Swimmers dive into Lake Wononscopomuc July 10.
A large crowd of family and friends gathered to watch and root for the athletes in the races. The weather was fair, about 78 degrees and sunny. The smell of s’mores from a nearby public grill filled drifted in the wind.
Athletes ranging in age from six to 13 competed in varying strokes and medleys including freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and relays for the medley and freestyle.
Players radiated with confidence and competitiveness in their races. When asked about expectations for the races, Donald Polk of Cornwall answered, “Expect me to win.” Polk went on to place first in backstroke and the medley relay with his teammates Faith Kallman-Noyes, Mekhi Noyes and June Hermann-Botto
Timing officials for the races, most of them local Housatonic Valley Regional High School students who work and lifeguard at The Grove, enthusiastically cheered and gave support to all the younger swimmers as they competed in the lanes.
After all the races, Salisbury Park and Rec Director Lisa McAuliffe gave out cookies and juice boxes to the hungry swimmers. She said with a wink, “The snacks were scientifically proven to help after swimming.” The swimmers converged on the snack table after a long afternoon in the water.
Swimmers swarm the cookies and juice boxes.simon markow
Sergei Fedorjaczenko and his 1970 Fiat Spider returned to the Falls Village Car and Motorcycle Show Sunday, July 13. The pair are a familiar site at the annual event.
Jacobs said there were more spectators than ever before.
Included in the mix:
Tom Stansfield’s 1986 AMC CJ7 Jeep, outfitted in “expedition mode” with useful accessories such as oars, a box of Army rations and a stuffed bear’s head.
A 1950 Chevy panel truck, with a remarkable varnished plywood floor in the back. Owner Tony Funigiello of New Fairfield said “That’s 1950s plywood. You couldn’t do that with modern plywood; it would start chipping and flaking.”
He said he has owned the truck for 13 years. “I bought it for the body. The mechanics were shot.”
A 1950 Chevy panel truck was in wonderful condition, especially the varnished plywood floor in the cargo area. Owner Tony Funigiello of New Fairfield said the effect could not be replicated with modern plywood.Patrick L. Sullivan
Patrick L. Sullivan
Sergei Fedorjaczenko and his yellow 1970 Fiat Spider are a familiar sight in Falls Village. He said he has owned several over the years and has learned one thing for sure.
“They tend to rust out from the underside.”
Dick Bunce from North Canaan had an immaculate 1952 Willys Jeep in the show. He said he bought in 2018 from a seller in Middletown who kept similarly good care of it.
“No rust,” he said. “It’s very hard to find one of these without rust.”
He said he keeps it garaged, next to a 1949 version.
The Hungry Tiger All-Stars, the house band at the bar of the same name in Manchester, played a version of the Beatles’ “Ticket to Ride.”Patrick L. Sullivan
One item was not a car or a motorcycle. It was a 1920s Hercules Economy engine, five horsepower, mounted in a trailer attached to a tractor.
The whole shebang belonged to Hunter Whitmore of Goshen, who said he uses the engine to run a saw and a log splitter.
As he talked the engine rumbled and sputtered.
Whitford said he brought the tractor and engine up as is from Goshen on Saturday, July 12, around 5 p.m. Asked if he annoyed the weekend motorists, he laughed and said that some of them indicated with hand gestures that “I was Number One!”
The newly opened Off the Trail Cafe was buzzing hard at 10:15 a.m., with a dozen customers inside, a mix of car show visitors and Appalachian Trail hikers.
And on the Town Green the band, the Hungry Tiger All-Stars from Manchester, were performing a sound check prior to kicking off their first set at about 11 a.m.
The car show started 15 years ago in conjunction with the 80th anniversary of Jacobs Garage. This year was the 95th anniversary.
Proceeds go to the Housatonic Valley FFA chapter and the Falls Village Volunteer Fire Department.
Lakeville Journal Intern Mia DiRocco contributed to this article.
