Defending champ Bryar hopes his team has 1 more great race in them
HILL — ''The old timers like Dick Moulton used to laugh at me when I told them that my team would some day average 20 miles an hour. They said it was impossible. But we did it two years ago and I'll always be really proud of that,'' says Keith Bryar, Jr., as he hugged ''Candy'', his nine-year-old lead dog before the start of a sled dog race here Saturday.
He said that he's hoping that Candy and the other dogs he's been working with the last eight years have one more championship caliber race in them for this coming weekend's three-day 84th annual Laconia World Championship Sled Dog Derby.
''We're like the Celtics have been for the last couple of years, getting older and slower. This is our last good chance,'' says Bryar, who says that because of the economy in recent years he hasn't been adding new dogs or breeding the ones he has that often.
That 20 mile and hour pace Bryar refers to came on the first day of the 2011 race, when his team set a scorching pace by finishing the 15.5 mile course in 46.5 minutes, a pace which was unthinkable for the sled dog teams that his father Keith Bryar, Sr. drove to wins in 1960-61-62 or that his stepfather Dick Moulton won with in 1968, 1971, 1973, 1975 and 1976.
The dogs on those teams were primarily Siberian Huskies for his dad and Alaskan Huskies for Moulton.
But sled dog teams in the sprint races changed forever in the 1990s with the advent of the so-called Eurohound, a cross between an Alaskan Husky and German Shorthaired Pointer, which Swedish musher Egil Ellis brought with him to North America and soon came to dominate all of the major races.
''They're dogs with a lighter coat and tremendous stamina. And they're easier to manage,'' says Bryar, who said that he has bred his dogs to retain an Alaskan Husky look but with attention to their behavioral characteristics.
''Huskies are very independent. The kind of hybrid that we get now has more loyalty. You had to keep Huskies chained or they'd take off. I've got 20 dogs in my truck now and you can let them loose without a chain and they'll stick around,'' says Bryar.
In Saturday's New England Sled Dog Club race in Hill, Bryar posted the best time in the open dog class, some two minutes ahead of the other top teams driven by Doug Butler of Vermont and Jean Boissoneault of Quebec. Sunday's strong winds and granular snow conditions kept all three of the top teams off of the course on Sunday, as the drivers elected to rest their dogs in preparation for the three-day Laconia race which gets underway on Friday.
Bryar won his first Laconia championship in 2002 and and is the defending champion in this year's derby (there was no race due to a lack of snow in 2012) and comes from a family deeply involved in sled dog racing. His mother, Jean, who once took a team to the top of Mt. Washington, ran the legendary Norvik Kennels in Center Harbor and won the North American Woman's Championship in Fairbanks, Alaska in 1962. She died in May last year.
His racing partner, who drives his kennel's eight-dog team, is Jim Lyman, president of the Lakes Region Sled Dog Club and whose family ties to the Laconia World Championship Sled Dog Derby date back to the very first race in 1929, which his grandfather Charles Lyman of Belmont helped bring to Laconia.
Lyman's dad, John, was famed for his team of Irish Setters, which he raced in the 1960s and 1970s and was a fan favorite on the New England Sled Dog Club circuit.
Lyman says that he hopes the weather stays cold enough so that the course, which will have its starting point in a field off from North Main Street near the former Laconia State School property, will hold up and provide good conditions for the weekend.
CAPTIONS:
Jim Lyman, president of the Lakes Region Sled Dog Club, drives an eight-dog team during a sled dog race in Hill over the weekend. He is the trail master for the 84th annual Laconia World Championship which will be held this coming weekend and continues a family tradition of involvement with the Laconia race. His grandfather, Charles Lyman, led the effort to create the Laconia race in 1929.
(Roger Amsden photo for the Laconia Daily Sun)
Keith Bryar Jr., shown with his lead dog ''Candy'', will be looking for his third win in the Laconia World Championship Sled Dog Derby this coming weekend. Bryar says that his team is getting older and that this will be his last good chance to match the three wins his father Keith Bryar Sr., achieved in the 1960s. (Roger Amsden/for The Laconia Daily Sun)
He said that he's hoping that Candy and the other dogs he's been working with the last eight years have one more championship caliber race in them for this coming weekend's three-day 84th annual Laconia World Championship Sled Dog Derby.
''We're like the Celtics have been for the last couple of years, getting older and slower. This is our last good chance,'' says Bryar, who says that because of the economy in recent years he hasn't been adding new dogs or breeding the ones he has that often.
That 20 mile and hour pace Bryar refers to came on the first day of the 2011 race, when his team set a scorching pace by finishing the 15.5 mile course in 46.5 minutes, a pace which was unthinkable for the sled dog teams that his father Keith Bryar, Sr. drove to wins in 1960-61-62 or that his stepfather Dick Moulton won with in 1968, 1971, 1973, 1975 and 1976.
The dogs on those teams were primarily Siberian Huskies for his dad and Alaskan Huskies for Moulton.
But sled dog teams in the sprint races changed forever in the 1990s with the advent of the so-called Eurohound, a cross between an Alaskan Husky and German Shorthaired Pointer, which Swedish musher Egil Ellis brought with him to North America and soon came to dominate all of the major races.
''They're dogs with a lighter coat and tremendous stamina. And they're easier to manage,'' says Bryar, who said that he has bred his dogs to retain an Alaskan Husky look but with attention to their behavioral characteristics.
''Huskies are very independent. The kind of hybrid that we get now has more loyalty. You had to keep Huskies chained or they'd take off. I've got 20 dogs in my truck now and you can let them loose without a chain and they'll stick around,'' says Bryar.
In Saturday's New England Sled Dog Club race in Hill, Bryar posted the best time in the open dog class, some two minutes ahead of the other top teams driven by Doug Butler of Vermont and Jean Boissoneault of Quebec. Sunday's strong winds and granular snow conditions kept all three of the top teams off of the course on Sunday, as the drivers elected to rest their dogs in preparation for the three-day Laconia race which gets underway on Friday.
Bryar won his first Laconia championship in 2002 and and is the defending champion in this year's derby (there was no race due to a lack of snow in 2012) and comes from a family deeply involved in sled dog racing. His mother, Jean, who once took a team to the top of Mt. Washington, ran the legendary Norvik Kennels in Center Harbor and won the North American Woman's Championship in Fairbanks, Alaska in 1962. She died in May last year.
His racing partner, who drives his kennel's eight-dog team, is Jim Lyman, president of the Lakes Region Sled Dog Club and whose family ties to the Laconia World Championship Sled Dog Derby date back to the very first race in 1929, which his grandfather Charles Lyman of Belmont helped bring to Laconia.
Lyman's dad, John, was famed for his team of Irish Setters, which he raced in the 1960s and 1970s and was a fan favorite on the New England Sled Dog Club circuit.
Lyman says that he hopes the weather stays cold enough so that the course, which will have its starting point in a field off from North Main Street near the former Laconia State School property, will hold up and provide good conditions for the weekend.
CAPTIONS:
Jim Lyman, president of the Lakes Region Sled Dog Club, drives an eight-dog team during a sled dog race in Hill over the weekend. He is the trail master for the 84th annual Laconia World Championship which will be held this coming weekend and continues a family tradition of involvement with the Laconia race. His grandfather, Charles Lyman, led the effort to create the Laconia race in 1929.
(Roger Amsden photo for the Laconia Daily Sun)
Keith Bryar Jr., shown with his lead dog ''Candy'', will be looking for his third win in the Laconia World Championship Sled Dog Derby this coming weekend. Bryar says that his team is getting older and that this will be his last good chance to match the three wins his father Keith Bryar Sr., achieved in the 1960s. (Roger Amsden/for The Laconia Daily Sun)
Last Updated on Tuesday, 26 February 2013 03:57
Hits: 249
Principal hopes Prescott Park will now be permanent home for I-L graduates
Written by Adam Drapcho
MEREDITH — For the first time in five years, the Inter-Lakes High School graduation will not be held at the Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion in Gilford. Instead, the 2013 ceremony will be held at Prescott Park in Meredith on the morning of June 22. Principal Patti Kennelly made the announcement earlier this week.
Inter-Lakes had been holding its graduations at Meadowbrook because the covered, out-door concert venue offered an easy, and cost-effective, solution to many logistical challenges. The facility offered more than enough sheltered seating for guests, was easily accessible for all of those guests, and had plenty of parking. However, Meadowbrook is in the business of putting on concerts, not facilitating high school graduations, and the venue's early-summer schedule filled up without any room left for Inter-Lakes.
To make Prescott Park suitable for a graduation, Kennelly said a stage and seating will be set up underneath a tent measuring 60 feet by 110 feet. Though the district doesn't have to pay Meadowbrook's rental fee, Kennelly said the cost of holding the graduation at Prescott Park, and all of its associated costs, will be about $2,000 more than the district had budgeted for Meadowbrook. Kennelly said she will be able to cover the extra cost from within her budget.
"I'm hoping this is going to be the long-term solution," Kennelly said about the Prescott Park plan. She anticipated that continuing to pursue graduations at Meadowbrook would lead to further headaches. "It just leads to too much uncertainty," she said. Since making the announcement, she said, reactions have been "generally positive."
Inter-Lakes had been holding its graduations at Meadowbrook because the covered, out-door concert venue offered an easy, and cost-effective, solution to many logistical challenges. The facility offered more than enough sheltered seating for guests, was easily accessible for all of those guests, and had plenty of parking. However, Meadowbrook is in the business of putting on concerts, not facilitating high school graduations, and the venue's early-summer schedule filled up without any room left for Inter-Lakes.
To make Prescott Park suitable for a graduation, Kennelly said a stage and seating will be set up underneath a tent measuring 60 feet by 110 feet. Though the district doesn't have to pay Meadowbrook's rental fee, Kennelly said the cost of holding the graduation at Prescott Park, and all of its associated costs, will be about $2,000 more than the district had budgeted for Meadowbrook. Kennelly said she will be able to cover the extra cost from within her budget.
"I'm hoping this is going to be the long-term solution," Kennelly said about the Prescott Park plan. She anticipated that continuing to pursue graduations at Meadowbrook would lead to further headaches. "It just leads to too much uncertainty," she said. Since making the announcement, she said, reactions have been "generally positive."
Last Updated on Tuesday, 19 February 2013 04:39
Hits: 100
Downtown Deli moving across Main Street to Antique Center lunch counter
Written by Adam Drapcho
LACONIA — Drew and Elisa Seneca purchased the Downtown Deli on Pleasant Street about five and a half years ago. The past few years have been lean for them, as the recent recession has robbed their customers of their lunch money. With little expectation that sales would return to heyday levels this year, the couple began looking for ways to re-shuffle their business to remain viable and in downtown Laconia. The solution to their problem, they determined, was to relocate to the lunch counter at the nearby Laconia Antique Center, where owner Charlie St. Clair had been operating an ice cream counter.
As Elisa recalled, she and Drew were discussing their business options one day when St. Clair, a regular patron, was in the deli. "We were talking about selling it, closing it, whatever we could do," she said. Elisa jokingly suggested to St. Clair that the Senecas move into his expansive antique center on Main Street; St. Clair didn't see the proposal as so humorous. "He thought it was a great idea," said Elisa.
The Senecas will begin operating the lunch counter at the antique center as of April 1. They will be serving patrons from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. In addition to the homemade soups and sandwiches the deli has become known for, the Senecas will also offer the ice cream dishes — sundaes, frappes, ice cream floats — that St. Clair had been offering at the lunch counter. They will still offer catering and will also continue to serve locally-roasted Woodshed coffee, Drew emphasized.
"All of our customers are really excited about it," Drew said about the move. It won't be the first time that lunch has been served in the building that houses the antique center. The building was long the home of J.J. Newbury's department store, then Bloom's Variety, both of which operated a popular lunch counter. "We're trying to make that cook again," said Drew.
By trading a stand-alone shop to a lunch counter within a larger store, the Senecas will achieve what Drew called a "substantial savings" in the costs of running their business, while also gaining the opportunity to tempt the many shoppers that visit the antique center. Similarly, St. Clair said he's expecting the lunch counter operation to draw more potential shoppers into his store.
He can count Laconia Fire Chief Ken Erickson as one of the Senecas' regular customers who will now be taking his lunch in the antique center. "Best sandwiches in Laconia," Erickson stated.
"I'm very happy to have them," St. Clair said of his new tenants. Management of the ice cream counter had proven a challenge. Lately, the counter was only open on weekends. "It's been hard for me, with staffing, to keep it open as much as I'd like to."
For the Senecas, though, the best part of the arrangement is that it gives them the chance to continue doing business where they want: Downtown Laconia. Elisa said, "It keeps us down here, we didn't want to leave."
Drew said, "We definitely did not want to leave downtown — we love it here."
CAPTION for LUNCH COUNTER in AA:
Drew and Elisa Seneca hold the sign for the Downtown Deli behind the counter at the Laconia Antique Center. Sitting at the counter is Charlie St. Clair, owner of the antique store. As of April 1, the Senecas will operate a lunch and ice cream counter in the same spot. (Laconia Daily Sun photo/Adam Drapcho)
As Elisa recalled, she and Drew were discussing their business options one day when St. Clair, a regular patron, was in the deli. "We were talking about selling it, closing it, whatever we could do," she said. Elisa jokingly suggested to St. Clair that the Senecas move into his expansive antique center on Main Street; St. Clair didn't see the proposal as so humorous. "He thought it was a great idea," said Elisa.
The Senecas will begin operating the lunch counter at the antique center as of April 1. They will be serving patrons from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. In addition to the homemade soups and sandwiches the deli has become known for, the Senecas will also offer the ice cream dishes — sundaes, frappes, ice cream floats — that St. Clair had been offering at the lunch counter. They will still offer catering and will also continue to serve locally-roasted Woodshed coffee, Drew emphasized.
"All of our customers are really excited about it," Drew said about the move. It won't be the first time that lunch has been served in the building that houses the antique center. The building was long the home of J.J. Newbury's department store, then Bloom's Variety, both of which operated a popular lunch counter. "We're trying to make that cook again," said Drew.
By trading a stand-alone shop to a lunch counter within a larger store, the Senecas will achieve what Drew called a "substantial savings" in the costs of running their business, while also gaining the opportunity to tempt the many shoppers that visit the antique center. Similarly, St. Clair said he's expecting the lunch counter operation to draw more potential shoppers into his store.
He can count Laconia Fire Chief Ken Erickson as one of the Senecas' regular customers who will now be taking his lunch in the antique center. "Best sandwiches in Laconia," Erickson stated.
"I'm very happy to have them," St. Clair said of his new tenants. Management of the ice cream counter had proven a challenge. Lately, the counter was only open on weekends. "It's been hard for me, with staffing, to keep it open as much as I'd like to."
For the Senecas, though, the best part of the arrangement is that it gives them the chance to continue doing business where they want: Downtown Laconia. Elisa said, "It keeps us down here, we didn't want to leave."
Drew said, "We definitely did not want to leave downtown — we love it here."
CAPTION for LUNCH COUNTER in AA:
Drew and Elisa Seneca hold the sign for the Downtown Deli behind the counter at the Laconia Antique Center. Sitting at the counter is Charlie St. Clair, owner of the antique store. As of April 1, the Senecas will operate a lunch and ice cream counter in the same spot. (Laconia Daily Sun photo/Adam Drapcho)
Last Updated on Saturday, 16 February 2013 04:04
Hits: 348
With boosting attendance the top priority, Muskrats expect to have left field deck ready for opening day
LACONIA — In warmer climes the collegiate baseball season opened last week and in June many of its finest players will again be bringing their talents to Robbie Mills Field, home to the Laconia Muskrats, playing their fourth season in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL).
General Manager Noah Crane said yesterday that his highest priority will be to boost attendance. "Attendance has been increasing," he said, "but we're still not covering our costs. It's frustrating," he continued, "because everything I hear about what we're doing, the quality of the baseball and the operation of the facility, is positive, but we're still being outdrawn by our competitors with less exciting teams and less attractive facilities."
Crane said that once weather permits, work will begin to complete the left-field deck atop the replica of Fenway Park's famous "green monster." The deck will house food and beverage concession, including the sale of beer, which the Parks and Recreation approved last year. Crane said he intends to contract with a local restaurant or caterer to offer a menu with "more than the usual ballpark fare," which together with beer sales will draw a different demographic to the games.
At the same time, Crane said that he is working with Kevin Dunleavy, director of Parks and Recreation, to add seating behind home plate to provide an angle of vision preferred by many baseball fans.
This year the Muskrats will host the NECBL All-Star Game, complete with a home run derby, on Sunday, July 21 at 5:30 p.m. In this its 20th season, the league has added three franchises — the Ocean State Waves from South Kingstown, Rhode Island, the Saratoga Brigade from Saratoga Springs, New York and the Plymouth Pilgrims from Plymouth, Massachusetts. "All the very best players in the league will be coming to Laconia," Crane said. "Attendance that day should swell."
Above all, Crane called the 2013 edition of the Muskrats "top to bottom the strongest roster we've fielded." The 28 players are drawn from 20 different states and 19 different colleges and universities. to field the most talented team in the short history of the franchise. In particular, Crane said he was especially pleased by the strength and depth of the pitching staff. "Last year too often our starters could not get through the second or third inning and as good as our hitters were, it was tough to get 10 or 11 runs," he said. "We'll have a lot of solid hitter, but I expect our pitching to be the talk of the league."
Crane said that again this he is looking for families to host players. In return for providing a spare room, laundry facilities and occasional meals host families receive free admission not only to all home games at Robbie Mills Field but also to every venue in the NECBL as well as discounts on merchandise. Most of all Crane said that host families have the opportunity to help a young ballplayers take a step closer to their goal of playing professional baseball. For more information, go to the team's website www.laconiamuskrats.com.
General Manager Noah Crane said yesterday that his highest priority will be to boost attendance. "Attendance has been increasing," he said, "but we're still not covering our costs. It's frustrating," he continued, "because everything I hear about what we're doing, the quality of the baseball and the operation of the facility, is positive, but we're still being outdrawn by our competitors with less exciting teams and less attractive facilities."
Crane said that once weather permits, work will begin to complete the left-field deck atop the replica of Fenway Park's famous "green monster." The deck will house food and beverage concession, including the sale of beer, which the Parks and Recreation approved last year. Crane said he intends to contract with a local restaurant or caterer to offer a menu with "more than the usual ballpark fare," which together with beer sales will draw a different demographic to the games.
At the same time, Crane said that he is working with Kevin Dunleavy, director of Parks and Recreation, to add seating behind home plate to provide an angle of vision preferred by many baseball fans.
This year the Muskrats will host the NECBL All-Star Game, complete with a home run derby, on Sunday, July 21 at 5:30 p.m. In this its 20th season, the league has added three franchises — the Ocean State Waves from South Kingstown, Rhode Island, the Saratoga Brigade from Saratoga Springs, New York and the Plymouth Pilgrims from Plymouth, Massachusetts. "All the very best players in the league will be coming to Laconia," Crane said. "Attendance that day should swell."
Above all, Crane called the 2013 edition of the Muskrats "top to bottom the strongest roster we've fielded." The 28 players are drawn from 20 different states and 19 different colleges and universities. to field the most talented team in the short history of the franchise. In particular, Crane said he was especially pleased by the strength and depth of the pitching staff. "Last year too often our starters could not get through the second or third inning and as good as our hitters were, it was tough to get 10 or 11 runs," he said. "We'll have a lot of solid hitter, but I expect our pitching to be the talk of the league."
Crane said that again this he is looking for families to host players. In return for providing a spare room, laundry facilities and occasional meals host families receive free admission not only to all home games at Robbie Mills Field but also to every venue in the NECBL as well as discounts on merchandise. Most of all Crane said that host families have the opportunity to help a young ballplayers take a step closer to their goal of playing professional baseball. For more information, go to the team's website www.laconiamuskrats.com.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 20 February 2013 03:13
Hits: 233
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