Valley Courier 07-23-26

Chester Rotary Thanks You!

Chester Rotary’s Four-on-the-Fourth Road Race, held on America’s historic 250th anniversary, attracted 917 runners from Connecticut and 14 other states including the UK. Congratulations to all runners, but especially to our winners:

Sean Kennedy-Wonneberger, from East Haddam, (Time 20:41) who received the top award in honor of Jimmy Zanardi, Rotary member and Paul Harris Fellow and first place female: Sarah Bogdan from Westport (Time 25:28).

Check all race results at: https://sites.chronotrack.com/event/92859

This was Chester Rotary’s 48th year running the race!

Thanks to the Town of Chester, the Chester town crew, Chester Hose Company, and the Chester Police for supporting the race and managing safety. And thank you to the many citizen volunteers who help with water stations and more.

A big thanks also to our business sponsors who help make this a successful fundraiser:

Whelen Engineering Company

John Zanardi Oil Company, Inc.

Essex Bank

Marathon Sports

Bob Valenti Dealerships

Reid & Riege Attorneys

Guesthouse Conference Center

Wheatmarket

The Brushmill

Masonicare at Chester Village

Forst Plumbing and Heating

Chester Boat Basin

Hays Haven Marina Lark

Reliance Wealth Management

Anytime Fitness

Simon’s Marketplace

Chester Rotary thanks all runners and supporters and citizens alike for joining us in working for the good of our community.

Funds raised by the Four-on-the-Fourth Road Race are used to support work for food insecurity, programs for youth and families, projects to benefit the community, like the recently dedicated pavilion at North Quarter Park!

Obituaries

Obituary Joann Stone Essex

Joann M. Stone passed away June 29, 2026, after a short illness. She was born in Old Saybrook, Aug. 4, 1933, to Abbie Galvin. She was predeceased by her husband, Ronald Stone; mother; brother, Thomas Norton; sister, Mary Lombardi; and niece, Amy Sypher. She is survived by her sister, Marie Nagrelli; her nephew; several

nieces; and special friends, Debbie Paul and Robin Selicious.

Joann served in the U.S. Navy. She enjoyed many years as a hairdresser, owning Joann’s Salon in Old Saybrook, and she also was in retail at the Green Room in Old Lyme. Then, in real estate as a broker with her agency, Osage Ltd. Realtors in Essex. She then was associated with Rachel Thomas Realty and Page Taft.

Per Joann’s wishes, funeral services will be private.

A native of Chester, Nate Jacobson, born in 1929, was raised on a farm on Goose Hill Road, graduated from Chester High School, where he lettered in baseball and track, served in and was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army (1947-48), and then attended Cornell University, from which he received a degree in civil engineering and was elected a member of Chi Epsilon, a national civil engineering honorary society. He was employed for several years as a project engineer for a large New York statebased heavy construction contracting company and then returned to Chester and was employed for a number of years by a large consulting engineering firm, where he became an associate, chief engineer of their Connecticut office, and manager of their Water Resources Division. He left that firm in 1972 to found his own firm, Nathan L. Jacobson & Associates, a civil and environmental engineering firm located in Chester. He was a registered professional engineer in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. Nate retired as president of his firm in June 1998 but continued to work as a consultant to the firm until 2013.

Nate married the love of his life, Geraldine "Gerry" Mylnarcik of Middle-

town, in 1953, who, after 69 years of marriage, predeceased him in 2023. After living out of state for several years, they returned to settle in Chester in 1957, where they built a home on the family homestead. He leaves behind his son, Geoffrey and wife Carol; and daughter, Nadine and husband David. Nate was blessed with five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He was enormously proud of his family, and spending time with them was his greatest joy.

Nate presented papers before the national engineering organizations, lectured at New York State Department of Environmental Conservation workshops concerned with wastewater treatment, and was listed in Who's Who in Engineering. He was a member of a number of professional organizations and was a life member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He was active in local affairs, having served on the Chester Planning Commission as its chairman, Board of Assessors, Finance Board, and Economic Development Commission, and the Connecticut River Estuary Regional Planning Agency. He also served as a corporator of the former Chester Bank, a director of Camp Hazen YMCA, a director of Connecticut Engineers in Private Practice, and on the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection advisory committee on revision to the Land Treatment

See Obituaries page 5

Obituaries

Continued from page 4

Design Manual, and was the lead author of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection's “Guidance and Standards for Large Scale On-Site Wastewater Renovation Systems.”

Nate joined the Pattaconk Yacht Club in 1969, and served in a number of roles, including Treasurer, Vice Commodore, and Commodore. He was an avid boater, traveling and exploring the entire Eastern Seaboard from southern Florida to Maine, and belonged to the Coast Guard Auxiliary and Power Squadron, where he taught entry-level and advanced courses in navigation. He was extremely proud of his boating family, all of whom continue to enjoy life on the water.

During Nate's retirement years, he was found in his woodworking shop crafting keepsake pieces for his children and grandchildren, and when not in his shop, he spent countless hours conducting extensive research in preserving the history of Chester for future generations, resulting in the publication of two books for the Chester Historical Society,

including “The Streams, Mill Dams, and Mills of Chester” and “The Waterhouse Grist Mill Saga.” To complement his books, he constructed a working model of the Waterhouse Gristmill that is on permanent exhibit at the Chester Historical Society Museum at the Mill.

For those who were fortunate enough to know him, Nate Jacobson was more than an engineer. He was a mentor, a leader, a businessman, a storyteller, a published author, a family man, and a friend. He proved that a young man from a small Chester farm could build a successful company, strengthen communities across Connecticut, and touch countless lives without ever losing sight of the values that first shaped him. That is a legacy worth celebrating.

To honor Nate’s passion for giving back to the community, donations in his memory may be made to Chester Hose Company, Chester Historical Society, or Camp Hazen YMCA. As Nate wished, services will be private. To share a memory of Nate or leave a condolence for his family, please visit www.rwwfh.com. Arrangements are in the care of the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home in Centerbrook.

See Obituaries page 8

Selectmen Advance Traffic Camera Study

Continued from page 1

updated the selectmen on speeding along the downtown road, citing the most up-todate data from the state Department of Transportation.

He said the department determined that of the approximately 42,000 vehicles that travel along Main Street each week, more than 5,700 were traveling between 35 and 70 mph. That equates to about 13% of motorists speeding along the downtown road. DiNello added that when “you start extrapolating the numbers” of 5,700 motorists speeding every week over the course of a year, a “big, big number” of speeding incidents emerges.

According to Jones, the town has identified a consultant, Ultimate, to perform a traffic study at no cost to the town. The study would be conducted in three differ-

Correction

ent locations. Areas under consideration by the selectmen include the area around the Winthrop Cemetery Association, Essex Street, and the Plattwood Park area near Route 80.

Jones added, “We’re not committed to any company that we’ve asked to do this,” including Ultimate, for any additional analysis.

Working with the consultant, the town would submit the study’s data to the state, which would determine whether traffic cameras are warranted as a traffic-calming measure. That determination would depend in part on whether the study finds consistent speeding above Main Street’s 30 mph speed limit. If the town later sought to lower the speed limit to 25 mph, additional state approval for traffic cameras would be required.

The conceptional design plans referenced in the July 9 article “Deep River Awarded $846K Sidewalk Grant” were prepared by Nathan L. Jacobson & Associates, Inc..

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The Perfect Retirement

VRHS Students Send Balloon to 85,000 Feet

By Aaron Rubin

Staff Writer

Valley Regional High School students found success in the inaugural launch of a high-altitude weather balloon that traveled 85,000 feet and landed in another state. The project was an International Baccalaureate-specific effort spearheaded by a team of students from multiple science disciplines who spent several months designing and constructing the balloon before it traveled from Deep River to Massachusetts.

The project was “the culminating project for the year” in the International Baccalaureate program, according to VRHS physics instructor Brian Dailey, who oversaw the effort. Through the participating students’ individual and collaborative work, “it was really inspiring to see students tackle this challenge and step outside their comfort zone and try new things,” Dailey said.

The team included students Jonah Morrissey, Ethan Dean, Lucca Giordano, and Julian Mardjekaj, who each brought talents in engineering, mathematics, and aerodynamics to the project.

Morrissey’s contributions included the balloon’s physical construction, preflight predictions, and the design and installation of the tracking system.

“For pre-flight predictions, I coded a program in JavaScript that would automatically collect predicted landing locations based on our starting position and time from a website,” Morrissey said. “This data was then inserted into a Google sheet so we could view which days would be the best for launch.”

Dean used weather forecasting tools to identify the best launch conditions and contacted the Federal Aviation Administration to obtain approval for the balloon’s flight. He said the collaborative process was a “pleasure to be a part of and the chemistry between the group was visible during every work day.”

Giordano, who worked on the balloon’s design and construction, said the project demonstrated how “building something in

real life is a lot different than learning about it in class.”

“On paper, physics can seem pretty straightforward, but actually putting everything together takes a lot of planning, testing, and problem-solving. It was a great experience, and since I’m going to WPI this fall, where students do a lot of hands-on projects, it made me even more excited about what’s ahead,” he said.

Mardjekaj, who was responsible for designing and 3D printing components for the project, also enjoyed its combination of creativity and real-world problem-solving outside the classroom.

“My peers and I were able to dive into the essence of problem solving and creativity while also focusing on a field which we all love: science. To me, to have had the ability to be one of the students who was able to facilitate the creation of this weather balloon is simply awesome as it has allowed me to finally put my eagerness towards the field of science to good use.”

The balloon launched June 13 from the high school and reached an altitude of approximately 85,000 feet. It remained aloft for nearly four hours and traveled 108 miles before descending in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Afterwards, “the team was able to locate and retrieve the payload along with the valuable scientific data collected during the mission,” according to Dailey.

With some team members graduating this year, the project will continue with a new group that includes returning students. Dailey said the team will regroup this fall and hopes to fine-tune the weather balloon in an effort to reach an even higher altitude. The project reflects the International Baccalaureate program’s mission of providing hands-on, real-world problemsolving experiences, something Dailey said VRHS students consistently demonstrate.

“Our students have shown a lot of promise,” he said. “It was a real-world experience, and it involved a lot of pieces that I think they were eager to take on. At the end of the day, they were able to pull together and accomplish our goal.”

Senator

State

State

Obituaries

Continued from page 5

Obituary

Elizabeth Clark

Essex

Elizabeth Anne Clark (1964-2026) passed away peacefully at home on July 1, 2026, after a brief illness. Beth was born in Middletown, the first of three children to Herbert T. and Sharon D. Clark. She lived her younger life in Essex, was a proud 1982 alum of Valley Regional High School, then graduated from Bates College in 1986. Throughout, she was an avid “3 sport athlete,” her favorite being the field events in track and field. She threw the discus, shot put, javelin, and even the occasional hammer throw. She continued her education, earning an MBA from the University of New Haven, and worked for a while in the family business. However, the field of psychology pulled her back, and she launched her second career as a psychologist, earning her M.A. and Ph.D.

in Clinical Health Psychology from Yeshiva University. She began her career in the field of mental healthcare at the University of New Haven, working at the student counseling center. Then she embarked upon one of her greatest honors, to serve our nation’s veterans during her years as a staff psychologist at the VA CT Healthcare System (West Haven). She shifted into private practice and finished her career at Bayside Psychology in Yarmouth, Maine.

In 1993, she met her partner, Heather Howell, and together they spent 33 years creating a life of joy and humor, travel and adventures. They settled in New Haven and enjoyed their little house in the city. In 2017, Beth and Heather began building their dream home on family land in Midcoast Maine. Over the past near decade, this Maine getaway became such a haven. Whether kayaking in the summer or wood fires in the winter, every season was just right for a Maine getaway. Beth had many loves, and if you were one of them, you feel the gift. She reveled in any chance to go boating, often on the Connecticut River, but more recently with dear friends along the

Notice of Decision

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that at their regular meeting on Tuesday July 14, 2026 the Essex Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Wetlands Commission took the following actions:

- IWWC #26-10 21 Grove Street Essex, installation of stone pillars and gate within 100 feet of a stream. Applicant/Owner: David Florian. CONCURRED WITH THE AGENT’S DECISION

Respectfully Submitted, Michael Furgueson, Chairman

TOWN OF CHESTER

Maine coast. She was an avid collector of baseball cards — seriously, the real deal. She was nearly equal in her collection of baseball caps; every outfit needed just the correct lid to complete the look. She traveled extensively: just in 2026, she visited Andalucia, Spain, to learn about the olive oil industry; Northern California to visit family and friends and to catch a Giants game; and Nantucket to see the springtime daffodils. She collected coins from countries all over the world, and if she knew you had an upcoming trip, she was not shy about asking you to bring back coins. She loved classic rock music and would belt out the tunes far off key. She was an equal fan of dogs and cats. Her favorite number was eight. She loved New England in the winter and would snowmobile with glee around the Clark family farm in Vermont. She considered any striped rock to be good luck and displayed glass jars of them around her home. Perhaps above all, she cherished her many nieces and nephews, who were the only ones (besides her mother) allowed to call her “Bethie.”

Beth had a thoughtful, quiet, and insightful personality. She loved her people, listened far more than she spoke, and chose every word with intention. She was truly curious about what mattered to you, would remember details, and follow up. She was not one for casual or mindless small talk, but rather genuine and authentic.

When she took up a hobby or an interest, she was all in with passion. Her baseball card collection is significant. Her assortment of baseball hats/”lids” is beyond counting. Her

Book Donation Procedures LEGAL NOTICE

Pursuant to CGS Sec. 12-145, notice is hereby given to the taxpayers of the Town of Chester that the first installment of Real Estate and Personal Property bills and the single installment of Motor Vehicle bills on the Grand List of October 1, 2025 become due and payable July 1, 2026. No bills are mailed for the January 2027 installment. Real Estate or Personal Property bills $100.00 or less shall be due in full in July.

Bills that are not paid or postmarked via USPS on or before August 3, 2026 will result in an interest charge of one and one half percent (1.5%) per month from the due date of July 1, 2026 with a minimum charge of $2.00 per bill. Failure to receive a bill does not relieve the taxpayer of the requirement to pay the bill or the statutorily required interest when a late payment is made per CGS Sec. 12-130.

Payments can be made online at https://www.chesterct.org, in person at Chester Town Hall 203 Middlesex Avenue Chester, or via mail. Address payments to: Town of Chester PO Box 314 Chester, CT 06412. Tax office hours for July 2026 are Monday-Thursday 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm. Friday Hours: July 24 and July 31 from 9am-12pm. Office Phone: 860-526-0013 ext 513.

Emily J. Vetter-Haupt Tax Collector

knowledge of UConn women’s basketball player stats was infinite. In recent years, she started an olive oil company as a way to share the taste and promote the health benefits of fresh, delicious EVOO. If ever you doubted this idea, she would gift you a bottle while insisting how great it tasted and regaling the health benefits of taking a spoonful every morning (just like your grandma did).

Dr. Beth Clark was predeceased by her mother, Sherry, in 2024. She leaves behind her father, Herb Clark (Essex); sister, Sarah Clark (Williamsburg, Va.); and brother, T. Clark (Essex); and their wonderful families, every single one of whom enriched her life in endless ways. She leaves behind her wife, Heather, after 33 years of partnership. We all feel her loss immensely.

A celebration of her life will take place in September. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, consider planting an abundance of daffodil bulbs in your own yard, as they were her favorite. Do not skimp! She was known to plant several dozen bulbs every fall. If you are so inclined, consider donations of your time, energy, or resources to: JED Foundation, https://jedfoundation.org/donate/; The Trevor Project, www.thetrevorproject.org; VRHS Trades award, middlesexcountycf.org, or via https://bit.ly/vrhs-trades-awardfund; your own house of worship; your own local Veterans Organization; the local mental health nonprofit serving your own community.

To share a memory or to leave a condolence, please visit rwwfh.com.

Essex Library Announces New

The Friends of the Essex Library has announced new procedures for book donations. Donations will be accepted Mondays from 10 to 11 a.m., Wednesdays from 2 to 3 p.m., and Fridays from 9 to 10 a.m. Donations will be received by a volunteer at the Friends’ Room door located on the left side of the parking lot. Volunteers will be available inside to assist donors. Patrons are asked not to leave donations outside the door at other times. A maximum of eight bags or boxes of donations in very good condition will be accepted at one time. The Friends do not accept CDs, sheet music, reference or school textbooks, or magazines. Books in poor condition are accepted at the Essex landfill recycling center, and patrons are asked to take those materials directly there. The Friends said the goal of the new procedures is to continue providing high-quality books and puzzles for book sales while respecting volunteers’ time and raising funds to support Essex Library services and programs. For more information, call Joanie Wain at 860-227-2365.

Charming Charlie!

Story by Carol Andrecs

When Charlie’s owner suddenly passed away, leaving him homeless, he was very sad and lonely. However, those feelings changed when he arrived at Forgotten Felines. This striking 7-year-old orangeand-white tabby was greeted with so much love and attention, and he has more than reciprocated with every volunteer and visitor he has met. Just look at him now. Charlie’s charm is infectious, his personality is sweet and funny, and his bent ear makes him extra special. Come meet this amazing boy at our open house or apply to adopt him online at www.forgotten felinesct.org.

Find Your Match at Forgotten Felines

: Forgotten Felines holds an open house every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 153 Horse Hill Road, Westbrook. No appointment is necessary.

Forgotten Felines is run entirely by dedicated volunteers with no paid staff. We are always in desperate need of volunteers to help care for the cats and keep our facility clean and organized. If you can donate your time, it will be rewarding and greatly appreciated. Call the volunteer line at 860669-1347 or email volunteerinfo@forgotten felinesct.org.

Dan Pugach Big Band With special guest

Sunday, August 2nd at 4:00 PM

Dan Pugach is a GRAMMY® Award-winning drummer and composer, a five-time GRAMMY® nominee and two-time ASCAP Foundation Jazz Composer Award winner. His latest album, Bianca Reimagined: Music for Paws and Persistence (2024), featuring Nicole Zuraitis, won the 2025 GRAMMY® Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. The Dan Pugach big band perform regularly and have headlined at Dizzy’s, Birdland, Blue Note and the Red Sea Jazz Festival.

Nicole Zuraitis is a two-time GRAMMY® winning and six-time GRAMMY-nominated jazz singer-songwriter, pianist, producer and arranger. With a “heart as big as her remarkable voice,” (Jazz Police), Nicole has positioned herself as one of the top artists and songwriters to watch in jazz and beyond

Nicole Flagge: Turning a Quiet Season Into Creativity

Continued from page 2

features the book’s beaver.

Nicole learned about the Tassy Walden Awards while taking a class through the Yale Peabody Museum, where one of the guest speakers introduced participants to Shoreline Arts Alliance and its annual competition recognizing emerging children’s book writers and illustrators.

Now Nicole hopes the recognition is only the beginning.

With only her completed manuscript and artwork to guide her, she submitted The Lonely Lilypad without knowing what to expect.

Being named a finalist came as a surprise.

“My family has been so supportive,” she says. “My kids have been adorable.”

Does Your Child Have Asperger’s?

The Lonely Lilypad

Her goal is to publish , whether through a traditional publisher or another opportunity that allows the story to reach young readers.

“I would love to get someone to pick it up,” she says.

The experience has also encouraged her to keep creating. Although she has additional picture book ideas waiting to be developed, Nicole says illustration remains the part of the process she enjoys most and hopes to one day illustrate books for other authors as well.

“I would love to write and illustrate,” she says, “but more so, I would want to illustrate other books.”

The Parents/Grandparents of Children with Asperger’s Syndrome Group meets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. via Zoom on the second Thursday of the month and again the first or second Wednesday after that. The free group is open to residents of Old Saybrook and surrounding towns. For more information or to register, call Old Saybrook Youth & Family Services at 860-395-3190 or visit www.osyfs.org.

Looking back, Nicole says one of the hardest parts of the project was continuing to work on something without knowing whether anyone would ever see it. She spent countless hours painting, revising, and refining each page simply because she believed in the story.

The Lonely Lilypad

Now, after seeing recognized through the Tassy Walden Awards, she hopes her own experience encourages others not to give up on creative ambitions that have been waiting quietly in the background.

“What I would say to anyone,” she says, “is that putting a lot of work and effort into something can really be worth it, even if you don’t see the result right away.”

Friends of the Essex Library Book Sale

The Friends of the Essex Library monthly book sale during August will feature art and coffee table books for $3, along with assorted puzzles at various prices. Sale items are available at the Essex Library, 33 West Ave. For more information, visit www.youressexlibrary.org.

Valley Courier

Valley Courier

Thursday, July 23, 2026

Valley Regional- Westbrook’s Knox Named Pitcher of the Year

By Serenity J. Bishop

Sports Editor

From the coaching staff to the players on the field, the focus for the Valley Regional-Westbrook baseball team has been on improving and competing every day. That approach helped the co-op finish with a winning record and earn berths in both the Shoreline Conference and state tournaments.

It also helped two players earn the conference’s top individual honors. Valley Regional-Westbrook standout Kyle Leandri was named Shoreline Conference Player of the Year, while junior pitcher Jacob Knox earned Shoreline Conference Pitcher of the Year honors.

Knox said he felt confident heading into the season as the team’s starting pitcher. After serving as the relief pitcher last year, he embraced the responsibility of leading the co-op’s pitching staff.

“Overall, I felt really good. My arm felt great, and the team was looking good during practices leading up to the start of the season,” Knox said. “Everything looked like it was coming together before the season started.”

Knox said the team developed chemistry quickly.

“It was unexpected to start off that way, and that’s what got us going. It helped us for the future because we had such a good connection to start the season,” Knox said. “My motivation was that I really wanted to have quality starts every outing. I wanted to be able to go deep into the games, and to actually produce that throughout the season was a huge accomplishment for me.”

The junior finished every game he started this season and never ran out of pitches. His consistency helped lead the coop to a double-digit win total while strengthening his case for conference Pitcher of the Year.

Knox said he learned of the honor while spending time with his brother. He received a text from his coach letting him know he had been selected.

“It was not on my radar really. What was on my radar going into the season was to get my team wins, and when I’m on the mound, just really helping the team out. I wasn’t thinking of any personal things,” he said. “Obviously you want to have some personal goals and stuff like that, which I did … it definitely hit me right away. I was like, ‘Oh heck yeah, let’s go.’”

Knox said the honor meant even more because of the talent throughout the Shoreline Conference. He said he not only faced strong hitters all season but also competed against several outstanding pitchers.

“To just be recognized as a junior was a huge honor and an accomplishment,” he said. “It is a huge confidence booster, but it’s also in the back of your mind that I have to do as good as I did my junior year.

Really, I just want to go into my senior year and repeat the same things that I did my junior season. As long as I do that, I should have a great senior season.”

Knox plans to continue throwing with his travel team during the offseason. In the winter, he hopes to add strength in the weight room.

He believes the added strength will help increase his velocity and allow him to compete even more effectively against the con-

ference’s top teams. As a team, he hopes Valley Regional-Westbrook can again finish above .500 and qualify for both the Shoreline Conference and state tournaments.

“I should be able to throw harder, and I think it will help me compete a lot more against those top teams in the conference,” he said.

Pirates Slow Cubs with a 5-1 Win

By Serenity J. Bishop

Sports Editor

After a delay caused by high temperatures and rain that washed out Monday’s scheduled makeup date, Week 10 marked a restart for many players. Some stayed active in other leagues or practiced at the courts while waiting to resume play. July also tends to bring the highest number of substitutes because of vacations, and with seven substitutes in the lineup this week, overall scoring dipped.

With temperatures in the mid80s and the threat of a passing storm, a steady breeze provided some relief throughout the evening. The average team score dropped to 258 points from last week’s season-high average of 269.

Forty-five of the 54 games were decided by more than five points.

For the first time in nine years, six of the nine matches produced at least five wins by one team. The Braves swept the Tigers; the Giants posted a league seasonhigh 337 points in a 5-1 win over the Mets; the White Sox topped 300 points for the fourth time in a 5½-½ win over the Reds; the Rangers cooled the hot Rockies with a 5-1 victory; the Pirates slowed the Cubs with a 5-1 win; and the Marlins moved back into the playoff picture with a 5-1 win over the Dodgers.

Cody Layton subbed for Sheryl Serviss of the Tigers as they faced Frank Rausch’s Braves. The A/B games had no handicap, the A/C games favored the Tigers by 10 points, and the B/C games favored the Braves by six points. In game one, the Tigers fell behind by 12 points before battling back to within three entering the final box, but Rausch’s double sealed the win. Rausch outscored the Tigers in game two, and the Braves did not need their handicap in game three. Rausch’s four doubles in game four, combined with the Tigers’ inability to take advantage of their handicap, gave the Braves two more wins. The Braves used their handicap for a five-point win to complete their third sweep of the season and move into a tie for second place. Rausch’s 146-point series was the second-highest A Divi-

sion score, and he teamed with Mike Beckwith for 236 points. In the Giants-Mets match, all six games carried a two-point handicap favoring the Mets. Giants player Matt Valentin continued his hot scoring with a personal-best 113-point series to lead the B Division. Mike Zanelli Sr. also turned in his best series of the season, scoring 138 points

while recording only one open box in four games. The Giants’ five wins all came by double digits. In the Mets’ lone win, they led by one point entering the final box before Mark Goodale and Harvey Strausser [verify spelling] each tossed a ringer to secure a threepoint victory. Valentin and Adam Fortier, who had struggled previously in B/C play, recorded only

five open boxes in their two wins. They remain the top-scoring B/C duo, averaging 161 points. Zanelli and Valentin combined for 251 points, and the Giants finished with 337 points, 75 ringers, seven doubles and scored on 65% of their shoes. The Giants are tied for second place. Peter Furmonavicius’s Rangers knew they would be

Division score. Noel and Beckwith combined for 241 points as the White Sox topped 300 points for the fourth time this season. The White Sox outscored the Reds by 88 points, the night’s largest margin of victory, and increased their first-place lead to five games.

See Pirates page 13

Pirates Slow Cubs with a 5-1 Win

Continued from page 12

Cubs player Bob Cifaldi hoped to carry forward the momentum from last week’s 5-1 win over the Braves. Skip Robinson’s Pirates, meanwhile, continued their climb after opening the season in 13th place. Over the past four weeks, the Pirates have gone 16-8 and moved into sixth place. Both teams needed substitutes for their B players, with Keith Toohey filling in for Scott Allen of the Cubs and Mike Shashok subbing for Brian Walsh of the Pirates. Robinson and Gary Stevens combined for 69 points to win game one. Cifaldi’s 38 points in game two produced the Cubs’ only win before the Pirates took the next four. Robinson finished with a season-best 129point series. Stevens, a key contributor in both B/C wins, ended with an 89-point series and tied for second among C Division scorers. The Pirates and Cubs swapped places in the standings, with the Pirates moving up to fourth and the Cubs slipping to sixth.

John Hutra’s Marlins entered the night looking to continue their climb in the standings and strengthen their playoff position. Jeremy Davis’s Dodgers, whose early-season expectations have not materialized, are now playing spoiler the rest of the season. With two games played even and the handicap at only one or two points in the other four, the match was essentially a scratch contest. Dodgers player Ralph Sampson opened with five ringers in game one, and his 28 points led to their lone win. That also proved to be the Dodgers’ highest score of the match. As the Dodgers struggled to score, the Marlins took advantage, winning the final five games by an average of 12 points. Firstyear player Sampson finished with a season-best 87-point series. The Marlins reached .500 and now hold eighth place, the final playoff spot.

After the opening game between Mike Zanelli Jr.’s Orioles and Kris Toohey’s Cards, the match appeared headed for a close battle between two of the league’s top scorers. Zanelli edged Toohey 34-33 to give the Orioles the opening win, but Toohey controlled much of the rest of the match.

He finished as the night’s top scorer, tying his season-high 151-point series. Toohey won game two and received help from Todd Nuhn, the other half of the league’s top-scoring duo, to win game five. They were the Cards’ only two wins. Hunter Beckwith, subbing for Orioles player Ted Dubay, teamed with Andy Turshen for two wins. The Orioles won the match 4-2 and remained in seventh place. Turshen finished with a season-high 78-point series.

John Sciacca’s D’backs finally played a match with two handicaps greater than three points. John O’Brien’s 25 points were key in overcoming a seven-point handicap in game one. Dennis Allen’s Yankees won game four when Allen’s double in the final box, plus the handicap, produced a threepoint victory. In the two games when Allen and Vinny Jonynas teamed up, the Yankees won by double digits. O’Brien led the D’backs to their other two wins, finishing with a season-best 31-point game and tying his personal-best 96-point series. He was the top scorer in the C Division. The teams split the match.

Bill Beckwith’s Red Sox are playing for pride and embracing the role of spoiler, while Tony Cutone’s Angels, currently in 12th place, still have a chance to reach the playoffs. Ralph Sampson subbed for Angels player Paul Chrystal. The focus of the match was the head-to-head battle between Beckwith and Cutone. Cutone edged Beckwith 29-28 in game one, and Sampson’s points helped lead the Angels to the win. Beckwith answered in game two with a 40-33 victory over Cutone. Sampson and Ed Turner combined for 48 points in game three to give the Angels a double-digit win. In their next meeting, Beckwith and Cutone each scored 27 points, and the Red Sox used their handicap for a one-point win.

In the final game of the night, Beckwith edged Cutone 22-21, and Red Sox player Paul Stevens scored four points in the final box to secure a four-point win. Beckwith finished with 117 points, 30 ringers and five doubles, while Cutone totaled 110 points, 27 ringers and four doubles. The teams split the match.

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