Latest news with #Vautour
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Patriots Called Out for Hall of Fame Snub of Adam Vinatieri
As former star wide receiver Julian Edelman gets recognized as the latest New England Patriots Hall of Fame selection, a most essential former star has been left out. That's legendary former kicker and three-time All-Pro Adam Vinatieri delivered the Patriots' first two Super Bowl wins on game-winning kicks in the 2001 and 2003 seasons. MassLive columnist Matt Vautour isn't pleased that Vinatieri didn't get in along with Edelman. Advertisement 'If Vinatieri wasn't one of the most reliable clutch kickers in the history of the sport, the Patriots' entire stature as a franchise is different,' Vautour wrote on Tuesday. Vautour went on to note how Tom Brady's and Bill Belichick's careers would have looked different had Vinatieri not made those field goals. In addition, Vantour noted that Edelman didn't ever make All-Pro as Vinatieri did. Feb 3, 2002; New Orleans, LA, USA; New England Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri (4) kicks the ball against the St. Louis Rams during Super Bowl XXXVI at the Louisiana Superdome. The Patriots defeated the Rams Credit: Imagn Images 'For all the hand-wringing about how long it took Bill Parcells to get in, Vinatieri being left out is a bigger injustice,' Vautour wrote. 'When the Patriots were trying to win their first Super Bowl in 1997 against the (Green Bay) Packers, (Bill) Parcells was plotting his move to New England's arch rival.' Advertisement 'Vinatieri left too, but only because the Patriots weren't willing to commit the same salary cap space to a kicker that the (Indianapolis) Colts were,' Vautour added. Vinatieri only added to his career with the Colts amid a Super Bowl win, another 336 field goals made in 14 seasons. He started his career with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of then-Division II South Dakota State, where he kicked often in inclement weather. His game-winning playoff kick for the Patriots in a snowy overtime AFC Divisional round game against the then-Oakland Raiders made the first Super Bowl win possible. As Vautour noted, Vinatieri 'is a New England icon' who 'deserves' to get in. Related: Adam Vinatieri Reacts to Patriots' Hall of Fame Nomination Related: Adam Vinatieri: 5 Best Kicks of NFL Career
CBS News
15-04-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Massachusetts begins accepting applications for E-Bike Voucher Program
A new state program aims to get more people out of their cars and onto a bike. The Massachusetts E-Bike Voucher Program went live on Monday. The state said it will accept applications over the next two weeks for the chance at a voucher to purchase an electric bike. The program is designed to help moderate to low-income people as well as some with certain physical challenges where cycling could be beneficial. The vouchers range from $800 to $1,200 depending on eligibility. The state said they plan to grant 3,000 vouchers over the next six months. Boston tried this program last fall and local bike shops said the program was a success. "It's been extremely beneficial because it's given access for more people to ride e-bikes," said Landry's Bicycles general manager, Mark Vautour. "Last year it was just the city and now it's going to be the state as well. There was definitely a pick-up in business in the fall from a couple of different demographics, whether it be students or seniors." The Charlestown shop sells the e-bikes the state is giving out vouchers for. The partially motorized bikes can hit speeds up to 28 miles per hour. And for some, they serve as an alternative way to get to work or run errands. "Most people don't enjoy sitting in traffic so it's an opportunity for people to get on a bike and see how much fun it is," said Vautour. A full list of qualifications and eligiblity can be found here.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
N.B. senior rigs his walker with cross-country skis to get the most out of winter
Relying on a walker because of a hip injury is no excuse for staying indoors for an 88-year-old New Brunswicker who loves to ski. Cross-country skiing enthusiast Fernand Vautour of Aldouane, a small community near Richibucto, about 85 kilometres north of Moncton, has been skiing for about 50 years. Last winter, he injured his hip while curling and had to stay off the ski trails to recover, he said. But instead of giving up on his beloved hobby, Vautour began working on an innovative idea — a walker with a pair of skis attached with screws and brackets. "When I ski now, I know I am safe, too. I am not scared of the falling," he said. Vautour says he feels happy to be able to ski again after his hip injury. (Rhythm Rathi/CBC) The best thing about his customized equipment is that a person does not need to be in the best shape to ski, Vautour said. He clips a pair of skis to his boots and stands between the other pair attached to his walker, which provides him with extra support. "It won't tip back, it won't tip front," he said. "I can walk on the ice solid." WATCH | 'He just loves to ski': The walker also has a chair attached, so he can sit and rest whenever he is tired, and sometimes he also uses the seat to carry items like his lunch can. Vautour wore his father's jacket while demonstrating his skiing apparatus because his father was the one who introduced him to the sport at a young age. The walker Vautour rigged with skis attached to the legs. (Rhythm Rathi/CBC) He said his father could ski 30 kilometres at the age of 80, but had a heart attack at 83. "When I was in the hospital to see him, he get up one day and [stepped] outside his bed, he said, 'I think I still can go [till] the first cabin," Vautour said, referring to the trail he used to ski. Vautour says his equipment is light and can easily fit it in his van. (Rhythm Rathi/CBC) He's had heart trouble that required several stents, his left hand needed urgery after it was crushed in a workplace accident, and he's suffered trouble in one of his shoulders, but none of this has prevented him from loading his gear into his van and heading out for 10 kilometres on the trails. 'At his age, why not?' His son Maurice Vautour said when he first heard of his father's idea to ski with his walker, he was not a big fan. Maurice Vautour says his dad loves to be outdoors and has now been skiing for about 50 years. (Rhythm Rathi/CBC) He said being on the ice, while curling, was the reason behind his hip surgery but now when he looks at his father skiing, it makes him feel proud. "It's good for his morale, he is excited to do it," Maurice said. "And at his age why not? I mean it's better here than to be lying in the bed." And being outdoors again has made his father happier. "If we'd say he couldn't do it, he proved that he could do it, and he is always that way." Vautour says he loves to get on his skis and hope to be doing it for as long as he lives. (Rhythm Rathi/CBC) Vautour started bowling during his 70s, began curling at the age of 79 and has now returned to cross-country skiing, a sport he loves. "I have a hard time following him now," Maurice said. "A lot of people talk to me about it ... and we kind of just laugh about it because we know how he is and the ideas that he comes up with sometimes." These days, Vautour spends a couple of hours skiing about three times a week. He wants to be able to keep doing it and hopes to live to the age of 100. "I hope I last that long."
CBC
06-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
N.B. senior rigs his walker with cross-country skis to get the most out of winter
Relying on a walker because of a hip injury is no excuse for staying indoors for an 88-year-old New Brunswicker who loves to ski. Cross-country skiing enthusiast Fernand Vautour of Aldouane, a small community near Richibucto, about 85 kilometres north of Moncton, has been skiing for about 50 years. Last winter, he injured his hip while curling and had to stay off the ski trails to recover, he said. But instead of giving up on his beloved hobby, Vautour began working on an innovative idea — a walker with a pair of skis attached with screws and brackets. "When I ski now, I know I am safe, too. I am not scared of the falling," he said. The best thing about his customized equipment is that a person does not need to be in the best shape to ski, Vautour said. He clips a pair of skis to his boots and stands between the other pair attached to his walker, which provides him with extra support. "It won't tip back, it won't tip front," he said. "I can walk on the ice solid." WATCH | 'He just loves to ski': The walker also has a chair attached, so he can sit and rest whenever he is tired, and sometimes he also uses the seat to carry items like his lunch can. Vautour wore his father's jacket while demonstrating his skiing apparatus because his father was the one who introduced him to the sport at a young age. He said his father could ski 30 kilometres at the age of 80, but had a heart attack at 83. "When I was in the hospital to see him, he get up one day and [stepped] outside his bed, he said, 'I think I still can go [till] the first cabin," Vautour said, referring to the trail he used to ski. He's had heart trouble that required several stents, his left hand needed urgery after it was crushed in a workplace accident, and he's suffered trouble in one of his shoulders, but none of this has prevented him from loading his gear into his van and heading out for 10 kilometres on the trails. 'At his age, why not?' His son Maurice Vautour said when he first heard of his father's idea to ski with his walker, he was not a big fan. He said being on the ice, while curling, was the reason behind his hip surgery but now when he looks at his father skiing, it makes him feel proud. "It's good for his morale, he is excited to do it," Maurice said. "And at his age why not? I mean it's better here than to be lying in the bed." And being outdoors again has made his father happier. "If we'd say he couldn't do it, he proved that he could do it, and he is always that way." Vautour started bowling during his 70s, began curling at the age of 79 and has now returned to cross-country skiing, a sport he loves. "I have a hard time following him now," Maurice said. "A lot of people talk to me about it ... and we kind of just laugh about it because we know how he is and the ideas that he comes up with sometimes." These days, Vautour spends a couple of hours skiing about three times a week. He wants to be able to keep doing it and hopes to live to the age of 100. "I hope I last that long."
