Cars have been a passion for Craig Olvey for as long as he can remember. The owner of Dave’s Garage in Empire can’t exactly say when his love affair with automobiles began, but it was early on. “Growing up, I always had a fascination with cars,” he says. “I lived down the street in Cincinnati from a Porsche dealer. I grew up working at a carwash.” And it appears he’s passed his passion on to his sons. Craig and his older son Caden will be participating in the Empire Hill Climb Sept. 13.
At the Empire Hill Climb on Saturday, Sept. 14, look for cars sporting the blue Thompson Racing Fabrication (TRF) logo as they zoom up Wilco Road. This is the sixth annual race in downtown Empire (it took place from 1964 until 1980 before taking a 34-year hiatus). Runs begin at 10 a.m. and conclude at 5:30 p.m.
A big drawback for business in Empire is the village’s lack of adequate wastewater treatment. Amidst the specter of a shuttered grocery swirls an impassioned, at times contentious, debate over whether the village should invest in a municipal sewer system—either to benefit the core business district or to cover the wastewater needs of most residents.
The Empire Hill Climb returns on Saturday, Sept. 15, and will include all sorts of race cars from homebuilt monsters, to vintage racers, rally cars and drift cars. Autoweek is this year’s event sponsor. Entries are full but a waiting list is available at EmpireHillClimb.com. The event is free to attend.
A hit with race car enthusiasts, the Empire Hill Climb takes place Saturday, Sept. 16, at 8 a.m. Learn more on this Facebook page.
The most popular Glen Arbor Sun story of 2014 was an investigative article in February that featured a proposed canopy air walk in Kasson Township, near Burdickville, that never materialized. Local opposition to Mark Evan’s “air walk” was nearly unanimous, and passionate. Our story attracted thousands of views, and 55 comments.
The Empire Hill Climb, which ran from 1964 until 1980 — once in the spring and once in the fall — returns to action on Sept. 20. Approximately 20 drivers have signed up, and they’ll take turns racing the curvy, half-mile route up Wilco Rd. (toward the Empire Bluffs trail parking lot) between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. A racecar expose from 9-9:45 a.m. on Front Street will precede the main event.