VOLUME 1 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2010
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Merry Christmas! Iowa PGR Reader’s Submissions Cool Pan Chopper
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Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa www.thunderroadsiowa.com P.O. Box 29 Kimballton, Iowa 51543 (712) 249-5630 tt@thunderroadsiowa.com Owner/Editor Tina (TT) Schwarte (712) 249-5582 tt@thunderroadsiowa.com Editor Vernon Schwarte (712) 249-5630 vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com Josh (Stampede) and Pam Brown Regional Sales Representatives (SE Iowa Area) 563-571-1617 stampede196@yahoo.com Richard (Murph) and Annette Murphy Event Coverage/Magazine Distribution vizslaboots@yahoo.com Contributors Photography Kandi Schlensig kandi@thunderroadsiowa.com 712-249-0713 Photography Thunder Illusions Rich thunderillusions@gmail.com Craig Little-Will Ride for Food Dude craig@thunderroadsiowa.com Layout and Design Warren Ells, Art Director Thunder Publishing Warrenlayout@yahoo.com National Founders Toni McCoy Shearon & Brian Shearon 1528 Matlock Drive Chapmansboro, TN 37035 Office: (615) 792-0040 Fax: (615) 792-7580 thunderroadscharter@charter.net
CONTENTS On the Cover
Crystal Ellis owns her own green clothing line called Faire L’amour which means Make Love in French. She loves to sew and create one of a kind pieces out of gently used or sentimental fabrics. Her creations can be found at www.fairelamourclothing.com She has always had a love for motorcycles and plans on learning how to ride, one day soon. Her most recent involvement in styling with motorcycles was the new calendar, “The Art of Mastering American Made Motorcycles” that can be found for purchase at “Werner Cycle Works” where the cover was shot. She always works with a wonderful team of professionals when doing any photo shoot. Her hair was done by Scott Wilson located at Sirens in Downtown Omaha and Make up by Rhodora Felix, a freelance makeup artist currently in Omaha. 99 Counties On The Wall..............................................4 The Horse Rally............................................................6 KISS............................................................................7 Joker.............................................................................8 Military Riders...............................................................9 Biker Friendly .............................................................10 Girls Of Thunder.........................................................12 Will Ride To Eat.........................................................13 ABATE Update...........................................................14 Patriot Guard Riders...................................................15 Winterization..............................................................16 Thundercam...............................................................20 NCOM News Bytes.....................................................22 Byron James Gang.....................................................24 Remember.................................................................25 Geneva’s Puzzle Page...............................................26 From The Woman’s Seat............................................27 Readers’ Submissions................................................29 Trustworthy Cycles.....................................................30 Skin Art.......................................................................32 Blessing Of The Bikes.................................................34 Events.......................................................................37
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Can you believe that 2010 is almost in the books? It seems to have just flown by with a flurry of activity for many of you. I know for us it is a good thing we have cameras with us most of the time so we can capture what is going on, otherwise we may just forget about some of the cool stuff we have seen and awesome people we have met. In our quest to make this magazine from Iowa, about Iowa, and for Iowa, we would love to keep getting your input. Let us know what you like, don’t like, want to see more of, and please feel free to offer any suggestions. On that note, we also love getting submission from readers about your travels, places to go, and things to see and do. The winter is just getting rolling with the first snow as this is being written, so send us your stories and pictures to help get all of us through the dead of winter. We just figure that if we can see some pictures of great riding adventures, and hear the stories, it will make the
time pass a little quicker and less painful until we can ride again next spring. To help get the ball rolling, email us some cool stuff like how many miles you have logged in 2010 on two (or three) wheels. Another idea is tell us about the coolest place in Iowa that you rode to this year. You can also let us know of the best place to get a pizza/burger/steak/tenderloin/fish/ anythingyoucan think of to eat. We sure like the trips for a meal, and it seems a lot of bikers do as well. Don’t keep all those hot spots a secret though, share with your biker brothers and sisters. If you are not the writing type, give us a holler, or shoot us an email about the topic, and we will get the information and take it from there. Just because you are scared of a computer does not mean you don’t have a story to tell. Now is the time of year for shopping for those Christmas presents for friends and family. We always think that a subscription to Thunder Roads is a great gift, no matter what time of year it is. For this month we added a couple of subscription forms for that very purpose. Let us know who it goes to, and who it comes from, and we will send them a nice little Christmas card letting them know about your gift to them. For your other shopping needs, don’t forget about our advertisers. They are keeping this magazine going, so please support them whenever you can. It also helps if you mention that you are frequenting their business because of their ad in our magazine. Don’t be afraid to tell them Thunder Roads sent you. We would also like to wish everyone a happy holiday season. This December issue should hit your hands just before Turkey Day, so happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year as well. We hope that everyone gets everything from their wish list, gets to spend some quality time with loved ones, and is safe and makes it through the next couple of months no worse for wear. Hope to see you out and about soon. Vernon and tt
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99 Counties on the Wall Black Hawk County Iowa Black Hawk County is a place we have both hung our hats at different times in our lives. Its strange how things work out; how you could be so close to your future without realizing it. My other half lived here for several years while he was attending the University Northern of Iowa, and then working at the now Silver Eagle Harley Davidson shop. I arrived in the fall of 1992 after my service in the United States Marine Corps. We didn’t meet each other until 1997, on a blind date! I believe that our life experiences bring us to be the people we are today and if we’d met at an earlier time things might not have gone so well. With that said, on to the story… Black hawk County is located in the northeastern part of Iowa that has the Cedar River acting as a dividing line between the northwest and extending to southeast corner. The county was named after a Sac Native American War Leader, although this man would never step foot in this county. The 2000 census has the population at 128,012 with a majority of the people living in Waterloo/Cedar Fall area. The towns of Waterloo and Cedar Falls being are closely connected by geography but take on their own distinct personalities. When you take a ride through this area you will be struck by the sharp contrast of these two communities. Originally this county was covered with dense timber with the swift rapids of the Cedar River flowing through it and about seven miles south of the falls was a vast open prairie area. The bottom of the river was solid rock. The known original people of this area were the Sac and Fox Indians. The 1832 war of Black Hawk between the Europeans and Indians was the beginning of many changes causing the Indians to lose their foothold on this area. Entrepreneurs envisioned great potential from this area of Iowa. The falls provided water power and the combination of the rock river bottom with the open prairie land provided a safer passage when traveling the area. Waterloo and Cedar Falls had not always been identified by these names but were originally known as Sturgis Falls (now Cedar Falls) named after William Sturgis, who had plans for a dam. The old name is reflected by the yearly Sturgis Falls Celebration and Cedar Basin Jazz Festival, held in June. Prairie Rapids (now Waterloo) came from the first settlers to this area. The towns were renamed as Black Hawk County began to take shape. In 1845 the entire
population of the county was thirteen. This area was discovered to have very rich soil for farming which lead to this becoming an important center for agriculture. In 1861, The Illinois Central Railroad chose Waterloo over Cedar Falls for their repair location. The railroad was instrumental in forming a solid foundation for Waterloo becoming a major industrial area. Cedar Falls took a different path, starting in 1876 with the Iowa State Normal School for teaching. As Waterloo began to make its mark in the industrial area, gaining the nickname “The Factory City;” Cedar Falls started taking the shape of a college town and even earning the nickname “The Lawn City.” These different paths lead to Waterloo and Cedar Falls being in direct competition with each other since the beginning. Waterloo also competes with itself. The east and west sides of Waterloo have had their own competition that remains in effect till this day. One argument was about the county court house. During an election decision of where to put the county court house, Cedar Falls set a tone by putting their votes behind the east side of Waterloo, in direct retaliation against the businessmen of western Waterloo. West side businessmen wanted to have the county seat chosen by the legislature. This tiff between the east and west sides of Waterloo extended to forming separate school districts in 1866 and in 1898 the fight was about which side of the river to place a library. Instead of coming to an agreement, a smaller library was placed on each side. Competition had positive aspects too, which resulted in the entire area growing more rapidly and industry making a huge impact. One of the factories that started here and still remains a constant in Waterloo is John Deere, which was founded in 1918. Rath was another very large contributor to the area. With these two major industrial companies also came a very strong union community that still remains. This area has witnessed hard times, as documented in 1980 and 1990 census. This is a time when the farming community got hit hard with low market prices and farm foreclosures. John Deere drastically cut back production and hiring was virtually eliminated until approximately 1997. Rath completely closed their doors in 1985 and was later to be replaced by IBP, a meat packing plant that also brought along another wave of immigration to the area. The growth of this area has always brought a wealth of different immigrants such as Croatian, eastern Europeans,
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African-American from the Deep South, and a large group of Danes. Most recently this area has seen increased populations from Latin American and Bosnia. Until 1932, a Danish Language newspaper was printed and there is even a mural painted by New Orleans native Richard Thomas (said to have a studio in town) spanning the side of the government building in Waterloo that depicts immigration and businesses through the years. I was downtown taking pictures of the mural and another piece of art painted on the side of the building when my spouse and I noticed a place called Screaming Eagle American Bar & Grill. We entered for a bite to eat and as luck would have it we were met at the door by one of the owners, Ivan. He sat down with us for an interesting and entertaining conversation. Ivan shuts off the street every Thursday night for bike night until the weather ends things, definitely biker friendly! I recommend the ‘cheesy onion twigs’… yummy. The annual Cattle Congress was at one time considered the one of the nation’s premier livestock shows. Other attractions are The Victorian Home and Carriage House Museum that houses memorabilia documenting the first permanent settlement in Black Hawk County. The George Wyth House and Viking Pump Museum gives visitors a look at the home of George Wyth, founder of the Viking Pump Company another of the area’s well known factories. The Ice House Museum: a circular structure 100 feet in diameter that once housed the flourishing Cedar Falls ice business. The Little Red School House: a schoolhouse built in 1909. The Behrens-Rapp Service Station: the second gasoline service station built in Cedar Falls. Explore downtown Cedar Falls and discover a variety of business providing an enjoyable day of shopping and dining. There are even some friendly local taverns where non-shoppers can patiently wait. A trip to downtown Waterloo gives you a breath taking view of the three bridges spanning the Cedar River. The Cedar River flows too fast to swim across,
but I’ve been told that fishing from the banks is good. On the west side, near the westbound bridge is an old art deco yellow sandstone YMCA building with 4 bronzes of seated women along the river side of the building. The building is no longer utilized as the YMCA and I hope that that the history will not be lost with the empty building status. A fun family/kids activity during the summer is a visit to Lost Island Water Park located off Hwy 218 on Shaulis Road. In the winter, enjoy hockey at the indoor arena. John Deere offers tours of their different plants. I have personally taken many tours when I was working for the Waterloo Warehousing and Service Company and found it quite fascinating. Be sure to check out the Sullivan Brother Iowa Veterans Museum that is located close to this area: the Sullivan Brothers are five brothers that were killed during or shortly after the sinking of the USS Juneau, a vessel they all served on during World War II. As a result of this tragedy, family members are not permitted to serve in the same area during war time (Sole Survivor Policy DoD Directive 1315.15). Just the view of the veterans’ museum from the outside alone is something to see. This county has a lot of history and many interesting roads to travel. No matter what time of year there is always something to do. The bottom line: no matter what you are into, between the communities of Black Hawk County you will find something to your liking and interests. The people are friendly and there is a wealth of information far beyond what I can fit in this article. I would love to hear from you about your travels through the counties of Iowa; things you have discovered and people worthy of a special mention. Send me an email and you could very well see your story in an upcoming issue of Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa. Sources available on request. 99 Counties to tour on the bike, 99 counties to tour, take one down, drive on around, 92 counties to tour on the bike. A few years back, a summer riding goal of ours, also our summer vacation that year, was to ride through each of Iowa’s counties, and what was found was a wealth of interest and beauty. Each month we will feature a different county, and new things to go see, and hopefully spark a little touring curiosity for our own wonderful state.
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The Horse Rally Labor Day weekend 2010 It seems a lot of people from Iowa are completely unaware of the beautiful scenery and amazing roads to ride in the eastern part of the state. The Mississippi River valley offers some amazing views, and the small town of Sabula is known as “Iowa’s only island city” so with the Mississippi and it’s back water’s surrounding it, there’s no doubt this statement is true. On the west side of Sabula, the hills on the mainland of Iowa rise up from the river, and just south of town along highway 67, is a little party known at The Iron Horse Music Festival. The festival grounds are perched high atop the hills over looking the river valley, and a natural amphitheater is the perfect location for live music, with folks camping in view of the stage. The event started in 2006 with numerous parties through out the riding season, and attracted many national musicians. This past summer, parties were held on Memorial and Labor Day weekends, and things have been changed up a bit to add some more daytime events. The riding scenery around the area gives plenty to take in during day light hours, but for someone that wants to stay at camp and party it up, 4X4 mud bogs were held on Saturday afternoon, and enough earth was moved recently to add a location on grounds for a hill climb Sunday afternoon. Live music was kicked off immediately flowing each afternoon’s events, with local bands like Sleepin on the Couch, Zero Ground, and Blue Heels, before headliners took to the stage after dark. Aultimate Ozzy, a killer Ozzy Osbourne tribute rocked the crowds Saturday night, followed by Zed Lepplin, as one might guess a Led Zepplin tribute. On Sunday night, Adler’s Appetite, featuring Steven Adler from Guns-NRoses was slated, but couldn’t make it, so at last minute Shannon Curfman, Kid Rock’s current guitar player took to the call and entertained the crowds with her original and cover material. The weekend also host a nightly wet T-shirt contest with cash prizes for the ladies who are itching to put on a show for the masses, but we’ll try to keep this a PG rated story, and let your imagination wander! Next year’s parties will again take place both holiday weekends over the summer, and plans are in the works to add more daytime events. There are free hot showers on grounds, plenty of food and beer to be consumed, and vendors for all your T-shirts, leather repairs, and motorcycle needs. For more info check out www.thehorserally. com or call 815-273-2600 Nate Ullrich – www.natanic.com Thunder Roads Magazine 6
FROM OUR THUNDER ROADS FAMILY TO YOURS’ Merry Christmas & A Blessed New Year. MELT IN YOUR MOUTH, ROASTED HOLIDAY BEEF TENDERLOIN One 2-Pound of Beef Tenderloin Roll (Sam’s Club or Costco has superb Beef Tenderloin) Preheat Oven to 500 Degrees Let Meat Sit On Counter for A Full 20 Minutes Pat Tenderloin Dry With Clean Kitchen Towel Rub Meat Down Thoroughly With Real Butter Rub Salt & Cracked Pepper Over Meat Thoroughly Roast for 25 Minutes On A Shallow-Sided Sheet Pan Insert Meat Thermometer Into Exact Center of Meat Thermometer Should Read 125 Degrees for A Perfect Medium-Rare and 130 Degrees for A Perfect Medium; To Cook It Any Longer Is A Crime Against Tenderloin & You’d Be Better Off Roasting An Old Shoe. Remove Filet From Oven To A Separate Plate and Cover Entirely With Foil And Let Meat Rest At Least 10 Minutes, Add An Envelope of “French’s Peppercorn Gravy Mix” to Pan Drippings For A Rich, Smooth Gravy. This is the easiest and absolute foolproof way I’ve ever found to cook a tenderloin and it literally comes out perfect every single time. E-Z CHEEZY HOLIDAY POTATO BAKE 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, undiluted 1 Cup (8 oz. tub) Sour Cream 1/2 Cup Whole Milk 1 cup (4 ounces) Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese 1/2 cup Butter, Melted & Divided 1 package (30 ounces) Frozen Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes; Thawed 1 Cup Italian Bread Crumbs 1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan cheese In a large bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, milk, cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup butter. Stir in the hash browns. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and remaining butter; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 45-50 minutes or until heated through. Perfect w/ the Beef Tenderloin and a big bowl of
Broccoli Florets. Look for them in any grocery freezer. Be sure and get Florets ONLY! as those are the tops of the broccoli and the very best part of the vegetable. Microwave and dot w/ real butter pats. Salt & Pepper. Superb. MRS. CLAUS’ REAL DEAL NANNER’ PUDDIN’ 2-1/2 Cups Sugar 6 Tbls. All-Purpose Flour Dash of Salt 2 (12 oz.) Cans of Evaporated Milk 4 Egg Yolks 1/2 Stick of Real Butter; Cubed 1 tsp. Real Vanilla Extract 1 Box Nilla Vanilla Wafers *Plus extra for garnish & for crumbling 5 Ripe Bananas; Sliced 1/2” Thick 1 Can of Real Whipped Cream In a 3-quart heavy saucepan on low heat, add sugar, flour & salt. Pour in the evaporated milk and keep stirring constantly. After about 15 minutes, the sauce will thicken slowly. Lightly beat the egg yolks in a medium size bowl. Now, temper the eggs, which means that you slowly ladle some of the thickened sauce into the eggs.....slowly, and whisk gently. Now add your eggs into your sauce (since you’ve tempered them they won’t turn into scrambled eggs in your sauce). Continue to gently whisk your sauce, apprx. 3 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in butter and Vanilla Extract. Place pudding in a bowl and cover w/ plastic wrap. Let cool in fridge for 2-1/2 hours. Now, into a large glass bowl or trifle dish, add a layer of Nilla Vanilla Wafers, a layer of sliced bananas, then a layer of pudding sauce and then a layer of Real whipped cream. Keep repeating layers but make sure you save enough whip cream for the top layer. Garnish w/ crumbled wafers over entire top and wavers stuck standing up all around perimeter of desert dish. Now, this is the REAL DEAL method of making it and baby, Mrs. Claus don’t mess around cause’ this will literally make you a believer in Santa, the North Pole, Rudolph & his buds......... & Miracles.
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Military Riders
End of Year Thoughts……… means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their * I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately brain is also important to protect. clear your computer history if you die. * Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument An old lady dies and goes to heaven. She’s chatting when you realize you’re wrong. it up with St. Peter at the “Pearly Gates” when all * I totally take back all those times I put up a fight about tak of a sudden she hears the most awful, blood-curdling ing a nap when I was younger. screams. ‘Don’t worry about that,’ says St. Peter, ‘It’s only * There is great need for sarcasm fonts; the “finger”, the someone having the holes drilled into her shoulder blades for “mooning”, the “bite me”, the “suck this”......... the wings.’ The old lady looks a little uncomfortable but carries * How the hell is anyone besides Martha Stewart supposed on with the conversation. A few minutes later, there are more to know how to fold a damn fitted sheet? blood curdling screams. ‘Oh my,’ says the old lady, ‘now what’s * Map Quest really needs to start their directions on happening?’’ Not to worry,’ says St. Peter, ‘She’s just having prompt # 5. I’m pretty sure I know how to get out of my her head drilled to fit the halo.’ ‘I can’t do this,’ says the old own neighborhood. Also.....an Avoid This Neighborhood lady, ‘I’m going to Hell.’ ‘You can’t go to that nasty place,’ says prompt would be greatly appreciated. St. Peter. ‘You’ll be raped and taken advantage of.’ ‘Maybe so,’ * Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you says the old lady, ‘but I’ve already got the holes for that.’ how the person actually died, right? * Why is it that bad decisions always make for really good Four guys go fishing…..After an hour, the following conversastories? tion took place: First guy: You have no idea what I had to do * You never know when it will strike, but there comes a mo to be able to come out fishing this weekend. I had to promise ment at work when you just know that you aren’t going to my wife that I would paint every room in the house next weekdo anything productive for the rest of the day. end..’ Second guy: That is nothing, I had to promise my wife * Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after that I would build her a new deck for the pool.’ Third guy: Man Blue Ray? I don’t want to have to restart my collection... ,you both have it easy! I had to promise my wife that I would yet again. remodel the kitchen for her.’ They continue to fish. When they * I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so realized that the fourth guy has not said a word, they asked I know not to answer when they call. him, “You haven’t said anything about what you had to do * I totally disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any to be able to come fishing this weekend. What’s the deal?” given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Fourth guy: I just set my alarm for 5:30 am. When it went off, Budweiser than Kay. I shut off the alarm, gave the wife a playful slap on the ass and * I have a very hard time deciphering that fine line between said: ‘Fishing or Sex?’ And she groggily replied,……’Wear boredom and real hunger. sun-block.’ * How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear, un At a deer camp, no one wanted to room with “Ratchet”, bederstand or really give a damn, about a word they said? cause he snored so loudly all night long. They decided to take * I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars turns. The first guy slept with Ratchet and comes to breakfast team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay the next morning obviously sleep deprived. He said, “Ratchet strong, brothers and sisters....unite! snored so loudly, I just sat up and watched him all night. The * Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets stank. Jeans? Jeans next night it was guy #2’s turn. In the morning, exact same seldom get dirty, and you can wear them all week. thing. They said “Man, what happened to you? “That damn * Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating Ratchet shakes the roof with his snoring. I watched him all their car keys in a pocket or finding their cell phone, but night”. The third night was Bubba’s turn. Bubba was a sage, I’d bet everyone can find and push the snooze button old-school biker. The next morning he came to breakfast from 2 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. “Good morning!” he boomed. time, every time! They couldn’t believe it. “Man, what happened?” they all * Why is it the older you get, the more the movie shouted. Bubba coolly replied, “Well, we got ready for bed. I “The Borrowers”, about how little gremlins take or move went and tucked Ratchet into bed, patted his butt, and kissed your “stuff” around, truly makes so much sense? his forehead....Ratchet decided it best to stay up and watch * The first testicular guard, the “Cup,” was used in Hockey me all night”. in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That Thunder Roads Magazine 8
Terry “Mingo” Conant is this month’s featured military rider. He hails from Missouri Valley, Iowa. Terry served our great country in the United States Army. He attained the rank of E5 during his service from 1968 through 1971. He served in Korea for 13 months in the 2nd Infantry Division of the 7th Cavalry from 1969 and 1970. He then served in Vietnam in the 1st Logistical Command 148th S&S Company in Phu Bi. His primary MOS was as a mechanic of both track and wheeled vehicles. His family has an extensive service history, with many cumulative years during wartime and overseas. His father was a Navy man in World War II; his oldest brother is retired after completing a Navy career as a NCO. His second oldest brother was a Marine that served two tours with the Corp in Vietnam, and his younger brother served in the Army Korea and Germany. The first bike that Terry ever road was a buddies 1945 Harley Davidson. His first bike that he owned was a 441 BSA after he got out of the service. He then hopped on a 1985 Harley Sportster, and currently has a 1991 Springer Standard and a 1998 Heritage Springer Softail pictures here. He did like a lot of us and spent a bit of time without two wheels when the kids were growing up, but after they were older, got back on to riding. His Heritage Springer he picked up at Dillon Brothers in Fremont, and chose this bike because he was looking for a Harley Davidson 95th Anniversary edition. Every year he attends numerous rides and events, with one of the biggest being the ABATE Freedom Rally in Algona. He is a member of both Nebraska and Iowa ABATE, and rides with members of both, as well as tons of friends from all over. On top of riding, Terry plays frequently with his Biker Friendly band, the Byron James Gang. Their band plays a lot of Biker events and can be found at http://www. byronjamesgang.com/ on the web. He also does metal art with his better half Julie when not riding or playing. If you see him out on bike, give him a nice Veteran’s wave, and if you get a chance, shake his hand and thank him for his service. Ride Free Thanks to our Military!
Contact Vernon at vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com or 712-249-5630 For More Information Thunder Roads Magazine 9
Biker Friendly Directory It’s important for you to know who your friends are out there when you hit the road! Welcome to our Biker Friendly Directory. The following is a list of our establishments throughout Iowa that want you to know that they’re here for YOU. Whether it’s a bike dealer, service shop, restaurant, bar or any other type of business that welcomes our biking community through their doors, you can count on our family of friends to always welcome you in. The staff here at Thunder Roads greatly appreciates our advertiser’s support each month- they are the sole financial supporters of this magazine.WE WOULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT THEM! So please give them the support that they truly deserve for being with us & drop by to see them for a visit. Let them know that you saw them here in Thunder Roads. If you know a business that would like to join our Thunder Roads family of Biker Friendly Places, please give us a call tt at 712-249-5582 or email tt at tt@ thunderroadsiowa.com or Vernon at vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com Services Nelson Machine & Forge General Machining, Ornamental Iron, Weld/Fab 70 Washington Street Marne, Iowa 51552 712-781-2220 Leather & Hawgs 316 Main, Hornick, Iowa 121 1st St, Soldier, Iowa Leather@netins.net www.leatherandhawgs.com Doc’s Bail Bonds Your 24/7 Prescription to Freedom in Minutes Adel, Iowa 50003 515-993-4773 Ulrich Photography PO Box 1842 Clinton, Iowa 52733 563-243-8715 www.natanic.com Iowa Bail Bonds 200 4th Street Des Moines, IA 50309 (515) 243-4411
Southwest Iowa Sandblasting Mike Magers 65162 Oxford Rd Atlantic, Iowa 50022 712-249-3995 BCS Computers 100 Industrial Road Guthrie Center, Iowa 50115 641-747-3344 www.brubakercomputer.com Panora Auto Parts Your NAPA Store 518 West Main (Hwy 44) Panora, Iowa 641-755-2266 Crispy’s Biker Apparel Cedar Rapids, Iowa www.bikerwear.com 319-241-0916 Thunder Illusions Photo and Video From Mild to Wild Des Moines, Iowa thunderillusions@gmail.com www.thunderillusions.com Dealers and Shops Throttle Shop LLC 1988 Arion Avenue Arion, Iowa 51520 712-674-3325 throttleshopllc@gmail.com Trustworthy Cycles 3781 Balk Road Fulton, Illinois 61252 563-249-1777 Specializing in Making the “Old Iron” Trustworthy Guthrie Auto Body John Beer owner 1804 State Street Guthrie Center, Iowa 50115 641-332-2484 F & J Racing Fred & Jackie Ingraham 701 N 3rd Ave Marshalltown, Iowa 50158 641-752-8651 www.fandjracing.com
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Moto-Cycle Parts, Inc. 909 Guthrie Street De Soto, Iowa 50069 motocyclepartsinc.com motocyclepartsinc@mchsi.com Shop Cell 515-250-4800 Shop 515-834-2786 XTreme Cycle & Off Road 206 E Main St Panora, Iowa 50216 641-755-4288 xtremecycle@netins.net Baxter Cycle 311 4th Street Marne, Iowa 51552 712-781-2351 www.baxtercycle.com J & S Custom Cycles Des Moines, Iowa 515-779-4632 M&M Garage 408 Market Street Audubon, Iowa 50025 712-563-2425 mmgarage@iowatelecom.net
Werner Cycle Works 14410 Frontier Road Exit 440 I-80 Omaha, NE 68138 (402) 894-3050 www.wernercycleworks.com Breeze Triumph 4961 Center Street Omaha, NE 68106 402-991-5500 www.breezecycle.com Carroll Cycle Center 1327 Plaza Dr Carroll, Iowa (712) 792-1610 www.carrollcycle.com Big Barn Harley Davidson I-80 Exit 135 Des Moines, Iowa 515-265-4444 www.bigbarnhd.com
Biker Friendly Directory Bars, Restaurants, Lounges & Clubs
Doc’s Roadhouse 309 East 7th Street Logan, Iowa 51543 712-644-3636 Open 365-8 am to Close Off Sides Pizza 1119 Thomas Street Redfield, Iowa 50233 515-833-2900 Thomas Street Tap 1109 Thomas Street Redfield, Iowa 50233 515-833-2379 Montgomery Street Pub 207 East Montgomery Street Creston Iowa 50801 641-782-2165 Sidetracked 206 West Union Street Creston, Iowa 50801 641-782-8534 Wet Goods Food & Lounge 113 N. Chestnut Street Jefferson, Iowa 50129 515-386-2111 Pearl Street Social Club 110 Pearl Street SW Shellsburg, Iowa 52332 319-436-7100
Phil’s 20oz Prime Rib Friday Nights 9956 Swanson Blvd Clive, Iowa 515-270-0959 Sambetti’s Bar and Grill 1430 2nd Avenue Des Moines, Iowa 50314 515-245-9780 Mon-Sat 11a-2a, Sun 11a-7p Texas Roadhouse 8744 Northpark Drive (I-80 at 86th street exit) Johnston, Iowa 50131 515-251-4597 Escape Lounge 8843 Northpark Ct, Johnston, IA 50131 515-276-2209 RJ’s Lounge 109 North Main Street Conrad, IA (641) 366-2687 Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-2am Sunday 12pm-12am Corner Tap 35 North Center Street Marshalltown, IA (641) 753-9925 Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-2am Sunday 12pm-2am Goat Ranch Saloon 105 South Main Street Baxter, IA (641) 227-3502
Nitro’s Bar & Grill 310 Main Street Gravity, Iowa 50848 641-418-0004 Home of Sunday-Funday
O’Kelly’s 106 North Main Street Baxter, IA 50028 (641) 227-3013
Rusty Duck Bar & Grill 723 Marshall Street Dexter, Iowa 50070 Tue-Sat 4-10pm 515-789-4142
Roadhog’s Bar 104 East Main Street State Center, IA (641) 483-2126 Tracey and John Abate- Owners
Quick Rick’s Rib Joint 406 East Lincoln Highway (Highway 30) Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555 712-600-6161 Tue-Sun 11:00am-8:00pm
Rumours Sports Bar & Grill 309 South 12th Ave. Place Marshalltown, IA (641) 752-5477 Steve Priske-Owner
Beer Barn and Grill 226 State Street Kirkman, Iowa 51447 712-766-3395 Open Mon 4, Tue-Sun at 11
14th Street Tavern 3418 East 14th Street Des Moines, IA (515) 266-3446 Open Weekdays 8am-2pm Sat 10am-2pm and Sun 11am-2pm
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The Haverhill Social Club 202 1st Street Haverhill, IA 50120 (641) 475-3321 Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-2am Sunday 12pm-12am
Riverside Tavern 450 E Main St Lehigh IA, 50557 515-359-9998 Email: riversidetap@gmail.com Good Sons 2815 Beaver Ave Ste 102 Des Moines, IA (515) 681-5375 Papa Joe’s 117 South 6th Street Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555 712-642-9015 Midway Tavern 206 1st Street Soldier, Iowa 712-884-2230 www.midwaytavernsoldier.com
Tattoo
Bad Girlz Ink 1217 Willis Perry, Iowa 50220 515-465-2205
Attorneys
Richard Lester www.on-a-bike.com 800-on-a-bike To buy ad space and list your business or service in our directory, give us call at 712-249-5582
r e d n u h T f O s Girl
Charlie’s at the Carrollton 1730 US HWY 71 N Carroll, IA 712-775-2427 Monday-Saturday 11-2, 5-10 Sunday Breakfast Buffet 9-1 All you can eat buffet... MUSIC TO MY EARS!!!!
Cindy Bartlett 2008 Heritage Softail Council Bluffs Kristine Bunker Aspinwall, Iowa 2009 Harley 1200 Custom Sportster
Are you from Iowa? Are you a Girl
This month I decided that with the Christmas Season approaching I would review an eating establishment that may make spending time with family and friends more enjoyable and a lot less work. Holidays are always a favorite time for family and friends to get together and as the gatherings get bigger and free time gets smaller it makes sense to let someone else cook. Keeping this in mind I set out to review a buffet restaurant and settled on Charlie’s at the Carrollton in Carroll. The restaurant is attached to The Carrollton Inn hotel which is located north of Highway 30 on Highway 71 in Carroll. In addition to the buffets Charlie’s offers a full menu that includes appetizers, pasta, steak, seafood and sandwiches. The prices on the menu were pretty standard with a highest price of $17.95. Charlie’s also offers dinner specials on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Mondays dinner special is sirloin, Tuesday it’s pork flambé (basically it’s a pork chop that has some flammable liquid poured over it and ignited to have a flaming presentation... ya, I had to look it up) and Wednesday the dinner special is prime rib. All the dinner specials are $9.99 and include a baked potato and salad bar. But you can order off of a menu or select a dinner special almost anywhere you eat... it’s the buffets that Charlie’s offers that are the subject of this review. Charlie’s offers a lunch buffet Monday thru Thursday from 11 to 1 with a cost of $7.95 for adults and $4.00 for children. Dinner buffets, running from 5 to 9 PM, start on Thursday night with their chicken and ribs buffet. Friday and Saturday bring you different varieties of main courses and side dishes. The dinner buffets will cost you $11.95 for adults and $6.00 for the youngsters. On the night my son and I visited Charlie’s the main courses on the buffet consisted of stuffed chicken, pork stir fry and breaded shrimp. All three were delicious (I would caution you to select your piece of stuffed chicken quickly... those red heat lamps are HOT!!!! Don’t ask me how I know!) With my favorite being the stuffed chicken. The chicken was moist and well done and the stuffing was very good (I’m not sure what the stuffing consisted of... I’m not very good at dissecting the individual ingredients of what I’m eating as I’m eating it!!!! LOL). The side dishes were cheesy mashed potatoes and a hot mixed vegetable salad. The cheesy potatoes were very good, usually when I encounter cheesy potatoes they turn out to be your run of the mill mashed potatoes with cheese melted over the top of them. Not so on Charlie’s buffet, here the cheese is very well mixed throughout the potatoes making them exceptionally tasty! This upcoming holiday season if you decide you would rather let someone else do the cooking so you can have more time to enjoy family and friends then consider Charlie’s at the Carrollton in Carroll, IA. You can never go wrong with “All You Can Eat” buffet!!!!! Until next month, ride safe and eat hearty! Craig Little craig@thunderroadsiowa.com PS If you have someplace you think we should check out in your neck of the woods, shoot me an email.
of Thunder? Email us your pictures (highest resolution possible) to vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com
Be
sure to include the year, make, and model of your ride and what town you Shar Duncan Honda VTX 1800 Correctionville, Iowa
are from!!! Look for more Girls of Thunder next month.
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ABATE
Update
What Few Know About ABATE By Phil McCormick State Coordinator ABATE of Iowa, Inc.
Few who are members now know that way back in October 1971, EASYRIDERS magazine started a non-profit organization just for bikers. It was called NCCA (National Custom Cycle Association). It wasn’t long until it was changed from NCCA to ABATE (A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments). For a full-blown version of this story, go to http://www.bikerrogue. com/Articles/Biker_Rights/History_of_Abate/history_of_abate. htm ABATE has grown considerably from the days when it was believed you had to ride a “Harley” to fit in. This is not true today. ABATE does not discriminate. We as an organization need and welcome all riders and non-riders alike. What we look for in our membership are people who believe personal Freedoms are very important. Over the years the acronym has also changed in Iowa to A Brotherhood Aimed Towards Education. ABATE works for you, the motorcycle enthusiast. ABATE is a not-for-profit organization registered in the state of Iowa. A neutral organization that allows ALL riders to unite in brotherhood to safeguard our rights and still remain individuals with differing views. We believe that all motorcyclists are brothers with a common interest.... RIDING FREE! There are various versions around the country, but basically, all fight for the same thing… freedom. Iowa has made great strides with our rights; we are one of 3 states who still let the individual rider decide what to wear for personal protection. This took a lot of hard work by many dedicated individuals. ABATE of Iowa owns and operates the only mobile Rider Education units to travel across the state training new riders and experienced riders. Our instructors also teach rider education at many community colleges across the state. We were instrumental in getting legislation passed making it mandatory that all Driver Education classes teach a section called “Share the Road”. This is a program that our volunteers have been teaching across the state and country to everyone who will listen, Share The Road with motorcycles. We co-sponsor two wheel trauma classes teaching paramedics, fire departments, and ambulance drivers what to do in case of a motorcycle crash. It takes money to keep meeting and exceeding our goals, our main moneymaker is the best biker rally in the Midwest, The ABATE of Iowa Freedom Rally. This will be our 27th Rally, and the 10th held at our own 140-acre park northeast of Algona, IA. Join us June 30 thru July 2, 2011. For more information go to www.abateiowa.org or call 641-858-5001. We need to keep Iowa free and our highways a safe place to ride. Membership is only $25.00 a year, isn’t it time you joined the winning team? Membership numbers are what make us a great team, we have been able to gain and retain the respect of our legislators in Des Moines, we are known as the largest grass roots lobbying group in the state. Each March we show up at the Capitol in Des Moines to meet with out lawmakers, we sponsor a breakfast for them to enjoy while we take the chance to express any concerns that we may have as Iowa motorcyclists and citizens. We always welcome new members with open arms and hearts. Join today! (A membership would make a great Christmas gift) Thunder Roads Magazine 14
By Kandi@thunderroadsiowa.com A couple of years ago I learned about a group of special volunteers. This was shortly after I heard about another group who shall remain nameless in this article for obvious reasons. Like myself, I am sure that many of you have watched in disgust the news reports of a church and its members from another state that I refuse to give any publicity to, who protest at the funerals of fallen soldiers. These people, under the guise of their “religious” beliefs, stand along the streets near soldiers funerals and subject the families and friends of these fallen heroes to their ranting and the garbage printed on the signs they hold. My first response was, why do people allow this to happen? Why doesn’t someone help these families in their time of grief? I have witnessed both of sides of these situations in action. The initial feeling of disgust and nausea at watching these people and their children chant and sing words of slander (in my opinion) about the great American soldiers being laid to rest after their service to this country, was replaced by awe and admiration for the PGR. The Patriot Guard Riders do their best to peacefully position themselves between protestors and the grieving families. The sight of a line of motorcycles of all makes, with riders from all walks of life, is in itself quite a view. The sound from the motors is a pleasant replacement for the voices that nobody wants to hear anyway. It is quite an impressive site, as well as being brilliantly executed. I recently learned that a friend and co-worker belongs to this group of volunteers. His name is Jeff “Harpo” Garrison from Harlan, Iowa. Harpo agreed to help me learn more about this group and how it got started. The PGR was formed following a funeral in August of 2005 in Kansas. A group of American Legion riders who witnessed the same church group, doing the same thing, who were as appalled as I am, decided something needed to change. This group of riders found out where the next protest was being held and went to work. They contacted the family for permission, and local law enforcement and other motorcycle organizations for help. Their ultimate goal was to organize veterans and motorcycle organizations in every state so each state could handle this situation internally. Soon after, a mission statement was written and the PGR was named. Two of the
founders created a website and launched it with information on how to become members. The website received 566,000 hits in the first two weeks. As quoted from the PGR webpage, the following is their mission statement: The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse amalgamation of riders from across the nation. We have one thing in common besides motorcycles. We have an unwavering respect for those who risk their very lives for America’s freedom and security. If you share this respect, please join us. We don’t care what you ride or if you ride, what your political views are, or whether you’re a hawk or a dove. It is not a requirement that you be a veteran. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what your income is; you don’t even have to ride. The only prerequisite is Respect. Our main mission is to attend the funeral services of fallen American heroes as invited guests of the family. Each mission we undertake has two basic objectives: 1. Show our sincere respect for our fallen heroes, their families, and their communities. 2. Shield the mourning family and their friends from interruptions created by any protestor or group of protestors. We accomplish the latter through strictly legal and nonviolent means. The PGR’s growth has been phenomenal. State by state, the captains were recruited and governing bodies were formed to keep the mission moving forward. The Patriot Guard Riders are a nationwide group with numbers that continue to grow. If you would like to become a member of this honorable group, check out their website at WWW.PGR.org for information and photos of the things they do. If you are not a rider but want to help, this website can give you information on how to donate to the cause. Everything they do is paid for from their own pockets or by donations. I will close this article with another statement from the PGR website: “To those of you who are currently serving and fighting for the freedoms of others, at home and abroad, please know that we are backing you. We honor and support you with every mission we carry out, and we are praying for a safe return home for all.”
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Guys’ Nite Out
As we all know but hate to admit, winter is here. As we are forced to put our bikes away for the season we should make sure everything is properly winterized. Your battery needs to be properly taken care of. The best way to insure your battery life is to purchase a battery tender. Don’t mistake a battery tender with a trickle charger. A battery tender is specially meant to fully charge a battery and when it is done a microprocessor in the charger itself switches it into “maintenance mode”. As soon as the charge goes below a certain level, it switches back to its charging mode and repeats the process. There are many brands out on the market but in my experience the Harley-Davidson Batter Tender and the Deltran Battery Tender are the best on the market. You can purchase a battery tender for as little as $39.95 and possibly double the life of your battery in addition to the rest of the charging system on your motorcycle. Secondly, you need a good fuel stabilizer in the tank. This can be one of the most inexpensive actions you can do to your motorcycle to help maintain good fuel quality through the winter. Skipping this easy maintenance step can be a costly mistake. You may be dealing with a plugged fuel pump or injectors and a poor running bike come springtime. I’m not biased as to a particular brand; Harley-Davidson, Sea-Foam, or Sta-Bil are a few examples. Remember to put the stabilizer in on your last fill up and make sure you ride a few miles to ensure that it mixes with the fuel and works it way through the system. Lastly, a proper cover for your motorcycle is important. Many people purchase only an outdoor cover for their bikes with the intent on using it for long term also. These are great for short term storage but not long term. A disadvantage to outdoor covers is they keep water out but they also hold moisture in. Any water that that is on your motorcycle, or underneath it will be trapped under the cover and will stay and start to corrode exposed parts. This can cause rust and other issues. A good solution is a heavy duty cotton storage cover. It will help keep your bike clean and protect it from moisture by allowing it to breathe. As winter approaches, remember to follow these three easy steps for winterizing your motorcycle. A reliable battery tender, properly installed fuel stabilizer and a good cotton cover are worth while investments. Come spring your bike will be as ready as you are to ride.
Friday, Dec. 3rd • 6PM to 9PM We just returned from our annual CMA “Changing of the Colors” rally in Arkansas. It felt like we left home in the summer and returned in the winter. I’m not ready for the cold, or I’m too old for the cold as my grand kids would say. Thoughts of snow aside, this was the every-fifth-year international event and the 35th Anniversary of the founding of the Christian Motorcyclists Association. The rally was the biggest yet held. Over 3,500 CMAers from around the world converged on Iron Mountain for a week of brotherhood, worship, teaching, and riding in the beautiful Ouachita Mountains. It is always great to be with our brothers and sisters from other countries and have the chance to compare notes and experiences. To ride and hang out. The bike culture is in some ways the same but also so different in other ways. They have many rallies but not nearly the size nor the comfort levels we are familiar with. We are fortunate in the USA to have so many resources, opportunities, events and the freedom to go all these places unhindered. Thank God we live in the Midwest and only have to worry about dodging deer, not elephants. Our South African brothers on some rides have to carry cans of water and gas, and if they break down they have to keep an eye open so the hyenas don’t get them. That’s adventure riding. We are all in different places geographically and culturally but we have a common bond in the love of motorcycles and the desire to see people know Jesus. Our ABATE sign in the yard says “Be Aware”. I think this applies to the spiritual as well as to the physical. It is hard sometimes to slow down, look around, and take in what is happening. We are so focused on our schedules, our wants, desires, destinations and goals that the important things get lost in the shuffle. We need that increased awareness. I hunt deer with gun and bow as well as with the bike and whether you are in a tree stand or in traffic there is a lot going on that we don’t see unless we are focused and looking. At an event or just sitting around with a bunch of people elsewhere, try looking around to see what God is doing. You will see people that have needs and need each other; families or friends interacting; those who may have lost loved ones, or have those who are sick. So much of this life is about relationships - the relationship between God and us and the relationships between us and others. God uses all of our experiences, good and bad, to equip us to help others. As Christians, we are supposed to be the reflection of Jesus, an extension of him. We serve him by serving others. He was our example. Matthew 20:28 says “For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” We all have baggage and he knows we are far from perfect, but that is okay. For some it may be a history of drugs, alcohol or abuse in its many other forms. The point being, God can take those things, turn them around for good and use them in others lives. When you hurt, reach out to someone else who is hurting. In doing this you help others as well as yourself. The Bible tells us to draw near to God and he will draw near to us. What a comfort to know that God cares and is with us, whatever the situation. He has paid the price and made a way. All we have to do is call on him.
Spend $300 and receive a Military Archive Shadowbox ($75 value!)
Our special night for men only: refreshments, snacks, free gift wrapping. Get your shopping done and see the latest from Harley-Davidson!
1327 Plaza Dr. • Carroll, IA •• 712-792-1610 • 800-792-1610
Mark and Karla Cornick are Area Reps with the Christian Motorcyclists Association. Find out more about CMA and God’s plan for you at www.cmausa.org.
Tony-Carroll Cycle Center Thunder Roads Magazine 16
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www.carrollcycle.com
Bike: Big Dog Wolf with the new S&S Tri-Cam X-Wedge 121 ci motor
Model: Crystal Ellis
Photo: tt
IOWA
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News Bytes DIRTY POLITICS BACKFIRES In an historic mid-term election that saw the GOP sweep into control of the House and narrowly miss winning a Senate majority, as well as Republican gains in gubernatorial posts and statewide races, most of the electorate is simply happy to see an end to negative campaign ads and mudslinging by candidates. One such attack ad could easily be confused with a commercial for Sons of Anarchy, with a Florida congressional hopeful being accused of being a member of “a biker gang linked to meth running” and acts of criminal violence. The TV spot kicks off with a rumbling Harley motor and a gritty-voiced narrator growling, “Guns. Prostitution. Murder. That’s who Allen West rides with.” Paid for and produced by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the smear piece ends with, “We don’t need a politician who rides with gangs.” The Palm Beach Post reported that the Florida Democratic Party said a West supporter was wearing a South Florida Confederation of Clubs patch, and that confederation “has ties to the Outlaws organized crime syndicate.” West (R) is indeed an active motorcyclist who writes a regular political column for a local South Florida biker magazine “Wheels on the Road” that supported his bid, and the Tea Party favorite did have members of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club providing security during his campaign, but the mudslinging appears to be the desperate last-gasp tactics of incumbent Rep. Ron Klein (D) to hold on to his House seat. The Miami New Times called it the “Scariest Ad Of the Year”, but according to one of West’s fellow biker rag columnists, Chuck Lehmann, “This smear tactic by Klein backfired big time as the voters overwhelmingly gave, the underdog, Allen West a resounding 10 point victory over the pathetic Ron Klein, who went down to defeat in disgrace. My WOTR colleague/columnist Lt.Col. Allen West can now be called Congressman-elect Allen West, C.D. 22 Representative in Congress.” VOTERS SEE RED Fueled by discontent, record voter turnout nationwide not only gave the Republican Party the nod in local and national races, but they also saw red at the ballot box as Red Light Camera initiatives lost big on election day. According to TheNewspaper.com, “Regardless of who you voted for, November 2nd represented a major win for everyone who opposes the use of red light cameras. In a handful of pockets across the nation, voters decided they were sick of the automated machines and by voting against the use of these devices, sent a message to law enforcement, as well as the companies that manufacture red light cameras.” These cameras are often viewed as a revenue-generating scheme rather than safety devices, and many citizens feel that red light cameras even represent a violation of our constitutional rights. On election day, cities and districts across the nation decided to ban the use of these cameras, adding to a growing list of towns that have already voted to do so. “The outcome of the voting is a major blow for American Traffic Solutions, the company that manufacturers a large number of the cameras,” reported Autoblog.com. “ATS tried hard to block these measures from even appearing on the ballot, but it was denied. The company was then forced to spend millions of dollars to attempt to sway the public to vote in favor of the cameras, to no avail.” In Houston, Texas, which happens to be one of ATS’s most important accounts, a campaign was run against the camera company by brothers Paul and Randy Kubosh through their Citizens Against Red Light Cameras organization. ATS reportedly spent over $1.7 million, ten times more than the Kubosh brothers, yet ATS still
News Bytes
lost the fight in Houston. Following Houston’s lead, red light cameras are now banned in Mukilteo, Washington; Anaheim, California; and Baytown, Texas. NEW YORK RIDERS FIGHT DISCRIMINATION In addition to the unprecedented harassment on highways by police manning motorcycle-only checkpoints, which is the subject of ongoing litigation by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) Attorney Mitch Proner, Big Apple riders are now faced with elimination of legal bike-only parking spaces. As if it weren’t’ difficult enough for New York City motorcyclists, over the past decade bikers contend the city has turned up the heat on regulatory and legislative fronts, leading to growing complaints of harassment and accusations of discrimination. There are only about 37,000 motorcyclists in a city of over 8 million people so they are a tiny minority, but the motorcycle community has begun to organize and fight back with a group known as “The New York Motorcycle & Scooter Task Force” (NYMSTF), working to ease some of these problems. Most large cities in the U.S. provide biker-only parking for good reason: Bikes and scooters take up less room and are more environmentally-friendly than passenger vehicles. OSHA TELLS OREGON SCHOOL DISTRICT TO BAN MOTORCYCLE TRAVEL Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division officials have recommended that school employees be prohibited from using motorcycles as transportation to work-related activities after Principal Tiffany O’Donnell was seriously injured Sept. 13 in a motorcycle accident en route between two rural schools. O’Donnell, principal of both Elk Trail Elementary School and Shady Cove School, was seriously injured while riding her Suzuki motorcycle between campuses when she was struck by a Nissan pickup truck that was making an illegal U-turn, police said. State OSHA officials said the school district has not violated any regulations, and no citations have been issued, but cautioned that allowing employees to drive motorcycles for work activities presents a hazard to employees, as well as a liability to the school district. The school board is mulling over the recommendation, which is not mandatory. School administrators are expected to drive their personal vehicle for work purposes, but it hadn’t occurred to district officials to dictate what kind of vehicle they drive, said Eagle Point schools Superintendent Cynda Rickert, adding that “We don’t know if the Board will move forward on a policy not allowing you to drive a motorcycle if you are doing school business.” OMG Distracted driving apparently causes fatal crashes affecting bikers and drivers of light trucks more than any other group on the road, according to 2009 statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Though the statistics don’t break down which operator was distracted, only that “distracted driving” affected one or more drivers in fatal crashes, you can be sure there aren’t too many bikers distracted by talking or texting on a cell phone while riding their bikes. It’s estimated that approximately 959,000 traffic incidents last year were caused by distracted driving and 4,898 of those resulted in at least one death. As a result, Massachusetts recently joined 29 other states in passing a texting ban; almost all of those same states (28) have also banned cell phone use in some form. However, a new insurance industry study says that such bans have not reduced automobile accidents. The report does not dispute the danger of texting while driving, but rather it suggests that
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banning the practice does not automatically produce safer roads. “If we’re counting on texting bans to reduce crashes from distracted driving, they’re not doing that,’’ said Adrian Lund, president of the Highway Loss Data Institute in presenting the group’s findings in Kansas City during the annual meeting of the Governors Highway Safety Association. The new study is not the first time the research institute has suggested that legislative efforts to combat distracted driving are not affecting crash rates. In January, the institute found virtually no change in crash frequency for states that had enacted bans on handheld phone use. Lund suggested multiple explanations, pointing to prior studies that found many drivers are not heeding the texting ban, and may be lowering their hands and taking their eyes off the road to text more discreetly. US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, who has championed awareness of the dangers of cellphone use and other distractions, immediately condemned the study as “completely misleading.’’ HIGH COURT RULES AGAINST SOUTH AUSTRALIA GANG LAW Six of seven High Court judges have ruled that aspects of anti-“bikie” laws, which prevent members of “declared” motorcycle gangs from associating with each other, were unconstitutional as applied in South Australia. Under SA laws passed last year to disband outlawed motorcycle clubs, the state attorney-general can “declare” an organization to be an illegal gang if satisfied that its members associate for serious criminal purposes and represent a risk to public safety and order. This is the second resounding legal defeat of this calculating and reactionary piece of legislation, according to the United Motorcycle Council of New South Wales, a coalition of motorcycle clubs organized to fight such discriminatory gang laws. “This decision is an important milestone not just in terms of the fight against the South Australian legislation, but also against similar hastily adopted legislation of other states,” said Ferret, UMC Chairman. Other Australian states, including NSW and Queensland, have enacted similar legislation but officials there believe that their legislation differs in key respects. To celebrate the Supreme Court decision, members of rival clubs came together for a drink to toast a win against the very laws aimed at stopping them from associating. But South Australian Premier Mike Rann said the ruling was only a setback in his self-declared war on bikies, saying he would “keep coming” at members of motorcycle clubs with new legislative measures.
SCOTTISH BIKERS PROTEST FUEL HIKES Hundreds of Scottish bike riders formed a rolling roadblock into Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, on Saturday, Sept 25th to protest skyrocketing petrol prices and increase public awareness of a proposed 1p increase in fuel duty. Members of Fife Bikers blocked sections of the M90 as around 600 bikers slowly rolled into the capital, and organizers say they are prepared to do so again. Member Jim Seymour told the Courier newspaper that he thought the bikers had received a “fantastic” response from the public who lined the streets and overpasses to watch the demonstration. Petitions handed out that day and signed by members of the public are still being gathered, and will be handed in to MSPs in Parliament who will be asked to take legislative action. WEIRD NEWS: ACTOR FATALLY SHOT FILMING MOTORCYCLE GETAWAY SCENE Actor Kirk Abella was masked and filming a getaway scene for the British film “Going Somewhere” when a watchman mistook the performer for a real bandit and fatally shot him. The New York Daily News reports that when the director shouted, “Action,” Abella ran to his waiting motorcycle (and masked stunt driver) to make his film getaway -- only to be grabbed by his shirt and shot in the back at close range by volunteer village guard, Eddie Cuizon, in front of dozens of spectators. Police told the media that when the crowd heard Cuizon fire the gun they believed it was just part of the film -- not realizing they were witnessing the actor’s murder. The shooting took place in the Parian district of Cebu in the Philippine Islands, where criminals often use motorcycles to escape law enforcement. However, the shooting was no simple mistake. Firearms are illegal in the Philippines, and before the incident the guard borrowed a friend’s .357 handgun and went to the police station -- where he was informed that the filming was taking place. The watchman, accompanied by a police officer, then made his way to the film set to help secure the area. Police Chief Alexis Relado said, “I don’t know why he still accosted them.” QUOTABLE QUOTE: “If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.” ~Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) 26th President of the United States
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BYRON JAMES GANG
Western Iowa Biker Band This is the time of year that has always been a melancholy time for me. The close of the riding season, the completion of harvest, and the holiday season are all contributing factors. I am an eternal Scrooge I guess, but I like the holidays and what they stand for, just not all the extra stuff that goes along with them. One of the things that I try to keep in the back of my mind is one simple little word; REMEMBER. This word has a lot of power for tt and me, significant enough that we both had patches made for our vests that we wear on our left shoulders, right above our heart. What this does is remind us constantly of numerous things. By keeping things in the forefront of our mind, it keeps us positive, and keeps us moving forward. Even in the bad things, we can remember some good. Here is part of my list that I think of when I see my patch. Remember: Our fellow riders that have passed Our loved ones no longer with us Those serving the US of A in the armed forces That life is fragile That every day is a gift to be on the green side of the grass Where we have come from Where we are going That those closest to us deserve the highest level of respect That we do not laugh, ride, or relax enough That we tend to make too big of a deal of a lot of things That everyone else looks at things differently That Iowa winters don’t last forever That we will be racking up the miles in a few short months again And our newest one the past 7 months, That we are thankful and appreciative of all our reader s and advertisers
The Byron James Gang Band was formed in 1993 as a tribute to Byron James (Jim) Conant. Jim was named after His Grandfather Byron Roan and James Byron Dean who was born on Feb 8, 1931. Jim’s Mother Loved James Dean. Jim was tragically killed in an accident at Peony Park (Omaha, NE) in 1988. The Byron James Gang started as a jam session in what is now known as Red Barn Productions in Missouri Valley, IA. The band consisted of Jerry (Skeeter) Gibson, Dan Conant, Dennis Collier, and Terry Conant. Dan and Terry were Jim’s brothers. Skeeter and Jim were classmates. This is how the Byron James Gang got its name and its start. As time passed Dan lost interest and left the band. Mike Bishop soon joined the band and all was good for a few years. Throughout this time, many singers came and went, until Kevern Grant joined. In 1999, Dennis and Mike parted ways with the Byron James Gang and started the Velvet Expose. At this time, Travis Conant and Roger Gibson joined the band. This rounded out the band until 2002 when, because of a busy life and job, Skeeter had to take a break. In 2002, Joe Schaecher joined the band. Today the band is...Travis Conant (aka. T-Bone) on drums and vocals, Roger Gibson on lead/rhythm guitar and vocals, Joe Schaecher on lead guitar and vocals, Kevern Grant as lead vocalist, and Terry Conant on bass guitar and vocals. They have played venues all over the state such as local biker hangouts in Soldier, Missouri Valley, and Logan, as well as across the state in the Cedar Rapids area. They have even played at the ABATE Freedom Rally in Algona. Look for them at the Midway Tavern in Soldier, Iowa on New Year’s Eve for a giant biker bash to ring in the New Year! The band can be found on Facebook, as well as on the web at http://www.byronjamesgang.com Thunder Roads Magazine 24
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From the Woman’s Seat Surviving The Holiday Season From The Woman’s Seat was started with the sole purpose for the exchange of ideas, tips, and to help each other gain in their riding abilities. We as women experience things differently than a man and thus need to compensate to keep our ride enjoyable. We also have a whole new set of problems that the average man will not understand and sometimes have no patience for. This section of the magazine is not limited to just a select few writers it is actually open for submission at any time. This is a place to draw from each other and to learn. Please feel free to share your story, thoughts, and experiences. This month I have deviated from the normal tips, tricks, and oops I should not have done that. I find that riding is a clearing of the mind for me. A sort of reset for the mind, body, and spirit and have found when I don’t get to ride I become a “little” hard to live with. We have hit a time that not a lot of riding will be done and I just wanted to share some thoughts with you. Let me know what you think! Ok here goes….. The riding season may be over for most of the Iowa motorcyclists/bikers as we approach and enter into the December month. December is usually a time for gathering of family, friends, and with a multitude of work functions. A time to gather presents, decorate the house, the business, and cooking. We cannot forget about the wonderful food that is involved at this time of year. I can feel my hips growing with just thinking about all the food that is involved. While for others it may not be about gifts or decorating, it may be just a time to appreciate what we have while spending time with those that we love. Either way with all the hustle and bustle going on we cannot forget about taking care of ourselves. How come every year we approach January and feel like we need to go on diets or start a workout routine. Too many times we approach life with the attitude I will work on it tomorrow. No matter how much you have or have not take stock that you are important. As we get busier we need to regroup every once in awhile and take care of us so we can be better in all the other areas of our lives. The ideas below are intended to take baby steps instead of all at once feeling we have to make some major changes. Now is the time to give you a daily boost. Ever heard the term beauty is in the eye of beholder? This is so true. Let us began today. Firsts stop that slouching and sit up straight. Heard a few backs popping on that command, including my own. Your body does a very unique thing by telling you mind how you are feeling. Try it out, on a day that you are just feeling blah add a skip to your step and see how you feel. Ok you may feel silly at first but allow yourself to be silly. Now sit up straighter, roll those shoulders back and smile. Did you feel the instant energy boost to your brain. I strongly believe that in this world, our body is joining in to betray us by pulling us down daily so why let it? You will find more confidence with just a little thing like sitting up straighter. Not to mention looking a little taller, slimmer and feeling/looking more sure of yourself. Thunder Roads Magazine 26
Here is where I need to add put a smile on your face and do not allow yourself to get pulled into the mean negative attitudes of those around you. Some people are always in a constant hurry by jamming their way into your space. Our society has developed into an “I want it now,” “I want it cheap,” and the bottom line a “me” society. We don’t have to fall into this trap of unhappiness. Take a deep breath…. let it out ….and let it go! It is even said that when you feel tense you take more shallow breaths and tense up your muscles as a result feeling more run down. Shallow breathing can add tension to your face, throat, and even into your shoulders. Not to mention not allowing your lungs to properly fill and expand leaving more possibilities of pneumonia or other sicknesses to settle in. Think about this the next time you feel tense, stressed, and/or mad. Recognize how your body is responding to this situation. Yoga may be a very good idea to help release tension, stretch muscles, and expand your lungs. Think about what is important to you…. Is it working out, tanning, or spending a few extra minutes sleeping in the morning. Whatever it may be that you would like to add or change in your life try to see it into reality. My wonderful man asked me a surprising yet very important question recently that has helped me in accomplishing a goal of mine. His question was if I could change one thing about him what it would be. I thought quickly and replied with; I wish his knee was better so we could exercise together. You see exercise is very important to me and I had wished that my best friend could do it with me. We figured out a solution by going to the indoor swimming pool to walk in the resistance pool and swim laps together at least three times a week. Whatever you may want in your life figure out how a compromise can be accomplished so all can benefit. The bottom line is that life is short and if someone did not die then don’t get your panties in a bunch. I will explain; we all live life and allow ourselves to get upset, frustrated or just plain mad when things don’t go the way we THINK they are suppose to. It is not an option at this point in Iowa to go for a ride to regroup either. I will fill you in on a little secret this is life there is no handbook. We all do great wonderful things. There will be times that mistakes will happen. This is where if someone did not die then learn from it and move on. A very neat individual I just recently met stated that she has actually felt freedom and was better able to appreciate life when she figured out that her “white picket fence” was not anywhere close to anyone else’s. Allow yourself to be you. Enjoy your life. You only have one life so whatever task may be at hand, allow yourself to find joy in it. It takes all of us no matter what position you hold in life everyone counts! The things you do help make it easier for others to do their job. If you are the housekeeper, nurse, mechanic, or musician we are all better for your knowledge and expertise. I thank you. Now place that smile on your face. Sit up straight. Roll your shoulders back. Allow yourself to find joy in the moment at hand. Take care tt
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Readers’ Submissions What I’ll Miss This Winter By Doc The blur of asphalt rushing Underneath my boots Two rubbers turning faster This is why I never put down roots A sun that’s blazing yellow Shining warm upon my face Wind whistles passed my ears As I’m speeding up the pace Twisting on the throttle And Grab another gear I’m bonding with my baby Not showing any fear I hear the roaring cackle Pipes thundering as I pass We’re flying down the highway Till the tanks run out of gas There is no greater feeling As your cutting through a curve Twisting back that throttle And exciting every nerve
SEND US YOUR STORIES AND PICS (highest resolution possible) via email vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com We want to hear your tales of the road. If you would like to have your story published in Thunder Roads Iowa send it our way!
POLL FOR THE WOMEN GUYS REALLY DO WANT TO KNOW What is your preference of facial hair on your guy? More than one answer may apply. A. Full Beard B. Goatee C. Mustache D. Lamb Chops E. Clean Shaven F. Trimmed neatly G. Let it all go, the longer the better Email your answers and any reasons you care to share to tt@thunderroadsiowa.com
The Dangerous Curves Sisterhood We are sisters born of a common passion.
A passion for the wild blue yonder, the long winding byways and the rumble of the steel horse that thrusts deep into our souls to cast our spirits free.
We are a blend of the wild mustard that brightens the meadows in the summer sunshine, the cool pines that stand tall and strong against the ever-changing winds and the beautiful earth-toned rocks embedded solidly in the earth. We are the weavers of a never-ending tapestry of our
journeys together, each sister adding her own unique cooler to the tapestry. We share with one another all that makes us uniquely individual, but in the end, makes us one.
Destiny May change our paths, some will stay, some will follow another path. But in our hearts we will remain sisters, for we have shared our common passion and we have added color to the tapestry. And we have touché one another in a very special way.
Dakota Coyote
WINTER BIKE PARKING
Where do you store your ride for the winter? Who has got the craziest location? Who has the most hard core, live the biker lifestyle year-a-round, can’t go a day without seeing my ride type of thinking. Is it in the kitchen, living room, basement, or even the bedroom? Where do you keep your beloved ride during the winter? Send Vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com an email with a picture of your bike’s winter resting spot, and tell him about it. Pictures and description may just be in a future issue of Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa. Billy C
Scooter’s advice: If you are not having fun, you need to lower your standards. Thunder Roads Magazine 28
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Trustworthy Cycles
Making the “Old Iron” Trustworthy
A while back when covering Benton County for a past issue, we were strolling through Shellsburg, Iowa and ran across a real cool place to hang out. The Pearl Street Social Club is right on the main drag, and is owned by a cat named Shadoe. In future visits to this place, we have had a chance to chat with Shadoe a bit, and he told us he has an uncle with some really cool bikes, and that he runs a little shop down by Clinton. He raved about a cool chopper that his uncle and his cohorts put together, and that we had to see it sometime. He said he would pass on our information to him, and away we go. A short while later, we hear from a guy named Kent, and plan a trip to Fulton, Illinois. Kent Vogt, aka Hairball, was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, and moved just across the river into Fulton, Illinois quite a few years back. Fulton is located just a bridge away from Clinton, Iowa. About eight years ago, Hairball and some buddies started a make shift shop. It all began because they had a riding buddy that was working on a project bike. Before the bike was completed, their friend met his untimely demise, and the family had a lot of pieces and not a lot of time to get it finished. After a long spell, and the son not being able to get the project completed, Hairball and friends came
to the rescue. That winter they poured their heart, soul, and talents into finishing their buddy’s bike. It was done in honor of their fallen friend, and for the son to have something to be proud of from his father. The shop has gotten larger; more organized, and even gotten a name. Trustworthy Cycles is the chosen moniker, because they work on only older bikes, and love to make the old iron “Trustworthy”. Motorcycle restoration and custom choppers are their specialties. Since that first bike, the gang has built about one bike every year. They work on other bikes as well, but usually it has been one restoration or ground up build every year. The old school motif rings true with these guys bigger than life. You will probably never see a $50,000 chopper come out of their doors, but they do their best to make the old bikes look and run great. Finding what they can to create a project and give it a unique look is the name of the game. It does not have to be new or high dollar to make it cool, which is for sure looking at some of their awesome work. Cutting down an old sissy bar upright and making it into a jockey shift lever, using a Hurst grip for a shifter knob, and custom powder coating right in house are what makes this little shop unique. Hairball has joined the ranks of the retired after years of service in the trades, and now has more time to work on the old bikes. The most recent project was designed by Hairball himself,
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and it was fabricated right here at Trustworthy. It is a 2009 Special Construction Panhead, model designation: No Drama. It took about 6 months to complete entirely and is centered on an 80 cubic inch Panhead motor. With an S&S cam, a Harley CV carb, and the larger displacement, it will get out and scoot. It has STD dual plug heads, but they decided to put compression releases in the 2nd plug holes. When asked why, Hairball commented, “Hey man, I am an old guy, it is a kicker only, and if you flood it, it is a lot easier to kick over to clear out with those”. Makes perfect sense to me! The pipes were custom built and powder coated right in house as well. The power then goes through a V-Twin 4 speed transmission with a hand shift and foot clutch. This all sits in a CCI rigid frame, with suspension via seat springs. Cannot beat the old school feel of this ride. Painting was completed by Naeve Auto Body by Mr. Haney with pin striping by Hugh Hoffman. Other parts and pieces came from various suppliers like J&P Cycles, Jesse James, and Kerk Works. Many items were swap meet specials, redone to complete the bike for fit and finish. A number of the parts were fabricated right in house by Trustworthy including the motor mount, struts, shifter, carb mount, and oil filter bracket. Hairball also wanted to add a thank you and much credit to the Trustworthy Cycle crew that helped on this bike; KC, Mr. Haney, Bud, Gary, Bayse, and DooDah. He also wanted to thank the following shops: JC Cycles (Cedar Rapids), KZ Cycles (Morrison, ILL), Mad Jacks (Morrison, ILL), and J&P (Anamosa, Ia). Trustworthy Cycles can be found at 3781 Balk Rd. Fulton, Illinois 61252 and phone 309-887-9117 Written by: Vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com
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S K I N A R T
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2010
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ristmas! Merry Ch R G Iowa P s ubmission Reader’s S er hopp Cool Pan C
EST GROWING
ST AMERICA’S FA
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Blessing of the Bikes 2010 ABATE District 21
block, and owner Larry Leonard offers up some grub and cheap drink specials for the day. Julie’s dad, Father Arley Downie, has been there to Roughly 20 years ago, a few friends in eastern Iowa officiate nearly every Blessing since the beginning, and gathered their thoughts and resources, and started a has only missed on a couple of occasions due to health new district for ABATE of Iowa, which covered the Clinton reasons. But this year he held strong through the June and Jackson county region. The new district would be heat, and personally blessed well over 100 motorcycles designated number 21, and right away local motorcycle in attendance. enthusiast and supporting businesses in both counties all Sadly, district members lost Bear two days after turned their support to the new district. Even folks across Christmas in 2005, but Julie, along with Bear’s son Tim, the Mississippi River into Fulton, Illinois and surrounding his wife Miranda, and the many loyal district members areas took notice of the newly formed motorcycle rights have kept the event going stronger than ever! Earlier organization, and showed their support. this year, the district also lost long time member Larry In the early days of District 21, a fellow biker named Housenga, but in remembrance of both Bear and Larry, Bear was a well-known figure in the area, and in the Bear’s bagger with nearly 300,000 miles on it and Larry’s district’s infant days, he and his partner Julie decided to Shovelhead were both at the Blessing. It must also be organize a Blessing of the Bikes. Back then it seemed stated that these 2 bikes are the only two bikes that have most people still misunderstood the biker lifestyle, and been at all 20 Blessings since the beginning! cage drivers especially had little or no respect towards The Blessing opened with the National Anthem, which the safety for those of us on two wheels. So the Bear a fellow named Larry Jones sang beautifully, even though and Jules combo had the thought that us fellow bikers he didn’t know he was doing it until about 30 seconds could use all the help we could get to keep us safe on the before hand, but he still did an amazing job! And what’s road, and they figured a little blessing from the big man with all the “Larry’s” from this region anyway? Father upstairs give every rider some piece of mind. Downie made his rounds through the crowd, and as the The event typically takes place the first weekend in event wrapped up, many folks took a ride through out the June, and this year’s Blessing was held on June 6th. scenic river valley. Although it’s an ABATE if Iowa event, it’s actually held While the Blessing is intended as a simple gesture to just across the river in Fulton, Illinois, where a handful keep folks safe through out the riding season, over the of District 21 supporting businesses are housed, and the years, as district members have passed on, to some decity of Fulton shuts down one block of downtown for bike gree it’s also been in their memory too. Although I hate traffic only for the event. Large 1’s Pub is located on this
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to leave any story on a sad note, I can’t go with out mention of one other that we lost this year. One week before I sat down to write this, “Flyin” Phil Heine left us unexpectedly. Phil’s been a staple in the area for years, and gave up his bikes a few years ago to raise his daughters. More recently, he bought a Russian Ural with sidecar to haul around his kids, and an occasional drunken friend. Since buying the Ural, Phil has been at every Blessing, and I could easily continue to go on and on about this man, but we’ll save that for another time. Next year’s Blessing will likely take place on the first Sunday in June again, and for more info you can check out the district’s website at www.abateiowa.org/districts/d21/index.htm Nate Ullrich – www.natanic.com
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Rallies & Events around Iowa Nov 26 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 11 Dec 11 Dec 12 Dec 12 Nov 19 Dec 3 Dec 4 Dec 18 Dec 18 Dec 25 Jan 9 Feb Mar 11-13 Mar 11-13 Mar 18-20 Mar 13 April 2
Black Friday Sale Zylstra Harley Ames Pictures with Santa Silver Eagle Harley Waterloo Christmas Open House Dillon Harley Omaha Christmas Open house Roosters Harley Davidson Sioux City Christmas Open House Silver Eagle Harley Waterloo Road MC Breakfast Brayton, Iowa ABATE District 11 Christmas Party Nitro’s Bar Gravity, Iowa Ladies Night Out Carroll Harley Davidson Guys Night Out Carroll Harley Davidson ABATE District 6 Dart Tournament PAC fundraiser Clark’s Bar Melbourne, Iowa Route 65 Harley Indianola Holiday Celebrations Santa Visit Zylstra Harley Ames tt, Vernon, and the Thunder Roads Crew would like to wish all a Merry Christmas Road MC Breakfast Brayton, Iowa Iowa Rips BAD Ride Chili Cook Off (Date to be announced) at Porky’s Des Moines, Iowa Lefty’s Cedar River Tattoo Expo World of Wheels Des Moines World of Wheels Des Moines Road MC Breakfast Brayton, Iowa Road MC Dance Brayton, Iowa
This list is what we have found and what has been submitted. Before heading to any event, please check weather and make sure the event is not cancelled for some reason. Not responsible for misprints and typos. If you have any other events to list, please email them with as much information as you have to tt@thunderroadsiowa.com
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