Columns

HARWINTON, CT – There’s no disputing that Florence Henderson, who died yesterday of heart failure in Los Angeles at age 82, was best known for playing cheerful family matriarch Carol Brady on the ABC comedy “The Brady Bunch” between 1969 and 1974.

NORTH GRANBY, CT – One of the greatest things I enjoy about being a motorcyclist is the people I meet who share the same passion for riding. It is always so easy for me to just walk up and engage another rider in conversation. On several recent occasions, I have …

HARWINTON, CT – Charlotte the jersey cow who wandered into a swimming pool here on Sunday evening and had to be rescued by volunteer firefighters may be the most talked about cow in the country today. News of her unexpected plunge into the deep end of an in-ground pool in …

The life of any motorcyclist can be snuffed in an instant. All it takes is for a distracted, unobservant or impaired driver to cross the center line or make an improper turn across the path of an oncoming rider. In just seconds, a rider can go from enjoying the wind …

Every now and again the planets align to bring special people together to share an amazing autumn day in New England out riding. A couple weekends ago, I had the pleasure of joining Minna Case from West Dover, VT and Leslie Sofarelli from Bloomfield, CT for just such an experience …

NORTH GRANBY, CT – I am the type of rider that you will find on or at least near a motorcycle nearly every day of the year. This may sound like an exaggerated statement, but those close to me might argue that it is “every day” of the year. Yes, …

CHESTER, VT – In March 1992, a high school driver’s ed class in Windsor County, Vermont got invaded by half-dozen grizzled looking bikers in black leather jackets, chaps, and steel-toed boots. All of them were pretty much

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 …