A Truly Steamy Program
Ben Sargent
March 31, 2016
Introduced by Lion Anne Rodgers
Ben Sargent, perhaps best known as the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist for the Austin American-Statesman, will be addressing our Lions Club this week about another of his passions — steam trains: more specifically the Hill Country Flyer.
Ben is a founding director of the Austin Steam Train Association Inc., which was chartered in 1989 and operates the Hill Country Flyer. He has served as board secretary and chairman of the board, and is qualified as a steam-locomotive fireman, brakeman and conductor.
Ben retired from the Statesman in 2009 after winning numerous cartooning awards, including the Pulitzer in 1982, the Mencken Award in 1988, and Cox Newspapers’ “Best of Cox” award for editorial cartooning in 1996, 1999 and 2008. In addition, he was cited by the Austin Chronicle as “Best Reason to Read the Statesman” in 2008.
Ben will talk about how the Steam Train Association paired a static display of a steam engine with railroad tracks the city owned and turned it into the highly successful excursion operation known today as the Hill Country Flyer.
Featured Lunch Menu:
Lasagna
Salad
Garlic Bread
Strawberry Shortcake
Ice Tea & Coffee
Please register by 5 p.m. on Tuesday
We order meals based on your reservations and must pay for them even if you do not show up. Please keep this in mind if your plans shift and cancel your reservation so we can adjust the headcount.