The Valley Voice by Tom Eastman [08/22/2008]

Ski clubs celebrate major milestones

AFTER A LONG DREARY STRETCH of miserable, 10-cent and 15-cent rainy days, 50 centers finally returned to the daily rating scoresheet this week, as perfect blue-skied summer skies at long last came to the valley. I am sure I can say I am speaking for everyone by saying, About time!The rating system is featured daily with retired former cooperative weather observer Briggs Bunker at 7:45 a.m. on WMWV 93.5-FM's Morning Weather Show, with the top rating of 50 cents given for a truly spectacular day. The custom was started by the late Joe Dodge, former back country huts manager for the Appalachian Mountain Club. He and Joan Sherman, formner co-owner of WBNC-WMWV, founded the habit of rating the day, with listeners encouraged to store away the day's ratings into a piggy bank. We're glad the 50 center custom continues and we're also glad that the good weather has finally arrived, a bit late, but here nonetheless just in time for the kids to go back to school in the southern part of the state and some Massachusetts towns. It's OK by yours truly, as your intrepid journalist is looking for ward to my first real vacation next week in three years! Hiking trails, golf courses and ocean beaches, here I come!SKI CLUB ANNIVERSARIES: Two local ski clubs celebrated major milestones last weekend. Bartlett town columnist Marcia Burchstead wrote in her column Aug. 21 that the Innitou Ski Runners Ski Club located on Station Street in Glen celebrated their 70th anniversary last weekend with a variety of activities. The Innitou Ski Runners was founded in 1938 by residents of Woburn, Mass. The Native American name meaning, Mirror of the Spirit, can still be found in several locations and by businesses in the town and is also the name of the high school yearbook. Early members honed their skills on the ski jumping hill overlooking Innitou Pond (renamed Horne Pond). The club in 1958 purchased a turn-of-the-century farmhouse to be its permanent home. Prior to that members often stayed at the Abbott Lodge and the Oak Lee (now the Shannon Door Pub).Other ski clubs located in Bartlett include: Melrose Hickory Hawks, Brockton Skimeisters, Massa Schussers, Penguins, Lawrencian, Brettl-Hupfers, Stoneham Ski Daddlers, Polecats, Ala-Bye and Wedeln.Meanwhile, the White Mountain Ski Runners celebrated their 75th anniversary Aug. 15 through 17. Club members also celebrated 50 eyars on neighbors Row. Spreaking of which, despite the ongoing sewer and water work that has torn up the road this summer, the celebration Saturday night took place without a hitch or broken axle!Among those invited to attend the corn-on-the-cob and chicken dinner were Cranmore skimeister Herbert Schneider, 88, and yours truly, and I was truly honored to be there wearing my ski writer-ski history lover's hat.Herbert and I loved hanging out with such past presidents as Dick Freeman, who organized the event; Paul vonLoesecke and Bruce Bowers. I also ran into old friends John and Alice Pepper of Jackson John had helped arrange financing for the purchase of the ski house in 1958. We also ran into old friend Fred Symmes, formerly a cook at the Eagle Mountain House back in the Kimball and Neysa Packard days of the early 80s, and now an engineer with Weston Solutions of Manchester. My brother Whit and I grew up at this ski club. Our late Mom was active in the club, and after she died, my dad remarried and we all used to come up and stay here and ski with other kids, said Fred. That multi-generational aspect of the club continues to this day, as the ski club scene goes on stronger than ever for families who come up weekends and bunk down in the rambling house's bunkrooms. Older skiers more often than not now come up during the week, club members explained, as they can take advantage of good ski deals at local ski areas and also get some sleep when the younger kids aren't around!In 1996, they formed a new group called the Mulemeisters who come up and ski midwekk, explained Dick Freeman, a still youthful 80 year old and retired engineer.The downstairs living room has a great painting over the fireplace of the Tuckerman headwall. Truly magnificent.Dick Freeman said that the club was founded in 1933. Among the notable founding members were future Olympian Mary Bird, Alex Bright, Carroll Reed, Rockwell Stephens and mountaineer and aerial photography pioneer/cartographer Brad Washburn, later of the Boston Museum of Science.Over the years before purchasing the current lodge, the club found a home at various places, including the Weeks Farm House from 1933-1939; the Jackson Lodge in 1940-41; two bunk rooms at the Dana Place Inn, 1947-48 (there was no activity during the World War II years, Dick says); the Wildcat Tavern's fist and third floor apartments from 1952-55; the Franconia Valley Inn, 1955-56; the Copper Cannon Lodge in Franconia, 1956-57, and the Highland Croft in Littleton in 1957-58.The club also hosted races on the old CCC-built Wildcat Trail, with such winners as Alex Bright, Brooks Dodge and Leona (Reny) Hill.Ski clubs add so much to the social fabric of this ski and hiking community. Happy anniversaries to all and thanks to the Ski Runners for the great food care package they sent me home with after the meal Saturday night. I've been feasting like a king all week.TOM ON THE TOWN: Matt Howard of Glen Builders tells me that the Red Parka will host a benefit for injured skier Brian Lessard of H.E. Bergeron Sept. 11. It was originally scheduled for Aug. 21, but was changed that was the night for the Summer Mohla benefit at Flatbread's with Entrain and Idol Hands performing. Brian was recently in a car accident and is still in the hospital. Call Matt at Glen Builders for further information, or go to http://brianlessard.com/ or www.caringbridge.org/visit/brianlessard...The Red Parka is featuring the Brotherhood of Groove at its next Attitude Thursday Aug. 28. The band has a new CD out, and is well-remembered for the benefit they performed on behalf of Hurricane Katrina victims three years ago at the always happenin' Parka. Call 383-4344 for further information...VETERAN HOGS AND HOGGETTES WANTED: Former Mount Washington Valley hogs captain Gary Hog of Steel Sheldon is inviting all veteran Hogs and Hoggettes to come to the 26th annual Mud Bowl Tounrament of Mud Parade Saturday, Sept. 6. Mud Bowl will be dedicating the field at Hog Coliseum immediately following the parade, renaming it after my brother, late North Conway Mud Bowl co-founder Steve Eastman (1949-2008). Gary invites his fellow veteran Hogs to come to the dedication a five-minute scrimmage will be held to truly christen the mud as part of the opening ceremonies. For further information, email Gary at Sheldon.Gary@nne.sysco.com...Mud Bowl is set for Friday through Sunday, Sept. 5-7. Advance three-day tickets are now on sale at The Met, the Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce and Hannaford the tickets serve as your raffle ticket for the chance to win one of two $500 drawings Mud Bowl weekend...The Wilcox family and community on Aug. 16 presented a wonderful tribute to their late father, the Rev. Dick Wilcox, 82, who passed away recently. Funny and touching, it was just what Dick would have wanted a celebration of his life followed at Purity Spring Resort...The Mount Washington Valley Arts Association's art auction was a ton of fun at Cranmore Saturday evening, Aug. 16. Music, art and refreshments and artists. How can you go wrong with that kind of culture?....Weston's Farm hosted the Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce's Chamber After Hours on a glorious late summer eve Aug. 19. Maine's award-winning potato Cold River Vodka was featured, including their new blueberry vodka, and the Oxford House catered the event with sumptuous delights that featured fresh garden produce from Weston's. As we reported in Wednesday's Sun, the 1799-founded farm was recently named to the National Historic Registry....Happy b-days to all, including Big Bro, Country Ecology's Dave Eastman (8-29)...Baby the last play of the Mount Washington Valley Theatre Comany's season is now at the Eastern Slope Playhouse. Call 356-5776 for ticket reservations...Don't miss the Jazzmeisters at the Wildcat Tavern Sunday eve, Aug. 24. It's always a great date...I had a blast playing some acoustic Beatles and Neil Young tunes at the Wildcat's Hoot Night this past Tuesday. Kathy Bennett joined me on the Two of Us as my last number, which was a lotof fun! Long live Hoot - and thanks to host Al Hspers for letting me get up to play...Enjoy summer's fresh native corn and blueberries while you can, and be sure to head to the river for a swim or canoe or kayak trek, now that the water levels have dropped to a safer, less-fast-flowing level.