CRVBL Weekend Roundup – Walpole Teams Sweep Weekend Games

WALPOLE TEAMS SWEEP CRVBL WEEKEND GAMES

It was a great weekend for the town of Walpole in the Connecticut River Valley Baseball League, as the town’s two CRVBL teams were winners in the most recent league action.

The Walpole Wild Blue remained undefeated and tied with the Putney Fossils for the league lead, as the Wild Blue cruised to a 25-1 victory over Keene in a game played at Dummerston Field. Pitcher Ryan Kohler struck out 9 in four innings to get the win, while going three for four with four runs batted in at the plate. Other offensive stars included Jamie Spence, who went four for four with six RBI, Gary Dennis, who went three for five with four runs scored, and Chris Ballou, who crossed the plate six times.


Learn to Row Clinics – Sculling and Sweep with RowBOC and PRC

Have you seen the rowers on the West River this spring? Brattleboro Outing Club’s RowBOC and the Putney Rowing Club have teamed up to offer a Learn to Row Clinic and they are still accepting novice rowers.

Meet other new rowers learning to row under the expert instruction of Tim Whitney, Grahame King, Thom Collins and Kristin Dawley. Clinic sessions take place on the West River and the Connecticut River at both rowing clubs.


Putney and Newport Winners in Latest CRVBL Action

The Putney Fossils moved to the top of the Connecticut River Valley Baseball League standings with its second victory, while the Newport Polar Bears picked up their first win of the year in the most recent CRVBL games.

Putney relied on strong pitching by Danny Lichtenfeld and Richard Bissell, to beat the Claremont Cardinals 6 to 4. Offensive contributions were team-wide for the Fossils with Chris Jensen collecting two RBIs and Steve Kapral, Steve Stanley, and newcomer Chris Larro each collecting a hit and two stolen bases respectively. For Claremont, Jon Nicholas banged out three hits and scored a pair of runs, while John Grainger collected two hits and drove in two runs.


CRVBL Opens 2014 Season With Claremont Victory

The Connecticut River Valley Baseball League got its 2014 season underway as the league champion Claremont Cardinals started their title defense with a 7 to 2 win over the Brattleboro River Rats at Dummerston Field. All eight town teams in the league are scheduled for games this weekend at locations in New Hampshire and Vermont.


Bowl for Kids’ Sake Seeks Teams

Brattleboro, VT–Families, friends and teams from work are invited to celebrate the 33rd Annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake to benefit Youth Services’ Big Brothers Big Sisters program on Saturday, April 5. The fundraising event will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with teams signing up for a one-hour time slot at Brattleboro Bowl on Putney Road.

The 4-5 p.m. time is reserved for teams of teens and “Bigs and Littles” and will have a special “Cosmic Bowling” atmosphere. The financial goal of the event is to raise $65,000 in pledge money and business sponsorship to help cover the cost of running the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.


Registration open for Tulip Trot 5K Run/Walk on May 24

Last year the inaugural Tulip Trot 5K had over 250 enthusiastic runners and walkers. Please help us make this year’s event even bigger and better! Come out rain, mud and/or shine and support the Green Street School PTO while you walk or run down neighborhood streets and scenic woodland trails. Let’s get out and moving to celebrate the springing of spring!


Tour de Heifer (June 8) Adds New Family-Friendly Routes

The fourth annual is set for Sunday, June 8, 2014. The Tour is a set of scenic farm-to-farm bicycle rides tailored to most levels of ability, with 15-mile, 30-mile and 60-mile routes. There is also a five-mile walking option.

This year, organizers have added two new routes, 15 and 30 miles in length, both designed to be suitable for beginner to intermediate riders with moderate skills and strength. Both of these rides include rolling hills on paved roads, and a long stretch of relatively level dirt road along the Green River.   

All of the routes begin and end at Lilac Ridge Farm in West Brattleboro, and feature incredible views, farm and woodland terrain, New England villages (one with a covered bridge), and much more.

The tour is part of the annual Strolling of the Heifers Weekend, which takes place June 6-7-8 in the heart of New England — Brattleboro, Vermont. The centerpieces of the weekend are the world-famous Strolling of the Heifers Parade and the Slow Living Expo, both on Saturday, June 7. Come for the Parade and Expo, and stay for the Tour!


Cameroon Has A Shot In The World Cup

My personal interest in Cameroon goes all the way back to 7th grade, when I had to write a report on this west African country. Ever since then, I have kept up on the news on Cameroon, and that includes their world cup team, the Indomitable Lions. , this year they are combining the famous German defensive love of precision, with the fast run and attack strategic style more commonly adopted by African teams. The combination is proving powerful.


92nd Harris Hill Ski Jumping Competition – The Road to Olympic Ski Jumping

Competition Slated for February 15 and 16 in Brattleboro, Vermont

BRATTLEBORO, VT. – The Harris Hill Ski Jumping Competition slated for February 15 and 16, 2014 in Brattleboro, Vermont will feature more than 40 of the world’s top jumpers from the US, Europe and Canada. One contender is Chris Lamb of the Andover Outing Club, who won the 2010 and 2013 Harris Hill competitions and holds the hill record for the longest jump, 335 feet. Lamb says he’s looking forward to competing at Harris Hill and retiring the Fred Harris Trophy. The Fred Harris Trophy has only been retired five times.

Lamb is only one of a number world-class jumpers who have competed at Harris Hill—some as recently as last year. Of the recently announced male members of the U.S. Olympic ski jumping team all have competed at Harris Hill. This includes Nick Alexander, Nick Fairall, Peter Frenette and Anders Johnson.


Free Scrabble Mentor

Club and Tournament Scrabble is more than just a pastime.  Like chess and bridge, it is played as a competitive sport all over the English-speaking world.  Brattleboro is fast becoming a hotbed of Scrabble players, with a weekly club session and a developing group of friends who take the game seriously (while alllowing room for laughter and orientation of newbies.  

Like any competitive game, there are fundamentals and preparation involved with becoming a top player.  I am committed to promoting the game and to helping folks who wish to dive more deeply into the fascinating world of club and tournament play to improve their skills and become a part of this vibrant community. 


Scrabble Anyone?

A Scrabble Club meets every Thursday night beginning at 6:00 PM at the Marlboro College Grad Center on Vernon Street.  We are an eclectic group of word nerds who play the game as it is played in a tournament setting, yet value and support newcomers in their exploration of Scrabble beyond the dining room table or cell phone.  

If I’ve piqued your curiosity and you don’t mind finding out how much you DON’T know about Scrabble, we invite you to bring that curiosity along with your sense of humor to our club.  


Iyengar Yoga in Brattleboro and Saxtons River

Iyengar Yoga classes start this week in Brattleboro and Saxtons River, taught by veteran teacher Chris Beach. Chris has been practicing Iyengar Yoga for 27 years and teaching for 16 years. He has studied in Pune, India, with the Iyengar family four times and is a student of a wide range of senior teachers including Patricia Walden, Manouso Manos, and Gloria Goldberg. He is certified at the Intermediate Junior III level. 


Free Labor Day BOC Tennis Mixer & Barbeque – Monday, September 2

The Brattleboro Outing Club (BOC) Tennis is offering a free Labor Day Mixer and Barbecue that will be fun for the whole family. Instructors will arrange doubles for anyone of any age and skill level who wants to play This event is a fun activity for anyone with an interest in tennis. This is also a great way to find out more about the BOC Tennis community. The event will be held on September 2 at the BOC Tennis Community at 202 Cedar Street from 10am to 2pm.

The grill will be offering free hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, and soft drinks.


CRVBL Mourns Claremont Cardinal Player, Fatally Injured Hours After Championship Game

The joy of winning the Connecticut River Valley Baseball League championship for the second straight year turned to shock and sadness for the Claremont Cardinals and the rest of the league as Cardinal catcher Jon Ferrero was fatally injured and outfielder Justin Pierce was seriously injured in a pickup truck crash in the players’ hometown of Woodstock, Vt. The accident occurred just hours after the Cardinals defeated the Walpole Wild Blue to win the CRVBL Cup.

“The Connecticut River Valley Baseball League is so saddened by this accident up in Woodstock, ” said Gary Dennis, league coordinator for the CRVBL and manager of the Walpole Wild Blue. “The Cardinals are a bunch of great guys and good ball players. It was our honor to play against them on Sunday…our hearts go out to Jon and Justin’s friends and families and the rest of the Claremont ball club.”


Four Teams to Chase CRVBL Cup this Weekend

The Connecticut River Valley Baseball League will crown its 2013 champion this weekend as the four town teams that won first round playoff series will face off at the Walpole baseball complex. The semi-final 9-inning games start on Saturday at 1:00 as the regular season leader Chester/Saxtons Crush play the defending champion Claremont Cardinals, while the league’s newest team, the Sunapee Old Lakers, take on the Walpole Wild Blue. The winners of the 9-inning semifinals will meet Sunday at 1:00 for the CRVBL Cup.


CRVBL Playoffs Begin Friday

The Connecticut River Valley Baseball League begins its 2013 postseason Friday night at 6:30 when the Walpole Wild Blue take on the Keene Black Dawgs at the Walpole baseball complex in the first game of a best of three quarterfinal series. Three other series will also be held throughout the weekend. Two of those series begin on Saturday, when the Putney Fossils host the defending champion Claremont Cardinals in a 1:00 p.m. game at Dummerston Field; and the Sunapee Old Lakers take the Newport Polar Bears at 4:30 in Sunapee.


Harris Hill Ski Jump Wins Jumping/Nordic Combined Club of the Year at USSA Congress

Brattleboro, Vt. — The Harris Hill Ski Jump committee, which manages the annual Harris Hill Ski Jumping Competition in Brattleboro, was awarded Jumping/Nordic Combined Club of the Year at the 2013 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association (USSA) Congress. The annual USSA Congress awards not only clubs but coaches, athletes and resorts who display exemplary service to the sports of skiing and snowboarding.

Peter Graves, former Putney resident, Harris Hill committee member and snowsports announcer, and currently Communications Director for USA Ski Jumping, accepted the award on behalf of the organization at the Congress which was held in Park City, Utah in late May.


CRVBL Playoff Matchups At Stake In Final Regular Season Weekend

The Connecticut River Valley Baseball League wraps up the 2013 regular season this weekend with all eight adult town teams in action with playoff seedings and matchups at stake. The action begins on Friday evening at 6:30 in Claremont as the defending league champion Cardinals host the Walpole Wild Blue. The two teams are currently tied for second place with records of 8 wins and four losses. Sunday morning at 10, the Putney Fossils and Brattleboro River Rats meet at Dummerston Field, and a win for Putney could move them ahead of the Newport Polar Bears in the playoff seeding. The regular season wraps up with a pair of games at 11 a.m. Sunday as Claremont hosts the Sunapee Old Lakers at Barnes Park while the Keene Black Dawgs take on Walpole at Keene State College.


CRVBL Weekend Roundup – Wins for Putney, Claremont, and Walpole

PUTNEY, CLAREMONT AND WALPOLE LATEST CRVBL WINNERS

By Kevin McElhinney, CRVBL

With the Connecticut River Valley Baseball League playoffs less than three weeks away, the Putney Fossils, the Claremont Cardinals and the Walpole Wild Blue all scored important regular season victories
in recent action.

At Dummerston Field, Putney benefitted from eight strong innings by starting pitcher Dave Guadalupe, as the Fossils beat the Sunapee Old Lakers, 8 to 4. Guadalupe gave up just one earned run on five hits before giving way to Richard Bissell who earned the save. Offensively, catcher Steve Stanley knocked in four runs on three hits, Brandon Reilly tripled, scored three runs and stole two bases while shortstop Nick Garcia went two for four, stole two bases and drove in a run.