Published By The American Gold Wing Association

Volume 33 - No. 9 and 10 – September/October 2016

2

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT

Hello everyone:

With summer gone, the warm days will soon leave us, and we

look toward cooler riding weather and the gorgeous colors of

fall. I know Gail and I have many miles to ride before it is too

cold to ride. We both have heated clothing which makes riding in cooler weather much

more enjoyable.

The 2016 rally is past us and we look forward to Lu and Crystal Brunetta leading us to

Hudson, Ohio for the 2017 rally. They have chosen the Clarion Hotel and Conference

Center as their rally host hotel. It is a good looking facility and I hope you will enjoy it.

The last two rallies have seen a declining number of AGWA members enjoying the

friendship of the rally. I hope this is not a trend and our members will increase for this

rally. Lu and Crystal are very enthusiastic with the opportunity to host the rally and they

have been working on various aspects of the rally. Be sure to come and join us for the fun

and good times.

AGWA needs someone to host the 2019 National Rally. If hosting a rally is something

you would be interested in taking on please contact me at AGWApres@charter.net. Don

and Marion Oller have made arrangements to host the 2018 National Rally in Johnson

City, Tennessee. The rally will be hosted by the Holiday Inn and Conference Center.

Don will have lots of rides and even some new rides that were not available last time we

visited Johnson City.

I need some additional writers. I have my reliable writers, but they are getting tired of

holding up Wing of the Road. I need you to join the others and keep Wing of the Road a

good AGWA publication. Each issue it takes at least ten to twelve lengthy articles to fill

the pages. Some months I start working on Wing of the Road with less than ten or twelve

articles and it makes it difficult to put the publication together. I hope you are interested

and can help.

Have a great day

Owen

Wing Of The Road (WOTR) is published monthly by the American Gold Wing Association (A.G.W.A.). The editor’s address is 7032

Aarwood Trail NW Rapid City, Michigan 49676. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. A.G.W.A. is a nonprofit organization and is a separate

entity and is not affiliated with the Honda Motor Company, LTD. The American Gold Wing Association is Chartered by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), and is not affiliated with any other organization.

Reprinting of the articles, using quotations or excerpts from any article is granted provided full credit us given to the author and to Wing Of

The Road. The opinions expressed in Wing Of The Road are the opinions of the author of the article or the Wing Of The Road’s Editor. The opinions expressed in Wing Of The Road do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the American Gold Wing Association or the

A.G.W.A. membership.

All letters, articles, art and photographs submitted for publication become the property of the American Gold Wing Association and are

subject to editing and/or alterations for the purpose of available space constraints.

3

Hello from Wisconsin

Written By Brad and Tammy Klement

Wisconsin

Sorry this letter is coming so late, but

Brad and I took a long time getting home

after the rally. As you all know before

the rally we spent three extra weeks in

Virginia in a small town called “Big

Island”. It is where we have friends, but

it is anything but big. We rode the Blue

Ridge Parkway over to Roanoke to the

rally and had a wonderful week with

everyone. After leaving Virginia, we set

off with Dewayne and Nancy Edwards

for Tennessee. The four of us spent a

few days with friends that were from

Wisconsin, but now live in Tennessee.

Dewayne and Nancy left after a short

visit, but Brad and I then got down to the

business of house hunting. We looked

and looked and looked for a week, but

unfortunately we do not own any

property in Tennessee yet!

After getting home we got your generous

donation to Remington (Brad’s grand

daughter) and she was very excited.

Below is a thank you for all the help you

gave her.

Brad and I will keep you all updated on

our house hunting, and any other trips

we may take.

Thank You from Remington

Trewyn

My name is Remington Trewyn and

on August 15th

I will be representing

Team USA at the NAPF

championships.

I have received generous donations from

AGWA friends, and could not be any

more grateful! Thanks you all for

helping me make my dream come true!

Wish me Luck!

Remington

Americade

Written By Russ & Cathy Muschlitz

Pennsylvania Chapter R

Monday June 6th, we left for our annual

trip to Americade. We left our house at

7:30 with Jack (doc) Chambers and then

we met Jay and Deb, Wendell and Jean

and Joe and Linda at the Cracker barrel

in Clinton NJ. Wow I'm having a great

day traveling to Lake George and it's not

raining. So glad we left Lu at home. I

guess I better stop bragging right now.

Wise Owl Says …

Hear More On

Four!

A.G.W.A.

UNIVERSAL

CB

CHANNEL

FOUR

4

Tuesday, we had a downpour, waited it

out at Fort McHenry Hotel. Went to the

Veterans boat ride at 6 PM and it was

awesome. We had a color guard to board

the boat and a bagpipe player. We had a

good meal and door prizes. I let some

less fortunate win. All branches of the

servicemen were acknowledged by years

served and their song. There was a guy

who served 40 years and some over 30

years. Canada was also represented, a

woman had 32 years and still serving.

There was a Marine couple 37 and 34

years in.

We went to Mt Equinox on Wednesday

and the weather was good. It's 5.3 miles

straight up the road. It was foggy that

high up. I saw a few angels! An order of

monks own 11 square miles, 7000 acres.

It was clear enough to see their

Monastery half way up.

Thursday we went on a 210 mile ride

through the Adirondacks. As long as you

have warm clothes to wear it's really

beautiful country. Friday night is fire

works time, but first a lot of prizes and

desserts . I was very generous again, I

didn't win the new Harley and a trailer

and a hotel vacation. It was wonderful to

see all those happy winners.

We left early Saturday morning and paid

our dues for the nice weather. Around

9:30 it started raining and from 10:30 to

12:30 it poured . Good bike, good rain

gear, never got my clothes wet. There's a

bright side to every story. Thank god for

NJ and PA because it didn't rain there.

Home sweet home and we got there safe

and sound.

Enjoy the Ride

Furnished By George Ramsey

This is just amazing to me, not only is it

huge, the proportions are correct.

It took someone a lot of time to map it

out and even more to plant it.

I don't know who they are, but thank-

you for what you have done.

With things which are currently going on

in our country, it is great to see the

American Spirit is still alive.

STATE DIRECTOR LISTING

The following listing shows the current State

Directors for each state that currently has

organized A.G.W.A. activity.

Connecticut Frank Tierney 203-924-1330

Illinois David Densmore 815-880-0254

Massachusetts Thomas Serino 978-741-5208

Michigan Brenda Zuelch 586-771-2538

New Jersey Diana Press 609-893-0840

New York Ric Gurney 631-749-0533

North Carolina Joe Lopez 704-951-8118

Pennsylvania Lu Brunetta 610-282-1080

Rhode Island George Quinlan 401-667-0568

South Carolina Dee Marett 843-875-0526

Tennessee Don Oller 731-444-1564

5

THE ONLY FLAG THAT

DOESN'T FLY

Between the fields where the flag is

planted, there are 9+ miles of flower

fields that go all the way to the ocean.

The flowers are grown by seed

companies. It's a beautiful place, close to

Vandenberg AFB.

Check out the dimensions of the flag.

The Floral Flag is 740 feet long and 390

feet wide and maintains the proper Flag

dimensions, as described in Executive

Order #10834.

This Flag is 6.65 acres and is the first

Floral Flag to be planted with 5 pointed

Stars, comprised of White Larkspur.

Each Star is 24 feet in diameter, each

Stripe is 30 feet wide.

This Flag is estimated to contain more

than 400,000 Larkspur plants with 4-5

flower stems each, for a total of more

than 2 million flowers.

When you read this, please stop for a

moment and say a prayer for our

servicemen.

LOOK TWICE, SAVE A

LIFE. MOTORCYCLES

ARE EVERYWHERE.

Gold Classic 2016

Written By Lu and Crystal Brunetta

Pennsylvania Chapter R

We set off for the Rally on June 18th

with a stop over in Harrisonburg,

Virginia where we usually stay. We got

in around check in time so the room was

ready and we all needed it. Especially

Karen. I can't even imagine how she got

through that whole day of highway

riding. I know I couldn't have done it.

We basically relaxed since we were

leaving the next morning.

Since it was a short ride we decided to

take Route 11 down to Roanoke instead

of I-81. What a very enjoyable ride.

Cute little towns and scenery to match.

We arrived around check in time at the

hotel and saw George Ramsey outside

unloading his gear. Our room wasn't

ready so Karen and I dropped the

luggage cart off in front of our room and

headed over to the hospitality room

which was right around the corner. We

texted Matt & Lu to let them know

where we would be.

We sat and talked a little with everyone

but couldn't wait to get to our rooms and

relax. We signed in, grabbed something

to drink and headed back to our room

which was now ready. The beds were

soooo comfortable – I actually woke up

with no hip pain. Which tells me it is

time to get a new mattress. Especially

since we are celebrating our 34th

anniversary and that was a wedding gift.

We sat around the pool the first night

and caught up with everyone after the

business meeting and didn't head back to

the room until midnight. Matt & Karen

headed up a little before us. The plan for

the next day was for Lu to enter the trike

6

into the Bike Show but since we all got

up too late that didn't happen. Told ya

bed was soooo comfortable. So we went

out for breakfast to the Ihop down the

street. Then we took a ride on the Blue

Ridge Parkway to the Roanoke Star

which is on top of a mountain. Now we

heard that there was a camera there

recording us so Matt & Lu tried to be

noticed. It was very hot so we headed

back to the hotel and hung out there to

stay cool.

The Sloppy Joe dinner was that evening

and since I can't eat any of that we went

out to Montano's for my cheat meal.

Yes I know it wasn't Sunday but I

decided that would be the day I cheated.

And did I ever. We even brought huge

cream puffs back to the room for dessert

later since we were all too full to eat

them at the restaurant. Yum!

Afterwards we hung around the pool

with everyone til around midnight.

The next day was the Bike Games and

Lu and I entered them. We suck at them

but we always have a good time. And

this year Lu won 1st place for 1 up trike.

Yay! Karen enjoyed taking the pictures

and posting them. Even had a video.

Again very hot but not that bad. That

night was the Light Show and Lu and

Matt entered. Karen didn't stay to watch

because we didn't want her to have any

seizures. The hotel employees were out

watching as well as the other hotel

guests. Everyone enjoyed them.

The next day was the banquet. We had a

very good meal but it was also sad to say

goodbye to everyone for another year.

Lu talked about the 2017 Rally in

Hudson that Pennsylvania is hosting and

everyone seemed very excited about it.

We headed back to Harrisonburg Friday

morning and decided to avoid highways

and take the Blue Ridge Parkway all the

way up. What a beautiful ride. And very

relaxing and breathtaking too. Karen

was enoying it so much she was taking

pictures while riding. We arrived around

check in. We had a beautiful ride with

about 10 minutes of rain but since we

were under trees we really didn't get wet.

And it was refreshing and cooled things

down.

The next morning we set out for the

town to do a little sightseeing and

shopping. They have an Old Farmer's

market there with quaint little shops and

really good food too! Love them

burgers Matt. We headed back to our

room. We had a deck off the back of our

room so that is where we spent most of

our time until the huge storm came

through. And we saw the start of

circulation above us that everyone in the

hotel was watching but it didn't develop

into anything. But it did pour for a while.

Sunday morning we stopped for

breakfast and then hit the road for home.

Even though we were coming from

Virginia it kept getting hotter and hotter

closer to Pennsylvania. And by the time

we got home it was close to the 90s. But

it was a good and safe ride for everyone.

Can't wait until the Rally next year in

Hudson, Ohio.

Three F’s Fun

Family and

Friends

7

Hello from Rhode Island

Written By Judi Quinlan

On two previous Sundays, we were

scheduled to visit the Preston Ridge

Vineyard but the weather didn’t

cooperate. The third time was a charm.

We were rewarded with a perfect day as

Rico and Mechele led Brian, Kathy,

Paul, Maureen, Greg, Martha, Jeff,

Brenda, Paul, Diane, George and I. It

was a pretty ride through rural CT, past

the never ending fields of sunflowers at

Butterwood Farm in Griswold.

Unfortunately, we were a little late and

the flowers were just past their prime but

still quite a sight.

The small local wineries are located in

some of the most picturesque area in CT.

Preston Ridge is no different. It is

situated on the peak of a ridge, provides

breathtaking views of the countryside as

well as offering outstanding wines to

taste. We were seated by large windows

affording great scenery. A singing guitar

player entertained while the riders tasted.

Preston Ridge Vineyard – On the deck, enjoying the view

Martha, Mechele, Rico, Diane, and Paul on the deck

Tasting at Preston Ridge Vineyard

8

Mechele, Kathy, Brian, Martha, Greg and the vines

Grapes

Following our stop at the vineyard, it

was off to lunch at Valentino’s

Restaurant and Pizzeria, a local place

serving good food and friendly service.

The garlic knots were delicious and we

all ate far too many.

Valentino’s

After lunch, it was a little retail therapy

for the ladies at the Douglas Paquette

warehouse sale for jewelry, belts, belt

buckles, pet products and his famous

designer ribbon sandals.

It is always a treat to get together with

our AGWA friends and this time was no

exception as Ron, Gloria, Kent, Sue,

George and I met at Gayle and Ric’s

house in NH for a cookout. Gloria, Ron

and Pandy were on a camping trip to

New England, Kent and Sue joined us

from her brother’s in Vermont, and

George and I made the trip up from RI

for the day. Ron did the barbecuing.

Everything was delicious, especially his

grilled stuffed peppers. It was a

wonderful time with great friends.

Ron, Sue, Gayle, Rick, Kent, Gloria, and

George

Charity runs always play a major role

during the riding season. One of our

most important ones is the. 100% of the

proceeds go to support the Gloria

Gemma Breast Cancer Resource

Foundation. The event is designed to

raise awareness in order to increase early

9

detection of breast cancer, which is the

key to decreasing mortality. Many of our

members had survivors ride on the backs

of the bikes. Following the ride there

was an after-party including food, live

music and raffles. This is always a fun

and rewarding time for all the

participants.

“There is a certain kind of confidence

one gets when they climb upon a

motorcycle, four wheels move the body,

two wheels move the soul.”

Jack with bear the lady who rode with him had

when she gained her Angel Wings.

Highway to Hope Charity Motorcycle

Another beautiful Sunday in RI as Dave

and Laurie led 16 bikes and 1 car

including AGWA members and friends,

Blue Knights members and friends, and

just friends on some of the prettiest and

curviest roads we have been on. Our first

stop was a brief one at The Ice Cream

Lady in Douglas MA, a family

convenience center, gas station, and ice

cream window.

The Ice Cream Lady

Our next stop was for lunch at Sweet

Evalina’s Stand in Woodstock CT, a

favorite place of ours serving good food

in a friendly environment. The restaurant

sits on one of the most scenic routes in

CT, 169, and overlooks the North

Running Brook. Since we were such a

large group and this is not a big place,

we split up. Some ate inside with

waitress service while others ordered

food to go and sat outside under the

pavilion.

10

Sweet Evalina’s Stand

Earl and Lorraine with friends

Bob, Brenda, Jack & Esther

The final stop was the UConn Dairy Bar,

on the campus of the University of

Connecticut in Storrs, an even more

favorite place of ours. The award

winning Dairy Bar features delicious ice

cream made from their own cows. Ice

cream is still manufactured according to

its original recipe from the early 1900’s

when the Creamery was first established.

Over 200,000 customers, including us,

visit every year to enjoy freshly prepared

ice cream treats.

Jeff & Brenda

Greg

11

Brian

Like many of the state universities,

UConn started as an agricultural school

and it still upholds this tradition. All of

the ice cream sold in the UConn Dairy

Bar is produced in the UConn

Department of Animal Science

Creamery with fresh milk from UConn’s

Kellogg Dairy Center. The Dairy Barn is

actually right nearby. The Creamery is

used for Dairy Foods research, outreach,

and teaching activities.

It was another glorious day, perfect for

the annual Katie DeCubellis Charity

Ride. The Blue Knights of RI have

sponsored this run for 10 years to benefit

the Katie DeCubellis Memorial

Foundation. Katie was 13 when she was

killed by a drunk driver. The Foundation

continues her legacy by promoting youth

leadership, supporting education, and

generating public awareness of the

dangers of drunk driving and substance

abuse. Scholarships are awarded

annually in her name.

Following a great ride through southern

RI, with a stop at The Garden of Hope &

Remembrance, everyone returned to the

Manchester Lodge in Coventry for a

cookout and enjoy the camaraderie.

The Garden is located in a quiet corner

of Christofaro Park in Narragansett. It

includes a sitting wall and a brick

walkway weaves a path through beds of

flowers that bloom throughout the

seasons offering peace and beauty to

visitors.

See you all “on the road again,” soon.

American Gold Wing Association

Club Items Available for Purchase

AGWA Hat $ 11.00

9” Embroidered Association Patch $ 13.00

4” Embroidered Association Patch $ 2.00

1” Membership Pins $ 2.50

Additional Year Pins $ 2.50

2-1/2 Decal $ 1.00

3-3/4 Decal $ 1.25

AGWA Flag w/Antenna Mound $ 12.50

AGWA Flag w/3/8 Flag Pole Mount $ 12.50

U.S. Flag w/Antenna Mount $ 12.50

U.S. Flag w/3/8 flag Pole Mount $ 12.50

Association items can be ordered from

The A.G.W.A. National Treasurer:

Wanda Densmore

914 Melugins Grove Road

Compton, IL 61318

a

Winners of the two $500.00

rally raffles

Wayne Aten (Illinois)

Allen Oller (Tennessee)

12

Safety Corner

Written by Bob Cole

Michigan

Most of us who belong to AGWA do a lot of riding, taking in many states every year.

Catherine and I do, and it is not unusual for us to go through at least 10 to 12 states every

year. Traveling so many states can be a problem in knowing what the laws are pertaining

to helmets, age of passengers who can ride with you, speeds, and on and on. Therefore,

it would be handy to have at a glance a method of knowing the rules for each state.

Therefore, I went to the internet, and I found that this piece of information exists already,

so attached below is an abbreviated listing of those rules for easy reference. Also,

attached are motorcycle off road riding laws by state for easy reference for off roading.

Make a copy and put this listing in the trunk or glove key box on your motorcycle. You'll

then have an easy reference when you need it.

Enjoy and be safe!

Bob

State Motorcycle Riding Laws

Helmet Laws by State

State

Helme

t

requir

ed

Daytime

Headligh

ts

Eye

Protecti

on

Radar /

Kids

/

Earphon

es

Yearly

Inspectio

ns

Lane*

Sharin

g

Blood

Alcohol

Max

Speed

Ove

r

21

Und

er

21

Rur

al

Urba

n

Alabama Yes Yes .08 .02 70 70

Alaska 18 Require

d

Require

d Random Yes .08 .00 65 55

Arizona 18 Require

d Yes Yes .08 .08 75 55

Arkansas 21 Require

d

Require

d Random .08 .02 70 55

13

California Yes Require

d

1 Ear

Only Random Yes* .08 .01 70 65

Colorado 18 Require

d Random Yes .08 .02 75 65

Connecticut 18 Require

d

Require

d Random Yes .08 .02 65 55

Delaware 19

Rflct

Require

d Yes .08 .02 65 55

Florida 21 Require

d

Require

d Yes .08 .02 70 65

Georgia Yes Require

d

Require

d

No

Music Yes .08 .02 70 65

Hawaii 18

Rflct

Require

d

No Pass

Under 7 Yes Yes .08 .02 55 50

Idaho 18 .08 .02 75 65

Illinois Require

d

Require

d .08 .00 65 55

Indiana 18 Require

d 18 Yes .08 .02 65 55

Iowa Require

d Yes .08 .02 65 55

Kansas 18 Require

d

Require

d Random Yes .08 .02 70 70

Kentucky 21 Require

d .08 .02 65 55

Louisiana Yes Require

d Yes Yes .08 .02 70 55

Maine 16 Require

d Yes Yes .08 .00 65 55

Maryland Yes

Rflct

Require

d At Sale Yes .08 .00 65 65

Massachuse

tts Yes

Require

d

No

Earphon

es

Yes Yes .08 .02 65 65

Michigan Yes Random Yes .08 .02 70 65

Minnesota 18 Require

d

Require

d

1 Ear

Only Random Yes .08 .00 70 65

Missouri Yes Require

d Yes .08 .02 70 70

Mississippi Yes Yes .08 .02 70 60

Montana 18 Require

d Yes .08 .02 75 65

Nebraska Yes Yes .08 .02 75 65

Nevada Yes Require

d Yes .08 .02 75 65

New

Hampshire

Require

d Yes Yes .08 .02 65 65

14

New Jersey Yes

Rflct Yes .08 .01 65 55

New Mexico 18

Rflct

Require

d Random .08 .02 75 55

New York Yes

Rflct

Require

d

Require

d

1 Ear

Only Yes Yes .08 .02 65 65

North

Carolina Yes

Require

d Yes Yes .08 .00 70 65

North

Dakota

18

Rflct Yes .08 .02 75 55

Ohio 18 Require

d Random Yes .08 .02 65 65

Oklahoma 18 Require

d

Require

d .08 .00 75 70

Oregon Yes Require

d Random Yes .08 .00 65 55

Pennsylvani

a 21

Require

d

Require

d

No

Music Yes Yes .08 .02 65 55

Rhode

Island 21

Require

d

No

Earphon

es

Yes Yes .08 .02 65 55

South

Carolina

21

Rflct

Require

d 21 Yes .08 .02 70 70

South

Dakota 18

Require

d Yes .08 .02 75 65

Tennessee Yes Require

d

Require

d Yes .08 .02 70 70

Texas 21 Require

d Yes .08 .00 70 70

Utah 18 Yes Yes .08 .00 75 65

Vermont Yes

Rflct

Require

d Yes .08 .02 65 55

Virginia Yes Require

d

No

Radar

Det

Yes No .08 .02 65 55

Washington Yes Require

d

Require

d

No Pass

Under 6 Random Yes .08 .02 70 60

Washington

DC Yes

Require

d

No

Radar

Det

Yes .08 .02 55 55

West

Virginia

Yes

Rflct

Require

d

Require

d Yes .08 .02 70 55

Wisconsin 18 Require

d

Require

d Random Yes .08 .00 65 65

Wyoming 18 Require

d Yes .08 .02 75 60

Canada Yes Require No .08 .08 65 55

15

A.G.W.A.

Services Benefits Directory

Contact the following people for information

about any of our service benefits and take full

advantage of your membership in A.G.W.A. AMA Wanda Densmore 815-497-2497

By-Laws Vacant

Insurance Program Bill Young 865-681-0113

Key Replacement Bob Dombrowski 978-532-0634

Publications Owen Toomey 231-930-4703

Public Relations Barbara Lopez 704-951-8118

Rally Registration Crystal Brunetta 610-262-1080

Safety Program Bob Cole 906-265-5613

Sidecar/Trike Division Ron Mentzer 717-203-4412

Special Projects Lu Brunetta 610-262-1080

Technical Stephen Bergman 217-357-6697

VIP Program Wayne Aten 815-923-2112

d Radar

Det,

Music

State

Helme

t

requir

ed

Daytime

Headligh

ts

Eye

Protecti

on

Radar /

Kids

/

Earphon

es

Yearly

Inspectio

ns

Lane*

Sharin

g

Ove

r

21

Und

er

21

Rur

al

Urba

n

Blood

Alcohol

Max

Speed

* - Two motorcycles in a single lane.

In California Only, lane splitting is legal. Motorcycles may drive between cars, but not on

shoulders.

In California, Delaware, and South Carolina you may drive a 3-wheeler with a car

license. Everywhere else requires a motorcycle license.

Hello from RI

On the road again…

Written By Judi Quinlan

Rhode Island

July got off to a good start with one of

Dave’s weekday rides. He and Laurie

led Phil, Carolann, Jack, Esther, George

and I over scenic country roads to

Mystic CT for lunch at the Sea View

Snack Bar. This little clam shack has

been serving delicious food since 1976.

Located on the Mystic River, within

view of the Mystic Seaport and its tall

ships, it is a great spot to enjoy a

beautiful sunny day with good friends.

George, Judi, Phil, Carolann, Laurie, Dave, Esther &

Jack at Sea View Snack Bar

It was another lovely Thursday as Dave

and Laure led Phil, Carolann, George

and I around the picturesque Arnold

Mills and Diamond Hill Reservoirs

before traveling north into MA past Lake

16

Pearl to the Spruce Pond Creamery

situated on the shore of Spruce Pond.

This was our day for scenic water views.

Unfortunately, we saw more water than

we wanted to when the rains came while

we were enjoying lunch. Despite a few

showers it was a great day.

Sunday found Phil and Carolann leading

us through nearby CT for a picnic at

Mansfield Hollow Dam State Park in

Mansfield CT. After traveling through

Storrs CT, home of UConn, to the park.

The Mansfield Hollow Dam was created

by the damming of the Natchaug River

by the Army Corps of Engineers,

creating a 500-acre lake. Phil chose the

perfect spot for our picnic, by the

waterfall over the old mill dam just

below the big Dam and by historic Kirby

Mill. After enjoying our lunch, we

explored the area and the falls. It is a

lovely, peaceful location with the sound

of running water and a blue heron

bathing in the river. Before heading back

to RI, we made a stop at Hank’s Dairy

Bar, a CT institution since the 50’s. A

“baby dip” certainly hit the spot on a hot

summer day. Thanks to Phil and

Carolann for a wonderful time. Deb,

Ray, Greg, Dave, Laurie, Joany, Ralph,

George and I loved it and plan to return

to Mansfield Hollow in the autumn to

enjoy the foliage

Setting off for Mansfield: Greg, Carolann,

Joany, Ralph, Deb, Ray, Judi, George, Dave &

Laurie

Mansfield Hollow Dam & Falls

Phil, Greg, Joany, Ralph Laurie, Dave, Judi, Deb, Ray

& Carolann at Mansfield Hollow Dam

George by Kirby Mill

Hank’s Dairy Bar

17

Ice cream anyone?

Once again, Jack, Esther, George and I

were off with Dave and Laurie for great

ride through western and southern RI for

lunch in historic Wickford Village.

Nestled along the waterfront of

Wickford Harbor, this lovely little town

offers a taste of New England as it was a

century or more ago. Its historic homes

from the 1700s, churches, gardens and

picturesque harbor offer a glimpse of our

nation’s early history. The harbor is

teeming with boats and the tree-lined

streets filled with cafes and quaint shops;

a wonderful place to enjoy a sunny

afternoon. After lunch at the Beach Rose

Café, a casual waterfront restaurant on

the deck, we continued south to one of

our favorite stops, Brickley’s

Homemade Ice Cream in Narragansett.

No ride would be complete without an

ice cream treat.

It was another lovely summer day in RI

as we wended our way through the

towns of Scituate and Glocester in the

northwestern part of the state, around the

scenic Scituate Reservoir. The dappled

sunlight and tall trees offering a respite

from the sun made for a delightful ride.

Our destination was the Fredrickson

Farms Café for a nice break. As well as

serving breakfast, lunch, pastries, and ice

cream, they sell fresh produce from the

farm; a little something for everyone.

Thanks to Dave and Laurie for another

outstanding ride.

See you all “on the road again,” soon.

Charity Starts with Us

Written By Barbara Lopez

Public Relations Director

North Carolina

Another year has passed and how

blessed am I to see all my friends. We

had so much fun at this rally, from the

great rides, dirty dancing in Patrick

Swayze’s cabin to playing Pie in the

Face (poor Phil) on a rainy day! It

doesn’t make a difference what we were

doing, as long as we were all together

and having fun.

For years I’ve been thinking about what

we do as an organization for those in

need for the cities that we visit.

A.G.W.A. Key Registration Form

Name__________________________________________

Address________________________________________

City___________________________________________

State______________ Zip__________________

Make of Bike___________________________________

Year________________ Model___________________

Key No._______________________________________

Please fill in all spaces. Copy and mail an

Additional form for other vehicles that you want to

Register, as well as your home.

Send to

Bob Dombrowski,

5 Felton Street, Peabody, MA 01960-8065

If you lose a key that is registered, call Bob

Dombrowski at 978-532-0634. Keep this number in

18

What kind of ‘footprint’ so to speak will

we leave? I’ve done charity runs before,

some in New York when I rode with

Women in the Wind, and I really felt

that AGWA should step up. When I

brought this up at last year’s business

meeting, it was soon after that Owen

offered me the position of Public

Relations Director. I joyfully accepted

and my head started racing with ideas.

First, we needed a tag line. Easy peasy!

Each year we will have an ‘AGWA

Gives Back’ charity event where I will

identify a needy organization in the

towns and cities we visit. While there is

always a food pantry that needs

replenishing, there are many ways to

give back; goody bags for homeless

shelters, battered women shelters,

orphanages and so many more. At one

event in New York, my group went to a

disabled children’s camp and gave rides

(with helmets, of course!). The kids

were so ecstatic and excited. I know

many of you are involved and that you

really can cry just by seeing a child so

happy.

So, for this rally I decided to go with an

old standby and help a food pantry.

After researching organizations close to

our hotel and checking ‘Charity

Navigator’ (more about that in a

minute), I found Feeding America

Southwest Virginia. I called and spoke

to a really nice man, Paul, who was the

Donation Coordinator. I explained our

mission and he was thrilled; thus our

plans were set in motion.

19

I made my organizational list of things

to do, most started at the rally. I created

a poster and took it to Staples for

printing. I do this all this time where I

work. A simple black and white poster,

3’ x 4’ will cost you about $8.00 and it

only takes a few minutes. WRONG! I

was so relieved to see a Staples so close

to our hotel, hopped on the trike and told

the copy center what I needed. “Oh, I’m

so sorry, Ma’am. That machine needs to

be repaired, but you can go to our Valley

View location.” It was hot out; very,

very hot and now I’m ticked off. Got on

the hot seat of the trike, set the address

in the GPS and took off. Fifteen minutes

later, I was at Staples and told them what

I wanted, a simple black and white copy

on the big machine. The ‘youngster’

said “Oh Ma’am, this will take about an

hour”. I think she heard my growling

because the time is 4:30 pm, the business

meeting starts at 6:00’ish and I’m

hungry. I walked away to shop and

browse and came back in ten minutes to

see the printer she used was the wrong

one. But too late because the job was

started. You see, she used the ‘digital’

printer and all I wanted was the old work

horse in the back. When I told her that,

she stated ‘Oh I don’t even know how to

work that!” I know she heard my

louder growl. I watched the ‘Black

Beast’ printer spit my poster out, micro-

inch by micro-inch. It was painful to

watch. When it was done, it was in

color on high-quality paper. I told her

I’m not paying for that and she gave it to

me for a couple of bucks for all my

troubles. It was very pretty!

I made my presentation at the meeting,

hung my poster in the Hospitality Suite

and hoped for the best. My goal was to

fill one trailer with food but really hoped

we had a whole caravan. The food

donations started coming in, as well as

the dollars, as I had offered to shop for

food.

Along with my hub, Joe, Jeff Matticks

volunteered to help with the shopping

and transport. What a learning

experience for me! Jeff has done this

before and I’m so thankful he was there

to guide us, otherwise the pantry would

have ended up with candy bars, soda and

other assorted junk foods. Jeff’s rule

was ‘one ingredient and as healthy as

possible’. Let the games begin! Wal-

Mart here we come!

How much food can you buy for $141?

A LOT! Canned beans and vegetables,

cereals, soups, oatmeal, peanut butter

and so much more. By the time we were

finished, the cart was really heavy. I

contacted a manager and asked for

another register to be opened so we

wouldn’t hold up the lines and they were

very accommodating. This is where I

got to sit back and watch the guys start

to unload and reload the cart.

20

We ended up purchasing 175 items and

had the longest receipt I have ever seen.

Next stop, the trailer. When we opened

it, we all looked at the cart, looked at the

trailer and then looked at each other.

Umm, will this fit? Joe is the ultimate

packer and once again, I sat back and

watched the guys work their magic.

Packing done, off to complete our

mission and deliver the goods to Feeding

America South West Virginia. We were

met by two wonderful young women

who were so gracious and upbeat! They

said they loved our delivery method and

the bikes, but loved the food even more.

By the way, a big shout out to Brenda

Zuelch because when I got back from

our delivery, she had another ten bags of

food.

21

This brought our total weight to 250

pounds to help those in need! Great job

everybody!

Feeding America featured us on their

website and The Roanoke Times printed

our article and picture on their

community news section. It’s a start!

Now, back to my earlier mention of

donating to charities. There are so many

scams out there today. The professional

fundraisers for the police and firemen,

where our service people only get a

small fraction of monies collected on

their behalf. I use Charity Navigator

online to check where my money is

going. They are an independent charity

evaluator and provide free ratings of the

financial health and accountability and

transparency of thousands of charities.

They are a non-profit organization and

accept no funding for those they

evaluate. There are more organizations,

but I like this one. You can check them

out at charitynavigators.org.

If you are hosting a charity run, please,

please drop me an email with the name

of the charity, the cause, how much was

raised and pictures and I will try to get it

in your local paper.

Until next time, ride safe! Barbara

Keep the Rubber

Side

Down and the

Shiny Side Up

AGWA would like to say thank you to

Barbara and Joe Lopez for their decision

on their charity and follow through with

250 pounds of food. Thank you to all

that participated in the food drive and I

hope there will be an equal or larger

participation next year.

Owen

22

Doughnut Muffins Submitted by Wanda

Densmore

Ingredients

For the coating:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the muffins:

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick),

melted

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for

coating the pan

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup whole milk, at room

temperature

2 tablespoons buttermilk, at room

temperature

10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4

sticks), at room temperature

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated

sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

Total Time: 1 hr

Makes: 48 mini muffins These dense, slightly

tangy, cinnamon-sugar-coated muffins are the

perfect answer to your morning donut craving.

Special equipment: You’ll need a pastry brush

as well as a 24-well mini muffin pan for this

recipe.

Portioning the sticky batter into the small wells

of the muffin pan is easiest with a 1/2-ounce ice

cream scoop. If you don’t have one, just use a

spoon.

Game plan: The batter will keep in the fridge

for up to 3 days, so you can prepare it in advance

and bake when you’re ready.

Instructions

For the coating:

1. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a

small bowl and set aside.

For the muffins:

1. Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange a

rack in the middle. Lightly brush a 24-

well mini muffin pan with some of the

melted butter, then coat it with flour,

tapping out any excess; set aside.

Reserve the remaining melted butter for

applying the cinnamon-sugar coating.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the

measured flour, baking powder, salt,

nutmeg, and baking soda. In a small

bowl, whisk together the milk and

buttermilk. Set both aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with

a paddle attachment, beat the room-

temperature butter and sugar on

medium-high speed until light in color

and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the

eggs 1 at a time until combined. Stop

the mixer and scrape down the sides of

the bowl with a rubber spatula.

4. With the mixer on low speed, beat in a

quarter of the reserved dry ingredients.

Then beat in a third of the reserved milk

mixture. Continue to alternate until all

of the remaining ingredients are

incorporated, finishing with the dry

ingredients. Do not overmix.

5. Fill the prepared muffin pan wells just

to the rim with batter. Bake until the

muffins are lightly golden and firm to

the touch, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let

cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer

the muffins to a wire rack set over a

baking sheet. Repeat the buttering and

flouring of the muffin pan and bake the

remaining batter.

6. To coat the muffins, brush each

generously with the melted butter and

sprinkle generously with the cinnamon-

sugar mixture. Serve warm or at room

temperature.

Variation: Jelly Doughnut Muffins

If jelly doughnuts are more your style, allow the

muffins to cool and use a small pastry tip to

make a hole in the bottom of each. Fill the pastry

bag with your favorite jam, jelly, or citrus curd

and squeeze some into the muffins.