-
Thank you M.S. Riders 08′
August 4, 2008 by colhogan3
What a ride! Thanks to our viewers, donors, Team”3″ supporters and other participants, the 2008 M.S. Ride was a wonderful success. More than 1200 pre-registered for Sunday’s ride that kicked-off and returned to The Cadillac Ranch in Southington. Nice Can-Am there Judy! Ted Tine’s looong Purple Chopper caught a drool. Greg Loehr of the Red Knights can always be counted on to be by my side…(since 1973). George Giguere, Ron, Brian, and alllll the riders…who can’t forget the Iron Maidens! Congratulations one and all.
The true cruisers are the victims of M.S. who came to the Cadillac Ranch and supported the riders. Thanks to new treatments and medicines, in many cases Pharmaceuticals are making headway in the Fight against this degenerative disease.
Acknowledgment to: Karen Butler, Sue, Karen, of the Iron Maidens…and all my friends at WFSB: Shelley, Chris, Peter, Aleesha, John Roache, Helen, Dana, Patience and Klarn for making this a HUGE success!
M.S. Ride 08′
THE M.G.A. RESTORATION- FINALLY PAINT!
Ok, so how long does it take to restore an old car? As long as it takes. I wish I had a dollar for every time someone asked me: “Hey Hogan, when’s it going to be on the road? ” Today, I now see the light at the end of the tunnel. The original Orient Red color (single stage) was applied recently by the technicians at Vintage Motors LLC, Westbrook…and baked in their new Marathon high-tech Spray booth.
and then there was paint
In October 1998 I purchased a tired 1959 MGA Roadster (convertible) from a woman in Stonington. Jim Greybill of ALLPRO automotive flatbedded “Bridget” home to my garage where the lengthy restoration process began. (BRIDGET is the name of my late Irish Grand Mother, Bridget Hogan.) Restoration is a time consuming, tedious task. Each part has to be disassembled, labeled, and should be photographed. DON’T THROW ANYTHING OUT! Like building a house, you start with the foundation, the frame. Then I proceeded through the years as I had money to do so to restore the engine, drivetrain, transmission, rearend, suspension, brakes and finally, the body. The body of the MGA is a classic design and where restorers put most of their money. GULP.
How not to restore
Like many project at home, I try to do things myself; plumbing, mason work, roofing design landscaping. But when it came to replacing rusted sections of the MGA….I failed miserably. I cannot weld. I had no clue how much science and knowledge of metals is involved in restoration. Thank you Richard Willard and staff at Vintage Motors in Westbrook for steering me in the right direction. GET ANOTHER BODY!!! Because, you didn’t do any service to this one. The purchase of a matching twin body in Walpole, Mass…was a huge savings.
Fast forward two and a half years…and hundreds of hours of dedicated labor, and you’ll see the MGA body is painted with the newest single stage paint to provide years of shiny service.
Now the fun begins!
Now my rebuild is well underway! I just have to order some new parts to replace the ones I threw away.
Kevin
PS – please don’t ask when she’s going to be on the road, soon I hope!
Homework
Viewers know we are EVERYWHERE! When I’m not out and about covering a story or hosting an event, chances are you will find me at home, working on HOMEWORK…the HONEYDO list…whatever you want to call it.
This past week we’ve been busy unbolting and removing the plumbing in the kitchen in preparation for new counters. If you’ve ever tackled this project, trust me it always looks easier on TV. Take today for example. I figured it would take maybe an hour or two to rip out the Formica back-splash and corner-bead and bolt in a block of wood on one end of the counter to accept the new granite top. Four and a half hours later, the job is still incomplete. You have to give credit to the craftsmen and women who do this day in and day out. There has to be an easier way than chiseling the old formica backsplash that was cemented in with gorilla glue. No, I’m told, this is how its done.
Let’s see what progress I make tomorrow morning at sunrise as I try to finish the job before the installation contractor comes knocking on the door.
Summer of Fun
So, here we are again – just change the digit on the year. I don’t know about you but 2008 is flying by! Weddings, graduations, events, etc…etc…etc. When is the merry-go-round going to stop! It’s not that I want to get off mind you, but can’t we just put the brakes on and enjoy life a little more. Today, Sunday, after Mass I started puttering around the garage and house and decided whooooooa, HOGAN, stop. Let’s go inside and sit down for a spell. It actually felt good to read the whole newspaper, page by page and just to sit and relax before the merry-go-round started up again.
I think for my summer vacation, I’m not going to “plan” my honey-do list. I think my honey-do list will be a secondary priority and not the main priority. Ahhhh I feel refreshed alreay.
Habitat for Humanity
We cover many stories in the course of a week. Last Saturday (June 1) I helped MC the Habitat for Humanity Builders Blitz 08 kickoff in New London. I was blown away by the awesome positive “can do” attitudes of everyone involved in building not one, but two brand new 1200 sq. foot houses. Today, Saturday June 7th..one week later, Habitat and the incredible building teams led by the Fusaro’s (Real Estate Service of CT) and Nort Wheeler’s (Mystic River Building Co.) handed the keys and well wishes over to the home-owners.
Two-houses, one week. You have no idea how much preperation time and orchestration these projects took. Kudo’s to Terri O’Rourke- Exec. Dir. Habitat SE CT. …Cal Price at Liberty Bank…and every man woman and child that swung a hammer, fired a nail gun, taped, spackled and painted. I’m proud to have been a small part of this warm experience. Welcome Home!
APOSTOLIC JOURNEY 2008
The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI is visiting the United States this week. The leader of the world’s Roman Catholic faithful begins his 6 day journey in Washington DC and wraps up the historic visit with an Ecumenical Mass in Yankee Stadium on Sunday the 20th.
Go Behind Scenes Of Papal Visit!
I invite you to join me, photojournalist Pat Driscoll and the whole Channel 3 Eyewitness News Team for complete local coverage of the Papal visit to New York. If you can’t watch our regularly scheduled broadcast, catch our coverage on-line @ http://www.wfsb.com/ .
Personally, this is going to be an exciting and ultimately an exhausting week. Just take Sunday the 20th for example the Mass in Yankee Stadium. The 2000 or so tickets distributed to “security cleared” guests will board buses and trains before 6am Sunday just so they can be “seated” in the stands by 10am for a security sweep. The Holy Father won’t arrive in the Pope-Mobile until 2pm….the 3 hour celebration of the Eucharist won’t start til 2:30. But organizers proclaim the music will be moving. Expect every portion of the visit to operate on Military precision. Just distributing communion to the 57 thousand has been calculated to take 15 minutes, thanks to the assistance of 500 local priests.
This will be an Historic week and we’re excited to tell the stories.
Revved Up for the Season
It’s time to pull the covers off your ride and fire em up! Whether you’ve got four wheels or two, make sure no critters have crawled inside and nested the winter in the: air-cleaner / exhaust / heat-blower etc. Take your time and check the plugs, fuel ( If you had fuel in the tank, lets hope you also put a stabilizer in before shutting her down for the season.) Check the brakes, brake fluid level etc.
There are sooooo many rides scheduled this year. Be safe!
Our friends at the NORWICH BULLETIN website have a motorcycle feature page! Likewise weekly at the Waterbury Republican-American.
I’ve gotten inquires about cruises too. The best ones are right around the corner. With higher fuel prices this driving season, you’ll get your best bang for the buck by checking out the cruises/shows nearest where you live.
Be Safe!
Young Drivers
So many young lives have been lost on our roads. Why?
That is a question State Lawmakers are trying to answer. Is it an issue of training? Experience? I am sure the Insurance Companies in the Insurance Capital of the world can find the answer quickly in their super computers. How many police reports are housed in these computers?
Times have changed. Instant communication technology (ie: cell phones, text messaging, GPS) are all grab and drive tools at our fingertips. It’s not just eating a dashboard lunch anymore while you attempt to manuever our busy roadways.
Maybe lawmakers are honing in on a possible solution that could help reduce the number of our children who are killed each year.
Video: High School Holds Assembly On Teen Driving
It amazes me each Spring when School Districts and Communities go through the pains to host the moc DUI crashes, just to impress prom goers about the dangers of drinking and driving and taking risks. They learn later the “reality” of life when they attend the “real” funeral of a classmate.
How Time Flies through the AIR
35 Years! WOW! Congratulations W-X-C-I. That’s the College Radio Station at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. The School and the Radio Station’s Alumni this past weekend celebrated the growing milestone of excellent radio.
Thanks go to many people who got WXCI On-The-Air, and launched so many careers, including mine.
What a pleasure for me to meet and talk with General Manager Justin Mazzarese. Justin, I love your spirit and enthusiasm, keep striving for your dreams. You are WXCI….helping to mold future broadcasters, podcasters, webcasters and whatever communications medium comes along during the next 35 years and beyond.
Kevin Hogan
WXCI 1973-1980
I-95 Speed Cams
