May 11th, 2007Press ReleaseNEW YORK CITY –
Today Harley-Davidson and “Live with Regis and Kelly” helped Mary Jo Hamre, of McFarland, Wis., realize her motorcycle dreams. As part of their 17th Annual Mom’s Dream Come True special, Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa surprised Hamre with the keys to a brand new 2007 Harley-Davidson FXDL Dyna™ Low Rider® and Rider’s Edge® New Rider Training Course gift certificate.
Hamre’s husband, James, nominated Mary Jo for the Mother’s Day special, showcasing her consistent acts of selflessness that make her a special mom. Among other things, Mary Jo has been a volunteer firefighter and EMT, Special Olympics volunteer, home builder for a needy family in Juarez, Mexico and current full time college student … and somehow she makes time to care for a family of six!
“Mary Jo is the type of individual who gives all of herself to the point where there is little or no reserve for herself,” wrote James. “I think that [Live’s help] is the only way for Mary Jo’s dream to truly happen as [she] gives so much of herself that even the thought of taking time for herself, her dreams, is not addressed due to her exhaustion at day’s ends.”
After hearing Mary Jo’s story, Harley-Davidson Motor Company jumped at the opportunity to help one mom’s dream come true. “Mary Jo epitomizes the adventurous spirit of our riders,” said Leslie Prevish, manager of product communications for Harley-Davidson Motor Company. “Most women ride to experience feelings of freedom, adventure and empowerment. Riding is also a great stress-reliever, which we’re sure Mary Jo, as a busy mom and tireless volunteer, will appreciate as she starts her motorcycle journey.”
“Live” also fulfilled Hamre’s wish to skydive for the first time, and flew her to New York City to take part in the “Mom’s Dream Come True” taping, during which her Harley-Davidson surprise took place on national television.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Harley Museum
Harley-Davidson museum reaches construction milestone May 4, 2007 MILWAUKEE, WI
-- Construction workers erected the last steel beam Friday morning for the Harley-Davidson Inc. motorcycle museum under construction in the Menomonee Valley. Harley-Davidson marked the milestone with an event at the construction site near South Sixth and West Canal streets.
During the ceremony, a crane lifted the beam up to two construction workers positioned 80 feet above ground level, marking the museum's highest point. Three buildings totaling about 130,000 square feet currently are under construction on the 20-acre site. "This is a really exciting and important milestone," museum director Stacey Schiesl said. "We're so happy to be at this point in the project." Although the company hasn't given any firm date for the completion of the project, it's expected that the museum will be completed some time in 2008. That year represents the company's 105th anniversary. Harley-Davidson broke ground on the $75 million project in June 2006. In all, 1,300 tons of steel have been erected at the site, Schiesl said. An outer wall of the museum that features hand-cut bricks that spell out "Harley-Davidson" also has been completed. An evergreen tree was anchored to the last steel beam as part of the "topping off" ceremony, which included elements of a Scandanavian tradition that dates back more than 1,000 years, Schiesl said. The tradition is said to have begun as a way to appease the tree-dwelling spirits that had been displaced because of construction. The ceremony has morphed over time and the tree has come to symbolize growth and good luck. Workers also attached an American flag to the beam. "It wasn't all that long ago we were standing here for the ground breaking," Harley-Davidson president and chief executive officer James Ziemer said. Progress in the construction shows that Harley-Davidson has overcome the "speed bumps" it experienced in deciding where to locate the museum. "This, by far, is the best location," Ziemer said. "It was destiny that took us here."
-- Construction workers erected the last steel beam Friday morning for the Harley-Davidson Inc. motorcycle museum under construction in the Menomonee Valley. Harley-Davidson marked the milestone with an event at the construction site near South Sixth and West Canal streets.
During the ceremony, a crane lifted the beam up to two construction workers positioned 80 feet above ground level, marking the museum's highest point. Three buildings totaling about 130,000 square feet currently are under construction on the 20-acre site. "This is a really exciting and important milestone," museum director Stacey Schiesl said. "We're so happy to be at this point in the project." Although the company hasn't given any firm date for the completion of the project, it's expected that the museum will be completed some time in 2008. That year represents the company's 105th anniversary. Harley-Davidson broke ground on the $75 million project in June 2006. In all, 1,300 tons of steel have been erected at the site, Schiesl said. An outer wall of the museum that features hand-cut bricks that spell out "Harley-Davidson" also has been completed. An evergreen tree was anchored to the last steel beam as part of the "topping off" ceremony, which included elements of a Scandanavian tradition that dates back more than 1,000 years, Schiesl said. The tradition is said to have begun as a way to appease the tree-dwelling spirits that had been displaced because of construction. The ceremony has morphed over time and the tree has come to symbolize growth and good luck. Workers also attached an American flag to the beam. "It wasn't all that long ago we were standing here for the ground breaking," Harley-Davidson president and chief executive officer James Ziemer said. Progress in the construction shows that Harley-Davidson has overcome the "speed bumps" it experienced in deciding where to locate the museum. "This, by far, is the best location," Ziemer said. "It was destiny that took us here."
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Bike News to Share: Bike Week may see smaller turnout in LACONIA, NH
April 12, 2007LACONIA, NH -- A less-than-stellar economy and talk among some potential Bike Week visitors of waiting until next year when the rally celebrates its 85th anniversary may combine to keep attendance down this year, says Charlie St. Clair.
St. Clair, the executive director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association, on Wednesday said Bike Week, which this year takes place on June 9-17, is shaping up to be a good, but not necessarily great event.
"Last year was an eye-opener for a lot of our local businesses and residents because they saw that Motorcycle Week was not as busy as the previous year.
"What Bike Week observers also saw, St. Clair added, was that, while visitors still flocked to Lakeside Avenue the geographic heart of what is the oldest motorcycle rally in the nation they were not hanging around as long as in the past.Part of that, St. Clair believes, is due to a simple financial calculus: The Weirs is a great place to see and be during Bike Week, but there are other places that are as attractive, the White Mountains and the Seacoast among them.
"The economy is not good, despite what some people think. Our main market is middle-class Americans and the middle class has been harder-hit than anybody else by the economy. People need to make cutbacks and prices have been relatively high for hotels and motels."In the past, people would kind of grumble and pay, but now they don't have the money. They're sharpening their pencils and looking for other places to stay, even other places to go.
"The above scenario is being played out nationwide, said St. Clair, who recently attended Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Fla. where he was touting Laconia's rally as well as New Hampshire tourism in general."Daytona was down, if not flat, this year," St. Clair said, noting there were "a lot of vacancies" in what he called "ripe, prime spots."Meeting in the Sunshine State with some two dozen vendors following Daytona, St. Clair said the buzz among them was the 85th Laconia Bike Week anniversary and that, for this year, "they were looking to go to places like Conway to find less expensive places to rent and talking about the chances that they will do just as well there."Bike Week is all market-driven, said St. Clair. "I've been telling merchants and property owners this all winter, that you really need to be thinking about the effect" of charging high rents to vendors and "you're going to have to be more competitive.
I think Lakeside Avenue will still be able to do what it wants to do down there but, once you get away from Lakeside Avenue, maybe you won't be having as many people banging on the door." Local hoteliers and innkeepers and business and property owners who charge a premium to vendors and Bike Week visitors "could be hurting themselves, to a degree," said St. Clair."Let's be real. New Hampshire is not unique. We have a beautiful state and it's not like Weirs Beach, the Lakes Region, is the only attraction for these folks."The thing is, no matter where you go in New Hampshire, there's a lot of great things, and many people throw out the welcome mat. So if people are coming into The Weirs and they said, 'I came one day, do I really need to come back?' and last year the answer was, 'not necessarily.'"Despite the griping among vendors about Laconia's vending fees the city charges vendors $450 apiece to sell wares during Bike Week, $500 for food vendors St. Clair said the feesare fine.The real nut to crack, he said, is what property owners are charging vendors and exhibitors for rental space, as well as the fee for motorcycle parking.Of all the rallies and motorcycle events he has attended, St. Clair said the $10 that most property owners charge for bike parking in the latter half of Bike Week is "unheard of" elsewhere and double the usual going rate.For some bikers, that high parking fee is "the final insult," said St. Clair who cautioned that, as evidenced at other venues, "it doesn't take much" for the bikers to look for greener pastures.
Laconia, and the communities immediately around it, he said, have to realize that they are vying for a fixed amount of motorcycle-enthusiast dollars."When I started this job, there were about 50 major rallies or events; now there are over 430, and those people are all competing." In-state, Laconia has raised the stakes among competing Bike Week event hosts by striking an agreement, nearly finalized, that will bring Harley-Davidson to the downtown.H-D will take up all of the municipal parking lot north of City Hall from June 11 through 17, something that is hoped will bring thousands of visitors into the downtown. "This is not something where they just come in and throw up a few tents and stuff. They [Harley-Davidson] put a lot of money and effort into this. This will be a first-class show."St. Clair praised City Manager Eileen Cabanel for bringing the nation's premier motorcycle manufacturer to Laconia."I think that a big 'thank you' should be coming from everybody who does business in the downtown or for that matter on Union, Church or Court streets to Eileen Cabanel because there's no doubt in my mind that this has happened because of her persistence."Overall, St. Clair is looking forward to a 2007 Bike Week that is more up than down. "I'm always optimistic. I think we will do fine this year."
St. Clair, the executive director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association, on Wednesday said Bike Week, which this year takes place on June 9-17, is shaping up to be a good, but not necessarily great event.
"Last year was an eye-opener for a lot of our local businesses and residents because they saw that Motorcycle Week was not as busy as the previous year.
"What Bike Week observers also saw, St. Clair added, was that, while visitors still flocked to Lakeside Avenue the geographic heart of what is the oldest motorcycle rally in the nation they were not hanging around as long as in the past.Part of that, St. Clair believes, is due to a simple financial calculus: The Weirs is a great place to see and be during Bike Week, but there are other places that are as attractive, the White Mountains and the Seacoast among them.
"The economy is not good, despite what some people think. Our main market is middle-class Americans and the middle class has been harder-hit than anybody else by the economy. People need to make cutbacks and prices have been relatively high for hotels and motels."In the past, people would kind of grumble and pay, but now they don't have the money. They're sharpening their pencils and looking for other places to stay, even other places to go.
"The above scenario is being played out nationwide, said St. Clair, who recently attended Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Fla. where he was touting Laconia's rally as well as New Hampshire tourism in general."Daytona was down, if not flat, this year," St. Clair said, noting there were "a lot of vacancies" in what he called "ripe, prime spots."Meeting in the Sunshine State with some two dozen vendors following Daytona, St. Clair said the buzz among them was the 85th Laconia Bike Week anniversary and that, for this year, "they were looking to go to places like Conway to find less expensive places to rent and talking about the chances that they will do just as well there."Bike Week is all market-driven, said St. Clair. "I've been telling merchants and property owners this all winter, that you really need to be thinking about the effect" of charging high rents to vendors and "you're going to have to be more competitive.
I think Lakeside Avenue will still be able to do what it wants to do down there but, once you get away from Lakeside Avenue, maybe you won't be having as many people banging on the door." Local hoteliers and innkeepers and business and property owners who charge a premium to vendors and Bike Week visitors "could be hurting themselves, to a degree," said St. Clair."Let's be real. New Hampshire is not unique. We have a beautiful state and it's not like Weirs Beach, the Lakes Region, is the only attraction for these folks."The thing is, no matter where you go in New Hampshire, there's a lot of great things, and many people throw out the welcome mat. So if people are coming into The Weirs and they said, 'I came one day, do I really need to come back?' and last year the answer was, 'not necessarily.'"Despite the griping among vendors about Laconia's vending fees the city charges vendors $450 apiece to sell wares during Bike Week, $500 for food vendors St. Clair said the feesare fine.The real nut to crack, he said, is what property owners are charging vendors and exhibitors for rental space, as well as the fee for motorcycle parking.Of all the rallies and motorcycle events he has attended, St. Clair said the $10 that most property owners charge for bike parking in the latter half of Bike Week is "unheard of" elsewhere and double the usual going rate.For some bikers, that high parking fee is "the final insult," said St. Clair who cautioned that, as evidenced at other venues, "it doesn't take much" for the bikers to look for greener pastures.
Laconia, and the communities immediately around it, he said, have to realize that they are vying for a fixed amount of motorcycle-enthusiast dollars."When I started this job, there were about 50 major rallies or events; now there are over 430, and those people are all competing." In-state, Laconia has raised the stakes among competing Bike Week event hosts by striking an agreement, nearly finalized, that will bring Harley-Davidson to the downtown.H-D will take up all of the municipal parking lot north of City Hall from June 11 through 17, something that is hoped will bring thousands of visitors into the downtown. "This is not something where they just come in and throw up a few tents and stuff. They [Harley-Davidson] put a lot of money and effort into this. This will be a first-class show."St. Clair praised City Manager Eileen Cabanel for bringing the nation's premier motorcycle manufacturer to Laconia."I think that a big 'thank you' should be coming from everybody who does business in the downtown or for that matter on Union, Church or Court streets to Eileen Cabanel because there's no doubt in my mind that this has happened because of her persistence."Overall, St. Clair is looking forward to a 2007 Bike Week that is more up than down. "I'm always optimistic. I think we will do fine this year."
Monday, April 16, 2007
Wrestlemania 23 Is now over
Well first and foremost Taker won!!! Knew it was gonna happen but still it was great and he definetly deserves it.
Looking at my previous post on this before it happened I was wrong on only two. Kane and ashley lost. could careless about the women's match but i was defenitly shocked that Kane lost to that horrible attempt at a wrestler they call the Great Khali.
As a whole if there wasn't the whole flare behind it this really didn't come off as anything more that a regular ppv. Oh well like I said the best on the whole card was seeing Taker get the title.
Looking at my previous post on this before it happened I was wrong on only two. Kane and ashley lost. could careless about the women's match but i was defenitly shocked that Kane lost to that horrible attempt at a wrestler they call the Great Khali.
As a whole if there wasn't the whole flare behind it this really didn't come off as anything more that a regular ppv. Oh well like I said the best on the whole card was seeing Taker get the title.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Wrestlemania 23
Well it's almost time yep Wrestlemania 23 is in a few days. All I have to say is this Taker will not leave his streak behind. He will become 15 and 0 period! The airing of Friday's Smackdown tells us that. The only question that seems to be out there is will he win the belt or will he win by dq? I say he will win the belt a dq finish at the big dance would just be bad business. I wish I could guess that he would be keeping the belt for along time to come(yes, even with his part-time schedule) but I doubt it. He'll probably loose it by the next ppv or two.
Taker has never needed the belt like so many others have and do need. That is a true testament to the man who plays the undertaker and what a true legend he really is. Whether you are a fan of the character or not you can't deny that he is legendary.
As far as the rest of the card I think Cena,Kennedy,and Kane will all win. ECW orginals vs. new guessing "old school" and the Divas match seriously it is what it is just eye candy and not meant to be taken as anything else. If they could actually do a few moves it may be worth a prediction but since they don't then its a break-time.
all in all its wrestlemania and it'll be what it is fun to watch whatever the outcomes may end up being.
Taker has never needed the belt like so many others have and do need. That is a true testament to the man who plays the undertaker and what a true legend he really is. Whether you are a fan of the character or not you can't deny that he is legendary.
As far as the rest of the card I think Cena,Kennedy,and Kane will all win. ECW orginals vs. new guessing "old school" and the Divas match seriously it is what it is just eye candy and not meant to be taken as anything else. If they could actually do a few moves it may be worth a prediction but since they don't then its a break-time.
all in all its wrestlemania and it'll be what it is fun to watch whatever the outcomes may end up being.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Soapbox
What happened to manners? Someone asks a question you respond with either the answer or shut up just something. but when you don't answer someone's question how are they to know so they will maybe ask again then you may get angry. First stop and think.....you should be angry at yourself cause it was your fault in the first place. I mean someone else out there might be enjoying the banther. Oh well people can hide behind the comp and be anyway they want and think that they have no one to answer to but.......
Off the soapbox(it was a small one)!!!
Off the soapbox(it was a small one)!!!
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Old Sayings And not so nice people over the net
Boy when it comes to the internet some people out there need to apply some of these to there own life. Don't believe everything you read. An eyewitness makes a bad witness, don't assume anything tell you know the facts for certain--etc... Why do people put out falsehoods on the net? Do they think they are being funny or desperatly in need of attention? that's all I can think of. I mean for people to do that its kinda sad really. Are they that bored with there own life that they have to go looking to start trouble for others?We seem to be a major media populace that we have a need for "dirt". what sells more something good or something bad? I have never bought a rumor mag and i have never been to a rumor type of site but it doesn't matter somehow it creeps up. There are more important things in this world to worry about than who's anna's baby's father or what hollywood couple is getting together/breaking-up or what sports star is on steriods.When it used to be fun to get on the net before you felt a need to defend people who other people seem to find sick pleasure in trying to hurt cause they are jealous of that person or think they have a chance with that person so let's do something mean without ever thinking what their actions may cause someone else, not just the people directly related.
I'll get off my soabox ....for now!!!
I'll get off my soabox ....for now!!!
Friday, March 23, 2007
Really nothing just don't be fake
Well just started this thing and now I can't figure out a damn thing to say...lol! Anyhow I am sure there will be plenty of nothing to talk about in the future. For example why people seem to be so fake that is one thing I can't stand is someone being fake. Ofcourse that happens all over the internet now doesn't it? Anyhow that is for another day.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
