4-28-11

On ear buds.

I ran this morning at 5 a.m.    I heard two bunnies scold me as I went by, Tsk-Tsk, Tsk-Tsk. A flock of turkeys grumbled.    And I interrupted a deer breakfasting in someone’s garden. Cows were lying down – they looked to be still asleep.  

I can’t figure out why anyone would need an iPod on the road.    I have lots of company!

 

 ---------  Dawn Field

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3-2-11

George "Ark" Tillson

On the In Memoriam page, USATF/Niagara website, I found the obituary of George Tillson.  He died in 2009. He was integral to our history and so this is such a loss to us.     Early on, it wasn’t hard to see that organizing this rowdy bunch of athletes would require patience and/or wearing the mantle of leadership very lightly on the shoulders.  George had both qualities in abundance.   Never was he without a smile and a story--and the newest handy-dandy little Finish Line gadget.  He was fun, just fun.   

As a correspondent, I am so sad that I’ll never again find that funny little envelope in my mail box, an envelope always too small for whatever George was to put in it, an amusing letter, some really funny clippings and cartoons all folded very small, and on the outside of the envelope, that which I saw first, never fewer than 5 different stamps from all over the country and the world and very nearly all over the envelope.  Though we wrote each other only a few times, I shall so much miss these gems from George.  Marsha usually added a note, too, an effort of will as her vision began to fail.  One could only love these two.

George was as much a necessary part of New York history as the great end-of-the-Nineteenth Century Walkers we’ve read about, as necessary as Schulz and The Schilly Family, as necessary as Briggs and Switzer.   He was there to help organize us, to take us to the next level.    The Walkers kept us interested, informed, awed, and open to the possibilities of a sport undertaken by ambulation.    Schulz and The Schillys of Central Square took the matter of their daughter’s cross country running to the State Supreme Court and won.  Switzer got the women’s marathon and the women’s 10K into the Olympics.    Organizing the grass roots, recording events, standardizing the elements of competition, integrating our sport into something larger, planning the future, these underpinning activities were left to the thinkers and, of these, George was one of the best and best-loved.     

Marsha, beloved wife, and fellow runner to many of us, ran Mickey’s Race for many years and I believe that the last one she ran here was the last time I saw George.  She often ran the Festival.    When she ran, she won.    Both of them, Marsha and George Tillson, winners and necessary to our knowledge of our history.

You’ll have to google the Great Walkers.  To access our local history, check out the Edward Stabler Collection at Syracuse University, a tribute effort of Kamal Jabbour for his friend;  and the Diane Sherrer Archival Collection at Cornell, put together for her friend by Lorrie Tily.   Kathrine Switzer has a website and a store, which you can click from this page.   I know that the Schulz Family has wonderful journals and photographs made by Husband and Dad, Coach Jerry.  I wish someone would write this history. That appellate court order would make for somebody a great study.   

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2-8-11

I hope you caught the New Balance Grand Prix on ESPN2 yesterday and saw Jenn Stuczynski Suhr, our Rochester pole-vaulter, and Alan Webb in the mile.  .

 Please note that the early-entry deadline (save $5) for the Indoor Championships is Monday, February, 7.    Late-entry is Monday February 13.      Visit meet website.    Competition is in Albuquerque.    An interesting Masters Invitational is to be held during the Open Championships, a Master Women’s 60 meter event and a Master Men’s 60 meter hurdle event,    Check out it out.   Track and Field is gathering steam in this country and it is this kind of planning which heats the pot.  

Cathy Troisi is once again helping out Dana Farber.    Cathy’s only daughter died of colon cancer when the 2 grandchildren were toddlers.     It’s been a tough go.    Then there is her friend and ours, Diane Sherrer, who died of lung cancer.   Cathy has been running ultra races and back-to-back ultra races for a number of years and Cathy has been helping Dana Farber by running the Boston Marathon DF Challenge for 17 years.    She will be walking this year for the first time, but she will be doing it.    If you’d like for her to wear a ribbon for someone special to you, contact Cathy here or at 157 Columbia Gardens, Cohoes 12047.    Telephone,  315-730-7309.   And/or go here:.

 Finally, this morning I happened to be at Onondaga Lake Park when 450 of my best friends showed up to run the Couch Potato 5K.    The greyhounds forgot the weather, the snow and the ice, and competed mightily.    They sniffed out the competition and their guts wouldn’t be denied as each pair of long legs brought yet another obviously serious runner to the start line.   To be sure, this is a community event, though, like Goat, Syrathon, Shamrock, Festival, and it looks to be annual, like Goat, Syrathon, Shamrock, Festival.    These health-giving, happy-living  community events are presented by Track Club, YMCA, Tipp Hill Neighbors, Syracuse Parks, Chargers, and didn’t I see Impalas, FLRC, GVH members running and helping?   All together now, three cheers--.    I said, ALL together now,   Hip-hip-hooray.   Hip-hip-hooray.   Hip-hip-hooray.   

Tom Armstrong, bless him, began a Super Bowl Sunday Run a long, long time ago.    Rima, Heany, Wagner.    A dozen or so of us.    It had none of the amenities.    No Leone.   Ice, always.    Inches of the stuff.    Sometimes so much of it that you couldn’t pick yourself up.   There was no place to gain a toehold.     No cones, anywhere, start or finish.     A  black ribbon at the finish, if you found the finish.     Not a few of us never found the finish.   But we all wound up at The Cobblestone for chili and you could ask Tom for the finish ribbon.    That run has been in hiatus for awhile and it is just wonderful to see it come ‘round again.    Thanks to all who thought of it and to all of the good workers.

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1-13-11

Let's talk about Auction/Felder Mart.

The message:

150 people showed up at the Lights Run Saturday night, January 8.    That's about twice the usual number, about three times the number who ran last year, which, of course, presented us with minus-0 temperatures.   

These are some stories.   

A first, although it was unrelated to the Lights Run but for coincidence.    A woman in one of two family cars which were approaching Liverpool on the parkway began to go into labor.   They turned into Lights Exhibit where they asked if they might park one of their cars overnight;   the ambulance being on its way.    Soon, the ambulance arrived and, later still, someone driving by saw one car parked in the lot.    We hope all's well there.     

Story Two.    A tall, skinny guy with long blond hair was dressed skimpily, although he did have his arms and legs covered, and he'd finished among the leaders.    We told him that he should really go  get something to eat and get some clothes on, really, because in this cold wind he'd cool down very quickly.    He said Oh no, this is warm.   I'm from Alaska.   We went on, laughing about the balmy weather.

Story Three.    A couple of young men did run in shorts.     Bridget, who was running the cookies and the raffle projects said that they came around the building after the race and threw themselves--sweaty and just as near-naked as they'd run--into snowbanks.    Boy.

Story Four.    A young woman who'd finished our very first installment of the Lights Run and couldn't stop talking about it showed up with her five children.    Between then and now, we found that she'd been a college runner, a good one, and that first Lights Run was her first race back following her college running.   By 2005 she was mother of five and the youngest was yet a baby.    Between then and now she became an ultra runner, holding US records at 100 miles and at ultra trail races, going after world records.    She is now a professional runner and is sponsored by commercial groups.    Her name is Jill Perry and we put her name and blog on the Felder website.    This night, two of her children ran;   she stayed with the other three.   Patrick, the eldest, has been doing very well at all races.    Grace, always called Amazing Grace, ran with a very respectable effort.    These are young children.    It was just great to have Jill and her family there. 

Raffle winners were Scott Herbs, Dan Brodsway, Nick Milazzo, Patrick Perry, Bob Fiumano, John Ferrini, and Chris Ingraham.     Thanks for coming!

Next year, January 7, 11:00.

Lennie     

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12-3-10

How about a round of Golf? No? Save it for summer? Well, let’s go Skating, then. Syracuse Parks and Recreation has you covered, for both now and next summer with contributions to the Felder auction of an 8-Pack of golf passes at Burnet Park or Sunnycrest, and skating for 8 people at beautiful Clinton Square. Commissioner Driscoll and Chris Abbott threw in a week of Summer Camp, times 4. We thank them. Please check the Auction List for these and other items and join us for our Reception/Silent Auction at Wise Guys Comedy Club on Sunday, December 5.

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11-10-10

Felder has made an effort to have a variety of businesses and business cultures represented among our auction donors.    Today, I mention three.     Rockett Cakestries, owned by Tiona Rockett is, we believe, the only Black-owned cake decorating business in Syracuse.     We Got it Sewn, owned by Ahmed Hicks and Terrence Butler emphasizes fashion.    100 Black Men of Syracuse, Inc., represented to us by Paul Williams, mentors young men in the ways of manhood.   

Among our donor businesses and business cultures are artists, educators and athletes, bakers, beauticians, writers, and entertainers.      Felder supports them and encourages you to give them your support.

Please come to our reception on December 5.     The city will be alight