income tax savings, this may also be a good time to consider long-term tax savings.  The federal estate tax can still take approximately 50% of your estate at the time of death.  That is a higher tax bite than the income tax!  It definitely pays to do some advance planning with your attorney and other professional advisors.  We hope you will consider a charitable bequest in your will - to benefit us while you save estate tax dollars at the same time.  We can also help you by putting you in touch with attorneys and tax specialists if you are considering such a bequest.

IRA Donations

Owners of IRAs who are at least 70 1/2 can donate up to $100,000 a year from their retirement accounts and the firts count toward the owner's required minimum distribution (RMD).  You get no deduction, but you do get a tax break because the money is not included in your taxable income as it would be if you withdrew funds for yourself.  Again, see your IRA administrator or tax attorney.

Other Donations

You can also give gifts of real estate.  This can be especially tax-advantageous.  The property may have appreciated in value over the years so that its sale would restuls in a sizeable capital gains tax.  If given to us instead, you would avoid this tax and, at the same time, realize a charitable deduction for the full fair market value of the real estate.  You can also give a life insurance policty that is no longer needed.  You can take the charitable deduction equal to the cash value at the time of the gift and, if annual premiums are still to be made and you cotinue to pay them, those premiums will become tax deductible each year. 

It is time to start thinking about your end-of-the-year tax strategy and, if you would like to make a donation to The Flying Yankee Restoration a part of your planning, please give us a call at 603-745-3974.

                                A Proud Supporter of The Flying Yankee