Author Alex Hutchinson

Welcome to the creepiest time of year. October is a ghoulish month that awakens our senses after a long, hot and overly wet summer. As the Florida flooding subsides and the humidity fades, that is when the freaks and frights return in the night. The question is, are you ready for some challenges that will chill the bones? I present to you 2 amazing events to fill your party calendar for All Hallows Eve. Both combine the outdoors fun of athletic exhilaration with the unnerving allure of costumed creativity. The events take place on back to back weekends, one involves running and one involves biking but both of them embody the essential spirit of Samhain. The first great challenge is Howl at the Moon 2, a sequel to the last year's Halloween 5k trail run. However, this is no ordinary jog in the park. Just before the sunrise on Oct 19th, hundreds of costumed runners will line up at Ann Dever park in Englewood and then charge into a haunted forest full of Zombies! You

When I was a little kid I loved visiting my grandparents and exploring their house. My grandfather built the place himself and included a tucked away cellar that served as his personal man cave. Keep in mind this was long before people would tag such nooks with a prehistoric metaphor. While the stereotype of cavemen was that of unenlightened Neanderthals hiding from the elements, the modern man cave is more a creation of the craftsman. It is a haven where one can design, develop and create. My grandfather was a carpenter, landscaper, furniture maker, you name it. Within the dark, cool concrete walls of his basement was a long work area full of tools. On the opposite side was a weight bench and at the deepest end was a hole in the wall where older bikes or scooters were stored. Grandpa's man cave was creepy, exciting and appealed to both the primal and creative sides of myself. It was a place to hide, to build and escape the world while also preparing for it. After

Another 9/11 date has come and gone. While the images and emotions brought forth from that horrendous day feel more distant, the reality of its effects remains indisputable. We are a different country in many ways. The most obvious of which is our appreciation of those whose job it is to quiet the chaos. First responders around the nation know that when a crisis emerges, they can handle the job in part because we will all rise up to bolster their efforts. On Saturday, Sept 14th the NPFR Honor Guard hosted the 3rd Annual Remember the Fallen 5K. This wildly popular fundraiser drew a crowd of more than 500 people with 428 runners completing the course (Up from 375 last year). On a day set aside for recollection, this was a race worth remembering. The Firefighter Challenge - Intertwined among the hundreds setting pace on the streets of North Port were those few brave souls who wore the firefighter uniform for the full length of the run. Battling the heat and rising sun th

Personability is everything, especially when it comes to bike shops. In our internet obsessed society the modern store front is faced with a multitude of challenges. Each day dozens of websites announce a new sale, promising the lowest possible prices and free shipping. Add to this the bidding wars on Ebay plus the digital yard sale known as Craigslist and it has to make you wonder how any bike shop can keep their doors open. This gets us back to that personal touch. Since bike shops are in a losing struggle with online retailers, they have to make up for it in other ways. Their top three weapons are quality service, location and personability. At their September grand re-opening I got a chance to talk to Tempo Cyclery's owner and see their new shop. My question was, have they achieved the trifecta needed for further success? Store owner Julian Angus jr Enthusiasm can be infectious. When you are talking to a true cyclist, passion bleeds through every word. At th