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TPW-JAN16

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16 nJanuary 2016n www.thunderpress.net Kay Cardwell c/o THUNDER PRESS 10405 6th Avenue North, Suite 210, Minneapolis, MN 55441 E-mail: kaycardwell@aol.com Phone: 707.678.4261 H appy New Year! I hope you made some good memories in 2015, and now we can plan and anticipate the good memories that we will make in 2016. As you mount up to go on the New Year's Day ride for good luck or a Polar Bear Ride next week, keep in mind that this time of year presents unique and perhaps haz- ardous challenges for motorcycle riders. I am thinking of wet roads and how we can stay safe as we hit the asphalt. Before you twist the throttle, make sure your bike is in top- notch condition. More than at any other time of the year, tires must be properly infl ated with uncompromised tread. Roadways will be wet and very slick. With the fi rst rain, oil will seep up to the surface to coat the road. Wait a couple of hours for continued rain to wash the oil away. Oil is not the only slippery thing that can take your wheels right out from under you. Roads are patched with black lines of asphalt known as tar snakes, and when they get wet, hitting them can take you down. Another thing to be leery of is the white paint used to mark lanes, crosswalks and turns. When this white paint is wet, it is very dangerous. Avoid riding on snakes and white paint whenever possible. Educate yourself on conditions and locations most likely to create ice. Remember that there are two types of ice. There is white ice that you may be able to see, and there is black ice that you will never be able to see. White ice is often found on overpasses, and black ice is often found in shady spots. Finally, remember how I nagged you about heat stroke over the summer? Well, now I am going to nag you about hypothermia. Hands, feet and head—cover them up, and try to stay warm. It is diffi - cult to control a bike if you can't feel your fi ngers and you are lightheaded from a frozen brain. Have a good ride, and keep the rubber side down!… Happy birthday to all motorcycle riders who celebrate in January. Happy birthday to IHR member Lorie Linderman in Shingle Springs; to Will Long in Pocatello, Idaho; to Mardi Moore in Gold Hill, Oregon; Diana Visage in Medford, Oregon and Cathy Young in Santa Cruz. Happy birthday to Denise R. Peets in Long Beach, to Gary Cook in Sacramento, to Peggy Harrington in San Jose, to Rich Larson in Santa Cruz, to Elvira Nevarez in Woodland, Bill Katen in Sacramento, to Roger Gilbert in Salinas, to Michael Zaballos in Santa Cruz and to Mark Johnson in Las Vegas, Nevada. Happy birthday to celebrity riders Nicholas Cage and Kid Rock. E-mail me your name, your birthday month and the name of your riding group or where you live and I will include you in the happy birthday wishes… Easyriders 2016 Bike Show Tour in California will debut in Sacramento at the downtown Convention Center and will be held January 9–10. The next stop on the tour will be at the Long Beach Convention Center on January 16. The tour will leave California following Long Beach and move on to Charlotte, North Carolina, and then to Nashville, Tennessee, before stopping in Columbus, Ohio. In addition to seeing some awesome custom bikes, you will get a chance to meet Rusty Coones from the Sons of Anarchy and listen to the music of the Fryed Brothers Band. For more information go to easyridersevents.com or call 800.962.9857… Congratulations to Gary and Sheila Hopper on their new Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited. Gary is the Head Road Captain for Modesto H.O.G., and I read in their newsletter that this is his third new bike since joining the group. After putting 100,000 miles on each of the fi rst two bikes, they have certainly earned this new one… Harley-Davidson of Sacramento will hold its "Bikes and Beer 2016" every second Saturday in 2016. "Bikes and Beer" will feature free food and $1 beer, and all the proceeds will go to a local charity. Is this something akin to building a better mouse- trap? If you offer bikers free food and $1 beer, they will come!… Rose Southward has been an active member of ABATE Local 17 for a long time, and as Local 17 was considering which charitable orga- nizations to support, Rose introduced us to Crime Stoppers. Crime Stoppers is a group of volunteers who liaison with local law enforcement in their efforts to fi nd missing people. They sponsor tip lines where informants can remain anonymous, and they print and post missing persons fl yers. This quest is very personal for Rose. Her brother, James Norris, traveled from Northern California to Florida in 1974, and was never seen again. His remains were found in 1976, but remained uniden- tifi ed until 2010. Rose and her family suffered the anguish of not knowing for all those years. James was a homicide victim, and now Rose and Crime Stoppers are determined to identify and bring his killer to justice. You can read more of this heart-breaking story on www.whokilled- jamesnorris.com. Also, do some research on Crime Stoppers, and when your riding group is selecting a charity to support, maybe you will consider this organization.

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