Summer 2007
Summer Highlights of 2007 with the Pacers Back Packing trip in Northern Arizona’s Paria Canyon, May 23- May 26This
trip was for guys only. If you’ve been to a Pacer breakfast or a post
fun run dinner this summer, you’ve probably already had the opportunity
to see the many photos the guys produced from their grand adventure. Stuart
Schulman, Cary Adams, John Hebert, John’s son, Adam, Bob Gould, and Dr.
“Knowledgeable”Bob (not a Pacer) all flew into Las Vegas. From
there, they rented a car, and first went to the Grand Canyon for a short
hike to acclimate. The guys rented a boat for a day and cruised around on
Lake Powell. The first day in the Paria Canyon was overcast and wet,
however, soon it cleared up, and they spent 3 dry nights sleeping in the
canyon—enduring each other’s unique personalities, plus a few
challenging hiking experiences along the way.. If you haven’t heard
about this trip yet, ask one of the guys for an earful of good stories!!!
Steamboat Classic 4mile race in Peoria,
Saturday, June 16th John Hebert, Debbie Hoegemeyer, Joanne Kaeding took off from Chicago on a Friday night, about 5pm, unfortunately just as rush hour on 55 was at it’s peak. After over 4 hours, they arrived in Peoria, a few minutes too late to pick up race packets that evening. They united with Bob Sievert at the hotel, and went for dinner. The next morning at the race they met up with Jim DesJardins and two of his friends from Peoria who was also running. The race start was early, 7am, so the heat wasn’t too unbearable. Traditional post-race festivities dictates that you haven’t run Steamboat if you don’t have a beer afterwards!!! Needless to say, by the time awards started, everyone was feeling pretty chipper and a bit warm, as the temperatures were soaring. After a quick shower at the hotel, one of Jim’s friends had a cook out at his home, and the Pacers were included. It turned out to be a great weekend, and the return trip to the city only took 2 and a half hours! If there is a morale to this story, it’s to never leave Chicago for an out of town destination on a Friday during rush hour!!!!!! July 4th Fireworks at Diversey
Harbor I’ll bet you didn’t know Diversey Harbor was one of the best places to watch fireworks on the 4th of July? There were so many fireworks going off up and down the lakefront both to the north and south, it was impossible to watch them all at once!! Jennifer Leslie, Denise DeBo, Susan Soble, Marianne Gould, John Hebert, and Joanne Kaeding settled in and enjoyed the firework display for over an hour. Maybe this location will become an annual Pacer outing on July 4th??!!!!! White Water Rafting in South Bend, Indiana, Sunday, July 29thCary Adams decided that the Pacer’s needed some adventure and excitement other than running, so he organized an outing to The East Race Waterway on the St. Joseph’s River in South Bend, Indiana. The course is man made, about one-half mile long, and is used for pleasure rafting as well as for competitive kayaking events. Kayaks were not available for rental, so the Pacers rented 2, 3, or 4 person rafts. Marianne Gould, Jennifer Leslie, Sherry LeGare, John “from Australia”, Steve Helfrich, Joanne Kaeding and of course Cary all participated and had great fun taking on the challenging waves, and negotiating through the rapids. The only Pacer who experienced a cold tumble in the water was Cary, after he and John hit a wave a little too hard in their 2-person fun-yak. After about 2 hours of constant excitement and strenuous rowing, a cold drink, dry clothes, and some food were in order, so the group headed off for ribs at a favorite restaurant of Cary’s outside of Chesterton. Biking/Camping in Lake Mills, Wisconsin, August 10th and 11th
Several years ago the Pacers took a bike trip up to the Glacier Drumlin Trail and did some camping. It was such fun, that we decided to do it again. It was a perfect weekend weather-wise. With about 8 tents on the campsite, it was cozy, but comfortable, as we all had our own tents….well, Carol and Karl Fife shared, and so did Steve Helfrich and girlfriend, Jean!!! Those in their own tents were Debbie Hoegemeyer, Cary Adams, Janet Omer, Gordon McIntosh, John Hebert, and Joanne Kaeding. In a campsite right down the way were the Tom and Prew Bowtell, who came with their 3 children, John, Suzanne, and Olla-- very excited about this camping and biking experience with all the adults!!! It was fun having children in the group, as it brought a certain childlike excitement to the weekend!!!!…..Friday night was dinner at a local “supper club”, and of course there was the “all you can eat fish dinner”!!. On the way back to the campsite, the troops picked up some firewood, and a “roaring”?? campfire was built. Everyone sat around, chatted, and relaxed when the smoke wasn’t drifting their way. Thanks to Jean, there were homemade brownies to munch on, brought in honor of Steve’s birthday the following day….After a good nights sleep, and a hearty breakfast, the group set out on the bike trail, which used to be an old railroad bed. Some of the group biked about 9 miles and then hung out relaxing in a park, and some went on and did another 6 or 7 miles. The only mishap was that Janet had a flat tire along the way, but good ol’ Karl came to her rescue. Everyone met back at the mid point for lunch, and then biked the 9 miles back to the campground. While the happy campers were packing up their tents, a squirt gun fight was initiated by Cary, and prolonged excitedly by the Bowtell children. Then it was off to Lake Mills for a swim before the drive back to Chicago. Even though there were signs at the lake warning of high bacteria count and swimmers itch, not one soul who dared to take a swim ended up with the itchies!! Guess the Pacers are a hearty group after-all!!!!!!! Other Pacer happenings: The summer Pacer Picnic this year was held at Tom Hall and Diane Graham Henry’s home in Lincoln Park. It was a typical warm summer day, and there was plenty of items to put on the grill, and side dishes to share. Lots of old time Pacers showed up, just like the at the holiday party. Kathy Schubert brought Barbara Burgraff in her new bike seat, attached to Kathy’s bike…..a nice set up for Barbara indeed. It was good seeing everyone having good old summertime fun! A big thanks to Tom and Diane for being such a grand host and hostess!!!!…….Susan Sobel went on a week bike trip up in Alaska, Gordon and Meridyth McIntosh spent a week with family in Italy and France, and Stuart Schulman and girlfriend Diane backpacked the Maroon Bells Trail in Colorado and will be hiking up Mt. Whitney in September. Jim Otto spent a week hiking in the Edwards, Colorado area, and is visiting Ireland and Scotland at the beginning of September, and Janet Omer did some hiking with friends out in Arizona. While John Hebert was on his way to Nashville, TN, Cary Adams flew off into the hurricane recovery zone on the East coast of Mexico for some much needed R and R. Jennifer Leslie and Joanne Kaeding (who finally became a “nana” in June) visited Joanne’s brother in Minneapolis, Minnesota for some canoeing, running, and biking on the lakes. The highlight however was viewing a 1200 lb. hog named Pretty Ricky at the Minnesota State Fair……Hal Olin had an exhibit displaying his architectural drawings done at IIT under Mies can der Rohe. It was held in the Cliff Dwellers Club on Michigan Avenue. Those who attended found Hal’s works impressive, and he also gave an interesting talk explaining how his studies with Mies influenced Hal’s career in architecture… Carol Tebbe started her new “successful” business as a personal trainer/pilates instructor right in her own home. For those who want some pampering, individual attention and a good workout, give Carol a call.. Her upscale workout space is to die for!!!!!!!! We said good-bye to a few Pacers who have moved--Emma Cohen De Lara got a job as a college teacher in Burlington, Vermont…..Kristin Cotts moved to the western burbs, as she got a job teaching French and Spanish in high school. Hopefully, Kristin will let us know when her musical group is playing locally, and we can catch her show while “catching” up with her life. Amy and Jack Euskie are expecting their first baby in December. They moved to the burbs several years ago, and we haven’t seen too much of them since??!!.…..Congrats to Jim Kelly who ran Grandma’s Marathon in June, and Portland, Oregon’s Footraffic Flat Fast Marathon in July. Jim and Debbie Vickors have done a lot of “running around” all over the place this summer, visiting family and having fun.……Congratulations also to Janet Omer who completed her very first sprint distance triathlon, and to Tom Bowtell, who completed the Olympic distance--both at the Accenture Triathlon on Sunday, August 26th. Janet came in 1st in her age group, and as a matter of fact, was the ONLY one in her age group who finished!!…. Momentum, the running store that used to be Vertels, closed several weeks ago. Will Bridge, who was the current owner before the closure, had been at the store for many years, first with Vertels, and then when it changed to Momentum. They had some very creative fun runs over that past several years, and it was indeed a sad day to hear this news. Momentum will be greatly missed by the running community…..Summer officially ended for the Pacers with a Labor Day get-together down at the lakefront by the clock tower. Years ago, the Pacers had picnics at that very spot, so for the old-timers, it brought to mind many fond memories! It was last minute, and nicely organized by Susan Soble. Everyone brought a little something to eat and drink, and mostly everyone just hung out, relaxed, chatted and took some silly photos. There was the option of frisbee and badminton for those who couldn’t sit still. Luckily, Kate Fitzgerald and Marshall Craig were in town from Scottsdale, Arizona for the weekend, and were able to attend the picnic. It almost seemed like stepping back in time to the “old Pacer days”!!!!!!!! In closing, I would like to give some eager and willing Pacer the opportunity to step forward and take over writing the quarterly juice. New and fresh ideas are encouraged!! I have written the juice for many years, and have really enjoyed relaying Pacer updates and gossip for the Pacesetter. A big thanks for allowing me to do it!!!!!. I now have a brand new priority in my life, spending as much time as possible with my grandson. Please let us know if you are interested in taking on this rewarding venture…….…………Joanne ____________________ |
