EAST FAREWELL
NEWS
Thursday, June
4, 1959 Vol. C727
LOCAL
NEWS
RACE AROUND THE LAKE KICK OFF
SUMMER
East
Farewell – The 8th annual “Race Around the Lake” took place on
Saturday and was the highlight of a fun filled Memorial Day weekend. The race
has gained an unusual place in local history for the wacky way the race
unfolds. It was first envisioned as a real, bona-fide bicycle race it turned
into a weird, funny and outrageous spectacle that had a bike race inside. In
the first race a contestant entered well after the race started because he
overslept, he didn’t come close to winning but he inadvertently spawned a crazy
tradition of people entering the race at any given place usually riding a
homemade contraption that sometimes resemble a bike. They will ride along for
as long as their device holds up or in some cases when other entrants push him
off the course. Several different machines have made it into the race’s
historical log. Ralph Jenkins entered with a sail assisted tricycle in 1957, he
lasted about a lap. Dr. Brian Quantry tried to enter a battery assisted two
wheeler last year but the judges drew the line on power assisted machines, the
machine only made it a half lap anyway. Wayne Winchell brought probably the
most outrageous contraption to the race back in 1956. It was a two wheeler with
butterfly wings attached. He said the wings were to help accelerate and by
maneuvering them he would be able to control turns better. The contraption was
pushed off the course and into the lake by other participants because it was
blocking the roadway and its enormous wingspan was stopping people from
passing. All the wackiness, pranks and good-hearted competitive hijinks just
add to the lore and love of the race.
This year’s race, the official side
that is, was won by Franz Zimmerman, an Austrian immigrant who just opened “The Great
Outdoors” a camping, hunting and sports shop on Main Street. He has raced before and is
very physically fit. Even so, he was unable to break the 1 hour 30 minute
record set last year by David Doyle from Bedford. Zimmerman’s time was 1 hour 47 minutes. The
race is not sanctioned by any group or organization so the official time is not
of much importance except to the race itself. Also, with all the distractions
that occur during the race no one can honestly be expected to compare it to any
other race anywhere.
The greatest oddball machine this
year was a reappearance of Winchell’s “Butterfly bike”. It was new, improved but
apparently not much more reliable. Winchell joined in as the race past his
workshop in the first lap. He fluttered furiously and actually gained a good
amount of speed. He cruised along holding his own for about a lap when he hit a
rough spot along the North Shore road and one of his rear wheels feel off. He
valiantly tried to proceed with only two wheels using his wings to keep him up
but he ran out of steam and couldn’t keep up the pedaling. He managed to make
it to a boat ramp and rolled himself into the lake. He was fished out by local spectators and with
a shrug of his shoulders he was heard to say, “Well, maybe next year”
The race wrapped up by 4:00 and a
brief winning ceremony was held and Mr. Zimmerman was presented with a gold
medal. Second place went to last year’s winner David Doyle and third place was
taken by Grace Wilson, a Regional High senior and track star. On the oddball
side there were only two contraptions that crossed the finish line, Dr. Quantry
and his lounge chair mounted pedal vehicle. He was able to lay stretched out on
his chair and pedal along. He had a bit of difficulty steering but he was able
to navigate the course for two laps. The other weird bike to cross was a high
wheeler ridden by another Regional High student, Mark Dietz, a junior who built
his vehicle in the school shop.
All the frivolity ended around 5:00
and around sunset there was a Memorial Service held on the Lakefront Plaza in
remembrance of the fallen. It was a solemn service where the names of all the
towns members who had made the ultimate sacrifice were read as Regional High
Senior, Burt O’Malley played taps on the edge of the lake. It was a beautiful
and meaningful event that capped off a wonderful day.
Dr. Quantry pedals past
crowd on Lake Shore Drive
SPORTS
BEAR CREEK CUBS FALL TO
TRAVELERS BATS
Bear
Creek – The Travelers pounced on the Bear Creek Cubs, 7-2 on Saturday. The
Travelers are starting to heat up as they won their second win in a row and
looked more confident and seemed to be having fun on the field. The Cubs came
to play and started off scoring a run in the first as Travelers pitcher, Joe
Nagy who looked a sloppy in the early innings. Nagy was able to buckle down
after the second inning and hold the Cubs to only three more hits.
Unfortunately, one was a homerun by “Big” Bob Francisco, the Cubs leading
hitter.
The Travelers were able to save Nagy
by jumping on Cubs pitcher, Gino Marnelli, for two runs in the third, two runs
in the fifth, two runs in the sixth and a final blow by Johnny Cloos in the ninth.
Swift Billy Sweet was able to steal another base and is starting to turn some
heads in the league as he has stolen at least one base in the two games and has
seven in the last five games. At this pace he will challenge the league record
of 15 set back in 1952 by legendary base thief, Ronnie Dash (his real name).
The Cubs could not seem to stop Sweet but it seems no other team has figured
him out yet, either.
The Travelers continue their
seemingly endless road trip for one more game. Next week they travel to Ondita
to face the Cougars and their ace, Sam “Cat” Caterno. It is an evening game and
begins at 7:30PM.
NATIONAL NEWS
ICBM EXPLODES AFTER LIFTOFF –
EAST GERMANS THREATEN BLOCKADE – CUBAN POLICE SMASH COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY PLOT
A
100-ton Atlas ICBM explodes in flight two minutes after launching from Cape
Canaveral, in the fifth straight failure of the nation’s most advanced
intercontinental weapon. It was a bitter disappointment to the nation’s missile
scientists trying to develop a reliable 5,000 mile-range ballistic missile to
put in the hands of troops. Russia claims to possess operational ICBM’s.
East
German Communists threaten a total blockade of Red-encircled West Berlin
if West Germany goes through with its plans to hold elections for a new
president. The Reds also hint at a possible boost in the already heavy cash
tolls on land and water traffic between West Berlin and the West, suggesting a
possible attempt to strangle the city by economic measures rather than an
outright blockade. Soviet Premier
Khrushchev says, “If no agreement is reached at the Geneva conference of
foreign ministers, agreements will undoubtedly be reached at a summit
conference”
Cuban
police announce they have smashed a counter- revolutionary plot against the
government of Premier Castro. Police squads arrest 12 former Batista men in
raids on five hideouts and seized arms, ammunition, uniforms and other war
materials an official announcement said.
