Motocross phenom gears up for competitions

WINSTED — Nine-year-old Winsted motocross phenomenon Howard “Howie” Mastroberti is setting his sights on competition in a bigger and faster class of motorbikes as he continues to dominate in the grueling sport.In 2011, Howie won the New England Motocross Association’s Spring Championship and went undefeated, winning eight straight races. In the fall, Howie traveled to tracks in Raceway Park, N.J., Claverack, N.Y., Maine, Florida and the Carolinas to pick up experience in various new settings and receive tips from his contemporaries in the sport. Now, with one more year left riding 50-cc bikes, Howie is already riding a 65-cc machine to prepare himself for future races in the bigger and faster class.Howie will be off soon for winter training at the Jimmy Weinert Training Facility at Crystal Coast, N.C. There he will be trained by founder Jimmy Weinert, an American Motorcycle Association champion and Hall of Famer. Howie is currently sponsored by the Mount Holly Racing Team and KTM motorcycles.

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Water main cleaning in North Canaan

NORTH CANAAN – Aquarion Water Company today announced a water main cleaning project in the company’s North Canaan system. The project is scheduled to take place from Monday, April 1 through Tuesday, April 16, and is being undertaken to ensure customers in North Canaan continue to receive the highest quality water.

The cleaning for April 1 and April 4 (subject to change) will take place on the following streets:

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Tuning up two passions under one roof

The Webb Family in the workshop. From left: Phyllis, Dale, Ben and Josh Webb, and project manager Hannah Schiffer.

Natalia Zukerman

Magic Fluke Ukulele Shop and True Wheels Bicycle Shop are not only under the same roof in a beautiful solar powered building on Route 7 in Sheffield, but they are also both run by the Webb family, telling a tale of familial passion, innovation and a steadfast commitment to sustainability.

In the late ‘90s, Dale Webb was working in engineering and product design at a corporate job. “I took up instrument manufacturing as a fun challenge,” said Dale. After an exhibit at The National Association of Music Merchants in Anaheim, California, in 1999, The Magic Fluke company was born. “We were casting finger boards and gluing these things together in our basement in New Hartford and it just took off,” Dale explained. “It was really a wild ride, it kind of had a life of its own.”

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Robert Cray’s soulful blues coming to Infinity Hall

Robert Cray

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Blues legend Robert Cray will be bringing his stinging, funky guitar and soulful singing to Infinity Hall Norfolk on Friday, March 29.

A five-time Grammy winner, Cray has been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and earned The Americana Music Awards Lifetime Achievement for Performance. He has played with blues and rock icons including Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton and many more.

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