Columns

HARWINTON, CT – Being an entertainment reporter can be a great gig, producing loads of star stories. Having spent more than 40 years covering showbiz for

FALLS VILLAGE, CT – The motorcycle-themed paintings, oil on wood, by Ian Hemingway are often self-portraits featuring a solo rider in vibrantly-colored leathers and helmet against more somber, murky backgrounds. They reflect his passion for riding and the catastrophic memory loss he suffered in a motorcycle crash

CHESTER, VT – As I have aged, my motorcycle riding habits have changed. I’ve set criteria for my riding time, and I no longer ride in the rain if I can avoid. Think back on your wettest ride. Mine was a day-long

A few months ago I noticed a new Facebook group with quite a large following talking about expanding Off-Highway Vehicle use within Connecticut. This naturally piqued my interest being an off-road rider myself. I wanted to learn more so I reached out to the administrator of the site, Matt House …

HARWINTON, Conn. – It was hard to tell if the kit-wearing Crystal Palace fan inside the Tir Na Nog pub in downtown Philadelphia was inebriated, merely enthused or both in offering his earnest assessment that what makes the Eagles so appealing is that it’s

BRATTLEBORO, VT – In Vermont, it is less and less of a rarity to run into a celebrity. The first time I ever recall actually recognizing a celebrity in the flesh was a chance face-to-face encounter with filmmaker Ken Burns. I was trying to squeeze into the door of a

WEST HARTFORD, CT – It was happenstance that the white and teal Harley-Davidson motorcycle ridden by actor Michiel Huisman ended up parked next to a flat black Indian outside of Westfarms mall. Commenting about their adjacency to the “Games of Thrones” star was only natural, though, because

You know the feeling. Your bike needs repair or routine maintenance. You call your local dealer for an appointment and the voice on the other end of the line says something like, “Man, we’re really busy right now. We can’t look at your bike for two, maybe three, weeks.” How’s …

It’s always satisfying to see an old friend or colleague do well. Yesterday’s announcement that Keith Gretzky is becoming assistant general general manager of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers after spending five seasons as director of amateur scouting for the Boston Bruins put a smile on my face. Keith and I worked …

STONY BROOK, NY – Fans of vintage motorcycles will find a visit to the “Motorcycles and the Open Road” exhibition at the Ward Melville Heritage Organization here to be a worthwhile way to spend an hour or two. And you can’t beat the $5 admission for providing a fun glimpse …

CHESTER, VT – Where do you keep your stuff? Where do you keep those toys when you are not using them? Right now I have four motorcycles, three are relatively new. They’re gleaming and happy sitting in my non-climate controlled garage. The fourth is a project that is sitting in a …

By Bud Wilkinson “The American cinema’s most unsung singer” is what “The New York Times” calls Marni Nixon in an obituary posted today.  Like other obits, the newspaper’s story notes that it was Nixon who did the singing in some celebrated movie musicals from

Each year, many entry level riders hit New England roadways having passed rider education courses and obtained an “M” on their licenses, and that’s the proper way to do it. Learning from friends, spouses or “Uncle Bob” is probably not the best choice to

NEW HARTFORD, CT – A sign stating “TWO DRINK MAXIMUM” is not often seen in a bar. In fact, I’ve never seen one like it before in nearly 45 years of legally imbibing in probably 26 states from coast to coast and in some 14 other countries. But there it was, …

As I have recently learned, proper preparation and training for a distance endurance motorcycle ride is essential. It’s quite comparable to a runner’s routines in advance of a full 26.2 mile marathon. While the Iron Butt Saddle Sore 1000 is the “introductory” ride of the Iron Butt Association’s array of …