Blackstone Valley Chapter #4735
SWINE TALK
October 2012
Head HOG
From all the reports and comments that I have
heard to date, I would say our annual barbecue held last month was a success. There was
plenty of food to go around and the quality
and flavors were outstanding. I was happy to
see so many members in attendance. There’s
nothing like a good meal to bring out the
membership. I would also like to pass along
thanks from the members of the NA Elks
Lodge who were in attendance. They appreciated the chapter membership inviting them to participate in our annual event.
Special Points of Interest
Web Site:
www.blackstonevalleyhog.com
The nomination period for the four primary officer’s elected positions was closed just prior
to the meal and we have a good group of people who were nominated, accepted and are
interested in the primary positions. The actual voting will take place at the October meeting
so I hope the majority if not all of the membership will be in attendance and ready to vote.
Remember that the positions are for a two year term so your votes are important to the
continued success of the chapter.
Swine Line:
978-316-1876
Inside This Issue :
Deputy HOG & Over the
Shoulder and a look back
2
Over the Shoulder and a
look back, Activities
Roundup & Upcoming
Events
3
LOH
4
October Birthdays
5
New Members, Officers,
Hospitality & Dealer Info
6
Here we are in month of October and the riding season is coming to a close. We do have
rides to complete but this time of year all is dependent on the weather. In particular we
have the annual Apple Pie ride to Dummerston, VT this coming Sunday. I will be leading the
ride and if you have never been on this ride, you are in for a treat. Last year the women of
Dummerston made over 1600 pies in a two week period. You can purchase a piece or a
whole pie if you choose. Ice Cream and cheese are also available for those people who like
their pie with a topping. And of course coffee and cider are also among the choices as well
as other goodies, i.e. sandwiches, soup, etc.
And a reminder; The patches for the “Nation of Patriots” are available for the people who
asked for them. (a few of you have yet to get yours)
And for those members who were in attendance at The “Homes for the Troops” ride, those
patches are also available.
And finally, remember to check the Blackstone Valley event calendar for scheduled rides/
events you may want to attend. And don’t forget to check the swine line for current updates
prior to leaving for the event as it will always have the latest information regarding meeting
time, destination changes and/or cancellations.
Hope to see all of you at the October meeting. Until then, Ride Safe... Firm
Precision Harley-Davidson
P ag e 2
S WI N E TA L K
Deputy HOG
Hello Blackstone,
This is my last newsletter article as AD. It's been fun, but it's over now, which is a good thing
because all this typing is giving me carpal tunnel. Enjoy the new guy. See you on the rides and
the meetings.
Dave
Over the shoulder and a look back….
Cape Cod Canal– September 22nd
Kathy Simoes
Well, fall is upon us. Time to enjoy some beautiful colors, crisper weather, more layering and warmer clothing for riding! I hope the weather holds
up for us. Looking at the calendar I see some nice rides that Henri & I are certainly looking forward to. It’s too bad that we can’t do some of the
longer ones. As much as we would enjoy that we have a “new” puppy now, and we just can’t leave him for all day adventures.
We have already enjoyed some really nice rides this year haven’t we? Except for a few minor mishaps the Vermont trip was awesome! That was a
lot of fun and we look forward to next year. Most recent (for us) was the Cape Cod Canal picnic ride. What a day! It started out really crappy
weather-wise and we almost didn’t go. But it was one of the rides I looked forward to the most. The weather was SUPPOSE to clear up by noonish so we ignored the drizzly cold. And I am SO glad we did!!!
I was surprised to see how many braved the weather that day. I think we had about 12 bikes, and 15 or so people? Dave Whitty led us on a very
circuitous, very scenic ride to the Cape. A few times I knew where we were but not often! It was really very pretty, and the rain did stop eventually. Once over the Bourne Bridge, we rode around Shore Rd and Route 28A through North Falmouth, Woods Hole and around the Falmouth
beaches. And by the time we stopped for our lunch back at the canal it was gorgeous out, bright and sunny and warm but not hot. PERFECT!!
It was a good example of what are the best things about rides with Blackstone. The company is always great, we get to see and spend time with
older friends, and the shared experiences help to cement relationships with new ones. We get to see new things and go to new places that we
might not think to see or do on our own. We can get fresh perspective on familiar things too by seeing them through others’ eyes.
Sometimes it’s the things we don’t expect to get from a ride that make it even better than it already was. And you never do know what exactly
you’ll get out of any ride. But for me, this ride was even more. It was deeply personal. The route Dave took us on once over the bridge covered
many of my ancient stomping-grounds from growing up. My favorite uncle and my closest cousins lived in Bourne. I spent more school vacations
there than I ever did at home. By the time I was a teenager, I actually had more, and some of my very closest, friends there than I did at home.
Most of my best memories of childhood are there, most of the best times of my younger life were had there. When I graduated from high school I
moved there for a few years, and my son was born on the Cape.
So to have that afternoon ride was truly priceless for me. We went by quite a few of the houses that I, or my family & friends there, lived in. We
went by the beach we walked to EVERY day in the summers; the ponds we skated on in the winters; our hang-out joints; the VFW post my uncle
was the commander of, where we washed dishes on many a Saturday night, and where I learned how to shoot pool; and so many other places that
we found (or made) adventures in.
I always get a ridiculous grin on my face and a happy, peaceful feeling inside whenever I go to the Cape. It starts as I go through Wareham and Buzzards Bay. And as I flew over the bridge on the bike, with Henri and some good friends by my side, and rode down those oh so familiar roads I had
even more feelings like I haven’t had in awhile. There’s truly nothing like it. My uncle is gone now, and my cousins, some of them anyway, are
spread far and wide. We stay in touch but I haven’t been able to actually see them for a few years. Without having any idea of it, Dave gave me the
best gift I’ve gotten in a long time, and I can’t thank him enough for the day.
And THAT, my friends, is why all of you should be out there with us on as many rides as you possibly can. You never know what you’re going to get
out of any of them. At the very least you’ll get a fun day, on your bike, with friends, which is usually more than enough. And sometimes, you’ll never
know just when or why, you’ll get a truly exceptional, extraordinary, unexpected gift like the one I got that day on the Cape. So get your butts out
there and ride!!!
S WI N E TA L K
P ag e 3
Over the shoulder and a look back….
Mountain Barn– September 23rd
Ed Blair
18 bikes and 20 people left Manmar for a back roads ride to Princeton Ma. and the
Mountain Barn Restaurant. After a short stop in Webster, we proceeded to the
Barn. We had a great view from the dining room of the mountains. After lunch we
headed off for the trip home. After a short pit stop for a "small emergency" (Dave
Miller's coffee cup was empty) we went our separate ways. A great day for a ride and
great people to ride with. We WILL do this one again. Thanks to all who came out.
"Get out there and ride!" See you in October!
This is Your Newsletter!
Activities Roundup
Fall riding season is upon us, we have a full calendar for the next few months, take a
look pick some destinations and we’ll see you on a few! Don’t forget to pack a few
extra layers as the temperature changes quickly.
Paul
Have a riding story? A great
place to ride to -eat? vacation spot?
A ride review?
Anything to share with your
members??
This is your newsletter!!
Always a good time with Blackstone….
Upcoming Events
October 13th Mt Greylock 7:00am Manmar
October 14th Red Parrot 9:30am Manmar
October 18th Activities Meeting 7:30pm Elks
October 20th The Wave 10:00am Manmar
October 21st Bubs Barbecue 9:00am Manmar
October 27th Mystery Ride 10:00am Manmar
October 28th South Shore Halloween 9:00am Manmar
October 28th Salem Halloween 9:00am Manmar
November 3rd Mystery Ride 10:00am Manmar
November 4th Christmas is for Kids 9:00am Precision
Feel free to participate and
add to it!
Email the Editor @
[email protected]
P ag e 4
S WI N E TA L K
LOH
Hi All! Can you even BELIEVE that summer has already flown and it’s really October already? I can’t. It was a good summer for riding wasn’t it? We had
some great trips with great people. Here’s hoping that this fall & winter is mild like last year was and we can ride like we did then!
Our LOH ladies had a slow summer, but that’s OK too. At one time we talked about suspending the LOH meetings altogether during riding season since
so many of us see each other fairly regularly on the road anyway. But it’s hard to discuss LOH business on rides when you don’t know who’s going to be
there when; and who wants to talk “business” while you’re just out for a fun day anyway. So we did agree to at least try to keep up with a few regular
meetings during the summer months. We all lead such busy lives too, and that doesn’t help either!
So we did get together a couple of times. We had a fun dinner night at Fitzy’s Pub in June, where we welcomed our newest LOH member, Andrea
Werner. In July we had a girls’ night out to the movies and went to see “Magic Mike”. We had a few laughs, a few eye-openers, and then some drinks
afterwards at Toby Keith’s Bar & Grille at Patriot Place. We skipped out on August, but had a meeting on Friday Sept 28 th at Andrea’s house. She supplied
us with some very nice munchies and some truly excellent frozen cocktails. We got a lot of things talked about and still managed to have a very good time
together, as usual. Thanks a bunch Andrea!!
We would LOVE to get some more members to join us though. Right now we have 9 official members. It’s hard to look too far ahead and see big things
in our future with only a handful of people. But maybe that’s OK too. Staying small, we can get ourselves established and concentrate on having a good
time more than on any serious business or fundraising. But it would be nice to be able to do that too at some point.
We do have some good ideas that we’re working on for some upcoming LOH activities. So please ladies (and gents) consider coming along to the next
meeting and joining us. And if the guys can’t quite bring themselves to join us, how about coming along anyway to get together with the fellow husbands /
significant others, etc. while we meet? On Friday night a few of the guys went for wings at Wendell’s while we met. I’m told they had a good time too!
Then, after the meeting some of us headed over to join them as well. Who knows? You might even get partial credit for a date-night that way, hahahaaaa!
On a final quick note – I have been in touch with Precision about doing some gift-wrapping weekends for them as we have done in the past. I’m waiting to
hear from them with the schedule so that we can talk more about it. We will be counting on some help from the general membership as well! It’s a fun
time, hardly feels like “work”! We get to meet and talk to people, joke with them about their purchases. It’s really a fun time. Please watch the upcoming
events on the BVH website and calendar and pencil in some time for us. If possible I will have a volunteer sign-up sheet at the October chapter meeting,
and certainly by the November one.
Meantime Happy (and safe!) Riding!! See you all out there at some point, I hope!!!
Kathy
Election thoughts…
Hey Folks – this must be a record, 3 articles in one newsletter. I think I need someone to tell me to STOP!!! LOL
Anyway, I wanted to put in my two cents about the upcoming elections. This is an important time for all of us, and I hope that everyone is thinking carefully and is planning to come out to the October meeting and vote.
I’d like to say first, thank you to the board members currently serving, whether seeking reelection or not. It’s all too often a thankless job. You can’t ever
please everyone, and often I bet it seems like you can’t please anyone. But these folks get in there, roll up their sleeves and do the work that too often no
one else seems to want to, and do their best to keep us all together and keep our chapter going on the right track. There are no “bennies” in this job
other than the satisfaction of getting a job done.
So anyway, it’s nice that we have some interesting choices for the primary officers this year. For those that feel there is a need for a change, there are
plenty of opportunities for that. Think hard about what you want for the chapter for the next two years, and weigh your choices. I think we’ll be in good
shape no matter how things go. The people who have stepped up to run are all good choices. I think we have a win-win situation on our hands.
As for me, I just want to say that I am thrilled that Wendy is able to be back with us and willing to run for secretary again. I let my name be brought up for
the position initially because it seemed like no one else was going to and we can’t let the post be vacant! As more and more people approached me about
doing it I was touched and grateful for the confidence they had in me and their warm support and encouragement.
My biggest reluctance had to do with my hearing disability. Except for that, I have no doubt that I can do the job and do it very, very well. Like Wendy, I
am articulate, intelligent, highly organized, motivated, and have been an involved and (I think) valued member of the chapter for the last 4 years. But how
can I take notes in chapter meetings and be a secretary if I can’t hear 90 - 95% of what’s going on? Many of you may be asking the same question.
To that concern, I say that I have many people who have offered to help me with that part of it. I thank all of them for having enough faith in the job I could
do to be willing to help me out with that part. If I can get 3 or 4 sets of notes from different people as to what went down in a meeting, then I can easily
put them together in a cohesive summary for the official records.
If you were worried about that, we’ve got it covered. But if you do decide to vote for me, you have to do it knowing that I can only do it with help. If that
works for you, then I’ll be glad to take on the job. If not, then you can’t lose with Wendy either. I would be content to “lose” to such fine company!!
Good luck to all the candidates!!!
Kathy
S WI N E TA L K
P ag e 5
Wendy
Ganter
October 12th
Norm
Plante
October 12th
Marcel H.
Bernier
October 17th
Richard
Dieter Sr.
October 21st
Jacqueline
Roselli
October 26th
Michele
Johnson
October 27th
Dennis
Gordon
October 20th
Did we miss your birthday? Our apologies!
We might not have it on record! E-mail the Editor @ [email protected]
Blackstone Valley Chapter #4735
SWINE TALK
New Members
Please welcome these new members when you see them!
Dennis Sarazin
Lisa Sarazin
Lorraine Lee
BVH Chapter Officers
Director Firm Locke
508-543-3457 • [email protected]
Head Road Captain Gary Oldham
508-699-2861 • [email protected]
Historian Kathy Simoes
[email protected]
Assistant Director Dave Barton
Sergeant Norm Plante
Publicity TBD
508-369-6155 • [email protected]
508-631-3874 • [email protected]
Secretary Wendy Ganter
508-369-9002 • [email protected]
Sergeant Scott Johnson
[email protected]
Hospitality Officer Lori Barton
401-941-5671 • [email protected]
Treasurer Ed Blair • 508-377-8185
Safety Officer Chuck Ehrenberg
Membership Officer Ed Blair
[email protected]
[email protected]
508-377-8185 [email protected]
Activities Officer Paul Gaouette
Photographer Chuck Beale
Web Master Bill Mendes
508-639-5753 • [email protected]
• [email protected]
[email protected]
L.O.H. Officer Kathy Simoes
Merchandising Christine Gaouette
Newsletter Editor Mary Whitty
[email protected]
508-639-5753 • [email protected]
508-222-5383 • [email protected]
In Loving Memory Of
Walter Mcauley
Rick Kane
Allen Moulton
Peter LaPlume
Sponsoring Dealer
Precision
Bill “Jackson”
Johnson
Paul Ledoux
Leroy Richardson
Carlton Conrad
James Berry
John C. White, Jr.
Harley-Davidson
269 Armistice Blvd
Pawtucket, RI 02860
George Buttler
Phone: 401-724-0010
Fax:
401-724-3610 Web:
E-Mail:
www.precisionhd.com
[email protected]