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Harley Owners Group Chapter 3811 August 2015
Dave and Amber on the ABC’s of Touring ride on 5/3 5/17 ride to Minute Man National Historical Park
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Meeting Info & Spotlight
2. Officers & Road Captains
3. Director’s Message
4. Secretary’s Message
5. Assistant Director’s Message
6. Road Captain Report
7. From the Editor
8. Historian’s Article
9. Ladies of Harley
10. Yankee Run Stop
11. Sheldon's Corner
12. Tail Pipes
CHAPTER MEETING INFORMATION
Worcester HOG Chapter meetings are held on the
FIRST Thursday of the month at 7:30 pm
at Halligan’s Lounge, directly across the street from
Sheldon’s Harley-Davidson in Auburn MA.
Come early and socialize! Typical agenda includes
Secretary, Treasurer, and Safety Officer reports, door
prizes, 50-50 drawing, information on upcoming events,
rides, get-togethers, guest speakers, and new member
acknowledgments. Please join us and see why we have
such a great following and so much fun!
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Worcester H.O.G. Officers Director: Chet McDonald
Assistant Director: Arthur Pond
Treasurer: Scott Johnson, Sr.
Secretary: Paulette McDonald
LOH Officer: Tammy Lee
Head Road Captain: Roy Mikkelsen
Editor: Andy Foster
Safety Officer: Mike Parker
Membership Officer: Mark Zibel
Event Coordinator: Dave Eaton
Historian: Paul Gunnerson
Merchandise Officer: Cindy Allen
Yankee Run Committee: Wendy Murray, Ray Remillard - George Gilligan, and Janice Fiske Photographer: Jay George
Worcester H.O.G Road Captains Head Road Captain: Roy Mikkelsen
Alan Berthiaume
Alan Froslie
Alan Shea
Arthur Pond
Bill Zambarano
Chet McDonald
Dave Eaton
Ed McDonald
Gary Wickman
Henry James
Jack Grzyb
Ken Corey
Ken Karey
Kevin Colbath
Mark Zibel
Mike Boucher
Mike Brown
Mike Morency
Mike Parker
Paul Gunnerson
Paul Steen
Peter Bogren
Rich Saporetti
Richie Smith
Ronald Johnson
Sadiyah Derawi
Tammy Lee
Wendy Murray
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NOTE: Email links intentionally removed.
Please use Contact Us link.
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Director’s Message
Let me say it’s been a busy time riding the past few weeks. I’ve attended several events that were well worth the time and effort in
showing support for our Troops and our Vets.
Scott J. and I rode to the Wounded Warrior event in Boston. What a well-organized ride, escorted by police through many towns
around the Boston area. I must say I was pleased to see such an outpouring of Harley Chapters and other M/C clubs. Along the route
there were thousands of people out cheering the parade of riders. It gave us all the “Good Feeling”.
Next up, I rode to Washington D.C. with chapter members and the ride was led by Ed M. We spent a few days in Alexandria VA. I
know that all of us were moved by this event honoring our Vets. This was my 3rd trip and I am sure I will go again with our members,
and we also had time for a little fun along the way as well... oops, what happens in Washington D.C. STAYS in Washington D.C.
My next trip was again with chapter members and guests to Americade at Lake George. I led this ride, and it was a cool rainy day
that was a bit treacherous going over the Mohawk Trail to the Summit and then maneuvering the hairpin turn in the fog. I changed
the route on-the-fly as I didn’t want to get into that type of situation following RT 2 into N.Y.
We arrived safely at the 1000 Acres Ranch Resort where we sat out the rain for a day. Once it let up, we all went out for a good time
riding during the day and having fun at the bar nightly on the ranch property. The Country Breakfast was awesome, and the steak,
chicken, and rib BBQ was the best. NO one went hungry at this Ranch. Sorry, no TV’s in the rooms, and it was so quiet you could
hear... oops, what happens at the Ranch STAYS at the Ranch.
Make a note to check our Worcester Hog website worcesterhog.com as it is undergoing changes making it more up-to-date and
user friendly. Our committee of Scott J., Andy F., and Dave E. have pulled together to make this happen. I am sure we will be
delighted when it is finished.
I must say “thank you” to our Assistant Director Arthur Pond for filling in for me at the June meeting and sending out the ride
notices as needed. And “Thanks” to all our Road Captains for the rides they have led, please don’t stop!!!! We need you to run more
rides.
Congratulations to Bryan & Chad on becoming the new owners of Sheldon’s Harley Davidson of Auburn, MA. They are working very
hard to make Sheldon’s “THE place to buy a Harley”.
Our Chapter number was changed to Chapter #3811 and there will be no changes to the way we run our Chapter. They say “Change
is good” and I for one believe that. Good things are coming for us to keep riding on our Harley’s interesting.
If it ever stops raining on Tuesday mornings I sure would like to lead a few more Brunch Rides. I hate to see my fellow riders getting
too skinny. Stay tuned, better things are coming! Get involved with your Chapter, Ride and Have fun. See you at our next meeting.
One last thing to ponder… “What is the biggest lie you tell yourself”?? I found mine; The biggest lie I tell myself is... "I don't need to
write that down, I'll remember it."
“Saddle Up, Let’s Ride”
Chet McDonald
Director
Worcester Hog Chapter #3811
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Secretary’s Message
Our rides to Rolling Thunder and Americade were a huge success thanks in part by the members who
ventured out with us. What a fun time we had with our fellow members.
On June 10, since the weather was so nice, Ed and I decided to make it a day of riding. First, we went down to
RI and did the two dealer stops that we needed for the Tour Card. The GPS took us on some nice scenic roads.
We then drove to the Ocean Mist (a Yankee Run stop) and sat on the deck where we had lunch while watching
the waves. It couldn’t get any better than that.
From there we decided to go to a couple of wineries as part of the Connecticut Wine Trail and the Coastal
Wine Trail to get those books stamped. On the way back we stopped at another Yankee Run stop and bought
frozen turkey pot pies to take home. All in all it was a perfect day. Well I guess any day is a perfect day when
you’re out riding on your bike!
We are planning on going to the VT overnighter in Stowe VT planned by Wendy. If you have never been with
the group on one of these trips, this would be a great one to go on.
Ride Safe and Always Have Fun!
Paulette McDonald
Secretary
Worcester Mass Chapter #3811
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Assistant Director’s Message
Fellow HOG Members
Greetings,
The summer riding season is well under way and perhaps you have been following certain members’ escapades and
would like to find out more about their adventures.
A good way to accomplish this is by coming to our monthly meetings and also to encourage those particular members
that have been really riding, whether local or cross-country, to share their experience in our newsletter. What about it
folks, give them a little friendly biker peer pressure and help Andy fill up some pages!
Shirley and I will be leaving for the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge memorial ride July 28, 2015. We will meet others at
the Geographic Center of the United States in Lebanon Kansas on the 30th. Then we will be riding to Hot Springs South
Dakota. On August 1, 2015, we will ride as a group in a parade down Main Street in Sturgis and end up at a dinner.
We look forward to sharing our summer experiences with yours.
Until then ride, have fun, and be safe.
Assistant Director
Arthur N. Pond
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Taking a Trip?
Most of us may have heard the phrase “Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Particularly Poor Performance” (also
known as the 7 “P”s) and if you haven’t, you just did! Well, in taking a motorcycle trip (and by no means am I an expert
or pretend to be on the subject) the success, or at least a large part of it, rests in the packing and planning. Through
personal experience and research, I’d like to share my thoughts on 5 things I will never go on a motorcycle trip without:
Personal Records – When traveling alone or with friends it is a good idea to carry and give a copy of important
personal data to another rider. This document should include emergency contact information such as; spouse,
parent, doctor, lawyer, etc. It should also have your health and related insurance materials (provider name,
subscriber ID, etc.). It is also a good idea to list your current medications, allergies, or anything else a provider
might need to know if you cannot speak for yourself. Do not assume the people you are with know everything
about your health or will be able remember it in the event of an emergency. Being able to hand a Paramedic or
Doctor a history “snap-shot” sheet might just save your life!
Repair Access – Since you might not be familiar with where you are traveling to, or know where the best or only
places are to get repair service, know and understand your Road Side Assistance program and keep those numbers
handy. If you don’t have Road Side Assistance, look into purchasing some! H.O.G. National does provide some
coverage as does the AMA (American Motorcycle Association). I happen to have both. (Editor’s note; H.O.G. has
extended coverage which can be purchased from Road America. Also, AAA has added motorcycle coverage).
Tool Kit – Just because you are not mechanically inclined or have trouble knowing the differences between tools is
no reason to not have a basic travel tool bag. You would be amazed at what you can do when you need to. Many a
rider has temporarily fixed an issue allowing them to limp to a service center or to correct a mechanical problem.
After personally running into an issue on a recent trip where I needed tools that I didn’t have, I will now be making
that purchase shortly. Thankfully, the rider I was with had tools and we were able to fix the issue and keep moving!
Cash – Yes, we live in a world of credit and debit cards. But many places, especially some of the hidden gems in
small towns, only take cash. So, no worries you say, you’ll run up the road a bit and use your ATM card to get cash.
Don’t plan on it. Some of these places may not have an ATM machine or worse, you head there only to find out it is
out of service. Cash is still king and can be used anywhere at any time!
Spare Key – Whether your bike starts with a key turn or the push of a button using your fob, having a spare key
might just save the day. Batteries in fobs conk out at the worst times (I change mine every April, it’s a great $2.00
investment). And, who has not lost a key before? These items take up no extra space and without them you are
grounded! (Editor’s note; my wife carries our spare key on her keychain. Practice entering your security code if your
bike is so equipped, and keep your manual with you for reference - see Director’s ponder note bottom of page 3).
And so my personal list of “never leave home without them” is complete… or at least until I travel again and realize
that I forgot or did not have something that I couldn’t do without.
“RIDE SAFE & ARRIVE ALIVE”
Mark A. Zibel
Road Captain/Membership Officer
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From the Editor
To Ride and Have Fun. Abundantly posted on H.O.G. websites, in newsletters and flyers, genuinely refreshed at Chapter
meetings, nearly everywhere you turn in the Harley-Davidson community. Looking at our calendar, you can clearly see
that we have been taking it to the next level; “Ride then have even more Fun” (as noted by our Director in June’s
newsletter). Our Officers, Road Captains, LOH and Yankee Run team members, and others, have lead us to activities such
as zip lining, bowling, mini-golf, activity picnics, museums, farms, races, over-night trips, vacations, and more!
I thought I’d share with you how I expanded on my personal riding time to include even more fun. I am into watching
and playing hockey. Bigtime. I play two mornings a week year-round and sub for a couple of night leagues during the
regular season. It was the nice summer mornings that presented my dilemma; should I ride or go to hockey? The rainy
days made the decision easy, yet the early morning sunrises with sparse traffic would be an awesome ride. So…
I did some ‘wiring mods’ on my 2008 Ultra tour pak and made it detachable, added a 2-up detachable rack to support
the bag, and installed saddlebag lid rails to strap down my sticks. This worked pretty well for moving my gear, but was
not very efficient in getting prepped for the ride. Plus it sort of looked, well, ratty. Then I ran into one of the ‘trailering
cousins’ from our chapter, saw the trailer hitch, and that’s when I realized trailering would be the better way to go.
Here is my progression thus far from my 2008 to my 2011 Ultra Classics since I began my quest to Ride and Play Hockey:
This trailer configuration will work well in other applications (i.e. golf). So if you find yourself missing riding time, think
outside the box and you just might find a viable solution. Be sure to incorporate safety in your configuration, and of
course we’d be interested in seeing what you come up with!
NOTICE! Phase 1 of the worcesterhog.com re-design has been completed. This was mainly a code conversion making it
easier for us to edit, plus a few changes. We will be doing more content updates, so stay tuned...
Andy
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Have a story to share? Please submit your articles, photos, ideas, questions or comments to:
Please help our chapter by notifying the Membership Officer if you change your email address.
Still receiving Grunts & Squeals via US Mail? Go Green! Send me your email address to receive your copy via email.
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Historian’s Article
The Worcester, MA H.O.G. Chapter #3811
Sheldon's Harley-Davidson – The sale to Chad and Brian Is now complete! This changes our Chapter # from 2148 to
3811. When a dealership is sold, it changes both the dealer & chapter numbers.
August 2015 – Greetings my fellow H.O.G. brothers and sisters. Here is some news which qualifies as a historic event for our dealer/sponsor Sheldon’s H-D and also our Chapter. Although we are no longer Chapter #2148, our history has not changed, it never will. It just means that from now on, we are Chapter #3811. Chad and Brian recently went to New Dealer Orientation in Milwaukee, and that is when our dealer and our chapter numbers changed, which is just a company formality. Some have asked if this affects our Chapter Rivets at the Harley Davidson Museum. The short answer is “No”… it simply means the two rivets that went up last year for our Chapter say #2148 on them. Our Chapter history has not changed one bit. Recently George and Marsha Gilligan viewed our two rivets at the H-D Museum. They are the first chapter members to take pictures of our rivets and send them along to us. Thanks to George and Marsha for doing this, and here are the pictures they sent back for both the large 6” rivet in the planter, and the small 3” rivet on the rivet wall.
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Ladies of Harley
LOH Corner:
What’s new – This past June Cindy and I visited the Visitation House in Worcester. They were very grateful for all the
donations we dropped off and even gave us a tour of the facility, where we had the opportunity to meet some of the
women and children currently being homed there. We learned that the house depends solely on donations. With these
donations they are able to provide job training to assist the residents in getting back on their feet. They also provide
assistance with housing and life skill programs. Thank you to all who reached out to donate.
What’s Next?
LOH’s last charity will be a children’s charity. 100% of all the snack donations collected will be going to a local nonprofit
children’s charity, I am open to suggestions. At the last LOH meeting we had talked about where and how to give back.
One great suggestion was to try to keep the donations within the Chapter and take some names to pick from. As much
of a great suggestion that is, I feel in the interest of not offending or inadvertently hurting anyone who may be in need
and were not chosen, it would be best to go to a local children’s orphanage or children’s charity.
If you do know of a family that may be in need this Christmas Season please let me know and I will look into having their
names put on a local charity drive.
Winter Events:
Yes, I said it… WINTER. Ugh… but don’t fret, we still have plenty of wonderful riding days ahead. In thinking ahead, as
many of you know I love to do, I am looking to plan one event a month starting in November with the exception of
December.
October – Halloween Party?
November – Paint Night January - Bowling (new place) February – Country line dancing March – hmmm, maybe another March Madness LOH RIDES:
Patriot Place has been re-scheduled to 8/8 September Weekend in the woods – stay tuned October Corn Maze ride Tammy Lee
LOH Officer
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Yankee Run Stop Yankee Run Happenings! We're about four months into the official riding season and I know a lot of you have been planning your riding routes to visit Yankee Run stops. I know because I've seen some of you out there, and because the woman at one of our longtime favorite stops, the actress aspiring to be the next Betty White currently starring at the bakery department of the Williamsburg General Store (get her initials now before she's famous!), told us she's going to start counting Harley-Davidson shirts on week-ends because she's seen so many of them. If you're like me, try and visit a circle of YR stops in a day, and bring a cooler to take home goodies! So let me tell you about one of our Saturday rides… We began with breakfast at The Whistle Stop, stop #64, in Gilbertville, MA. Gilbertville? Yup! It's a nice small, very small town just a few miles down Rt. 9 accessed by taking a turn onto Rt. 32 after the Brookfield’s. The owner is a faithful Yankee Run supporter and Harley-Davidson rider and the place is filled with great train memorabilia and photos. There we are, the Worcester H.O.G. group photo from a few years ago, on the board with Playboy bunnies!! After a hearty (and quite reasonably priced) breakfast, we got back on our bikes and shifted twice, and there we were at Rose 32 Bread still in Gilbertville but feeling like we'd entered a cosmopolitan area. If you've never been here, you're really missing out. We got some food to go as we had just had breakfast. My spinach quiche was excellent but Mike's carrot cake did not make it past Saturday night, no surprise there. You see, that's where the cooler comes in… treats kept cold to be enjoyed later. We could have lingered at Rose 32 Bread with outdoor tables and good people watching, but we moved on, heading for the Williamsburg General Store, stop #66. This was a perfect ride, giving us just enough time for breakfast to digest so we were open to filling a saddlebag with bakery goods which are so good. I think I saw every customer walk out with a bag. We had a rather large bag when we left but honestly, some of the fruit rollups were for my family. Really, I promise! We thought we'd head home after this, but I had a hankering for a hot dog and could not get Janine's Frostee out of my mind so we made up a bit of time on the Pike and got off in Palmer. So what now? I'm on Rt. 20 and need to get to Rt. 9. Trusting the GPS, we headed off through Monson and Warren (Rt. 67 I think?) and it was gorgeous! The road was free of cars and traffic and a beautiful river flowed by us. Up a small mountain (Whiskey Hill Raceway area) and over the river and through the woods, on to Rt. 9 to Janine’s Frostee where we ran into Connie, Cindy and their menfolk (sorry, country inspired term). Nice day, nice route, 4 YR stops... Perfect! August is our annual Vermont overnight trip leaving Sheldon's around 8:30 a.m. on 8/22/15 and going up to Stowe, VT visiting as many YR stops as we can and two Harley dealers. Our host hotel is The Town & Country Resort, 878 Mountain Rd., Stowe VT… phone (802) 253-7595. Call & book your room, mention Worcester H.O.G. to be placed in the motel wing where we always stay. I believe the rate this year is about $135 and that includes a full sit down breakfast on Sunday morning. At one of our monthly meetings we gave out two gift certificates to one of our newer and sweet YR stops; Mo's Fudge Factor in Shelbourne Falls. The winners were book #94 which is Lyane Langway of the Blackstone H.O.G Chapter and #124 which is Lisa Johnson of Worcester. The prizes will be mailed to them. Everyone who purchases a book is eligible to win the monthly drawings, just another YR perk. Thanks for taking part in the YR fun, ride safe and often. Wendy Murray for the Yankee Run Committee
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Sheldon’s Corner
Hello HOG Members! What a spectacular riding season it has been for all of us! Recently, we had the opportunity to travel to Milwaukee and visit the Harley-Davidson Museum. It changes constantly by adding new exhibits and you never know who you will meet. Bryan and I had the opportunity to meet Willie G and Bill Davidson outside of the Museum by chance. It is humbling to meet those two whose name is on the gas tank and whose heritage has influenced so many lives and built an entire culture around the sport of motorcycling. We are certainly blessed to be a gatekeeper to the brand, and we will never forget where we came from. We can never thank you enough for your support and we certainly would not be where we are today without you. Again… THANK YOU!!! Here we are in August and we still have a lot more riding to do. Some say the best riding is ahead of us and a lot of us would agree. We are here to serve all of your needs and we work very hard to have satisfied customers. If there is anything you need or have questions about, all of our staff is empowered to help you. Bryan & Chad Dealer Operators
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Tail Pipes
Wendy Murray led the ride to the Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, MA on May 17th. It was a great ride on a very warm day for May. Being a retired soldier and a history buff, I would have liked to have stayed longer and explored more. The photos are the Memorial Obelisk (left) and the North Bridge (right) where the militia stopped the British from going further into Lexington. – Todd Smith
To all that have served, and those that continue to serve our country, Worcester H.O.G. thanks you for
protecting our freedom in this, the greatest country in the world. The United States of America.
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Tail Pipes
The ABC’s of Touring ride on 5/3 led by Ken Corey, featuring a cameo of Rick.
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Tail Pipes
“Are we gonna ride or take pictures?” – Bob & Norma Ken Corey descends Captain John Parker
Chet and Carol (5/17 ride to Minute Man National Park) Mike & Bunny taking a break (ride and have fun relaxing!)
Steve on his new ride… a 2001 Road King Ed & Paulette at the Ocean Mist June 2015
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Tail Pipes Our members George & Marsha have been riding around the country seeing the sights. They sent the below pictures for all to see. Paul Gunnerson was the mastermind that got our Chapter memorialized at the Harley-Davidson Milwaukee Museum. See what a little involvement in the Chapter can do?! Thank you Paul and all the members that donated to
make this happen. – Chet McDonald, Director.
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