The Strider - Vanderbilt Cup Races

The Strider
February 2009
The Newsletter of the
Alley Pond Striders
P.O. Box 298
Bellerose, N.Y. 11426-0298
Volume XXIX Issue 2
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE BY GERRY RUIZ
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
The Alley Pond Striders is a running
and walking club with over 250
members and serves the communities
of Eastern Queens and Nassau
County, NY.
Now in our 29th year The Striders
continue to actively promote the
enjoyment of walking and running in
Alley Pond Park. The Alley Pond 5
Mile Challenge is one of the largest
local races in the New York City area.
The only membership requirement is a
desire to take in the sights of Queens’
largest forested area on your own
two feet.
A group of Alley Pond Striders can be
found any day of the week at the Park
House located on Winchester Blvd.
near the intersection of Union
Turnpike. Members enjoy walks and
runs of various distances and paces
through the Park and surrounding
area.
WALKS AND RUNS BEGIN at 9:00 am
at Alley Pond Park House on weekends
and at 9:00 am during the week.
For Membership Information
Please contact Lynn Henry at
516 437-8715 or
lynnahenry@yahoo.com
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
1
RUNNERS EXCHANGE
2
WHITHER THE DOW
2
RACING AROUND
3
TALK ON THE PATH
4
THE TRAVELING RUNNER
5
BAND OF BROTHERS
6
2008 FINANCIAL STATEMENT
7
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
8
‘THE EXTRA STRIDE’
(AN E-SUPPLEMENT ONLY AVAILABLE
ON THE WEB VERSION OF THE
NEWSLETTER)
9—13
Fresh from our New Year’s Resolutions, we set our sights on this the second
month of ’09. In short order the 3x2 Relays will be here (get your name to our Runner’s Rep before it’s too late!), our Race Committee will again gather to discuss details of our world famous, semi-legendary (the committee in my head tells me so, it
must be true) Five Mile Challenge, training schedules will be developed for they that
brave the excitement of the Long Island Marathon (hey, 26.2 IS 26.2), and the rest
of us will watch with glee.
Point is: get involved. Anyone can grouse, it takes a Strider to do
something. Our club has a great history of events, and with them characters that
developed them. Let this be the year of involvement.
During last year’s club elections, the current pres was quite taken with the
opportunity to put some thoughts into action, with the intent if improving the club,
of giving back what the club had so freely given. He is not alone in this feeling.
We all contribute in our own ways. It starts with membership, grows
through suggestion and is capped by action. “What have I done for us lately?”
Be proud, wear the colors, be there!
REMINDER: Dues are now due for 2009. If
you joined after October 1, 2008 your
membership is in good standing through 2009.
In accordance with the Bylaws, members not
paying their dues by March 1 will be removed
from the Membership and will not receive future
editions of “The Strider”. Please don’t forget you don’t want to miss out on even one issue!
JANUARY 50/50 WINNER:
HELEN PINEDA
PAGE 2
THE STRIDER
RUNNERS EXCHANGE
WHITHER THE DOW
FEBRUAY 2009
BY JOHN SASSONE
BY DEBBIE PESA
Contact Debbie Pesa at dpesa@nyc.rr.com
with your race results.
Although we are in the midst of winter’s frigid
grasp, thoughts turn to spring races. Will I do a few
half marathons this summer and fall or will this be
the year I go for the full distance? Should I do
something different and try a duathlon? Goals can
keep us running through the ice and snow. Set
some for yourself to aim for when you are tempted
to curl up under a blanket on the sofa instead of
going for that run.
PLEASE INCLUDE APS ON ALL YOUR
RACE APPLICATIONS
Republic Airport
New Year’s Day 5k—January 1:
Gerry Ruiz – 27:01, pace 8:35
NYRR Fred Lebow Classic 5M—January 10:
Tom Case – 39:16, pace 7:51
Ed Grassel – 41:47, pace 8:21
Gerry Ruiz – 46:29, pace 9:17
Contact Debbie Pesa at dpesa@nyc.rr.com with
your race results
PLEASE INCLUDE APS ON ALL YOUR
RACE APPLICATIONS.
The Dow Jones
Industrial Average ended 2008
at 8,776.39 a whopping drop
from the 2007 close of
13,264.82. This was its most
punishing loss since 1931. The
broader S&P 500 fell almost
40%, a drop last seen in 1937.
Ouch!!!
At the January meeting John Sassone was
pleased to announce that club president Gerry Ruiz
was this year’s winner and awarded him with an
umbrella courtesy of Janney Montgomery Scott.
Gerry apparently didn’t have his rose colored glasses
on when he made last year’s prediction. John also
presented some market tidbits, trivia, and thoughts
about the future. The highlight was as an entertaining
quiz with flying candy for prizes. Most Striders knew
how many stocks were in the Dow (30) and John
Kwasnik again impressed all with his market acumen
as he knew this years best Dow performers.
(McDonalds and Walmart.)
Lee Dunworth was the first of a few who
could name the current Fed head (Ben Bernanke)
but sadly everyone recognized the names Ponzi and
Madoff. Debbie Pesa was able to figure out that the
symbol for Cedar Fair a company which operates
amusement and water parks was FUN. The symbol
of the Asia Tiger Fund (GRR) escaped recognition
but Striders were up on the richest billionaires
including Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and Carlos Slim
of Telmex.
If you missed the meeting and refreshment
day you can still enter the WHITHER THE DOW
CONTEST FOR 2009. John will accept entries up
until Feb 15th. See him at the park or email him at
cfpstrider@aol.com. Reference “Strider” on the
subject line. A prize will
be awarded to the Strider
who comes closest. Good
Luck!
PAGE 3
THE STRIDER
FEBRUAY 2009
RACING AROUND IN FEBRUAY
DATE
EVENT
TIME/PLACE
CONTACT
Feb 1
NY State Parks Winter Run Series
Race 4 - 5K (www.flrrt.com)
11am- Jones Beach
State Park
Feb 8
LIRR Group Fun Run -4 or 7 miles
9am Eisenhower Park
Feb 15
LIRR Group Fun Run -4 or 7 miles
9am Eisenhower Park
(516) 569-4959
Feb 21
GLIRC 3x2 Trail Relay
9am Bethpage Park
www.glirc.org
Feb 22
LIRR Group Fun Run -4 or 7 miles
9am Eisenhower Park
(516) 569-4959
March 1
LIRR 5 Mile
9am Eisenhower Park
(516) 569-4959
March 8
LIRR 10-Mile LI
Half-Marathon Tune-Up
9am Eisenhower Park
(516) 569-4959
(631) 321-3510
(516) 569-4959
How old would you be
if you didn't know how old you are?
Satchel Paige
IMPORTANT REMINDER: DUES ARE NOW DUE
SEE LYNN HENRY TO JOIN OR RENEW!!
If you joined after October 1, 2008 your membership is in good standing through 2009. Members
not paying their dues by March 1 will be removed from the Membership and will not receive
future editions of “The Strider.” Please don’t forget - you don’t want to miss out on even one issue!
PAGE 4
THE STRIDER
FEBRUAY 2009
THE TALK ON THE PATH
With Sympathy :
Our condolences to Mike Gentile on the recent
passing of his sister.
Congratulations to:
Ray Prochak on his retirement after 29 years with
the U.S. Postal Service.
Belated Happy January Birthday to:
Jan Laxer (4th), Andy Heiz (12th), Pat Kay (20th),
Rosie Schellenberg (27th) and JoAnn Barnes
(30th), Diane Merzon, Don Rahmann, Glenda
Lascot and Alice Gibbons.
Happy February Birthday to:
Ernst Ackermann (2nd), John Reinle (2nd), Melanie
Ngai (8th), Corinne DiStephan (9th), Charles
Manna (9th), James Downey (10th), Agnes Walsh,
(10th), Steve Appel (12th),
Marg Colgan (12th), Ben
O’Reilly (14th), Ray Dowe
(22 n d ),Tim Rasmussen
(27th), Greg Schellenberg
(27th), Frank Schmidt (27th),
Harry Judd and Marilyn
Harbater.
Speedy Recovery to:
Hy Simon who was just released from the hospital
after suffering from a bout of pneumonia. Hope
you’re feeling better soon Hy!
Eric Schwartz recently saw
Virginia Chapman at the
Margaret Tietz Center when he
was visiting his mother. Virginia sends her regards to the
Striders. Virginia - we miss you
at the park!
Snowbirds:
Mike and Ann Ficarra left in mid-January to
winter at their home in Florida. Other snowbirds
already enjoying the nice weather are Trudy
Bauer, Roz and Lenny Katz, et al.
VANDERBILT MOTOR
PARKWAY
We run and walk on “the path” all the time.
Our footsteps strike the ground without much thought
to what happened there in years past. As many may
know, “the path” is part of the historic Vanderbilt
Motor Parkway - the first roadway specifically
constructed for the automobile.
If you want to find out more about the Motor
Parkway (aka: “the path”) check out the web page
links in “The Extra Stride” (e-version of this
newsletter—pages 9 - 13)..
STRIDERS IN TIME
Congratulations to our 25 year and 10 year
members. These Striders were recognized at the
annual dinner dance on January 31st.
Our 25 year club inductees are: Virginia
Chapman, Lynn Henry, Mel Kay and Steve
Turkeltaub.
Our 10 years members are: Sybil Blumenthal,
Andy & Trudy Hodas, Harry Judd, Jerome
Pasternak, George Schafer and Herb Zibulsky.
PAGE 5
THE STRIDER
THE TRAVELING RUNNER
BY EDDIE GRASSEL (egrassel@aol.com)
BelizeTrekking through the Jungle
My twenty-five year old daughter Lianna and I
decided to go on an adventure vacation in the Central
American country of Belize in mid-December. We
chose Belize, the former British Honduras, because
over 40% of the country is a national preserve and it is
a two hour flight from Miami. After arriving in Belize
City we took a forty minute hopper flight to Placencia,
a small village on a tiny peninsula in southern Belize. I
knew we were in for an interesting trip when the pilot
asked Lianna to sit in the cockpit because the plane
was full. We landed on a tiny airstrip and were met by
a hotel representative who drove us eight miles on the
area’s one main dirt road to our resort. Our suite was
fifty feet from the Caribbean and a hundred feet from
the lagoon. This was the beautiful setting for our one
week stay in this sunny, warm, and clean country.
We chose to do four mini-adventures which
we arranged through our hotel. Our first escapade was
snorkeling in the silk cayes about eight miles off the
coast on the second largest barrier reef in the world
after Australia. A motorboat took us to a tiny island
where we disembarked, put on our gear and swam
around the island seeing hundreds of diverse fish and
beautiful reef formations. The water was warm and our
guide pointed out all the fish hiding throughout the
coral. It was an incredible light show.
Each morning I would run six miles on the
main dirt road with only a few cars or buses passing
me on this potentially dusty road. There was water on
both sides with multi-colored birds flying by on this
quiet, fun run. Our guide picked us up after breakfast
and brought us to Jaguar Park, a huge preserve with
natural beauty and yes, jaguars roaming during the
evening. After an enjoyable hike and a native lunch of
fish and rice, we went river tubing through this tropical
forest. There were some rapids but we felt comfortable
and safe throughout the day. Each evening Lianna and
I would have dinner outdoors under a sky dotted with
thousands of stars.
The next day we were picked up by a guide in
a boat and taken to Monkey River. This is a rain forest
in the jungle inhabited by howling monkeys. Walking
FEBRUAY 2009
into the forest from our boat, our guide made loud
noises which attracted the attention of a group of monkeys living high in the tree tops. Once the male head of
the monkey family heard us, he began to howl to scare
us away. The sound is the loudest after whales and
lions. It can be heard for four miles. Eventually we left
and the sounds stopped as the monkeys were not bothered by our presence any longer. We also saw
crocodiles, birds, and iguanas as we traveled down the
Monkey River.
A relaxing day was a ten mile bike ride on a
dirt road to the village of Placencia. This little sea town
of seven hundred people with a few dive shops, small
guest houses, craft stores and quaint restaurants was a
delight to stroll through. We then biked back to our
hotel with stops at other resorts and artisans homes. Our
day ended with a swim in the pool and catching some
afternoon sun on a quiet beach.
My personal highlight was when Lianna and I
went for a long drive, took a one hour hike and arrived
at the entrance of a series of five caves. We then began
our tour by sitting in individual tubes and letting the
gentle current take us for a three mile journey through
these dark and fascinating caves. We were wearing
miners’ lamps which enabled us to see the stalagmites
and stalactites and an occasional bat flying overhead.
Each cave had its individual beauty and by following
our guide we were able to navigate our way through the
cave.
We ended out trip with a delightful dinner on
the porch of a neighboring hotel with the ocean breeze
as our air conditioner. I would recommend this trip for
anyone seeking an easy country to trek through with a
mixture of adventures, good food and lying in the sun.
Running was no problem and the locals were very
encouraging as they saw the old man flying by.
(Interested in checking out travel to Belize? Check
out the link: http://www.travelbelize.org/)
PAGE 6
THE STRIDER
FEBRUAY 2009
BAND OF BROTHERS BY JOHN SASSONE
Having lost my older brother to a heart attack several years ago, I was particularly saddened to learn that
three of my fellow Striders recently lost their brothers within a few weeks of each other. Hank Klein, Ray Prochak,
and Eric Schwartz each lost their older brother.
Hank’s brother Howard was 69 and a retired Amtrak Police Sergeant. He was an Air Force Vet and was
known for his outgoing and friendly nature. Lovingly referred to as “The Mayor of Penn Station,” he was married
with three children. After retiring he volunteered as a Lieutenant in the Auxiliary Police in Astoria. In addition to his
love of people he enjoyed collecting coins. His funeral included an Honor Guard, Fife and Drum Corps and Police
Motorcade. After attending the service and learning more about him Stan Zibulsky remarked that, “He was someone
I wish I had gotten a chance to know.”
Ray’s brother Stephen, age 62, was retired from Verizon. After graduating from Brooklyn Tech, Steve went
to Queensboro and then into the Army serving two years in Vietnam and a year in Germany. Ray remembers clocks
and steins being sent to his parents’ home while Steve was in Germany. He and his wife Frances, a nurse at LIJ,
adopted 2 girls and lived in Westbury. Always handy, he made golf clubs as a sideline after retiring. In addition to
his love of golf he had been an avid bowler having had seasons averaging over 200. Steve also did several crossword puzzles a day and enjoyed cooking for his family and friends.
Eric’s brother Gerald (Jerry) was 66 and a runner for the VeeBees of Martin Van Buren HS and later for
Queens College where he earned a degree in Accounting. Eric recalls going to VanCortland Park to watch him run
and credits Jerry for introducing him to the joys of running. Jerry became a CPA and later worked for the IRS and
the New York State Banking Department. A NYC Marathon was also graced his resume. He and his wife adopted a
Korean daughter Jennifer and lived in Merrick until he retired to Florida. He enjoyed retirement and worked part
time in Disneyworld. He also volunteered his tax expertise through the AARP and maintained a small private practice. Eric describes him lovingly as “a laid back pleasant fellow.”
Eric, Ray and Hank wish to express their thanks to their fellow Striders for all the support , prayers, cards
and words of condolence.
Let Brotherly Love Continue. (Hebrews 13:1)
Dear Striders,
I would like to say “thank you” to all
the Striders for their good wishes,
cards, prayers, phone calls and visits
while I was in the hospital. I cannot
tell you how much it meant to me.
After five weeks of confinement in one
room I was very happy to come home
and continue my recovery. I hope to
see you as soon as I get some
“restrictions” lifted.
Thanks again for your thoughtfulness.
Linda Schultheiss
Club Apparel for Sale
Please see Laughlin Whalen or e-mail him
(lwhalen142@aol.com) if you’re interested in purchasing any
of the following merchandise.
Singlets, Men and Women’s (S, M, L)
$22 or $24
Running Shorts (S, M, L)
$19
Long Sleeve Cotton Shirt (S)
$13
Long Sleeve Coolmax Shirt L, XL
$37
White Short Sleeve Coolmax Shirt
(S, M, L, XL)
$15
Sleeveless Green Coolmax Shirt
(S, M, L, XL)
$17
Green or White Caps
$10
All of the above apparel are imprinted with the Alley Pond
logo or name.
FEBRUAY 2009
THE STRIDER
PAGE 7
The following presents the summary of the 2008 Alley Pond Strider’s Financial
Statement. Should you have any questions concerning the information presented in
this statement, please contact Laughlin Whalen, Treasurer.
Alley Pond Striders, Inc.
Income and Expense Statement **
as of December 31, 2008
Balance 12/31/2007
$ 5,081.01
Income
Membership Dues
Five Mile Challenge Race
Sale of Club Merchandise
Back Alley 5k Race
Lucky Buck
$ 2,239.00
1,633.19
267.76
246.66
$
211.50
Total Income
$ 4,598.11
Expenses
Newsletter Printing
Annual Dinner Dance
$ 1,550.00
1,016.46
Postage
722.41
Refreshments
Ocean to Sound
Good & Welfare
City Stride
Picnic
Supplies
Dues
Web Site Expenses
684.58
563.90
400.00
350.00
267.28
151.32
100.00
68.88
$
Total Expenses
$ 5,874.83
Ending Balance 12/31/2008
$ 3,804.29
** All categories are shown at their net value (Income has been offset by expenses where
applicable). These amounts do not reflect the true income/loss of all categories due to
receipt of amounts in different years.
Calendar of Events
FEBRUAY 2009
Thursday, February 5th: Membership Meeting at 8 pm. Please
join us at the Alley Pond Park House for our monthly meeting.
Note: the Executive Board will meet at the Park House starting at
7:00 pm. All members are welcome to attend these meetings.
Saturday, February 21st: Refreshment Day. Come join your
fellow Striders for refreshments after our walks and runs. And,
don’t forget to bring a treat to share!
++++++++++
COMING APRIL 26, 2009
THE ALLEY POND STRIDERS FIVE MILE CHALLENGE
SPONSOR, VOLUNTEER, RUN, WALK - BE PART OF IT!
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE
ALLEY POND STRIDERS
P.O. BOX 298
BELLEROSE, N.Y. 11426-0298
Board of Directors
President: Gerry Ruiz
Vice President: John Kwasnik
Treasurer: Laughlin Whalen
Recording Secretary: Ken Kaiser
Corresponding Secretary: Helen Pineda
Social Secretary: Alan Bouknight
Runners Rep.: Debbie Pesa
Walkers Representative: George Schafer
Membership Chair: Lynn Henry
Phone: (516) 437-8715
E-mail: lynnahenry@yahoo.com
Dues: $20 Single Membership
$30 Family Membership/Couples
Members joining on or after October 1, 2008
are automatically 2009 members.
__________________________________
The Strider is the newsletter of The Alley Pond
Striders and is prepared monthly by:
Editor: Ken Kaiser (Please send information and
articles to apstriders@aol.com)
Assistant Editors:
Gillian Turbin & Lynn Henry
Labels: Bill Kaiser
Mailing: Lynn Henry
Check us out on the web at:
www.apstriders.org
NON PROFIT ORG.
US POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 464
FLUSHING, NY
THE EXTRA STRIDE
A SPECIAL E-SUPPLEMENT TO ‘THE STRIDER’ ONLY AVAILABLE WITH THE ONLINE VERSION!
Volume XXIX Issue 2A
February 2009
E-Supplement to ‘The Strider’
Alley Pond Striders
P.O. Box 298
Bellerose, N.Y. 11426-0298
Our Five Mile Challenge Race is just around the corner. I know right now it is a cold, windy and
snowy corner but it will be here before you know it. The race is scheduled for Sunday, April 26th and, as
in past years, will include a Kid’s Fun Run. In this edition of “The Extra Stride” I have included a copy of
the race application, the sponsorship letter and sponsor form. With the troubled economy it will likely be
difficult to secure the level of sponsorship we enjoyed in past years. Therefore, we need all Striders to do
their best to find alternate sponsors - maybe that small local store that you never asked before to sponsor.
We don’t need each sponsor to donate hundreds of dollars, but if each Strider can just bring in one new
sponsor, we will be set.
On a different note, we are now entering into the “dead of winter.” Please make sure you take extra
care when you are out and about either walking or running.
Dress in layers and keep an eye out for snowy and icy surfaces
that can be slipping hazards. In addition, the cold weather increases the costs of staying warm at home. Check out the Con
Edison link to staying warm and saving money:
http://coned.com/newsroom/news/pr20081021.asp.
Finally, I would again like to encourage everyone to
submit digital pictures, interesting links and anything else you
think other Striders may find interesting.
Stay warm!
Kenneth J. Kaiser
Editor, “The Strider” and ”The Extra Stride”
Even with a nice doggy coat Ruby puts on an extra
layer with a fashionable sweater before hitting the streets on
those cold winter days.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: DUES ARE NOW DUE
SEE LYNN HENRY TO JOIN OR RENEW!!
If you joined after October 1, 2008 your membership is in good standing through 2009. Members
not paying their dues by March 1 will be removed from the Membership and will not receive future
editions of “The Strider”.
Please don’t forget - you don’t want to miss out on even one issue!
PAGE 10
THE EXTRA STRIDE
FEBRUAY 2009
PEOPLE AND PLACES Answering that important question of who, what, where are the Striders!
VANDERBILT MOTOR PARKWAY
We run and walk on “the path” all the time. Our footsteps strike the ground without much thought to what happened
there in years past. As many may know, “the path” is part of the historic Vanderbilt Motor Parkway - the first roadway
specifically constructed for the automobile. If you would like to learn more, check out the links below. (Links provided
by Lynn Henry — thanks to Howard Kroplick.)
VanderbiltCupRaces.com Year in Review
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/index.php/blog/article/
saturday_january_3_2009_vanderbiltcupraces.com_1_year_in_review
The Four-Lane Motor Parkway and an Aerial View of Queens in 1924
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/index.php/blog/article/
thursday_january_1_2009_an_aerial_view_of_queens_in_1924
Timing the Vanderbilt Cup Races
1910 Race
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/index.php/blog/article/
sunday_january_4_2009_timing_the_1910_vanderbilt_cup_race
1904 Race
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/index.php/blog/article/
tuesday_december_30_2008_timing_the_vanderbilt_cup_races
The Buick Team at the 1909 Lowell Races
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/index.php/blog/article/
friday_january_2_2008_the_buick_team_at_the_lowell_races_1909
Overpass at Hollis Hills Terrace (below)
Concrete post that were part of the motor parkway
side railing (above).
PAGE 11
THE EXTRA STRIDE
FEBRUAY 2009
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THE EXTRA STRIDE
FEBRUAY 2009
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THE EXTRA STRIDE
FEBRUAY 2009