Back in the race — and chasing new finish lines

Susan Powers Special to the Times

This April marked the 10th anniversary of the Boston Marathon fi nish line bombing, which for non-runners, was most likely a milestone that slid silently by.

But it was one I watched closely, wishing safety from afar for all of the participants. April is also the annual running of the Paris Marathon. I was at the finish line of the Boston bombing 10 years ago, and had the great fortune to go to Paris this spring to run the city’s marathon. Another finish line.

Submitted by Larry McDonald

It was a small article buried on page 3 of the July 17, 1880, edition of the Gunnison News that announced that a petition of the taxpayers was presented to the School Board asking them to appoint a date for the meeting of the qualified voters to decide and purchase of grounds for a schoolhouse for District No. 1. The Board granted the petition and appointed August 7, as the day on which the voting would take place. The article concluded with this statement, “Now that the Board has begun to move, we will not be long without a public school.”

That was an understatement! It would be a very difficult and timeconsuming task to put together a complete history of all the schools that existed in Gunnison County over the past 140 or so years, but thanks to Ruth Dolezal, Laura Easeley, and our Historic Preservation Commission, we have a pretty good record that can be found on their website page.

The Pioneer Museum displays two of our wonderful rural schools, Doyleville and the Paragon, with initial discussions regarding moving the Fairview School down from Ohio Creek valley taking place recently. During an earlier era, our County saw dozens of school districts with schools located in places like Vulcan, Aberdeen, Spencer, Vader, Peanut, Sillsville, Rimrock, Crookton, Chance, Gothic, Halls Gulch and so many more. Some of these early schools still exist and have been repurposed, such as the ones in Ohio City and Sargents that serve as community museums and meeting halls today.

The Doyleville School that resides on the east end of our campus was built in 1920 and includes a separate very small room that was used as the teacher’s residence and today holds hundreds of historic educational publications. The first school there was built in 1881, and it is said that the teacher rang a cowbell to call students to class as they had no regular school bell. Records indicate the last classes taught at the Doyleville School were in 1966 and the building was used as a community hall until it was moved to the museum grounds and restored in 2003.

The original Paragon School was not the beautiful one you see today on our grounds, as a log cabin served the students beginning in 1890 and was built by J. H. Philips at a cost of $307.50. In 1900 the school board requested plans be drawn up for a new schoolhouse and John Outcalt presented some rough sketches that were approved by the voters in 1905 with the stipulation it would not be an ordinary one, but be “a school that was a paragon of excellence!”. It served local students up until 1948 before being used as a meeting place by the Hoof and Horn 4-H Club and other groups. In 1967 the school board voted to give the school to the Pioneer Museum where it has been a popular attraction for decades now.

With the end of another school year upon us, and the Pioneer Museum exhibiting so much of our local educational history, we’d like to invite you to make plans to visit us and learn more about our schools being “a Paragon of Excellence!”

MUSEUM OPEN DAILY 9:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M.

FROM MAY 15 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30.

Admission $15 ages 13+, $5 for ages 6-12, Free for 5 and under. Follow us on Facebook for current information and amazing local history!

Ten years is a lot of time. Prior to the bombing I would run one or two “big city” marathons each year. As someone who spends a lot of time in the wilderness, choosing an annual race (or two) was my excuse to visit amazing cities that I might not otherwise see. From these races, I can create a montage of memories and beauty.

Since Boston 2013, I haven’t run in a big city race, until Paris. I have continued running, lots. Everything from our annual family 5K Thanksgiving Turkey Trot to 50-mile trail races and every distance in between.

I wake up early every morning and run, to see the sunrise, to get quiet time, to watch the moon rise or set, to hear the owls or to process the world. Running is my time and I love it. And after 10 years of solitude, wilderness and small events, I decided to revisit the joys of a big city marathon.

I had visited Paris once before, and while there for just a couple of days, decided it was one of the most beautiful cities I had ever seen. I learned long ago that the best way to see a city is on foot, when the roads are closed, the crowds are cheering you on and the race directors highlighting all that the city has to offer.

The Paris Marathon course starts on the Champs Élysées, with the Arc de Triomphe at your back. It winds through every conceivable Paris landmark, before turning up Avenue Foch and finishing back at the Arc de Triomphe. It is quite a course.

Boston is iconic. It is the oldest continuously running marathon in the U.S. It is the only major run for which participants need to qualify. It is run on Patriot’s Day and it draws the top runners in the world.

For years when I ran, if I was tired and needed something to motivate a strong finish, I would visualize the finish line at Boston, making the turn onto the famed Boylston Street, hearing the crowd and seeing the painted yellow and blue stripe across the road.

2013 was my second Boston Marathon. After the bombing, my images of the finish line were ruined and replaced by the tragedy of that day. I had other strategies for finishing strong, but nothing replaced the iconic imagery of Boston’s finish line, until now.

To be clear, I am solidly a middle-of-the-pack runner. I have never experienced a big race from the front. I watch, in awe, as the elite runners start and disappear into the distance. Then I think of them finishing as I am still midcourse, getting their medals, heading home, showering and eating all before I hit the finish line. And yet, many crowds stick around until every runner finishes, and the best of them cheer for the mid-packers and latecomers with as much enthusiasm as for the champions.

Paris was exceptional. The course takes runners through neighborhoods of limestone buildings with wrought-iron balconies, past the Opera House, the Louvre, through parks, along the Seine with views of Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower, before turning onto Avenue Foch for the last few kilometers.

The barricades, hung with sponsor signs, hold the crowds back, line the course on both sides and squeeze the runners almost shoulder to shoulder, keeping pace with one another as they approach the finish.

This year, as I imagine all years, the spectators were packed in, leaning over the barricades and pounding on the sponsor signs creating a rhythmic thunder. At the same time, they all screamed “ allez, allez, allez ,” or “go, go, go” to every runner. It was deafening and magical. I will forever remember the view of the Arc de Triomphe looming ahead past the finish line and hearing the French chant.

Before I left for Paris, the world was conspiring to make the trip a challenge: passport issues, the French pension protests, workers on strike, delayed flights and missed connections. At the outset they seemed significant, but now in retrospect, so small.

Runners are the best group I know at meeting challenges and maintaining forward motion, even if just one step at a time. Distance running is hard work. After Boston, runners rallied around “Boston Strong” and kept running, moving forward and preparing for the next finish line.

Everyone has a lifetime of different finish lines, but all require moving ahead. We all choose the imagery to get us there, wherever there is. For me, the destinations change, but in my mind, they will now end with an Arc de Triomphe on the horizon and thousands of voices chanting, “ allez, allez, allez .”

PEOPLE & HAPPENINGS

Crested Butte Museum camp and tour

Join The Crested Butte Museum June 11-15 for a five-day journey throughout the San Juans for a tour exploring historic and geologic sites with historian Duane Vandenbusche and geologist Steve Jenkins. This tour includes all transportation leaving from Gunnison, all accommodations, all tour and activity fees, a field note booklet and select meals throughout the trip. Register by May 10 by visiting crestedbuttemuseum.com/san-juan-tour or call 970.349.1880 for more information.

Garden Club plant sale

The Top o’ The World Garden Club annual perennial plant sale will be held at the fairgrounds covered area on May 26 from 1-5 p.m. and May 27 from 9 a.m.-noon. Plants are $6 each, plus tax. Checks and cash only please. Pre-orders can be placed now on our Facebook page and must be picked up by 9 a.m. on Saturday, unless other arrangements have been made.

Signal Peak run

The Crested Butte Mountain Runners are holding a run on Duane’s World at Signal Peak on Sunday, May 21 at 9 a.m. The run covers 7 miles (+1033’), all on single track trail. Meet at the Duane’s World trailhead at Signal Peak. For trail maps and registration please visit cbmountainrunners.org.

Plant sale

Need plant starts for your garden this year? The Gunnison Valley Producers guild will be holding a plant sale on May 20 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the at 513 S. Main in Gunnison. Come support local agriculture and growers.

Volunteers needed

Seeking tech hands, bartenders and ticket takers for “Tigers Be Still” at the CB Mountain Theatre. Show runs May 25-27 and June 1-3 from 6:30-9 p.m. All volunteers receive a free beverage and admission. Contact office@ cbmountaintheatre.org for more information.

Gunnison Arts Center Briefs

Live music

Join us May 26 at 7 p.m. for live music with Roma Ransom. Great music should do three things: connect you to the past, inspire you to envision the future and find you wholly in the present moment. Roma Ransom does all three. Tickets are $22.50 for members and $25 for non-members.

Charcuterie & Clay

On May 20 from 12-3 p.m., enjoy charcuterie while making your very own charcuterie set up. This class will focus on slab rolling, hand building and coil building techniques to create a multi-piece charcuterie board. Registration fee includes clay, tools, slip, glaze, kiln firing, instruction and charcuterie. The instructor is Abra Karbin and the cost is $68 for members and $80 for non-members.

Intro to Hand Building

If you don’t want to commit to a multi-week class, this is the hand building class for you! In this class, May 22 from 6-9 p.m., students will get introduced to hand building to shape their own masterpiece. All ability ranges are welcome. The instructor is Rachel Cottingham and the cost is $64 for members and $75 for nonmembers.

Chinese cooking demo

In this class, May 23 from 5-8 p.m., you will be instructed on Chinese cooking techniques as well as the use of ingredients. Students will prepare scallion pancakes for an appetizer and Kung Pao chicken. Don't forget to bring your notebooks to take notes of the recipe's tips and tricks. The instructor is Elaine Emrick and the cost is $80.75 for members and $95 for nonmembers.

Hip hop fitness

Stay motivated this summer and join us for high energy hip hop sequences focusing on breaking a sweat in a fun way. This class, Tuesdays from 12:45-1:30 p.m., May 23-June

Free legal help

Get free legal advice on the second Wednesday of every month from 2-5 p.m. at the Gunnison County Library at 1 Quartz St in Gunnison and at the Old Rock Community Library in Crested Butte. Volunteer attorneys will offer assistance one-on-one, via computer link. In Gunnison call 970.641.3485 or in Crested Butte call 970.349.6535 to be added to the sign-up sheet.

Living Journeys

Living Journeys hosts free and confidential monthly support groups — open to all Gunnison County residents.

-Caregivers Support Group: 1st Monday of each month.

-Bereavement Support Group: 2nd Monday of each month.

-Cancer Support Group: 1st Thursday and 3rd Monday of each month.

Professional therapists facilitate in-person and zoom meetings, no RSVP necessary. Get details at livingjourneys. org/Calendar.

27, is beginner friendly but enjoyable for all levels of experience. Purchase all six classes for the best deal, or drop in whenever you’re feeling an itch. The instructor is Sakara Sullivan and the cost is $59.50 for members and $70 for nonmembers or $13 for drop-ins.

Astro tarot and woodblock printing

Are you drawn to tarot card reading, herbal tea, creative interpretations-expressions or any combination of the three? All skill levels are welcome and encouraged to attend from 6-8 p.m. on May 22-23. While enjoying some localorganic tea, we will astrologically determine our individual tarot cards of the year and collaboratively discuss the many possible meanings this may dictate. Day one will primarily entail tarot reading and preparing your woodblock drawing to carve. Day two will involve carving and printing your tarot card. The instructor is Ashley Favor and the cost is $55.25 for members and $65 for non-members.

Thi-INK about it!

ON

Huge beautiful kit/din/fam main level w/pine bettle kill T&G Vaulted Ceiling! Dual Zone Central Heat W/16 Panel solar plus backup16-20KW Generator! Prewired for Satellite, 600 sq ft attached garage, plus huge detached metal barn.

FOR VIRTUAL TOUR: BHHSTODAYREALTY.COM

Spring cleaning

Stellar students

week,

Middle