Welcome to the Atlanta Chapter's Website. Harley-Davidson of Atlanta established the Atlanta Chapter on September 19, 1985. We are the oldest H.O.G. Chapter in Georgia. All of the officers hope you will take a look around and enjoy your stop here. Be sure to check out the Calendar. We try to keep a good variety of rides and events to fit into everyone's schedules. If you are a local or just passing through town and have any questions feel free to contact any of the Officers. If you are interested in joining the chapter, we have membership applications available here on the site. We are here to "Ride and Have Fun" and hope you will come out and join us soon.
Atlanta Chapter Officers
HOGWASH Official Newsletter Atlanta Chapter, Inc. Chapter Number 0788 August 2008 Issue
PLEASE use your Back Button to return! AdvertisingAdvertising in the HOGWASH Advertising Rates Articles Director's Article Assistant Director's Article Secretary/Treasurer's Article Head Road Captain's Article Safety Officer's Article Activity Officer's Article Membership Officer's Article Photographer's Article Historian's Article Web Master's Article Member Comment Potpourri Road Trip Road Trip Recap Charities We Support SHARE House MDA Important Links Harley-Davidson of Atlanta Web Page GA State H.O.G. Rally Web Page National H.O.G.Web Page Important Stuff Event Schedule Tentative Event Schedule, 2008 Event Statement Mission Statement H.O.G. Chapter Online Privacy Statement Member Benefit Change Official Newsletter Our Sponsor Join the Group Membership Application Guestbook Meet the Officers Chapter Officers (NEW)Atlanta Chapter Picture Gallery Picture Gallery Members Only HOGWASH Archives HOGWASH Print as Mailed Atlanta Chapter Picture GalleryPhotoBucket PLEASE use your Back Button to return! Rides - Rides - Rides Event Schedule Ride Information Road Trip Road Trip Recap Tentative Event Schedule, 2008 Atlanta Chapter Blog Enter Here Atlanta Chapter, 2008 DirectorChris Robey770-367-1386 atlhogdirector@gmail.com Assistant DirectorBobby Conway678-384-0313 atlhogasstdirector@gmail.com Secretary/TreasurerRene' Durham770-944-1340 rene@hdatlanta.com Head Road CaptainDiana Bodden404-992-3548 harleybaby94@aol.com Safety OfficerJim Byrd770-843-6700 atlhogsafety@gmail.com Activity OfficerErik Grandowski404-580-6759 erik@grandowski.com Membership OfficerLori Robey678-463-0005 atlhogmembership@gmail.com Photographer Web MasterB.K. Ellis770-471-0306 hog@bellsouth.net EditorChris Houghton770-944-1340 chris@hdatlanta.com Road CaptainAndy Andresen770-502-0847 viking@numail.org Road CaptainTom Arnold770-313-3886 tomn2hd@bellsouth.net Road CaptainEd Chowning770-505-9404 edchowning@bellsouth.net Road CaptainJon Loewer770-652-8645 mailto:jloewer@smurfit.com Road CaptainSteve Magel678-354-3560 steve.magel@shawinc.com Road CaptainSkeeter McDowell770-422-8557 blk2jac@bellsouth.net Road CaptainJohn Provost404-535-3447 jprov91301@yahoo.com Road CaptainCharles Slomka770-301-3681 cslomka@bellsouth.net Road CaptainScott Vandiver770-425-8752 gunistructor2@bellsouth.net Road CaptainGene Williams404-805-8119 williamsmobilerepair@msn.com Event Schedule Atlanta Chapter events are considered "CLOSED" unless otherwise noted!See Event Statement. July 20, 2008 Copperhead Lodge
July 20, 2008
July 22, 2008 Shane's Rib Shack Social
July 26, 2008 29 Dreams Ride
July 27, 2008 Bikers for Boobs
August 2, 2008 Saddle & Paddle
August 5, 2008 Atlanta Chapter Business Meeting
August 6, 2008 HOGWASH Articles Due
August 9, 2008 NOTE: This ride is not on the HOGWASH Calendar Foxfire Musuem & Heritage Center
August 9, 2008 Road Captain's Meeting
August 10, 2008 Sonic Social
August 17, 2008 GPS Waypoint Ride
August 19, 2008 Bikes & Flights
August 21, 2008 Chapter Meeting
August 23, 2008 Movie Night
August 24, 2008 Sonic Social
Chapter activities are conducted primarily for the benefit of H.O.G. chapter members. There are three categories of activities, all activities are identified as follows:
If you are interested in becoming a H.O.G. member, contact Rene' Durham, or call 770-944-1340
NEW RIDER'S REWARDS PROGRAM General Manager Harley-Davidson of Atlanta
I want to take a moment to let you all know that Harley-Davidson of Atlanta has launched a Rider's Rewards Program. This program is designed to reward those customers who are most deserving. Consequently, customers who do more business with Harley-Davidson of Atlanta will reap more benefits as a result of the program.
The Rider's Rewards Program will be available to our entire customer base, including our Chapter members. The Rider Rewards Program will be included FREE OF CHARGE as a part of active chapter membership. For non-chapter members there will be a cost to be a member of the Rider Rewards Program. Non-chapter members will have to acquire their Loyalty card for $9.95 annually or $29.95 for a lifetime membership.
The program is a way for Harley-Davidson of Atlanta customers to earn credit toward future purchases. Each time you make a purchase in MotorClothes, Parts and Accessories and the Service department you will earn a percentage back of every dollar spent. Moreover, points will be earned on qualifying merchandise only. Chapter members will also receive points for their participation in Chapter or dealership sanctioned events and functions (e.g., chapter meetings, chapter rides, socials, volunteer time, etc.).
Thanks for all the Help
I just returned from the Villa Rica Fireworks Social, and it made me pause to think how thankful I am for the great people in this chapter. We had a great turn out for the ride over and even more at the event. We are more than halfway through the year and I have so many people to thank for keep the Atlanta Chapter the best in this area. I want to thank all of the officers for doing their part, Bobby for stepping up and doing all the rides and socials that we all enjoy, Erik for bringing so many different events to the table (if you missed the picnic you have got to make next years), B.K for handling the website, the HOGWASH and those great articles about the chapter’s history, Diana for keeping the ride calendar full and continuously getting new Road Captains, Rene', Lori and Jim for handling their roles that are so important to the chapter. Furthermore, there are the members who step up to help out, all of you volunteers who come out and go above and beyond to help the chapter. There are a few who stick out in my mind. John Morgan, he handled my Fathers Day Ride, I want to thank you for making sure this annual ride went on as scheduled. Gary Easterwood, he not only led the ride down to the picnic when Bobby's bike broke down he also made sure that the members had a ride when Bobby couldn't make the Blue Willow ride. Joey Porter for keeping me informed on the details of the Villa Rica fireworks event and other events coming up in the West Georgia area. There are so many other people in this chapter that makes it what it is. I want to thank you all for your support and help and I hope that the new members joining daily will learn how much more you get out of the chapter when you put more in. Thanks again to all of you reading this, and I look forward to seeing you all out at the next event.
Chris RobeyDirector, Atlanta Chapter
Bobby ConwayAssistant Director, Atlanta Chapter
Please ride safe and responsible, Rene' DurhamSecretary/Treasurer, Atlanta Chapter
Being a Road Captain
Being a road captain is learning to be flexible! Don't let a change of plans get you down or frustrate you. Some of the best rides are the ones that are not planned. Remember to always have a plan A, B, and maybe a plan C. Don't let times or destinations aggravate a ride, expect the unexpected and just relax and have fun. Sometimes weather and mechanical issues may effect your original plans. Your fellow riders will appreciate your patience and understanding that anything goes.
Happy Trails, Diana BoddenHead Road Captain, Atlanta Chapter
Keep Your Cool
Riding when the temperature is in the 90-degree range can be dangerous. Unless you take care to keep your body temperature under control, you can suffer heat-related problems.
To prevent these problems:
Remember keeping your cool will reduce fatigue and make your ride more enjoyable.
Jim Byrd Safety Officer, Atlanta Chapter
Confessions of a Picnic Planner
It was the dead of winter in Atlanta, although it was not sub-zero outside, Clyde and Buster (our Harley's) have not seen the light of day in quite some time. The same, tired motorcycle magazines in my home have not been satisfying my urge of being on the bike. As my thoughts wandered sitting in front of the fire, I thought of the sun warming my skin, tangy BBQ sauce tingling on my lips, and spilling on my shirt. I thought of all the camaraderie that a great HOG event has to offer. Then it hit me like a bug splattering on a windshield. We should have one great chapter picnic!
As a former event planner / theatrical designer, I remember what's involved in planning an event… secure a location… great food for everyone… entertainment… What I failed to remember was the tightness in the chest… shortness of breath… lack of sleep… All the ailments associated with producing an event. So, I thought about it and realized what I needed to do… spread the misery around to as many people as possible!
The first step was to write a summary of the event to "sell" to the officers of both the Atlanta and Great South chapters. After all, if you are going to have a grand event, you need lots of people. Consequently, I put my ideas on paper. I started off modest with a basic gathering of riders, and then I added in some food, then started to layer on some entertainment, a poker tournament, ride games, kid's games, live band, jugglers, circus acts, sword swallowers, acrobats, zoo animals, the Harlem Globetrotters, and the Blue Angels zooming overhead as the national anthem played while the President of the United States judged the bike show... Yeah, the creative writing was fast and furious; I even included a roving band of gypsies in the day's itinerary somewhere. Of course after looking at the event and realizing I planned about two or three million dollars’ worth of events, not to mention the fact of it being really difficult to have Air Force one land in Carrollton anywhere, I had to scale back.
I then forwarded the synopsis to Steve Adams from the Great South Chapter for review. As a fellow events and activities director, and co-chair of the event we made a great team for this endeavor, especially since Steve is happily retired and had time to track down some of the issues we had while I was chained to my desk at work. After Steve's review, we passed the idea to Andy and Chris for their input before presenting to the chapter officers. As directors of the chapter, I expected Andy & Chris to directly ask me specific business questions about exposure, profitability, liability, etc. As friends however, I just wanted to know if they thought I was crazy. Well, the business answers were positive. However, they never really got back to me on the crazy part.
Now that we had a concept, and approval from both chapters, it was time to take our vision to the chapter members. We started early with the advertising for the first picnic planning meeting, and it was a success! We had more than 30 members hailing from both chapters show up to provide ideas and support for the project. We had different committees for games, food, location, costs, and time, etc. It was from these committees where individuals came up with great ideas for the event. For example, there were four different suggestions for the picnic location, and after researching them all; it was Ken Kadar's suggestion of the Carrollton VFW that got the final nod. James Long found Huckleberry's catering for the delicious eats for the event, and an incredible price. In total we had four different planning meetings, all of which provided vital elements for the event, such as Mike Volk and Mark Wood, who did a superb job with all the kids, adults and ride games, all of which were definite crowd pleasers!
The day of the event did not get off to as smooth of a start as I would have hoped. Apparently, I forgot to remind the VFW that we would be there early on event day, so when Fiona and I arrived, there were all the volunteers and the catering team standing outside a locked gate! Great! What a way to start the day! Well I don't know how it happened, but the lock miraculously "fell off" the gate, and we were in business!
We quickly setup tents, prepared bike game areas, horseshoes & volleyball courts, Black Jack tables and indoor games areas. Music was playing and the first guests started arriving. Then, when the first child signed up it hit me like a ton of bricks I did not purchase ant children game prizes! As my mind was racing for ways to ask my wife to run out and buy some toys, etc. my heroes approached: Josh and Lea Mazzucco. Apparently, their son works for the Atlanta Spirit, who own professional sport teams such as the Thrashers, Hawks, etc. Well, their son donated these great duffle bags filled with jerseys, CD holders, stickers, mini basketballs, etc., all the stuff kids go crazy over. Thanks to Josh & Lea, the kids had a great picnic experience.
As the day rambled on, our Black Jack dealer’s Bill Keyser, Joe and Joanne Tesar were dealing excitement for the players, as well as the spectators. Our sign-in crew of Iris Martin, Heather Knorr, Tom and Dana Engle, James and Cathy Long, Iris Martin, and someone, who dropped off a basket of baked cookies to keep the volunteers going, had everything under control. Beth and Tandy Barrett signed everyone up and kept them in-line for the adult and ride games. While Fiona Grandowski made sure we had a good turn out for the bike show.
Another special thanks to Arnold Freddie and his wife who came out to make us aware of the March of Dimes rides and to Kathy who was on-site to sew patches for contributions to her church's building fund. Between Fiona and me, we kept her quite busy! Wayne and his crew from Huckleberry's came through with flying colors with their delicious chicken BBQ lunch. I have never seen so many people enjoying their meal. It was certainly some of the juiciest, best tasting BBQ chicken, I have ever had!
As the day concluded, Andy & Chris hosted the award ceremony, door prize and 50/50 drawing. Both Atlanta and Great South H-D Dealerships contributed two $25 gift cards, which we used for the bike show, best ride & adult game winner, top black jack winner and a door prize. I was able to wrestle a few pairs of Braves tickets from our company, and I also spent a few hours hand crafting the bike show plaques for the winners.
So as the day winded down, I thought about what really made the day for me was the fact that practically everyone helped to make the 2008 Dual chapter Picnic a complete success. Therefore, if I forgot to mention your name in this article, I do apologize, but there were so many people who contributed in many different ways that it's hard to keep count. The willingness to step in and lend a hand (which I believe is what separates Harley riders from anyone else) is what made the Dual Chapter Picnic so successful.
Thank you to everyone for trusting in my crazy notion to have this event, and a special thanks to all those who made it happen.
Erik Grandowski Activity Officer, Atlanta Chapter
Come Out and Meet the Family
So what did you think of the Dillard house? Couldn't make it? Ok, you had to love the food over at Fibbers, didn't make that one either? Then you have got to be still talking about the Dual Chapter Picnic, had other plans? Well surely you were at the Villa Rica Annual Fireworks Show, no? You know everyone has been asking about you. Wanting to know how you are doing. Come on out and see the family, bring the kids, bring your friends, everyone is welcome. Everyone here at the chapter is looking forward to catching up with you. We have missed you!
Reminder: Your National H.O.G. Membership has to be current to remain an Atlanta Chapter H.O.G. Member.
Lori Robey Membership Officer, Atlanta Chapter
B.K. EllisHistorian, Atlanta Chapter
Atlanta Chapter Web Page
Due to a review of our web page by national H.O.G., I have had to do some changing. I will no longer list chapter members’ birthdays on the web page. They will still be in the HOGWASH and on the web page in the HOGWASH Print as Mailed. I had to move the HOGWASH Archives and the HOGWASH Print as Mailed to a password-protected page. You will need a UserId and password to access these pages. I will print the UserId and password in the HOGWASH each month so you will have access to these pages. This is security protection for our members who names and email addresses appear in past and/or current publications. This does not apply to chapter officer/road captains per national H.O.G. This information is for Atlanta Chapter members ONLY and is not to be disseminated to NON-Chapter Members. These changes only apply to the web site. The HOGWASH publication will remain the same.
Keep Email Address Updated!
If you have updated your e-mail address, PLEASE send me your new address. I get several undeliverable e-mail messages each time I send a message updating members on up coming or changed events. Please, keep you e-mail address up to date and stay informed! E-mail me at hog@bellsouth.net. Thanks!!
B.K. Ellis Web Master, Atlanta Chapter
Bikes and Flights Ride
Come on out Tuesday, August 19 for my 3rd "call in sick" ride of the year. We will be headed down to Hanger 19 in Griffin for some great food and fellowship. This ride will be a 2-pig ride with one planned stop in Newnan. We will meet at HDA at 10:00 a.m. and head out at 10:30 a.m.. If you are curious about the great food at Hanger 19, then direct your computer to www.hangar-19.com. I hope to see another great turn out.
Chris Robey, Road Captain
Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center
Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center (people can go to their website and see what they have to offer to see if they would be interested) Mountain City, GA.
The website has not been updated, but they are open on Saturday and the cost to tour the village is $6.00 per adult for the self guided tour.
There is a gravel driveway that leads up to the village, but they have motorcycle riders in there all the time. If you have a trailer behind your bike, you can park at the bottom of the hill. The village tour is ¼ mile long and takes about an hour. This location is near Blackrock Mountain State Park and Tallulah Gorge State Park. It is 3 miles north of the town of Clayton. Also, near the Dillard House if people want to eat there.
We will meet at the dealership at 8:00 a.m. and kick stands up at 8:30 a.m.
Tom Arnold, Road Captain
GPS Waypoint Ride
Since I am lax in finding new and exciting locations to ride to, I decided to take advantage of my fellow road captain's hard work and have a "GPS Waypoint Ride.” In my GPS, I tracked some of my favorite Sunday eating establishments over the years. So let's meet at the HDA pavilion on Sunday, August 17 at 9:30 a.m., and we will leave at 10:00 a.m. for either; Butler's Mill in Alabama, The Bulloch House in Warm Springs, or the Market Street Café in Rome. No matter where the group decides to go, one thing is for certain, the food will be delicious and the company will be the best in town. This will be a 2-pig ride.
Erik Grandowski– Road Captain
Sonic Social
Please join me on Sunday, August 10 & 24 for a Sonic Social at the Sonic in Hiram. It will run between 6 & 8:00 P.M. It is their bike night and if you show up on a bike you get 15% off and also Rider’s Rewards points. Look forward to seeing you.
Bobby Conway, Road Captain
Riders Resort Recap
We had five bikes show up for the ride up. The weather was great.
Shortly after the first clap of thunder the next morning our tent camper Ron packed up in record time and left in the rain. Soon to follow was Judy and Gary Lee. They rode in the rain all the way to Aragon to attend a funeral. Diana was more fortunate, she left in the middle of the day and didn't get wet.
We were contacted by another Riders Resort and their place is open now and is 40 miles south and west from our place in Duck Town, TN. I haven't been there as yet but they have a Web Site that looks nice.
Needless to say we are changing our name to "Worm Valley Retreat." We own seven acres on the Valley River with approximately 850 feet of river front. The property is secluded with the Smokey Mountain Railroad tracks as our only neighbor across the river. Worm Creek runs straight through the middle of our property. Both the Valley River and Worn Creek are fast moving waters loaded with rocks and very noisy.
Presently, we have a three bedroom fully furnished house with washer and dryer that we are starting to rent along with full use of the property. So, if you think you like would like a long weekend on the best roads in America for yourself and five to seven of your best riding buddies give us a call and we will hook you up.
Ride Hard and Long, Ed Chowning, Road Captain 404-787-3039
The Rescue on the Million-Mile Ride Recap
The Million-Mile Monday Ride actually went in reverse due to the rescue of our Head Road Captain, Diana Bodden. We visited Euharlee Covered Bridge and the Cartersville Harley-Davidson dealership, and had a fantastic lunch at a Mexican Restaurant in Cartersville.
Thanks goes to Chris Robey for leading us to Diana’s home, to Diana for leading us back to Highway 101 where I took over as lead rider, and to Joseph Tesar for installing Diana’s battery, which we purchased at the Cartersville dealership. I also want to thank Dean Welch, Charles Martin, and Ron Menton, along with the others mentioned for helping me earn my Road Captain Patch.
As of July 1, 2008, more than three million miles were logged for the Million-Mile Ride.
Jim Byrd, Road Captain
Doctor’s Orders Recap
Did you miss another great weekday ride? My second one is in the books, and it was another beautiful day to ride. The morning started off a bit cloudy, but it didn't take long before the sun had busted through and blue skies were everywhere. Ten people on eight bikes followed the good old Doc's orders, and we headed southwest toward Alabama and the Harbor Café. The ride took us down through Newnan and Lagrange, after one quick stop to rub our rears, we arrived on the muddy banks of West Point Lake. The food was great and the fellowship was even better. After a wonderful lunch, some headed toward home and a few followed me deeper into Alabama to explore some new roads. Other than a 2-mile dead end, the exploration was a success. As dinner time approached, we headed for Taco Mac in Douglasville for bike night, a great way to end any ride. I look forward to seeing more people on the road to recovery on my next ride. Until then continue your group therapy and remember any day on the Harley is better than a great day at work.
Atlanta Chapter is accepting business and personal advertisements for the HOGWASH! What a great way to promote your business, organization, service or personal information to all Atlanta Chapter members each month!
For advertising rates please click HERE.
Please contact Rene' Durham at 770-944-1340 for more information or to place your ad today!
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H.O.G. CHAPTER ONLINE PRIVACY STATEMENT
Personal privacy and security of information are mutual concerns of H.O.G., its members, and visitors to Atlanta Chapter web site. This Statement explains H.O.G.'s Internet policies and security measures relating to personal privacy and information security. The Atlanta Chapter collects and stores the following information about you when you visit the Atlanta Chapter web site: the name of the domain from which you access the Internet (for example, aol.com, if you are connecting from an America Online account); the date and time you access the site; and the Internet address of the web site from which you linked directly to our site. The chapter uses this information to measure the number of visitors to the different sections of its site. This helps H.O.G. to make its site more responsive to its members and prospective members. H.O.G. will not obtain personally identifying information about you when you visit our site unless you choose to provide such information. If you choose to send e-mail, registration, or other personal information over the Internet, you do so voluntarily.
The Atlanta Chapter will not disclose personal information provided to it except as follows:
At your request, which may be oral, in writing, by telephone, electronic or other means we recognize;
To assist H.O.G. in evaluating its programs and to continue to improve the quality of your on-line and membership experience;
When disclosure is required by law, such as pursuant to court order, subpoena, legal process or government agency examination or investigation, or to protect or enforce our rights;
To companies that perform services for H.O.G. in connection with your membership, such as data processing and financial transaction processing companies and agencies;
To Harley-Davidson affiliated companies and carefully selected third parties for their own use to provide products and services, or other opportunities to you, unless you have instructed us in writing not to do so; and
In connection with Harley-Davidson corporate due diligence and audits.
By your use of and connection to our web site, you understand and consent to this privacy statement. If for any reason you are concerned that the personal or member information maintained by H.O.G. is not correct or if for some reason you believe H.O.G. has not adhered to these privacy principles, please notify us by calling 1-800-CLUB-HOG.