Motorcycles Bring Large Turnout To Main

The weather was idyllic for Motorcycle Mania this year. Bike enthusiasts strolled down Main Street from Washington to Union Park and back, admiring the chrome and black, or simply stayed in one spot to catch up with friends.

Large Turn Out For Motorcycle Mania

Main Street was crowded from Washington to Church tonight, with thousands of motorcycle admirers catching up on a warm summer evening.

More pictures below the jump.

Motorcycle Mania Video

Some sights (and sounds) of the early arrivals at Motorcycle Mania...

...from www.BillFloodProd.com

Main Street Motorcycle Mania

Motorcycle enthusiasts rumbled and roared on Main Street tonight, enjoying a beautiful evening in our city.

Vrrrrrrrrrrrrrmm! Motorcyle Mania Main St. Wednesday 8/10!

What?: Motorcycle Mania
Where?: Main Street
When:? 5-9pm Wednesday August 10, streets are closed off for bike parking.
What to wear?: Leather. And lots of leather.

Food, vendors, prizes,bikes, trikes, family fun.

The Dan M. Hunter “Functionality with Style” Award is in memory of a founding sponsor of this event, this is the second year this award is being given in his memory.

See the full list of sponsors here: http://www.midtownmcmania.com/

Two Wheelers Take Main Street

EVENT COMMENTARY

I can hear Thumper's words echoing in my head ("If you can't say something nice...etc."), but a day before vacation, and in need of a mental respite, I'm a bit cranky, and no one else has submitted an article this morning.

I trotted down to Main Street last evening expecting to be charmed by a friendly group of motorcycle men and mamas, as I was last year.

I don't know if it was the late day gloom, the spitting, glowering clouds or the inescapable haze of Marlborough smoke and oppressive metal music churning from oversized speakers, but I found Motorcycle Mania depressing.

It looked like a "before" ad for metabolic syndrome with Harley tees stretched tight over expansive bellies, tats inked blue on sagging skin, facial features tanned into a stunned rictus and cigs dangling precipitously from unshorn lips. Everything looked the same - the crowd, the motorcycles (two wheels and chrome, two wheels and chrome, two wheels and chrome and a flameout detail).

Forgive me, but with all the black leather, aging flesh and balding pates, I felt as if I had descended into the ninth ring of purgatory. And unfortunately where flesh, and hot metal is balanced on two wheels, gravity is usually the winner, and Mr. Death is hanging tight on the back saddle.

A few of the restaurants were crowded (First and Last, The Firehouse), but several were empty.

I guess you know how I felt. Hope you had a good time.

Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting Cancelled Because of Motorcycle Mania

NEWS: Due to the predicted traffic congestion, tonight's meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission is canceled.

EDITORIAL COMMENT: One has to think that a "planning" commission might have "planned" for a traffic issue and scheduled the meeting for another night considering four public hearings were on the agenda.

Then again, this is the commission which has not been able to elect a chairperson for nine months.

Motorcycle Mania Returns to Main Street Wednesday

From the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce

The 4^th annual Middletown Motorcycle Mania, presented by Trantolo & Trantolo, Gengras Motorcycles, and WCCC will be held on Wednesday, August 12, on Main Street in Middletown. Hours of the event will be 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Over 2,500 bikes are expected to converge on Main Street this summer for the fourth year of this event, which will showcase custom and vintage motorcycles.

In 2008, there were 2,000 motorcycles on display along with thousands of spectators at the event.

“All bikes are welcome to come out for this summer event that is sure to be a fantastic time for everyone involved. This event is an opportunity for the city to showcase its many fine restaurants and retail shops in the downtown district,” said Chamber President Larry McHugh.

There are a variety of activities planned for the evening, including a bike show and awards, street vendors, and entertainment.

In addition to the event’s title sponsors, Liberty Bank, Hunter Limousines and Hunter’s Ambulance, Verizon Wireless, Minuteman Press, Home Team Supply, Emrys Design, McHugh, Chapman & Montalbano, LLC, and Connecticut Spine & Sports Medicine are all sponsors of the event.

“The Chamber thanks Al Santostefano and Frank Posca, the event’s co-chairs and their committee for all of its continued work in putting this event together,” McHugh said.

This event benefits Middletown youth and past proceeds have gone to the Middlesex Chamber’s Middletown Mentor Program, led by Hal Kaplan, and the Middletown Parks and Recreation Department’s Hoops and More on Friday Nights program, led by Ray Santostefano.

Rain date is Wednesday, August 19. For more information or vendor space, please visit www.midtownmcmania.com or contact Cathy Duncan at the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce at (860) 347-6924.

This & That (Aug 11-16)

Summer Sounds series, sponsored by the City of Middletown Commission on the Arts, continues this Tuesday with Bange's Jazz Jents playing music from the 40s and 50s at 7 p.m. in Union Park/South Green. The event, as always, is free and open to the public and, in the case of rain (always possible this summer), the event moves indoors to South Church.

Wednesday & the weather is supposed to be very nice. Good, because it's the evening of the 4th Annual Motorcycle Mania, held on Main Street from 5 - 9 p.m. The street will be filled with hundreds of motorcycles of all shapes and sizes, there will be live music from the Southern Comfort Band, plenty of food and fun for the entire family. Should there be rain, the event will be held on August 19. For more information, call the hard-working Cathy Duncan at the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce - her number is 347-6924.

The Cypress Restaurant & Grill continues its Patio Concerts series this Thursday evening at 7 p.m. with Basically Blues, a septet whose repertoire lives up to its name. This particular gig will be a little different as the ensemble will be joined for part of the evening by jazz vocalist and Middletown resident Kitty Kathryn. Sounds like fun - call 346-3367 for more information.

Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. in Yerberg Chapel on the campus of CT Valley Hospital (56 Holmes Drive), the Excellent Way Ministries presents the "Youth Hip Hop Explosion" featuring the "Rap Evangelist" Living Proof as well as Blood Brought, Diamond D.O.G., Dream Grizz and other local groups. For more information, call Pastor Lucille Clegg at 346-9451.

Boney's Music Lounge has a busy weekend planned. Friday evening, the Hartford area ensemble known as Nudirexion brings its smooth jazz/funky sounds to town. Formed by the trio of Lionel Lee (bass), Edmund Peart (drums, lead vocals) and Winston Fisher (guitar), they often add a keyboard player, saxophonist and/or second vocalist to fill out their already impressive sound. The music starts at 8:30 p.m.


Saturday evening, bassist Joe Fonda returns to town as part of the quartet known as KLARO!. The band is built around the trio of Karolina Strassmayer (pictured left, saxophone), Cary DeNigris (guitar) and Drori Mondlak (drums.) The Austrian-born saxophonist and DeNigris are long-time associates of legendary drummer Chico Hamilton and also perform in Mondlak's quartet. Ms. Strassmayer has worked with the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, Five Play, and trombonist Wycliffe Gordon. The quarter will be going into the studio 2 days after their Middletown appearance to record KLARO's 2nd CD. The music starts at 8:30 p.m. and goes until 12midnight. For more information, call 346-6000.

Finding a balance on two wheels

I'm definitely an armchair motorcyclist. I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance with great passion. I empathize deeply with Easy Rider. I marveled at Hunter Thompson's Hell's Angels expose. And if I'm not exactly a Born to Be Wild screamer. I'm an Arlo Motorcycle Song sing-alonger. But you'll never see me on a Harley. A friend of mine once called these donor-cycles, in his recitation of motorcycle fatality rates.

And living in downtown Middletown, having to endure the constant weekend roar of these chrome hornets buzzing up Route 66 toward the Red Door, I fully expected to hate every minute of the Motorcycle Mania rally on Main Street tonight. I did not. I was completely entertained.

When laid end-to-end the demographics of the throbbing Harley riders is amazingly homogeneous. There were a lot of grey ponytails, middle-aged spread, and sagging bosoms. I bumped into Mark Masselli, and he challenged me to find a rider without a tattoo. I challenged him to find one without an AARP card. I suspect that the wild parties are no longer fueled by beer and acid, but beer and Viagra. It was a bit like a Marlon Brando meets Rip van Winkle acid flashforward.

There was a Hell's Angels' merchandise booth, a Riders for Jesus booth, a booth for a local liabilty lawyer who had miniskirted blonds passing out informational subpoenas. There was a Riders for the Cure booth, and a Riders for the Troops Booth, there was a National Guard recruitment booth but there was no Medicare booth, and there probably should have been.

I met grandparents who had taken up riding again after they had gotten their families safely raised. I met proselytizing bikers for Christ who spread the word of the New Testament at Christian rallies. I met firefighters who bike despite the fact that they see what can happen to an errant rider ("We get the shovel out, scoop 'em up and throw them in the back of the ambulance.") I heard Shovelhead playing, not Steppenwolf, but Lenny Kravitz.

These are my fellow boomers, and while I would never risk life and limb balancing on a thousand pounds of chrome and hot pistons, but I would love to sit down and have a beer with any of them, then walk safely home.

The week ahead Aug. 10-17

A not particularly inclusive lists of activities in the coming week. Please feel free to email (mieyeed@gmail.com) to include your additional notices.

Special Common Council Meeting - Monday August 10, 6:30 pm, Common Council Chambers
Discussion of the Police Contract, part of which will take place behind closed doors in executive session.

Economic Development Committee Meeting, Monday August 11, 5:30 pm, Room 208 City Hall - The renewal of the lease for Harbor Park will be discussed, as will the sale of the Remington Rand building to developer Thomas Briggs of TWB Properties. Since both agenda items are "standing items" on the committee agenda, little discussion is anticipated. The meeting will end promptly at 6:30 so board members can attend the special Common Council meeting.


Zoning Board Meeting, Wednesday August 13, 7:00 pm, Council Chambers, City Hall - Canceled.

Design Review Committee Meeting, Wednesday August 13, 5:30 pm, Room 208, City Hall - During which the demolition of 13 West Silver Street will be discussed.


Garden Party, Erin Street Community Garden - Thursday August 14, 5:30 pm. To celebrate another year of successful vegetable gardening at the community plot.

Motorcycle Mania - Wednesday August 13, 5pm - A few blocks of Main Street will be closed for this annual event during which loud noises will be emitted from polished chrome pipes.

Grupo Fantasia Concert - Thursday August 14, 7-9 pm, at the Louis Lopez Herb Garden, Main Street as part of the Community Health Center Summer Concert Series.