Gold Wing Road Riders Association, GWRRA, SOUTHEAST REGION "A" ALABAMA CHAPTER
"N", GADSDEN, AL. "FRIENDS FOR
FUN, SAFETY AND KNOWLEDGE" MONTHLY
MEETINGS: FIRST SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH. EAT AT 5:00 PM. MEET AT 6:00 PM AT WESTERN SIZZLIN . Breakfast Meeting
8:30 AM every Wednesday Poor House
Restaurant, 12th & Meighan.Chapter "N" Officers & Staff
Chapter Directors: Tery & Barbie Cleveland 256-538-1443 mailto:tcleveland@microxl.com 
Asst. Chapter Directors: Sammy & Donna Conn 205-274-8345 mail to:swconn@otelco.net 
Safety Educator & COY Rick & Laura Brothers 256-442-6351 mailto:tworiverrats@excite.com
Newsletter Editors: Jim & Virgie Banks 205-681-0297 mailto:jbanks5509@aol.com 
Chapter Historian: John & Shelly Smith 205-467-2673 mailto:jstrav@aol.com (Photo not available - requested)
Membership Coordinator R&R: Dewey & Alice Cole 256-442-2458 mailto:travelordcac@netscape.net 
Ride Coordinator: Wayne & Liz Gargus 205-274-8670 mailto:wayneg@otelco.net 
Webmasters: Kerry & Joyce Wilson 256-546-2811 mailto:kwilson@kerrywilson.com 
Secretary & Treasurer: John & Sandra Irwin 256-543-8509 mailto:jeirwin1@bellsouth.net 
Technical Coordinators: Butch & Diane 256-593-7053 
Ways & Means Coordinator: Bob & Pam Ray 256-442-4383 
District Officers
District Directors: Ray & Cindy Erickson 334-298-8485 mailto:racyguns@att.net (Photo not available)
Asst. District Directors & District Trainers: Bill & Dian Gulley
256-229-8833 mailto:bamawing@dav.net 
District Educators: Paul & Paula Howes 205-938-3961 mailto:phowes1@cs.com (Photo not available)
Region "A" Director: Larry & Patty Lingo (Photo not available)
1-3-2004: Snowball Run. Leave Cowboys' Attalla, 7:00 AM. Ride to Springville, meet others. Ride to Montgomery, Embassy Suites for Rally 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM.
1-8 Linda Luther Birthday.
1-10-04 Monthly Gathering - Chapter Meeting: Saturday 5:00 PM, at Western Sizzlin, Rainbow City.
1-13 Virgie Banks Birthday
1-17-04 International Motorcycle Show in Atlanta at the Cobb Convention Center in North Atlanta. Breakfast on your own and depart Cowboy's at 7 AM on 2 or 4 wheels depending on the weather. The show is inside, so if the weather is not suitable for riding, 4-wheel it and enjoy a good show and all the latest in motorcycles and apparel.
1-18 Day Ride to Guntersville to see the Eagles. Go to early Church Service if you can, and depart Cowboy's at 11AM and at K-Mart in Albertville at 11:30 AM. More information at the Jan. 10 N Meeting including possible overnight accommodations (4-wheeling ok if the weather is not suitable for riding).See note below for (Saturday) 1-24-04. This event date has been changed.
1-20 Calvin & Loretta Loyd Anniversary
1-23 Vickie Smith Birthday; Kerry & Diane Stephenson Anniversary
1-24-04: (Saturday) In your newsletter, it states that we will take a day ride on Sunday 1/18. However, since there is no guided tour on that Sunday at 4 PM, leads me to believe that the best time in late afternoon will be on the next weekend of Saturday 1/24 or Sunday 1/25. Our ride to the International Motorcycle Show in Atlanta is on Saturday 1/17, so to do both would make a rather busy weekend. Therefore, it is recommended we cancel the group plans on Sunday the 18th. You can either go on your own for a day ride or overnight on either weekend, or we can go as a group on Sunday 1/25/04. Depart Cowboy’s at 11:00 AM. on Saturday 1/24/04. Ride/drive Hwy 431 North to San Pedro Mexican grill, 12824 Hwy 431 N at the top of the mountain on the right before going down into Guntersville. Others can meet at the restaurant at 11:45. We’ll have lunch then go to the Guntersville State Park, get maps, and proceed in our own convoy to see the Eagles. The Guntersville State Park Lodge is offering a bed and breakfast special of $65/night on both weekends. Telephone 256-571-5444.
1-31-04 Dinner ride to Pas'ghettis Italian Restaurant in the Sutton Square Shopping Center in Rainbow City (behind Western Sizzlin). 5:00 PM.
Articles
Hello,
Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a great holiday season. We definitely did. The month of December started with our Christmas party and as usual we had a wonderful time. We would like to thank North Glencoe Baptist Church for the use of their fellowship hall. Thanks to Rick & Laura Brothers and Sammy & Donna Conn for getting there early and setting up the decorations. Thanks to Shari Emery for playing the piano and providing us with Christmas music. A BIG Thanks to all the wonderful cooks who provided us with such a delicious meal. It was good to see our friends from Chapter "K" (Bill & Dian Gulley, Jimmy & Sabrina Campbell) who were able to find us after going to the Western Sizzlin, to find out were not meeting there that night.
We were unable to attend the supper ride to El-Tapitio due to the fact that we were feeling under the weather. Twenty Six people did attend, and they had a great time.
This coming year, 2004 looks to be another fun year for GWRRA and Chapter N. Some of the dates that are of interest,: Feb 14 - Annual Chili Cook-off; April 1,2,3 -Alabama Rally; June 5 -Chapter N Fun Day; July 4-8 -Wing Ding; August 14 -Bike Display at the Gadsden Mall. These are just a very few dates off the top of our head and will be discussed more, as they grow closer. There are plenty of other rallies and fun days that will be coming up to discuss also. We are sure you will be able to find something fun on our calendar to do. We hope you will participate as much as possible It is always more fun the more people we have.
Let us take this time to welcome our new staff members: Rick & Laura
Brothers Chapter Educators & Chapter Couple of the year; John & Sandra Irwin
Secretary'Treasurer; John & Shelly Smith Chapter Historian. Thank you guys and ladies.
We know you will all do a wonderful job! We would also like to thank David Santos and
Santos Printing for continuing to print our newsletter. -Terry & Barbie 
Happy Holidays!
We hope you and yours had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Chapter N's Christmas Party was, as usual, a great success. Everyone enjoyed good food, fellowship, and gifts. Also, we were happy to pass the Big JA on to our leader, Terry Cleveland. Plans are already in the works for next year's party. As you know, the weather and other issues cancelled our rides in the Christmas Parades, but perhaps we will have better luck in 2004. El-Tapitio was the site of our dinner ride in December. Another good meal was enjoyed by all and several members followed the dinner with a trip to Cross-Point Community Church to see their Christmas Program.
On the weekend of the 20th, we traveled to the Smokey Mountains with our three younger sons and future daughter-in-law. It snowed 2 inches on the day we arrived, turning our surroundings into a scene worthy of a Christmas card. We had to modify our plans, and wait on the roads to clear before going outside on Saturday. The drive from Townsend to Pigeon Forge was very pretty as we made our way to the Old Mill for lunch. On Sunday morning, we drove from Townsend to Gatlinburg via the scenic drive that follows along the creek. We thought of all of you as we drove through breath-taking scenery. We have been through the area on our bike several times, but the snowy scene was beautiful. Our efforts to arrange the trip were greatly appreciated. The boys said they believed this to be our best vacation ever! We hope your holidays went as well.
By the time you receive this newsletter, we will have begun a new
year complete with the first rally of the year: The Snowball Run. As you know, we are
fortunate to live in the South and it won't be long before we once again have riding
weather. With the beginning of the new year, we want to once again offer our support to
those who have accepted leadership positions in the Chapter and say a big thank you to our
membership. Without you, there would be no Chapter N. We are looking forward to a great
year. Sammy and Donna Conn
Coosa Valley Wing's Web Site has been enhanced with several new features designed to help our members communicate more effectively. When you open the Home Page, you will see 5 active Icons at the top of the page. The first one is the logo for Alabama Region A, and is hyperlinked to it's Home Page. The second one is the logo for GWRRA, and is hyperlinked to it's Home Page. The third one is Chapter N's logo, and is hyperlinked to Chapter N's Newsletter Page. The fourth one is the logo for Niehaus Cycle Center, and is linked to it's Home Page - a good source for parts and accessories. The fifth one is a photo of Noccalula Falls, and is linked to the Gadsden Etowah Tourism Board Home Page, to help people find out more about Etowah County and Gadsden, Alabama.
Next, the time, and place of the Monthly Gatherings and Weekly Breakfast is announced, to help people find and attend our meetings. Events are announced at least a month in advance, and updated regularly, to help keep members informed. This is a good "quick reference" to see what is going on.
There are 21 hyperlinks at the bottom of the Home Page and each page to help you navigate through the site. Here is a run down of the links and some of their functions.
Check out the site at: http://www.kerrywilson.com/coosavalleywings.htm. Email the webmaster at: kwilson@kerrywilson.com.
Easy ways to meet new blood-pressure guidelines: The Govt.'s recently issued new BP guidelines state that readings between 120/80 and 140/90, which used to be "high normal," now tag you as being at increased risk for ill ness such as heart disease and stroke. Some simple ways to slip out of the danger zone include:
Breathe Easy: Recent finding s show that people who did not respond to hypertension drugs but practiced slow-breathing exercises for 15 minutes a day, three to four days a week, lowered their systolic readings by close to 14 points and the diastolic readings fell by about 9 points.
Go for the Grape: Men with elevated blood pressure drank 12 ounces of Concord grape juice a day in one recent study. Within 12 weeks, their top numbers fell by 5.7 points, and their bottom numbers by 5.9. That's a significant drop. A 5 point reduction in top numbers alone translates into a 9 percent drop in heart disease risk. Grape juice high in potassium and plant compounds called flavonoids, both of which are linked to lower blood pressure.
Get off the couch: a recent study found that aerobic exercise like walking, jogging, cycling, and swimming lowered top numbers by 3.8 points and bottom numbers by 2.5. Working off as little as 10 points can help you lower your blood pressure.
Supersize your Salad: How good are greens" In a recent British study, subjects who ate five servings of fruits and veggies per day dropped their blood pressure without any other lifestyle changes.
We are very proud to be your Chapter Educators for 2004. Thank you for entrusting us with this job. We hope that everyone had a Happy Holiday Season. We are looking forward to the next riding season. We have our ride calendar planned out and hop to get to ride with as many of our Chapter members as possible.
Riding our Goldwing continues to be one of the best experiences that we have ever had. The wind in your face, the sense of adventure, the togetherness of fellow riders or the bond between you and your co-rider is hard to beat. But as riders, there is also an awesome responsibility to be sure your bike is in great operating condition and that your are operating it as safely as possible. This is not just for you and your co-rider's benefit, but also the other vehicles that you share the road with.
When we ride our bikes, we usually travel to some of the most beautiful
places and interesting roads in the area. As you know, it is easy to get caught up in the
wonderful day and fantastic scenery. The trick that we all have to learn is to enjoy the
ride while being prepared for any situation that might occur. In order to do this we need
to program our thinking in a way that we can enjoy the ride and automatically be ready for
anything that might spoil the day. During the next year, we will be playing the
"Scenario Game" from time to time in our meetings and newsletter articles. The
idea is to get everyone to examine different circumstances that they might find themselves
in while riding, so that they would already have a plan of action in mid should an urgent
situation occur. The difference in avoiding or being in an accident could be the
milliseconds that you spend in your decision process. By already having something in mind
to counter the emergency, you reflex actions should be quicker and more accurate.
Hopefully everyone will benefit from examining scenarios and listening to everyone else's
opinions and experiences. We welcome your suggestions and comments concerning this or
anything else pertaining to riding defensively. Safety is a group thing! Rick & Laura
Brothers Chapter Educators
My Goldwing Trike was purchased in October and was getting ready for its first trip in late March. It was just barely broken in with 930 miles showing on the speedometer. This was going to be the kickoff rally for the Southern Road Riders in For Gaines, GA. Reservations were made for a hotel in Eufaula, AL, since no hotels were available in Fort Gaines. Thursday night mapping the trip had been done, as well as packing. The night before the trip was spent tossing and turning with much anticipation of this trip. Friday morning had finally arrived with the sun shinning. Jim and I pulled out of the driveway with him on his Goldwing pulling the trailer and I was on my Silver Goldwing Trike head for Eufaula, AL.
The ride down was absolutely breathtaking. Stopping for food, gasoline and a couple of breaks we arrived at the hotel about 2:30. We got to our room and unpacked, then decided to explore the area. We left the hotel on Hwy 431 South with me leading. After riding an hour or more, we ended up in a small town which has a town square that circles the square in the middle of town. Well, you guessed it: I missed the turn and ended up in the city policy parking lot. This is when Jim became the leader and we made another loop around the town square looking for our turn which I had missed. We arrive back at the hotel, got ready and went out to eat before retiring for the night.
The next morning was another beautiful sunny day. We ate breakfast, and then headed for the town of Fort Gaines for the kickoff rally. When we arrived, there were all makes of motorcycles parked on both sides of the street. After parking the motorcycles, we signed in and received a package which contained several items plus a long sleeve tee shirt. The next few hours were spent in fellowship before we ate our sack lunches which were provided for the kickoff rally. During the fellowship time some of us women explored two of the historical homes. Some of the group went through an antique place full of old gardening and farming tools. A guide told us that the building was full of snakes before it was restored. They hired someone that was willing and able to rid the building of the snakes before they could start the restoration process.
In the interim, we had walked back down the sidewalk where the main group was gathered. As we were talking, a Goldwing Trike pulling a trailer, plus tow Goldwing riders turned the corner onto the main street.The GOLDWING Trike suddenly sopped. the tow Goldwing riders got off their bikes and pushed the Trike up the street where the other motorcycles were parked. Jim and I walked down the street where they parked the Trike. The owner of the Trike said they had trouble with the trike when they left their hotel in Eufaula that morning. After quitting a few times they made it to the side street where it finally quit for good. His two friends had left immediately for Tuscaloosa where they were from, to get a trailer to haul the trike back home.
Later on, after lunch they had someone to lead us on a sightseeing trip around Lake Eufaula and ended up back in Eufaula at an antique car show. We stayed awhile waling and looking at the old vehicles. We left the antique car show and went back to the hotel to get ready to go to the Eufalua Lake Lodge for diner.
We had more good food and fellowship at the lodge with the group. We talked to the man with the trike whose fiends had returned with the trailer. Since his motorcycle trailer was the same brand as ours, Jim told him he would be glad to pull his trailer back to the hotel where he was staying. When the dinner and everything was over we left for Fort Gaines, he riding my trike and I rode with Jim. When we arrived in Fort Gaines, they hooked the trailer to Jim's bike and off we went back to his hotel where we dropped off the trailer and went on to our hotel for the night.
The next morning, it was very cold. It had rained during the night and a
cold front had blown through. We went as far as we could before we had to sop for coffee
and try to get warm. We were not prepared for such a drastic change in the weather,
however, this was a lesson learned the hard way, always be prepared for any type of
weather. On our way home, the sun finally showed its face and took some of the chill out
of the air. That is what it is all about. What better way than our GoldWing. We received a
very nice thank you from the man for our help. Virgie Banks 
Virgie Banks Trike. Jim
& Virgie Banks
JA Award Winner for the Year of 2003: Terry Cleveland 
JA Award Winner for the Month of December: Josh Dodd 
All of the men and women who are fighting for our freedom
Our country's leaders 
Tom Wilson (Kerry's Dad) 
Bob Brooks (Chapter D)
Motorcycle &
Automobile Insurance
Motorcycle Liability Only Rates, as low as $115 for the 1st year and $45 for the 2nd year for non-GWRRA members.
Motorcycle Liability Only Rates as low as $70 for the 1st year, and $45 for the 2nd year for GWRRA members.
Full Coverage rates (Example) for a 2003 Honda Gold Wing GL1800 as low as $292 per year for GWRRA members.
Call Kerry Wilson or Josh Dodd at 1-800-575-3779 (1-800-57-KERRY) or 256-546-2811.
Automobile Insurance Rates, as low as $100 Down, and $30 per month.
David Santos, Santos
Printing 256-54-PRINT (547-7468)
Jim Rogers TriKing Trikes of Northern Alabama
1127 Tom L. Smith Dr. Odenville, AL 35120 205-629-6009 www.trikingtrikes.com
Charity Pig Roast June 19 & 20, 2004