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‘Ride or be left behind.’ Who came to New Hampshire’s iconic annual motorcycle rally? – The Boston Globe

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‘Ride or be left behind.’ Who came to New Hampshire’s iconic annual motorcycle rally? – The Boston Globe


It appeared alongside top New Hampshire politicians who showered praise on the event happening this week, which typically draws over 300,000 people to the state. That colorful cross-section of bike-loving humanity is a boon to the state’s economy.

“It’s the camaraderie and the friendship, and it’s a forever thing,” said motorcylist Lewis Leonard, who traveled from Florida for the event.Kayla Bartkowski For The Boston Globe

Since Leonard first attended the rally in 1977, he said he’s been drawn back each year by the riding, the racing, and the people. He believes he’s only missed a handful of years since he started coming.

“It’s the camaraderie and the friendship, and it’s a forever thing,” he said. “We’re all from different walks of life, but during the rally, everyone is from the same place.”

Leonard traveled to the event from his home in Daytona Beach, Fla. At 65, he’s retired from a career that also revolved around motorcycles: working as a technician for Harley Davidson. But Leonard said he hasn’t retired from racing motorcycles.

Yes, accidents have taken a toll on his body over the years, he said. “But it’s still worth it.”

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A close up view of patches on Rudy Centola’s vest. Centola drove from Massachusetts to take part in the annual Laconia Motorcycle Week.Kayla Bartkowski For The Boston Globe

Outside, on Main Street in downtown Laconia, a couple who identified themselves as Tom and Lisa said they’ve been coming to Laconia Motorcycle Week together since the ′80s. They declined to give their last names.

“We both ride, so it’s fun just to see everybody else,” said Lisa.

It’s less rowdy now than Lisa remembers it used to be. She said she misses the old days. “It’s gotten a little bit boring,” she said. But she still enjoys walking around, checking out all the motorcycles, and people watching.

The event organizers have heard that critique before. Jennifer Anderson, deputy director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association, said people are still partying these days, but they’ve relocated the merriment to their overnight accommodations. She said that’s helped reduce drinking and driving, which remains a major safety message state and local officials delivered ahead of the event.

Tom said he started riding when he was 10 years old after his older brother first introduced a bike to the family, to his parent’s dismay.

“My parents were dead set against it,” he said. It took some time, but eventually, he said, they came around to it. As a teenager, Tom said he would come to bike week and camp out with all of his friends.

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Lisa started riding a motorcycle after she met Tom. “I didn’t want to be on the back,” she said. “I figured I’d be left home, so either ride or be left behind.”

Don Carey poses for a portrait on his bike at the Laconia Motorcycle Week.Kayla Bartkowski For The Boston

Bike week isn’t for everyone. Some locals steer clear of the city altogether while the event is in full swing. Kristy Lavoie, 45, of Sanbornton, falls into that category.

“We don’t really get involved,” she said, while shopping in Laconia before the event began. “We avoid the area.”

Lavoie works in retail in Tilton, and she said it’s a busy time of year. But she’s not convinced all the traffic is coming from motorcyclists, pointing out that the region is also popular with tourists who are coming to spend time on the lakes during the warmer months.

In the 20 years Lavoie has lived in Sanbornton, she said she’s gotten used to the massive event. And luckily, she said she doesn’t notice more traffic in her hometown as a result of the event.

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Motorcycle week is estimated to bring upwards of $100 million in business to the state, according to an economic analysis by the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association. The event runs through Sunday. On Thursday, there is the 31st annual POW/MIA Freedom Ride starting at 5 p.m., as well as a custom bike show, and a tattoo contest, among many other events.

On Friday, there is the annual city of Laconia Bike Show, a motorcycle rodeo, and Belknap County Nursing Home will welcome motorcycle week, inviting riders to meet the residents and show off their bikes.

A full schedule of events is available here.

Deo Schizas sews patches onto a leather jacket at the during this year’s Laconia Motorcycle Week at Weirs Beach. Schizas has spent that past 20 years going to biker rallies all over the country to sell and sew patches onto their jackets.Kayla Bartkowski For The Boston Globe

Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com. Follow her @amanda_gokee.

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New Hampshire

Tilton Man Arrested On Stalking, Protective Order Charges: Concord Police Log

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Tilton Man Arrested On Stalking, Protective Order Charges: Concord Police Log


Michael Scott Davis, born 1972, of Concord was arrested on a bench warrant at 8:04 p.m. on June 7 on receiving stolen property-less than $1,000 and credit card fraud-less than $1,000 charges after an incident or investigation at 12 Loudon Road.

Melissa Lee Moscaritolo, born 1977, of Contoocook was arrested at 12:59 p.m. on June 7 on a warrant after an incident or investigation on Horseshoe Pond Lane.

Angela M. Spataro, born 1992, of Concord was arrested at 6:05 p.m. on June 7 on a bench warrant after an incident or investigation on Loudon Road.

Jesse L. Cleasby, born 1985, of Concord received a summons at 1 a.m. on June 7 on a bench warrant after an incident or investigation in Bicentennial Square.

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Katrina Lynn Gilbert, born 1985, of Northfield was arrested at 1:55 p.m. on June 6 on felony receiving stolen property, false statement-resident tax, two unsworn falsification, and two anti-theft laws; possess altered title charges. She was arrested after an incident or investigation on Elm Street.

Grant Boyd Gentzel, 20, of Concord received a summons at 12:05 p.m. on June 6 on a criminal mischief charge after an incident or investigation at Concord Hospital at 250 Pleasant St.

Scott N. Schmid, 38, of Concord was arrested at 12:24 p.m. on June 6 on a bench warrant after an incident or investigation at the Royal Gardens apartment complex.

Dalton J. Stendor, 22, of Frasiers Way in Tilton was arrested on stalking and violation of protective order charges at 11:17 a.m. on June 6. An officer sitting in their cruiser on Sheep Davis Road saw a blue Ford Fusion with an expired inspection sticker near Autumn Drive, an affidavit said. The vehicle was pulled over on the Interstate 393 westbound onramp. A woman who was driving was checked while the officer noticed a man in the passenger front seat. The check found the driver to have protective orders in the computer involving Stendor, the officer wrote. The car was registered to him, too, the report stated. When the officer returned to the car, they accused the man, later identified as Stendor, to be “slumped over with his face partially covered and his hands in his sweatshirt pockets … clearly attempting to hid from my view of him,” the affidavit stated. The officer accused Stendor of “pretending to be asleep” and then waking up and looking at the officer. The officer said Stendor matched his license photo but when asked his name, “Jonathan Burns,” the affidavit said. When asked his birthdate, he said, “I don’t remember, it’s been a really long day,” the officer wrote. Later, the officer accused him of saying, “OK, I’m Dalton,” and after checking his license and confirming the protection order out of Franklin District Court, he was arrested, and taken straight to the county jail.

Do you have a news tip? Please email it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella’s YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel. Follow the NH politics Twitter account @NHPatchPolitics for all our campaign coverage.

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New Hampshire

Kyle Petty explains why racing on wet weather tires at New Hampshire made the race better

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Kyle Petty explains why racing on wet weather tires at New Hampshire made the race better


Kyle Petty believes the switch to wet weather tires during last weekend’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway ironically made for some better racing.

The NASCAR Cup Series tried to move up the start time to avoid Mother Nature interfering in the USA Today 301 on Sunday, but it was to no avail, as rain and lightning rolled through the area with 82 laps to go. The red flag came out, and with the way it was down-pouring in Loudon, hope seemed to be lost.

Then, in a twist we haven’t seen really ever in the Cup Series on an oval, the decision was made to put on the wet weather tires, and NASCAR was able to finish the race. Christopher Bell was the major beneficiary, as he was able to take the lead and hold onto it.

Afterwards, Petty elaborated on why the racing at the end of the race proved why wet weather tires can work, believing the final 82 laps plus overtime made for one of the better races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in quite some time.

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“New Hampshire. It never rains in New Hampshire. It always rains in New Hampshire when there’s a NASCAR race, and this weekend was no exception. But I thought the rain and the wet track made it one of the best New Hampshire races that I’ve seen in a long, long time,” Petty explained. “Christopher Bell did a masterful job of maintaining an understanding of what the track was doing, and understanding how he needed to change his positions on the racetrack.

“Now, I go back, It’s a wet weather tire. It is not a rain tire people. We didn’t see any windshield wipers on these cars. It’s a wet weather tire, and I want to throw something at you, in wet conditions, the track gets slick. Slick track means throttle, means driver, means good racing. Let’s just put those three together right there. What we saw though, was these guys were running three to four seconds slower when the rain came and the wet track came than what they were under normal conditions, and it didn’t change the racing. Running slower made the racing better. It went from a two, maybe a three groove racetrack, to a six groove racetrack. Those guys were on the apron with their left sides in the grass almost when the weather came. That’s because that’s what weather tires do. They allow you to run in other places. They allow the racetrack to open up.”

It was once thought NASCAR could only use the wet weather tires at a road course, but Sunday’s action has proven there’s many more possibilities than that. Kyle Petty and the rest of the NASCAR world loved the action, and now it’s only a matter of when, not if we’ll see them again.



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New Hampshire

Nashua Man Arrested On Vermont Bank Robbery Charge On Interstate 93 In New Hampshire

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Nashua Man Arrested On Vermont Bank Robbery Charge On Interstate 93 In New Hampshire


Police in Newport, VT, reported the Passumpsic Savings Bank on Gardner Street was robbed on Monday just before 9:45 a.m. Officers spoke with staffers who stated the suspect, later identified as Barry English, 38, of Nashua, walked up to a teller and passed a note demanding large bills, according to a report. Newport Chief Travis Bingham accused the suspect of threatening staff with a gun, although one was not displayed.

An alert was sent out around 3 p.m. describing the suspect as a white man in his 30s with several tattoos. The suspect left in a black BMW sedan with New Hampshire plates.

During the department’s investigation, Bingham said English was identified as a suspect, and be-on-the-lookout police alerts were sent around the region. About three hours later, Bingham reported that English had been captured by New Hampshire State Police in Plymouth on Interstate 93.

“Newport police would like to thank residents and community members who sent information and helpful tips to the department, which helped identify the individual in question,” Bingham said.

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According to superior court records, English’s criminal history dates back more than two decades.

In 2003, he was accused of robbery-conspiracy and robbery-criminal liability for the conduct of another charge out of Nashua. English pleaded guilty to the charge in July 2004. A year later, he was accused of robbery charges again in Nashua and Manchester and pleaded guilty to some of the charges.

In Keene, in 2010, he was accused of acts prohibited and pleaded guilty of both charges. English was then accused of violation of probation on the charges. In March 2010, a forfeiture hearing was held in Cheshire County Superior Court.

Back in Nashua, in 2012, he was accused of theft and burglary charges, and pleaded guilty to the burglary charge in January 2013. English was sentenced to two to four years in prison, suspended for two years of release, and $2,925 in fines.

In Salem, about six years later, he was charged with three counts of acts prohibited in Salem. He pleaded to a single count, received a two to four year prison sentence, suspended for two years, and $434 in fines, also suspended for two years.

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Do you have a news tip? Please email it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella’s YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel. Follow the NH politics Twitter account @NHPatchPolitics for all our campaign coverage.



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