Robert Lind, 30, of Brattleboro was the men's winner of the annual Bill Powers Memorial Firecracker 4-miler on July 4. He covered the four-mile course from Memorial Park to the Common in 22 minutes, 43 seconds.
It was Lind's third victory in this race. He won in 2010 and 2013, and came in second in 2015, despite running a minute faster than his 2016 winning time.
While the pace this year was slower, Lind was nearly a minute faster than runner-up Cole Rooney, 15, of Bedford, N.Y., who was second in 23:39. Brayton Osgood, 35, of Putney, came in third in 23:45.
Jessica Marlier, 30, of Chesterfield, N.H., was the women's winner in 24:01, which was the sixth-fastest time overall. She was almost a minute faster than the women's runner-up, Alexa Caldwell, 27, of Putney, who was 10th overall in 25:00. Anne Hart of Stillwater, Minn., was third in 25:25.
There were 97 runners in the race, sponsored by the Red Clover Rovers running club, that ranged in age from 6-year-old Ethan Braden of Brattleboro (91st in 45:11) to 70-year Serge Pouliot of Hinsdale, N.H. (95th in 47:15).
Babe Ruth regular season wraps up
The Brattleboro Babe Ruth baseball season doesn't last long, just a quick 10-game schedule of games. But the short season is pretty much the tune-up for the main event, the state playoffs.
The Eagles (7-2-1) won this year's league championship with a 17-4 win over Hinsdale (0-10) on June 30.
Pepsi (7-3) missed its chance to finish first with a 14-3 loss to DMI (5-4-1) on June 29 in a five-inning game cut short by the 10-run rule. DMI's Andrew Peloso went 4-for-4 and winning pitcher Joey Rafus held Pepsi to two hits over five innings.
In years where there are lots of players participating, Brattleboro will field teams for the 13-year-old, 14-year-old, and 15-year-old state tournaments. Watch this space next week for the particulars on the various tournaments.
Legion roundup
• Brattleboro Post 5 is looking like the team to beat in American Legion Baseball. On June 28 at Hadley Field, Brattleboro shut out Bellows Falls Post 37, 9-0.
Leif Bigelow pitched a three-hitter to get the win for Post 5, and got plenty of help from his infielders, who turned three double plays. Tanner Bell drove in three runs with a single and a groundout, while Kassidi Ramirez, Matt Dulmaine, and Sam Ognenoff all hit safely for Post 5.
Alex Groenewold, Matt Gendron, and Zac Streeter accounted for Post 37's hits.
• Bellows Falls hadn't had a losing streak yet this season, but Post 37 lost its second game in a row when Lakes Region beat them, 9-2, at Hadley Field on June 30.
Post 37 didn't score until the seventh inning, when Ethan Illingworth hit a two-run single. Meanwhile, Lakes Region scored at least one run in each of the first six innings.
Riders go the distance for Boys & Girls Club
• The Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro reports another successful year for the “Going the Distance” (GTD) cycling fundraiser for the club.
Nearly 70 riders rode their bikes from Brattleboro through the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts on June 25 along 40-, 60- and 100-mile routes. The ride is a family-friendly, multi-generational event, and this year's field included four youthful riders under the age of 15 and several over the age of 75. Among this year's participants were 25 first-time riders and many who have done the ride four times or more.
Current Board member and former Board President Bob Nassau began the bike ride seven years ago with a handful of biking enthusiasts to support the club by riding the length of Vermont from the Canadian border to the club's headquarters at 17 Flat Street. In ensuing years, the ride was modified to allow more riders to participate in a one-day event with optional distances.
To date, this year's GTD ride has raised over $47,000 in contributions thanks to the more than 650 people who donated to individual riders. Nassau credited good weather and outstanding local support for making this year's GTD ride particularly memorable for participants.
The Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro serves more than 1,100 local youth members. Donations to the GTD Ride provide scholarship and help to defray expenses for summer camps offered by the club from the end of June through early August. Funds raised through GTD also help to fund the club's extended hours of weekday operations and to underwrite the club's free meals and dinners for area youth throughout the summer.
Contributions can still be made in support of individual “Going the Distance” riders until the end of summer through the FirstGiving link on the Club's website at www.bgcbrattleboro.com, or by mailing a check to the Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro at 17 Flat St., Brattleboro, VT 05301.
Greeter Program returns to Somerset Reservoir
• Somerset Reservoir is the wildest large water body in the state of Vermont. For decades, it has been a special destination for canoeists, kayakers and fishermen, who seek a quiet wild place to be on the water.
It's been difficult to keep such a large body of water free of invasive species and garbage, but a group of volunteers is on the case.
On weekends from now until early September, the “Somerset Greeter Program” is inspecting all boats at the boat ramp, as well as monitoring the shorelines for invasive species.
This is the third year that funding to support the Greeter Program has come from Aquatic Nuisance Control Grant-in-Aid from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources through the Windham County Natural Resources Conservation District to the Green Mountain Conservancy.
If you have any time to volunteer to help at the boat ramp, contact greenmountainconservancy.org.
Senior bowling update
• I got an email last week from Arlene Blum, the secretary for the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League, asking for a little coverage of their over-50 league that meets every Thursday morning at Brattleboro Bowl on Putney Road.
The Commons is happy to oblige.
At the midpoint of their 17-week season, Team 10 is in first place with a 35-10 record, followed by Team 3 (30-15), Team 4 (28-17), Team 8 (26-19), Team 6 (25.5-189.5), Team 9 (22.5-22.5), Team 2 (19.5-25.5), Team 1 (18-27), Team 5 (17-28) and Team 11 (11.5-33.5).
The high handicap game in team play was rolled by Team 4 (657), while Team 3 had the high handicap series (1,860).
Carole Frizzell had the women's high handicap game (237) while Arlene Blum had the women's high handicap series (659). Jon Peters (266) rolled the men's high handicap game, and Marty Adams (683) notched the men's high handicap series.
The women didn't roll any 200-plus pin games, or 500-plus series, but five men topped the 200 mark: Jerry Dunham (215), Marty Adams (229), Fred Ashworth (202), Jon Peters (221), and Wayne Randall (201).
Six men had 500-series: Warren Corriveau Sr. (527), Jerry Dunham (556), Marty Adams (578), Fred Ashworth (542), Wayne Randall (534), and Jon Peters (547).
High averages for the women last week were Sonya Shippee (155), Shirley Aiken (155), and Lorraine Taylor (149). Top men's averages belonged to Fred Ashworth (179), Jerry Dunham (173), and Jon Peters (172).