The “Fastest Growing Sport on Four Legs” Comes to Vermont
Jeff Leonard and his big jumping "elite titled" DockDog named Chester.
Lake Bomoseen, Vermont – Green Mountain DockDogs, the newly-formed Vermont chapter of DockDogs®, will hold its first “Fun Jump” on Sunday, May 20th, at the Lakehouse Pub & Grille on Lake Bomoseen. Registration starts at 11:00AM. The Fun Jump runs from 12:00PM to 4:00PM.
DockDogs runs competitions all over the country to see how far, how high, and how fast dogs can jump off a dock to retrieve a rubber throw toy. Although it’s exciting to watch the big dogs make leaps of nearly 30 feet, DockDogs also has divisions for smaller and older dogs who make shorter jumps.
Official DockDogs competitions include three “disciplines” (Big Air, Extreme Vertical, and Speed Retrieve) but the only discipline included in the Fun Jump will be Big Air, which is a “long jump for dogs” with a safe landing in the water.
This isn’t the first time DockDogs has come to Vermont – the national championship was held in Killington last year – but the Fun Jump is meant to be a lower-key event to introduce dogs (and their people!) to the sport.
Event organizers Suzanne Ellis and Jeff Leonard of Rutland plan to take part with their dogs Wilder and Chester. Although her dogs are veteran national competitors, Ellis says she is looking forward to welcoming beginners at the Fun Jump. “The Fun Jump is a great way for dogs and their handlers to learn more about DockDogs and to practice jumping from a DockDogs ‘regulation’ dock. It’s going to be a relaxed fun day for everyone.”
Andrew Allen of Burlington, who plans to participate in the Fun Jump with Lily, a rescued Chesapeake Bay Retriever mix, is also anticipating an enjoyable day. “My wife and I went last summer to check out the national championships and we were thinking that it was going to be some pretentious ‘Best in Show’ kind of thing. But we were pleasantly surprised. It was competitive, but that was definitely secondary to making sure the dogs were happy and having a good time.”
Another first-time participant will be AJ, a gentle, squarely-built black lab, who serves as a guide dog for his human partner, Dustin Atkins. Dustin is excited to let AJ “let off some steam” at the Fun Jump. “AJ has a really stressful job, and this is a way for him to just be a normal dog for a while. He is crazy about the water and I think he’s going to love jumping.” Dustin plans to participate, too, as AJ’s handler. “I’ll have a sighted person guide me out to the dock and tell me which direction to throw the toy in, but I’ll do the rest myself!”
For information contact Suzanne Ellis, suzellis@gmail.com, 802 774-9398 or visit GreenMountainDockDogs.com (full website under construction and coming soon!) Facebook: www.facebook.com/
GreenMountainDockDogs
The Lakehouse Pub & Grille is located on Vermont Route 30, about 3 miles north of Route 4 (Exit 4), on the lakeside of Lake Bomoseen. Set your GPS at 43.6579 lat and -73.1909 long. You can also pull up to the dock in your boat!
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Dodge House Receives Donation
Ronny Brodwell, Executive director for the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, Chapter 261 of Vermont stopped by the Dodge House on Crescent Street in Rutland to present a check for funds his organization raised. The check for $2,000 was presented to Tim Corey and Andy Megrath from the Dodge House Board of Directors, Executive Director Chris Morgan and Dodge House President John “Mazzie” Mazzarello. The funds will be used for new flooring. Sam’s Good News Photo
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Experience the Essence of Vermont While Beautifying Your Yard
Loretta Earle displays some of her beautiful plants in the bucolic setting of her home in Bridgewater. Sam’s Good News photo.
Nestled quietly in the Sam’s Classified Corner is an ad for “Perennials, all pots $3.00, wintered over, over 50 varieties including hosta, bushes, raspberry, rhubarb strawberry & horseradish…” And, nestled quietly off Route 100A in Bridgewater is where Loretta Earle has been growing perennials and berries for over thirty years and keeping them. She said, “I would buy, buy, buy then I started splitting them until I had a large selection and decided to start selling them.” Loretta grows more every year and her stock is growing quite steadily with a beautiful selection. Her business is located on Hale Hollow Road, just off route 100A. Hale Hollow Road is just about a mile south off Route 4 in Bridgewater by the Bridgewater General Store.
A piece of “old Vermont”, the picturesque barn at the Earle farm.
“Everything is grown here,” says Loretta and that includes flowering plants, berry bushes and many types of perennials. So, if you are looking for a relaxing short drive to see the real Vermont with a babbling brook, beautiful sugar maples, rolling meadows and working dairy farms, take a trip to Hale Hollow Road in Bridgewater. You will find all that while you listen to the birds sing and sample how beautiful nature is at The Earle Farm. Loretta told us, “I get letters and notes from people letting me know how relaxing it is here and how much they love this place.” The property is her in-laws former home and it was in fact once a working dairy farm; however, now her husband Ron Earle and son Jim Earle own and operate Earle’s Truck Repair in Rutland and Loretta was an employee at Killington for 27 years before taking a position as the Administrative Assistant for the past five years at the Woods in Killington.
Many of Loretta’s customers have become good friends. She said, “I have the some of the same customers since day one.” Everyone is welcome to come any time from dawn to dark. Loretta recycles pots so if you have some pots to get rid of keep her in mind. All the plants she sells are $3.00 regardless of the size. For more information give Loretta a call at 802-672-3335.
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Trivia
“Some players you pat their butt; some players you kick their butt and some players you leave alone.”
-Pete Rose
Joke
Q: When to mothers have baby boys?
A: On Sondays.
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Sam's Scrapbook
Birthdays...
Happy Belated Birthday to Kimberly Wortman who turned 22 on May 15th. Love, Mom, Dad and Ricky.
Happy Birthday Lisa Farrell on May 18th, with love from Abble and Brandon.
Happy birthday to our Daughter Ronna Fairbanks McPhee who will be one year away from hitting the BIG 40 on Tuesday May 22 nd. Have a great day. Love Mom & Dad
When you see our Mom, Ronna McPhee on Tuesday May 22nd, wish her A Happy??? Birthday. 1973 was a great year, wasn't it Mom!! We love you, Zackary & Natasha
Happy birthday to our wonderful Aunt Ronna on Tuesday May 22nd. May you have a great day, you deserve the best, love you very much, Cassandra, Kaylee & Ashlyn
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