Free Republic

Laconia’s embattled Police Chief Bill Baker yesterday fired a verbal shot against politicians, businessmen and the New Hampshire Supreme Court in the wake of the shooting of two “Hells Angels prospects” in the early morning hours. The men arrived at Lakes Region General Hospital at 3:20 a.m. after being shot from behind while motorcycling on Route 106 between Loudon and Laconia. Laconia police, who were called to the hospital, said the State Police knew the two men. Laconia Police, however, did not have information on their names, ages or places of residence. Laconia Police Sgt. John MacLennan said the...

LACONIA — Despite concern for potential violence, Motorcycle Week ended substantially quieter than in previous years, with a dramatic decline in arrests and fatal accidents. Wet and cold weather made for smaller crowds and fewer day trippers, but business were reporting good profits from the week. Rather than the 375,000 believed to have attended last year’s event, a record according to the American Motorcycle Association, this year about 250,000 to 270,000 are believed to have come to New Hampshire for the nine-day event. State Police Lt. Harry Nadeau said only a third of the normal number of arrests were...

LACONIA — Welcome inside the Camel Roadhouse at Bike Week, a huge beer tent set up on the grounds of the Weirs Beach Lobster Pound, where beautiful women wearing close to nothing will pour you a beer while you listen to live rock and roll. Today, both U.S. Sen. Bob Smith and gubernatorial hopeful Craig Benson will come to the Roadhouse, if they can get in, to greet potential voters. Oh and, if they come, they better expect to keep their weapons outside and be checked over by a huge bouncer looking for drunks. This tent and several others...

06-02-02Becoming a Biker, Part 1: Buying the motorcycle is just step one for this beginner LACONIA — Bike Week’s last few days are ending as a washout, with thousands yesterday pulling up stakes and heading home, as cold rain fell on the Lakes Region. Instead of building up to this weekend, as has occurred in years past, Laconia’s Bike Week now is a true nine-day event, and in this case, the big weekend was last weekend. “If we were having a good sunny day like Thursday it would be packed,” said Dave Kelly, working at the desk at the...

LACONIA — As hundreds of members of Hells Angels gather from across the country this week for the largest motorcycle rally in the Northeast, concern for the presence of rival gangs intensified yesterday with word that members of such groups had been seen among the crowds in Weirs Beach. Yesterday, members of various chapters of the Hells Angels were walking Lakeside Avenue keeping a lookout for members of gangs such as the Outlaws, whom police intelligence sources have said could possibly appear at Laconia’s 79th Annual Bike Week. Other groups that dislike the Hells Angels could also be present among...

LACONIA — So, what do bikers do when it pours rain all day long? Get wet. Very wet. In the bathrooms at Patrick’s Pub in Gilford yesterday, bikers were taking off their boots and pouring rain water into the sink, and using towels to pat dry their faces and raw hands. Then it was time to belly up to the packed bar. At the Gunstock Hillclimb where several thousand motorcyclists stood in puddles watching riders attempt to ascend the steep and muddy ski jump, they just whooped it up when a downpour came through to saturate them even more....

05-01-02Laconia police chief worriesabout biker gang clashes CONCORD — Permits to operate large beer tents during Laconia’s Motorcycle Week were denied by the state Liquor Commission yesterday, prompting business owners to head to court today to seek an emergency reversal. “This is far from over,” said Jay Allen, owner of the Broken Spoke Saloon. He claims public safety officials are afraid of the event that draws 350,000 and are resorting to this and other “extreme” measures to prevent possible motorcycle gang violence. The three-member Liquor Commission voted unanimously to deny the permits for the Broken Spoke, The Weirs Beach...