Wreaths Across America for 2012 will make a stop again at Cheverus High School in Portland, Maine again this year. Kevin Haley of the Portland Police Department as well as the Coach of the Cheverus Swim and Dive team has been a huge part of making this happen. Founders Morrill and Karen Worcester from the Worcester Wreath Company a Maine based company has been honoring Veterans this way for 20 years with a non-profit company called Wreaths Across America.
This year the organization has been challenged to lay a wreath on every grave at Arlington National Cemetery and it looks like it is going to happen. My family is going down with many families from the Cheverus Swim and Dive team to help make sure this happens. All are welcome, and please come and join us on Saturday December 10th at Arlington if you can make it. I promise it will be a lifelong remembrance for you.
The mission of Wreaths Across America is to “Remember, Honor, and Teach on the second Saturday of December at Arlington as well as veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond”. To volunteer your time to place wreaths at Arlington please join us next Saturday December 10th at 8:30 a.m. for a briefing to address volunteers and instructions. After the briefing the volunteers are lined up behind the trucks and handed wreaths for placement. When you place the wreath please remember you may be the first person to visit this grave in years so take time to read the stone and honor the memory of that hero. The final ceremony will take place at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at 12 noon.
To help you understand the scope of this undertaking I am listing all the volunteer Trucking Compaines involved this year. ACT Transportation, ATA, Allen Lund Co., Baylor Trucking, Boyle Transport, Cargo Transporters, Cianbro, Con-Way Trucking, Covenant Transport, Dart Transit Company, Estes Express Lines, FFE Transportation Services, Fikes Trucking, G&P Trucking, Hartt Transportation, Jagtrux, Inc, Lapp USA Inc., Motor Carrier Service, Oakhurst Dairy, Perdue Trucking, Portland Air Freight, Pottels Transportation, Prime Transportation, Ross Express, Ryder Transportation, Schneider National, Swift Transportation, Tennant Truck Lines Inc., UPS Transportation, US Xpress, Inc., Witte Brothers Exchange Inc., Walmart Foundation, Watkins Shepard Trucking, and WEL Companies. Imagine, making, and trucking 220000 wreaths to Arlington, the thousands of volunteers just getting them there and then the people who volunteer, who have the honor of laying each wreath.
I want to thank all the dedicated people and groups involved in making this great event happen each year and hope to see all that can make it to Cheverus High School tomorrow afternoon around 4pm when the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle group leads the convoy in, or even better, at Arlington next Saturday.
For years, I'd find my heart racing whenever I heard a motorcycle start up. When one passed me on the road, I'd look at it and wonder what it felt like to go up and down hills with the wind flying against my cheeks. A motorcycle was my dream. Then I'd look at the carpool of kids in my van wonder when I'd ever get the chance to be one of those women who ride motorcycles.
Then the kids grew up, and they got into riding dirt bikes and then motorcycles. Next thing I knew, my husband started talking about getting himself a Harley Davidson. I think I was more excited than he was. We shopped around and finally chose a beauty. He learned to ride and joined a club. Once I knew he was feeling pretty confident riding, I begged to ride on the back.
Hugging my guy while riding down the open road was really the most amazing feeling. One trip around town and I knew I'd never want to miss out on this again. We started taking lots of short trips together on the weekend to visit his parent's cabin by the pond, I loved holding on to my teddybear of a guy, looking out at the beautiful trees and enjoying feeling outside.
Of course, we also started meeting lots of other riders and I made a lot of new friends. It was my friend Carla that kept on telling me I needed my own bike. "We've got a whole group of women who ride motorcycles. We go out together for breakfast every Saturday," she told me.
That sounded like so much fun! So I asked for a bike for my birthday. The guy at the motorcycle shop helped me to choose one that was powerful enough, but not too powerful. Although I was a little scared at first, the guys at the motorcycle shop, and my husband, and especially my friends, encouraged me as I learned to ride.
I'll never forget the first trip I took with my friends for breakfast. We started out early on Saturday so there wouldn't be much traffic. Carla rode in front as the lead bike. Another couple of ladies rode in front and behind of me since this was my first solo trip. At the last minute, my husband said he'd sort of follow us since he was headed that direction to have his bike checked at
Cumberland County Choppers & Cycles. I knew that wasn't exactly true, but thought it was sweet of him to worry about me.
The weather was a perfect early fall day, with wonderful color on the trees and a crisp breeze. My stomach was turning, but it was more from excitement than anything. After I double-checked my bike, we started off. A few miles later, I found myself laughing out loud, this was so easy! I felt like I'd been riding a motorcycle all my life, and I couldn't believe the difference between riding with my husband and riding on my own.
I felt free for the first time in a long while. Don't get me wrong. I love being a wife and mom, but I need time for myself too. Riding my own bike with my own friends was not only a dream come true, it was also the opening up of a whole new world for me. I love riding my motorcycle. Now I'm the one telling all my non-riding friends that they have just got to get their own bike. There is nothing like it!
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Having a handy little travel accessory like a 50cc Scooter can seem like a great tool for many people. While riding a 50cc Scooter might be perfect for the right people, there are still some disadvantages to consider. Wether you are looking for a cheaper way to commute to work, a short distance addition to your vehicle collection, or a cost-effective way for your kids to get to school, take a few minutes to read about the advantages and disadvantages of such a vehicle. I hope you find this information helpful, and you consider the scooter sales and service we provide.
Advantages to riding a 50cc Scooter.
- With such a small engine, your scooter can be extremely cheap to run. Scooter owners who commute to work can often save big bucks due to the fact that even the small gas tanks only need to be refilled every week, and the gas mileage is incredible. Being such small and simple machines makes the scooter sales and service much easier to understand and maintenance is really a non-issue.
- Scooters can be extremely cost effective in that they are very cheap to buy new or used. Depending on the model, you might not ever surpass spending $2000 for a brand new bike. In general, good scooters are anywhere between under $1,000 used and under $2,000 new. Keep in mind when buying one that is a Japanese, Indian, or Thai brand will probably give you the most reliability for your cost.
- Scooters in general are extremely light and simple to ride. In most countries, especially in Europe, you do not even need a special license or training course to operate a moped in public.
Disadvantages to riding a 50cc Scooter.
- A very obvious down-side to these otherwise convenient little vehicles, is that there is no protection from the weather. While in car you have the option of heat or AC in the event of weather, a scooter provides no protection. This means that staying warm in the winter, staying dry in the rain, and staying cool in the summer become obstacles.
- Scooders, as with any motorcycle pose a risk to your safety. While the risks are the same as any car or commercial vehicle on the road, mopeds do not have airbags, seatbelts, or any other normal form of crash protection. In fact, Scooters offer very little in terms of protection; usually only a helmet, leaving the rest of your body exposed to potentially fatal injuries in a collision. Safety should be the number one priority for Scooter riders in any situation.
Now that you are informed of the obvious potential benefits and disadvantages owning a 50cc Scooter can bring, your decision to purchase or not purchase the vehicle should be a little easier. If you have further questions, please stop by or call 207-210-6701 for further scooter sales and service.
When it comes to riding a motorcycle, there are three important safety tips every rider must follow.
- Wear a helmet.
- Wear a helmet.
- Wear a helmet.
Was that clear enough? No? Let us say it a different way. Wearing a helmet when you ride isn't just good sense. It could save your life. And it doesn't take a mountain of statistics to prove that wearing a helmet could prevent death or serious injury, either. But just in case you need the proof, here are some grisly statistics about injuries and deaths related to unhelmeted riders.
- According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, more than 4,000 people died in motorcycle accidents in the United States in 2009.
- Head injuries are the leading cause of death in unhelmeted riders.
- Motorcyclists are 39 percent more likely to die in an automobile crash and eight times more likely to be injured than a passenger car occupant.
- Riders who don't wear helmets are 66 percent more likely to suffer a serious brain injury in a motorcycle accident.
- Several studies have leaked weaker helmet laws with increases in motorcycle deaths.
- In most states, wearing a helmet is the law.
Wearing a motorcycle helmet simply makes sense. Choosing not to wear a helmet dramatically increases your risk of dying and of serious injury. Traumatic brain injuries can cause permanent disability preventing you from working and living independently not to mention riding anymore. A serious brain injury will leave with months to years of physical, occupational and cognitive therapy, out of this world medical bills, and a complete loss of your independence.
With these kinds of risks, why would you take the chance of not wearing a helmet?
Helmets come in a wide range of styles to accommodate the needs of any rider. It's easy to find one that is safe, stylish and that fits your unique riding needs. There are sport bike helmets, touring helmets, modular helmets, dual sport helmets, open face helmets and even an extensive array of helmets made just for women.
Helmets also come in a wide range of safety certifications. If you ride in more risky situations where crashes are more common, you might want to choose a helmet with the highest safety certification. If you ride a scooter only on surface streets to and from work, you may not need such an involved helmet.
Most riders should consider having different helmets for different riding circumstances and conditions. There may be times when a sport helmet makes the most sense or a helmet with a visor. Other times, you may prefer an open face helmet.
But, no matter what helmet you use, remember the three safety rules.
- Wear a helmet.
- Wear a helmet.
- Wear a helmet.
We think you've got it now.
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Please help me understand why this topic keeps showing up on our ballots and the voters keep turning it down. I am a business owner and I didn't have to go to the legislature to see if it would be ok if I invested money into a business and employ people who need jobs.
We are a capitalist society and should be able to open any kind of a business that is legal without going to the state or the voters. Casinos are now legal in the state of Maine, Bangor has one, there is one being built in Oxford, and the State has I don't know how many different ways to gamble, plus the state is a huge advertiser as well, with the lottery, but that's ok.
I say let them build all the casinos they want in the state. The real votes will count when the casino is profitable or not. If someone wants to invest in building a casino and no on shows up to gamble or not enough people show up to gamble than the casino will have to close just like any other kind of business.
Why do we have to have politics involved in making these decisions? Let the politicians and voters focus in on the real problems that we face in our state like lowering our taxes, which by the way most politicians promise to do yet mine keep going up. How about doing something with lowering unemployment, oh wait we just shot one solution down by not letting them build some business that may or may not make it.
A few years ago a restaurant called Hooters wanted to open in Portland and the city would not give them a license I think because of morality issues. I say give them the license and let the people decide on going to Hooters are not after they open. If enough people don't go then Hooters would close, at least we gave them a chance to employ some people and who knows the may have made it and still be employing people.
We have to keep government out of morality issues; it gives them too many reasons not to focus on what is really wrong in our state and country.
If you agree or disagree with me I would love to hear from you.
Pete
Maine Governor Paul LePage said Friday he wants to require random drug testing for welfare recipients.
"I'm going to ask the Legislature to allow us to do what every truck driver in the United States of America has to do, take a random test," he said. "I think if we're going to take our own limited resources, we ought to be able to test 'em on occasion."
I think this is a great idea as many states are trying to incorperate this in their states. I love the argument from the cival rights people stating that this is an infrigment on peoples private lives. Well my argument is that when someone recieves public funds their private lives as far as drug abuse become very public.
I am sure that there are people that receive welfare or support from my and your government that have no problem submitting to a drug test. The people who oppose it in my mind are abusing the system and we must do something to correct the problem.
With regard to drug testing, the Legislature added provisions in the budget this year that allow the state to test people who receive funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program if they have a felony drug conviction. LePage said he wants to take it a step further and explained that he believes people go "benefit shopping" when deciding where to live.
As proof, he talked about an email he received recently from a woman who asked him if the benefits provided by Maine are better than those in New Hampshire.
"I found that very insulting," he said. "I responded by saying 'ask not what the state of Maine can do for you, but what you can do for the state of Maine. Have a nice life."'
Robyn Merrill of Maine Equal Justice, which provides legal services for the poor, said random drug-testing programs in other states have been found to be unconstitutional. She said that's why a bill that would have required random drug testing for MaineCare recipients did not pass earlier this year.
"Random drug testing is very questionable legally with respect to constitutional issues," she said. "If the government has the right to drug-test people based on receipt of aid from public assistance programs, what is to stop the government from requiring drug testing for anyone who receives a student loan or any other government benefit? This law would create a very slippery slope with respect to infringement on people's right to privacy."
A student loan is a loan and is expected to be paid back so Robyn Merrill's argumemnt holds no warter there and maybe our goverment needs to start sliding down that "slippery slope" as the well paved road has got us were we are today.
In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott urged the Legislature to adopt a drug-testing initiative for welfare recipients earlier this year. A story in the Tampa Tribune published in late August stated that 2 percent had tested positive since the program began July 1. In Florida, those who get cash welfare benefits have to pay for their own test, but get reimbursed by the state if they pass, the newspaper reported.
The savings to the state could reach nearly $100,000 a year in Florida, although the cost of staff time and money spent to implement the program had not yet been calculated, according to the Tribune. The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida has since sued the state, which is appealing an injunction that has stopped the practice.
More than two dozen states have proposed drug testing for those who get welfare benefits or other assistance, but Florida was the first to enact such a law in more than a decade.
Info from MaineToday Media State House Writer Susan M. Cover
Fall is here in the North and that means people are bringing in their hoses, putting up heat tape and dusting off the ice fishing houses. Squirrels are in panic mode to pack away nuts for winter and deer hunting season is just around the corner. And while there is still plenty of good riding weather left, it may be time to start thinking of winterizing your bike.
If you are lucky enough to live somewhere with year-round riding, count your blessings; for everyone else, read on for a quick primer on what you need to get your bike ready for hibernation.
Just like mama-grizzly gorging on berries and salmon, what you put into and how you store your bike is critical to your springtime success. A little effort now will save you lots of money and trouble next season. Not to worry, you need not scour the automotive stores or spend hours watching Ebay auctions, all of the supplies featured in this primer are available from your dealer.
One of the first things to do is check with your dealer and ask if they have a winterizing/storage package. Even if you do nothing else, this one stop goodie-bag of winterizing supplies is the best and easiest thing to keep your bike happy all winter long.
Another good idea is to wash the bike and wax the shiny stuff. This pre-storage grooming will ensure a quick getaway in the spring. While your neighbors are baking in the sun next to jars of turtle wax and chrome polish, you can give the bike a quick dust off and get riding. Consider touching up any chipped paint to prevent rust from building up.
It is good practice to change all the fluids in the bike. As for the fuel tank, I recommend using a fuel preservative. To prevent condensation and rust, make sure the tank is full. Close the petcock if equipped and run the engine until it dies. This will clear the fuel line preventing gum and varnish from forming in the carburetor during the winter.
Your bike will thank you for removing the spark plug and “fogging” the cylinder to prevent rust forming during your baby’s hibernation. To keep the drive-train happy; clean, lubricate and adjust the chain.
Perhaps most important thing for your motorcycle is to make sure to give the battery some attention. The worst thing you can do to a battery is let it sit, even a brand new battery can be junk by spring. Make sure the battery is filled to the proper level and put a Battery Tender or some other automatic battery manager on it. A standard trickle charger is not a good idea. Automatic maintainers only operate when the battery needs a small charge, whereas a trickle charger operates all the time and will ruin your battery over time. This step will save you $50 or more in the spring.
Finally, cover the bike with a breathable cover. You don’t want a rain cover as it can trap moisture underneath.
For those of you who are a bit more compulsive, you can find lots more to do to prepare your bike for the long cold winter ahead. But consider these steps at a minimum. Now in the spring you can unhook the Battery Tender, air up the tires, check the fluids and hit the road on the first nice day.
I own a Harley and I often want to buy parts and accessories for it but I don't always want to go to a Harley Davidson Store. I am concerned that if I buy something online it might not be the right part that will fit my bike and then I have to return it. I am sure I am not alone feeling this way so I added a fitment search to our online store.
What is great about a fitment search is you put in your year, make, and model motorcycle, dirt bike, scooter, atv, snowmobile, or side by side and you will only see parts and accessories that are pertinent to your vehicle. Pick the parts you want or need and we will ship them right out to you. Spend more than 100 bucks at the store and we will even pay for the shipping.
Cumberland County Choppers and Cycles is a family owned store in Portland Maine and is owned by Michelle and Peter Gordon. Both our background is from the auto business, but we have always been passionate about all kinds of motorcycles. The reason we got into this business is that we felt that the area needed a place where all people could come to and feel comfortable buying anything that has to do with biking. Now we are trying to extend that same service at our online store.
To try out the fitment search feature at our online store just click here. Please let me know what you think.
Thanks
Pete
I am sorry but this blows my mind. The government yes our government is now paying Virgin Mobile for cell phones for people who cannot otherwise afford one. How does this stuff get passed? Who is suggesting that we pass a law that allows this to happen?
I have been seeing these ads on TV and had to look into what it was all about. I found this article which blew my mind and hope that it plows yours. This maddness must stop.
"Assurance Wireless is one of the newer companies offering free cell phones through the federal Lifeline Assistance program, and it’s growing rapidly because it is a subsidiary of Virgin Mobile, which itself is a subsidiary of Sprint/Nextel. In fact, our research shows it is the fastest growing Lifeline cell phone company.
If you qualify, and requirements vary from state to state, you will get an Assurance phone and 250 minutes of airtime with the Assurance Wireless program at absolutely no cost. If 250 minutes are not enough, you can get more minutes for a low monthly fee, or more minutes can be added as needed with Virgin Mobile Top-Up cards, available from thousands of retailers nationwide. In fact, we’ve thoroughly covered this subject on our page, Assurance Wireless Minutes.
The Assurance cell phone is currently available in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia. And, as with their competitors, they’ll be coming soon to other states across the country.
Who is Eligible?
Eligibility requirements for an Assurance phone and minutes often vary slightly from state to state, but you probably qualify for a phone from the company if you participate in Medicaid, Food Stamps/SNAP, General Assistance, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8), Home Energy Assistance Programs (HEAP, LIHEAP & E-HEAP), The National School Lunch Program’s Free Lunch Program, Supplemental Security Income (SSDI) or possibly some other public assistance programs.
If you are not on a government assistance program that is Lifeline-approved for your state, you can still qualify if your household income meets certain government guidelines in your area — namely, if it is at our below 135-150% (may vary upon state) of the federal poverty level. Submit your Assurance Wireless application online or via mail to see if you qualify.
For further information on the exact rules for your state, please go to our state guidelines page, click on your state, and read the exact criteria."
The Ural story, as I have been told, began in Germany in 1939. As a result of the Molotov (Soviet Unioun) - Ribbentrop (Germany) Pact, the transfers of technology had taken place in support of Soviet "friends" in different areas. Soviet engineers toured German aircraft factories and brought back complete cannons as samples. The OPEL Kadett blueprints were given to the Soviets just prior to the war; however, it commenced production only toward the end of the war as the Moskvitch 400.
In 1941, BMW began production of the state of the art BMW R75, and ceased production of the BMW R71. The BMW factory supplied the construction drawings and casting molds to the Russians of the BMW R71 motorcycle. That may have seemed a good idea at the time, but a few years later the Russians were using the Urals to fight the Germans.
Today Ural is a very exclusive and personal machine with a long and dramatic history. Ural bikes carried Russian soldiers and military officers in World War II, field agents of the OGPU (the precursor to the KGB), leaders of Collective Farms and factories, police officers in Russian towns and remote villages, UN soldiers, and, first and foremost, the civilian population of the former Soviet Union and many other countries.
Over three million bikes have been manufactured to date. During some years, 25,000 Urals were built annually. To keep up with demand, The entire population of the town of Irbit in the Ural Mountains once worked at the bike factory. Of course, times have changed, the factory is now privately owned, and a successful US business team now owns the majority of the company’s stock. But even today, Ural bikes continue to be manufactured, though for a much more exclusive rider.
Despite high demand, only two to four thousand bikes are handmade by people of Irbit each year, and only a few hundred bikes are imported into the US on yearly basis. The factory proudly provides 2 year warranty with no limitation on the mileage.
We are thrilled to offer these bikes for sale as Mainers will be able to ride year round on their 2WD Ural.
Thanks
Pete