Those who have met Jeff Brown, Phoenix Promotions Coordinator, during various visits to Phoenix to plan the 2007 Annual Conference & Stage Expo know he's devoted to his Harley-Davidson. When all those visitors see him next, he'll be on a new bike! Seems that in the wee hours of the morning, an oxymoron for theatre people, some nefarious varlet decided to liberate Jeff's bike. The theft took place the day after USITT's August Conference planning meeting. The replacement, seen below, is the latest model Road King with a few special modifications to make it almost as individual as the bike it replaces.

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Following on the heels of their very successful first three rides, the Long Reach Long Riders announce their next four charity rides.

In an effort to accommodate as many riders as possible the Long Reach Long Riders have chosen the routes for the next four years. "It's our hope," noted Bill Sapsis, one of the ride organizers, "that better advance notice will give people an opportunity to plan their vacations and join us on one (or more) of the rides."

In the summer of 2007 the ride will start in Philadelphia and meander through New England for nine days before returning to Philadelphia.

In 2008 the ride will begin in Las Vegas, the 2009 the ride will be in the southeast part of the country, and in 2010 the ride will begin and end in San Francisco.

Greg Williams, another ride organizer, explained that there will no longer be two groups meeting somewhere in the middle of the country. "We've changed the format to make the ride more relaxing. Each year we've slowed down the pace a bit and this is the next logical step. We'll average about 250 miles a day which will give us plenty of time to linger at scenic spots, meet with theatre folks along the way, and put our feet up when we get to the next town."

The 2007 ride begins on July 29 in Philadelphia and will stop in Cooperstown, New York; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Middlebury and St. Johnsbury, Vermont; Bar Harbor and Bangor, Maine; and Lakeville, Connecticut before returning to Philadelphia.

The Long Reach Long Riders is a growing group of motorcycle enthusiasts who spend time each summer raising money for The ESTA Foundation's Behind The Scenes program and for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. For more information on joining the ride or making a donation, visit www.lrlr.org.

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All USITT members should watch their mailboxes in November for their 2007 ballot. Ballots will be mailed mid-month from the Institute's Syracuse office, and must be returned by December 15.

Members are urged to participate in the process which determines the future leadership of USITT.

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Don Childs has a new venture in Las Vegas. He is president of Stagecraft Institute which is launching a new training venture in December.

Mr. Childs, a veteran theatrical designer and educator, established the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas to provide state-of-the-art training and professional development opportunities for live entertainment professionals. The inaugural, three-day symposium on lighting is set for December 11 to 13, 2006 and will be headquartered at the Tropicana Resort & Casino.

"What's happening in Vegas," says Mr. Childs, "is what's happening." According to Mr. Childs, this is just the first step. For more information about this, or future training visit www.theatreseminars.com.

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