Ore. biker: 'I'm full throttle for God now'
Courtesy of http://www.katu.com/news/
Mac McAllister, left, Dennis "Poot" Haney, center, and Don Garino stand in front of "The Shop" in Winston, Ore., on Monday, Nov. 24, 2008.
YouNews™Story Published: Dec 6, 2008 at 3:42 PM PST
Story Updated: Dec 6, 2008 at 3:49 PM PST
By CARA PALLONE The (Roseburg) News-Review WINSTON, Ore. (AP) - Dennis Haney has always loved motorcycles, but he hasn't always been a fan of Jesus Christ.
That relationship developed in a helicopter as he was flown to a Portland hospital.
The years leading up to the motorcycle crash that almost killed him were spent raising hell, said the Roseburg resident. He supported his drug habit with a job at a mill.
Two years ago, his motorcycle brakes failed as he sped to make a yellow light. He flipped over the front of his bike, slammed into the windshield of an oncoming car and came to rest on the pavement with 600 pounds of roaring metal crashing down on top of him.
Haney spent the summer in the hospital. His entire left side was crushed and he suffered brain trauma. After his crippled body was rebuilt, he began relearning to live.
He prayed a lot during that period, more specifically - to be able to ride a bike again, even if it was just one time.
Today, Haney's speech is slurred, he limps and his hands and knees are shaky. The 55-year-old is scarred from the accident, but his prayers were answered - he cruised a bike again last summer.
"I knew if I kept faithful and prayed I would get better and ride a motorcycle again," he said. "But God said, 'You're going to do it my way this time.' "
Haney began attending New Beginnings Christian Assembly after he was released from the hospital. It was there he ran into an old biker friend.
Don Garino, 58, is the state elder of Bikers for Christ - a nondenominational evangelical organization that spreads the gospel to the motorcycle community. Garino invited Haney to attend a Douglas County Bikers for Christ meeting.
"I said, 'I'm gonna have a home here,' " said Haney.
With his drug-induced days behind him, Haney now proudly sports a Bikers for Christ patch on his leather vest. He said he's happier now than ever before.
His story and the stories of others who have found their niche with the group are shared within the walls of a small building on Winston's main street.
Tentatively dubbed The Rescue Shop, the large room is on loan from the property owner until it is rented. Garino is hoping that's not anytime soon. The recently opened space is a place for bikers and people on the fringe to get together and reminisce, page through motorcycle magazines and hang out in a safe environment while they piece their lives back together.
Drugs and alcohol are not permitted, but the group does not aim to shoot its wounded, said Garino.
"We're not going to beat people up with the gospel message here," he said.
Bikers for Christ, a nondenominational motorcycle ministry, was founded by a pastor named Fred Zariczny in the early 1980s. There are chapters in 49 states and 10 countries. There are five chapters of Bikers for Christ in Oregon and more than 20 members in the Douglas County chapter.
With a strong support system, the group helps people like Haney refrain from falling into the old routine.
Two years ago, Haney would have smacked his biker brothers if they called him "God's little sunbeam" as they do now.
"But it's true, I am," he said. "I'm full throttle for God right now."
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On the Net:
Bikers for Christ: www.bikersforchrist.org
Showing posts with label biker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label biker. Show all posts
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Friday, January 4, 2008
The man wanted out of the Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Club, 7 arrested in Oregon
Okay, call it selfish. I need good coverage of this article. One of the families involved in the arrest BLANTANTLY stole from me, $7000.00 in a legal transaction a few years ago. Sometimes we do get to live long enough to see people receive their just due. I am a biker from way back...it's not a biker thing. It's a no values, no principles, stealing from people because you can with no remorse thing.
Where I come from, REAL BIKERS DON'T rip people off and they don't rip off hard working single moms. My life has moved on but obviously bad karma has got ahold of these folks. Maybe they should repay the $7000.00 and get on with their lives.
Police arrest a half-dozen men they say beat and robbed a man who was trying to leave their motorcycle gang.
Oregon - The man wanted out of the Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Club, but police say some of the members wouldn't let him leave without a fight.
Police say when the un-named man tried to get out of the club last summer, he was assaulted, kidnapped, and taken to his home. Where, they say, gang members then tried to rob him.
Seven men were arrested Tuesday, six of them on assault, kidnapping, robbery and burglary charges.
Early Tuesday morning more than 60 officers from several law enforcement agencies served search warrants at homes and businesses throughout Jackson and Josephine counties.
Seven men were arrested stemming from a five-month investigation by detectives from the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety.
"This is a complex investigation taken a significant amount if time as well as significant number of personnel in the investigation mater of making sure we completed as much investigation as we could before we took it to the grand jury," said Deputy Chief Laura Zeliff, Grants Pass Department of Public Safety.
Police say six of the men are members of the Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Club.
Robert Moore and Gary Jones were picked up at homes in Grants Pass. James Lloyd was arrested at a business in Medford. Richard Anthony Coehlo, was arrested at Grants Pass Custom Cycle, where the alleged assault occurred. Christopher Jorgenson was arrested at a Grants Pass home, along with David Hughes, who faces methamphetamine possession and criminal mischief charges.
Several individuals who work nearby say this section of Highway 199 was blocked off early Tuesday morning. Some people were told to leave work and return in a few hours, as officers served their search warrants.
"We did not want people in our community officers or individuals there to arrest to be injured as such we did a low key approach to majority swat operations those were low key as well," said Zeliff.
Nearby businesses say the store was a frequent hangout for members of the gang.
Police say their investigation isn't over, and they expect to make more arrests.
Five of the defendants are still in the Josephine County Jail, held on $250,000 bail.
One of the suspects, 61-year-old Gary Jones posted bail and was released.
Source: KTVL
Where I come from, REAL BIKERS DON'T rip people off and they don't rip off hard working single moms. My life has moved on but obviously bad karma has got ahold of these folks. Maybe they should repay the $7000.00 and get on with their lives.
Police arrest a half-dozen men they say beat and robbed a man who was trying to leave their motorcycle gang.
Oregon - The man wanted out of the Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Club, but police say some of the members wouldn't let him leave without a fight.
Police say when the un-named man tried to get out of the club last summer, he was assaulted, kidnapped, and taken to his home. Where, they say, gang members then tried to rob him.
Seven men were arrested Tuesday, six of them on assault, kidnapping, robbery and burglary charges.
Early Tuesday morning more than 60 officers from several law enforcement agencies served search warrants at homes and businesses throughout Jackson and Josephine counties.
Seven men were arrested stemming from a five-month investigation by detectives from the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety.
"This is a complex investigation taken a significant amount if time as well as significant number of personnel in the investigation mater of making sure we completed as much investigation as we could before we took it to the grand jury," said Deputy Chief Laura Zeliff, Grants Pass Department of Public Safety.
Police say six of the men are members of the Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Club.
Robert Moore and Gary Jones were picked up at homes in Grants Pass. James Lloyd was arrested at a business in Medford. Richard Anthony Coehlo, was arrested at Grants Pass Custom Cycle, where the alleged assault occurred. Christopher Jorgenson was arrested at a Grants Pass home, along with David Hughes, who faces methamphetamine possession and criminal mischief charges.
Several individuals who work nearby say this section of Highway 199 was blocked off early Tuesday morning. Some people were told to leave work and return in a few hours, as officers served their search warrants.
"We did not want people in our community officers or individuals there to arrest to be injured as such we did a low key approach to majority swat operations those were low key as well," said Zeliff.
Nearby businesses say the store was a frequent hangout for members of the gang.
Police say their investigation isn't over, and they expect to make more arrests.
Five of the defendants are still in the Josephine County Jail, held on $250,000 bail.
One of the suspects, 61-year-old Gary Jones posted bail and was released.
Source: KTVL
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