Saturday, October 24 brought the official unveiling of the new Two Wheels, Four States Magazine at Cycle Connection Harley Davidson/Buell in Joplin MO. Copies may be ordered from Ballard Publications LLC, 1100 N. Prosperity Ave., Joplin MO 64801. Single magazines are $3.95 per issue. A 2010 subscription for all four issues is $16.00.
Starting with the January 2010 issue, we will begin a four-part series about Rt. 66 in three of the Four States. We will start at Laquay MO and head into Springfield MO. Other articles will include the features "The Road Less Traveled", "What We Ride", and "Blonde Idioms".
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
What We Ride
Bob H. from Rocky Comfort Missouri rides a Thoroughbred Stallion, part motorcycle and part sports car. I admit it – I followed him into the gas station to ask him about his unique ride! Bob told me that the Thoroughbred has a Ford motor and automatic transmission, heat and air conditioning, and is a great cross-country ride. As much as he hates to admit it, Bob says he’s getting older and this trike offers him the same feel for the open road as his motorcycle did, but with more comfort and safety. Some of his favorite roads in the area are the no-name country roads along the river between Noel and Pineville.
Read more about What We Ride in "Two Wheels, Four States" magazine. Pick up your copy now!
"Live to Ride, Ride to Eat"
That’s the name of a new cookbook from the Joplin HOG Chapter, Ladies of Harley! Hot off the press, the cookbook is loaded with over 200 recipes and features some of the favorites recipes served at the HOG potluck dinner meetings. The cookbook evolved from everyone asking for recipes at the dinners until someone finally said “we ought to do a cookbook!” These are tried and true recipe favorites! Categories in the cookbook include: Appetizers & Beverages; Soups & Salads; Vegetables & Side Dishes; Main Dishes; Breads & Rolls; Desserts; Cookies & Candy; and This & That.
You can pick up a copy for $9.50 at Cycle Connection Harley Davidson/Buell in Joplin MO or you can mail order one by sending $12.50 per book, shipping included to:
Joplin HOG Chapter – Ladies of Harley Cookbook
5014 S. Hearnes Blvd.
Joplin MO 64804
These cookbooks will make great holiday gifts!
Helmet Laws and Helmets
Helmet Laws and Helmets
Missouri almost repealed the helmet law earlier this year, but Governor Jay Nixon chose to veto the bill. This action continues to make Missouri the only one of the Four States with a mandatory requirement for helmets for all riders. Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas have age restrictions requiring helmets for those under 18 in Kansas and Oklahoma and under 21 in Arkansas.
Governor Nixon, in a written statement, said “By keeping Missouri’s helmet law intact, we will save numerous lives, while also saving Missouri taxpayers millions of dollars in increased health care costs. Keeping our helmet law in place was the safe and cost-effective choice for Missouri.”
Pro-helmet proponents cite statistics from every source imaginable. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that helmeted riders have up to a 73% lower fatality rate than unhelmeted riders. A study by the NHTSA of 10 states that repealed helmet laws found that helmet-use rates dropped from 99% to 50 % and motorcycle fatalities increased significantly.
The insurance industry supports helmet laws reporting that approximately 66% of the costs of motorcycle crash victims is picked up by private insurance, 22% from public funds, and 12% from other sources. Unhelmeted riders are 46% more likely to be uninsured riders, meaning taxpayers are picking up a large part of the medical costs. Nearly one quarter of the motorcycle fatalities involved riders with invalid licenses.
Missouri Department of Transportation says 80% of motorcycle crashes results in injury or death. In 2008, there were 330,000 licensed motorcycle riders in Missouri. Of the fatal motor vehicle crashes that year, 12% involved motorcycles in which 107 riders were killed. A statewide poll conducted by MoDOT in April 2009 showed that 84% of 2050 people surveyed by phone supported the current helmet law and 9% opposed it.
The Brain Injury Association of Missouri supports helmet laws stating that helmets save lives and prevent serious brain injury. Their stats claim that 81% of people support helmet laws and that riders are 40% more likely to die in a crash if they are not wearing a helmet.
Pick up a copy of "Two Wheels, Four States" Magazine to read the rest of the article...
Missouri almost repealed the helmet law earlier this year, but Governor Jay Nixon chose to veto the bill. This action continues to make Missouri the only one of the Four States with a mandatory requirement for helmets for all riders. Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas have age restrictions requiring helmets for those under 18 in Kansas and Oklahoma and under 21 in Arkansas.
Governor Nixon, in a written statement, said “By keeping Missouri’s helmet law intact, we will save numerous lives, while also saving Missouri taxpayers millions of dollars in increased health care costs. Keeping our helmet law in place was the safe and cost-effective choice for Missouri.”
Pro-helmet proponents cite statistics from every source imaginable. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that helmeted riders have up to a 73% lower fatality rate than unhelmeted riders. A study by the NHTSA of 10 states that repealed helmet laws found that helmet-use rates dropped from 99% to 50 % and motorcycle fatalities increased significantly.
The insurance industry supports helmet laws reporting that approximately 66% of the costs of motorcycle crash victims is picked up by private insurance, 22% from public funds, and 12% from other sources. Unhelmeted riders are 46% more likely to be uninsured riders, meaning taxpayers are picking up a large part of the medical costs. Nearly one quarter of the motorcycle fatalities involved riders with invalid licenses.
Missouri Department of Transportation says 80% of motorcycle crashes results in injury or death. In 2008, there were 330,000 licensed motorcycle riders in Missouri. Of the fatal motor vehicle crashes that year, 12% involved motorcycles in which 107 riders were killed. A statewide poll conducted by MoDOT in April 2009 showed that 84% of 2050 people surveyed by phone supported the current helmet law and 9% opposed it.
The Brain Injury Association of Missouri supports helmet laws stating that helmets save lives and prevent serious brain injury. Their stats claim that 81% of people support helmet laws and that riders are 40% more likely to die in a crash if they are not wearing a helmet.
Pick up a copy of "Two Wheels, Four States" Magazine to read the rest of the article...
Friday, July 24, 2009
Ride Safe
Cinders and Salt
After the winter storm, come roads covered in cinders and salt. While not as much of an issue for our four wheeled counterparts, we on two wheels have to be ever vigilant of the road conditions.
First of all, we must be aware of the ambient air temperature. With cold temperatures, any moisture on the roads can freeze. Daytime temperatures and seemingly abundant sunshine may make the day attractive for riding, but thawing and refreezing of snow, ice, and slush on the roads may make the ride much more dangerous.
A few days after a winter storm has passed and the streets have cleared and dried, we must be aware of the residual cinders and salt left on the road surface. Hills, curves, shady areas, bridges, and overpasses are going to be the most dangerous areas for motorcyclists. While the temperatures may have risen to our “perfect” winter weather riding threshold, we must be watchful. And as hard as it is to do, sometimes the best thing to do is to wait until after a heavy rain washes the cinders and salt off the roads.
After the winter storm, come roads covered in cinders and salt. While not as much of an issue for our four wheeled counterparts, we on two wheels have to be ever vigilant of the road conditions.
First of all, we must be aware of the ambient air temperature. With cold temperatures, any moisture on the roads can freeze. Daytime temperatures and seemingly abundant sunshine may make the day attractive for riding, but thawing and refreezing of snow, ice, and slush on the roads may make the ride much more dangerous.
A few days after a winter storm has passed and the streets have cleared and dried, we must be aware of the residual cinders and salt left on the road surface. Hills, curves, shady areas, bridges, and overpasses are going to be the most dangerous areas for motorcyclists. While the temperatures may have risen to our “perfect” winter weather riding threshold, we must be watchful. And as hard as it is to do, sometimes the best thing to do is to wait until after a heavy rain washes the cinders and salt off the roads.
Friday, July 10, 2009
"Suicide Sal" by Bonnie Parker
The following is the poem found at the garage apartment in Joplin after the Barrow Gang had a shoot-out with police in which two officers were killed.
We each of us have a good "alibi"
For being down here in the "joint"
But few of them really are justified
If you get right down to the point.
You've heard of a woman's glory
Being spent on a "downright cur"
Still you can't always judge the story
As true, being told by her.
As long as I've stayed on this "island"
And heard "confidence tales" from each "gal"
Only one seemed interesting and truthful-
The story of "Suicide Sal".
Now "Sal" was a gal of rare beauty,
Though her features were coarse and tough;
She never once faltered from duty
To play on the "up and up".
"Sal" told me this tale on the evening
Before she was turned out "free"
And I'll do my best to relate it
Just as she told it to me:
I was born on a ranch in Wyoming;
Not treated like Helen of Troy,
I was taught that "rods were rulers"
And "ranked" as a greasy cowboy.
Then I left my old home for the city
To play in its mad dizzy whirl,
Not knowing how little of pity
It holds for a country girl.
There I fell for "the line" of a "henchman"
A "professional killer" from "Chi"
I couldn't help loving him madly,
For him even I would die.
One year we were desperately happy
Our "ill gotten gains" we spent free,
I was taught the ways of the "underworld"
Jack was just like a "god" to me.
I got on the "F.B.A." payroll
To get the "inside lay" of the "job"
The bank was "turning big money"!
It looked like a "cinch for the mob".
Eighty grand without even a "rumble"-
Jack was last with the "loot" in the door,
When the "teller" dead-aimed a revolver
From where they forced him to lie on the floor.
I knew I had only a moment-
He would surely get Jack as he ran,
So I "staged" a "big fade out" beside him
And knocked the forty-five out of his hand.
They "rapped me down big" at the station,
And informed me that I'd get the blame
For the "dramatic stunt" pulled on the "teller"
Looked to them, too much like a "game".
The "police" called it a "frame-up"
Said it was an "inside job"
But I steadily denied any knowledge
Or dealings with "underworld mobs".
The "gang" hired a couple of lawyers,
The best "fixers" in any mans town,
But it takes more than lawyers and money
When Uncle Sam starts "shaking you down".
I was charged as a "scion of gangland"
And tried for my wages of sin,
The "dirty dozen" found me guilty-
From five to fifty years in the pen.
I took the "rap" like good people,
And never one "squawk" did I make
Jack "dropped himself" on the promise
That we make a "sensational break".
Well, to shorten a sad lengthy story,
Five years have gone over my head
Without even so much as a letter-
At first I thought he was dead.
But not long ago I discovered;
From a gal in the joint named Lyle,
That Jack and his "moll" had "got over"
And were living in true "gangster style".
If he had returned to me sometime,
Though he hadn't a cent to give
I'd forget all the hell that he's caused me,
And love him as long as I lived.
But there's no chance of his ever coming,
For he and his moll have no fears
But that I will die in this prison,
Or "flatten" this fifty years.
Tommorow I'll be on the "outside"
And I'll "drop myself" on it today,
I'll "bump 'em if they give me the "hotsquat"
On this island out here in the bay...
The iron doors swung wide next morning
For a gruesome woman of waste,
Who at last had a chance to "fix it"
Murder showed in her cynical face.
Not long ago I read in the paper
That a gal on the East Side got "hot"
And when the smoke finally retreated,
Two of gangdom were found "on the spot".
It related the colorful story
Of a "jilted gangster gal"
Two days later, a "sub-gun" ended
The story of "Suicide Sal".
We each of us have a good "alibi"
For being down here in the "joint"
But few of them really are justified
If you get right down to the point.
You've heard of a woman's glory
Being spent on a "downright cur"
Still you can't always judge the story
As true, being told by her.
As long as I've stayed on this "island"
And heard "confidence tales" from each "gal"
Only one seemed interesting and truthful-
The story of "Suicide Sal".
Now "Sal" was a gal of rare beauty,
Though her features were coarse and tough;
She never once faltered from duty
To play on the "up and up".
"Sal" told me this tale on the evening
Before she was turned out "free"
And I'll do my best to relate it
Just as she told it to me:
I was born on a ranch in Wyoming;
Not treated like Helen of Troy,
I was taught that "rods were rulers"
And "ranked" as a greasy cowboy.
Then I left my old home for the city
To play in its mad dizzy whirl,
Not knowing how little of pity
It holds for a country girl.
There I fell for "the line" of a "henchman"
A "professional killer" from "Chi"
I couldn't help loving him madly,
For him even I would die.
One year we were desperately happy
Our "ill gotten gains" we spent free,
I was taught the ways of the "underworld"
Jack was just like a "god" to me.
I got on the "F.B.A." payroll
To get the "inside lay" of the "job"
The bank was "turning big money"!
It looked like a "cinch for the mob".
Eighty grand without even a "rumble"-
Jack was last with the "loot" in the door,
When the "teller" dead-aimed a revolver
From where they forced him to lie on the floor.
I knew I had only a moment-
He would surely get Jack as he ran,
So I "staged" a "big fade out" beside him
And knocked the forty-five out of his hand.
They "rapped me down big" at the station,
And informed me that I'd get the blame
For the "dramatic stunt" pulled on the "teller"
Looked to them, too much like a "game".
The "police" called it a "frame-up"
Said it was an "inside job"
But I steadily denied any knowledge
Or dealings with "underworld mobs".
The "gang" hired a couple of lawyers,
The best "fixers" in any mans town,
But it takes more than lawyers and money
When Uncle Sam starts "shaking you down".
I was charged as a "scion of gangland"
And tried for my wages of sin,
The "dirty dozen" found me guilty-
From five to fifty years in the pen.
I took the "rap" like good people,
And never one "squawk" did I make
Jack "dropped himself" on the promise
That we make a "sensational break".
Well, to shorten a sad lengthy story,
Five years have gone over my head
Without even so much as a letter-
At first I thought he was dead.
But not long ago I discovered;
From a gal in the joint named Lyle,
That Jack and his "moll" had "got over"
And were living in true "gangster style".
If he had returned to me sometime,
Though he hadn't a cent to give
I'd forget all the hell that he's caused me,
And love him as long as I lived.
But there's no chance of his ever coming,
For he and his moll have no fears
But that I will die in this prison,
Or "flatten" this fifty years.
Tommorow I'll be on the "outside"
And I'll "drop myself" on it today,
I'll "bump 'em if they give me the "hotsquat"
On this island out here in the bay...
The iron doors swung wide next morning
For a gruesome woman of waste,
Who at last had a chance to "fix it"
Murder showed in her cynical face.
Not long ago I read in the paper
That a gal on the East Side got "hot"
And when the smoke finally retreated,
Two of gangdom were found "on the spot".
It related the colorful story
Of a "jilted gangster gal"
Two days later, a "sub-gun" ended
The story of "Suicide Sal".
Thursday, July 9, 2009
The Famous & The Infamous - Bonnie & Clyde
Joplin and the Four State Area played host to numerous outlaws, gangsters, bank robbers, and, well, some just generally bad people. Although law enforcement was very capable and not known for being corrupt or controlled by the underworld, Joplin was a "wide-open" town used as a safe haven by several criminals, including Pretty Boy Floyd, the Barker Gang, and many more. Location played an important part to these thugs, too. If things got a little hot for them, they could flee to Kansas, Oklahoma, or even Arkansas in just a matter of minutes.
We'll start with stories of some of the more famous fugitives. Perhaps you've heard of Bonnie & Clyde? Well, here's the short version of their story...
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow's crime spree together began when Clyde was released from prison in 1932. Over the next couple of years, they were suspected of numerous robberies and at least 13 murders. They were gunned down in an ambush in Louisiana on May 23, 1934.
One incident in particular secured the nationwide notoriety of Bonnie & Clyde. On April 1, 1933, they, along with WD Jones and Buck & Blanche Barrow (Clyde's brother and his wife), rented a garage apartment at 34th & Oak Drive in the southern part of Joplin. The double garage below the two bedroom apartment gave them a place to hide the cars Clyde stole and a lookout post above. For about two weeks, everything was going fine for the gang. Clyde, Buck, and WD took care of some "business" and the girls shopped and went to the movies.
Concerned neighbors called the police about the suspicious activities they were witnessing. For three days, the apartment was under survellance and the authorities were convinced that they were dealing with a bunch of bootleggers holed up in the place. Joplin PD decided that a raid was in order.
On April 13, 1933 at about 4:00 p.m., the police came knocking. Bonnie was inside cooking dinner, Blanche was playing cards, and Buck was napping. WD was in one of the bedrooms and Clyde was in the garage. When Constable Wesley Harryman started moving towards the garage, Clyde came into view with his shotgun in hand and ripped Harryman apart. Clyde yelled to the rest of the gang upstairs and bullets started flying. The officers were not well armed, having believed that they were going to bust up a gang of bootleggers, not shoot it out with the Barrow Gang.
Detective Harry McGinnis decided to rush the garage, but another blast from Clyde's shotgun tore his arm off. Now with one comrade dead and another dying, the remaining three officers sprang into action. One ran around the back side of the apartment looking for another entrance, one ran to a neighboring house to call for backup, and the third officer remained at the scene - with one bullet left in his gun! While he was trying to reload, he tripped and fell backwards. When WD appeared by the garage, the officer managed to squeeze off one shot into WD's side as the gang tried to pile into one of the cars parked in the garage. Clyde was furious when he noticed one of the police cruisers was blocking his exit and he fired his shotgun at the remaining officer. WD, despite his injury, jumped into the cruiser, released the parking brake, and rolled the car out of their way. As the Barrow Gang sped away, WD fired through the window and Clyde sped out of town, eventually ending up in Texas.
When police searched the bullet-riddled apartment, they found Bonnie's poem about "Suicide Sal", some jewelry and other personal effects, and two rolls of undeveloped film. Iconic prints of Bonnie & Clyde from those rolls of film are still being sold today. The apartment was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places and can be rented by the day, weekend, or week. Visit www.joplinhideout.com for more information.
We'll start with stories of some of the more famous fugitives. Perhaps you've heard of Bonnie & Clyde? Well, here's the short version of their story...
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow's crime spree together began when Clyde was released from prison in 1932. Over the next couple of years, they were suspected of numerous robberies and at least 13 murders. They were gunned down in an ambush in Louisiana on May 23, 1934.
One incident in particular secured the nationwide notoriety of Bonnie & Clyde. On April 1, 1933, they, along with WD Jones and Buck & Blanche Barrow (Clyde's brother and his wife), rented a garage apartment at 34th & Oak Drive in the southern part of Joplin. The double garage below the two bedroom apartment gave them a place to hide the cars Clyde stole and a lookout post above. For about two weeks, everything was going fine for the gang. Clyde, Buck, and WD took care of some "business" and the girls shopped and went to the movies.
Concerned neighbors called the police about the suspicious activities they were witnessing. For three days, the apartment was under survellance and the authorities were convinced that they were dealing with a bunch of bootleggers holed up in the place. Joplin PD decided that a raid was in order.
On April 13, 1933 at about 4:00 p.m., the police came knocking. Bonnie was inside cooking dinner, Blanche was playing cards, and Buck was napping. WD was in one of the bedrooms and Clyde was in the garage. When Constable Wesley Harryman started moving towards the garage, Clyde came into view with his shotgun in hand and ripped Harryman apart. Clyde yelled to the rest of the gang upstairs and bullets started flying. The officers were not well armed, having believed that they were going to bust up a gang of bootleggers, not shoot it out with the Barrow Gang.
Detective Harry McGinnis decided to rush the garage, but another blast from Clyde's shotgun tore his arm off. Now with one comrade dead and another dying, the remaining three officers sprang into action. One ran around the back side of the apartment looking for another entrance, one ran to a neighboring house to call for backup, and the third officer remained at the scene - with one bullet left in his gun! While he was trying to reload, he tripped and fell backwards. When WD appeared by the garage, the officer managed to squeeze off one shot into WD's side as the gang tried to pile into one of the cars parked in the garage. Clyde was furious when he noticed one of the police cruisers was blocking his exit and he fired his shotgun at the remaining officer. WD, despite his injury, jumped into the cruiser, released the parking brake, and rolled the car out of their way. As the Barrow Gang sped away, WD fired through the window and Clyde sped out of town, eventually ending up in Texas.
When police searched the bullet-riddled apartment, they found Bonnie's poem about "Suicide Sal", some jewelry and other personal effects, and two rolls of undeveloped film. Iconic prints of Bonnie & Clyde from those rolls of film are still being sold today. The apartment was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places and can be rented by the day, weekend, or week. Visit www.joplinhideout.com for more information.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Introduction to "Two Wheels, Four States"
I am in the early stages of developing a quarterly magazine called "Two Wheels, Four States" for motorcyclists living in or riding through the Four State area of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Plans for the magazine include biker-friendly destinations and attractions, tech tips, fashion, "Get the Picture" photo contest, and more! I'm also going to do a feature called "The Famous and the Infamous" about outlaws, gangsters, and bad seeds that terrorized the Four States. Watch for the first articles to appear right here on the "Two Wheels, Four States" blog. The first issue is (by my plan) scheduled to come out October 1, 2009, so some of the articles here are geared towards winter.
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