Newsletter A Memorable Spring March/April 2014 One of our much beloved members, Marilyn Jackson, partner of Regina Robinson, passed away on March 6 from breast cancer. Marilyn was Newcomer of the Year in 2011 and received a special club award in 2012: “Guts, Courage, and Hope”, acknowledging her courageous fight as well as her loving and kind spirit. The funeral service was held on 3/15 at the Hope in Christ Community Church in Compton with many Frontrunners in attendance Also attending were a large number of Marilyn’s colleagues from Walgreens, where she was known as “Action Jackson” for being the queen of getting-it-done. Your board of directors is planning an event to remember Marilyn and to raise funds for breast cancer services. Details will be announced shortly. March also saw the LA Marathon, both a big social event and a demanding event for LAFR. Between racing and volunteering, we had 70+ LAFRs participating. We had the usual pasta party, water station, and post-race blow- out. Onward to the Boston Marathon! LAFR Vice President Patrick Owen married his partner Norman Dixon! LAFR President Angus Kennedy was one of the officients. We are proud to report that Angus’s voice quivered only once. The wedding took place in Elysian Park on one of the hottest days in March, where many LAFR members partook in the festivities. In this Issue BOD/Walsky 2 LA Marathon 4 A Look Back 8 Results/Standings/Events 9 Spelling Bee/Pics/Renewal 14 Frugal FR/Discount Diva/Ads 16 LAFR BIRTHDAY BOYS AND GIRLS Los Angeles Frontunners Monthly Treasurer's Report for December 2013 3/13 Gardner Delano 4/13 David Gonzalez Balance on 2014 Feb 24 $15,402.88 3/14 Gary Braitman 4/14 Jessica Seaton Balance on 2014 Apr 2 $16,586.99 Net change $ 1,184.11 3/14 Nelson White 4/14 Kent Hamilton 3/15 Albert Giang 4/15 Ken Wilson Club Events Expense Revenue Net 3/20 Brian Dunbar 4/16 Ted Wyder Annual Banquet $ - $ 23.94 $ 23.94 SRLA and Spelling Bee $(1,266.59) $ 1,023.00 $ (243.59) 3/20 Jonathan Toker 4/16 Michael Heredia LA Marathon $ (441.70) $ - $ (441.70) 3/26 Brad Maury 4/17 Bernadette Green Don Thompson Donation $ (750.00) $ - $ (750.00) 3/27 Lee Miller 4/17 David Islas Santa Cruz Reservation $ (30.00) $ - $ (30.00) 3/29 John Aragon 4/18 Mong Noiboonsook Membership 3/30 Allen Posten 4/19 Jeff Sinclair Membership Dues $ - $ 3,240.00 $ 3,240.00 3/30 Sue Roth 4/20 George Takei 4/3 Conni Montgomery 4/20 Merle Brill Operational Communication $ (45.00) $ - $ (45.00) 4/4 Marty Freedman 4/23 Ryan Timmreck Club Express $ (294.51) $ - $ (294.51) 4/5 Jason Bautista 4/26 Will Crawford Storage $ (410.00) $ - $ (410.00) 4/9 David Jaquez 4/27 Steven Morchak Mailbox $ (24.00) $ - $ (24.00) 4/10 Seth Diamond 4/28 Amy Ross Paypal $ (19.35) $ - $ (19.35) Food and Beverage $ (21.68) $ - $ (21.68) 4/11 Eric Blakely Petty Cash (Return) $ - $ 200.00 $ 200.00 Totals $(3,302.83) $ 4,486.94 $ 1,184.11 From the Treasurer: The club has switched to Club Express for membership renewal. The cost is still $25 and $35 for couples, but the processing is done by Club Express rather than PayPal. The $294.51 fee bundles both the fee for payment and website. William is to get a breakdown to assess whether the cost is reasonable. Birthday boys! Albert Giang (top middle) on 3/15 The club’s net outflow for the SRLA and Spelling Bee is and Brian Kelly (right) on $93.59. This is for food and beverage at the Spelling 3/3 Bee, which the club covered because it doubled as a club event. The club donated the customary $750 for Don WELCOME NEW MEMBERS! Thompson. All other expenses are normal. Carlos Carranza Jim Paterson Chris Ng LAFR Board Meeting March 3, 2014 Norman O'Hara Kelly Perigoe Karen Adams These were discussed Joan Miro Paul Dolby Juan Herrera 1. Membership renewal – We switched to Club Express for membership; see article Los Angeles Frontrunners 2. LA Marathon 2870 Los Feliz Place, PMB #229 • Carl organizes water stop Los Angeles, CA 90039 • Bernie hosts pasta party, helped by Yumi [email protected] • Post race party and Sean and Allen’s www.lafrontrunners.com • Angus organizes carpool 3. Pride Run The LAFR Angus Kennedy, president • William to set up Active.com Patrick Owen, vp Newsletter is a free • Angus to get pricing from timing companies William Fang, treasurer monthly newsletter • Club to pay Eddie Flores $300 to design Pride Bruce Bair, secretary published for its Run shirt, club shirt, Gay Games uniforms David Dassey, dir-at-large members. For 4. SRLA – Drag Queen bingo is on April 8. We may not Geoff Buck, dir-at-large questions or need the money. If so we would focus on Eddie Regina Robinson, dir-at-large content Flores’s fundraising for AIDS ride Ross Lamkin, dir-at-large contributions, 5. Club T-shirt to use New Balance Tech shirts. John Kawaharada, dir-at-large please email Member can choose color of shirt. Margie Gonzales, dir-at-large lafrontrunners 6. Next meeting on April 12, after Saturday Run at Angus Sean O’Brien, dir-at-large @gmail.com MARCH/APRIL 2014 Page 2 LOS ANGELES FRONTRUNNERS Notes from the Back of the Pack the marathon distance and race through Griffith Park against other teams handing off batons in a frenetic By Bill Walsky passing chute, which cut across the grassy expanse where Frontrunners currently meets on Saturday What makes the Boston Marathon mornings. It was exciting, it raised money for the St. so special? Is it because it's the John's Child Study Center and was a regular event on oldest marathon in the world, Frontrunners calendar every April. On separate dating to 1897? Perhaps it's the occasions Frontrunners Ric Munoz and David Dassey rich history of past champions ran as a "team" of one, running all five laps. Of course battling the hills and the weather it wouldn't be FR's if it didn't involve eating so a huge and fellow competitors to a finish line victory. Or the fact potluck picnic was a welcome feature for the 5-10 that the race has woven itself into the very fabric of different teams and various hangers on who showed everyday life in the seven cities it traverses every Patriots up. By 2006, with the number of runners down and Day. Possibly it’s the sheer fact that Boston has endured corporate sponsorship harder to attract, St. Johns historic storms and floods and cancellations due to World decided to end the event. The only relay marathon in Wars and managed to survive. This month we look at Los Angeles was history. other marathons which weren't so fortunate. Perhaps it's too much to hope for good events to last The Western Hemisphere Marathon began as an event in indefinitely. But occasionally there is an exception; 1948 to complement the Los Angeles Track Relays being such as the Long Beach Marathon which was held at the Coliseum. The next year it found a permanent resurrected after a three year hiatus in the 90's and home in Culver City where it was usually run in the first thrives today. All the more reason to respect and honor week of December. One exception was the 1964 edition the Boston Marathon which has endured and which was held in July to accommodate the Olympic prospered for 118 years. And wish all our fellow Trials which selected the team which would run in Tokyo Frontrunners the best of luck as they seek to become later that year. In 1971 the race became the first part of its unique history. marathon to allow women to compete with men and was rewarded with a world record by Cheryl Bridges at [Editor’s Note]: A Runner’s Circle did bring back a 26.2 2:49:40, nowadays more famous as the mother of mile relay last summer in Griffith Park. Fingers American Olympian Shalane Flanagan. Other world crossed. records would come in 1973 and 1974 by Miki Gorman and Jacqueline Hansen. In the ensuing years, even as running took off as a participatory sport, the race averaged 200-300 runners but found competition from concurrent newer races such as Cal Intl in Sacramento, Honolulu and San Diego, among other races that began siphoning off runners. By the early 2000's race numbers barely cracked 200 and the city management hired promoters to attract sponsorship. It was all to no avail, and 2001 would be the last running of the second oldest marathon in the United Sates. The Palos Verdes Marathon was started by the Kiwanis service organization in May 1967 and featured a hilly course with incredible ocean views. Even as running grew into a multi billion dollar sport in subsequent decades, PV managed to retain its low key charm as a local affair for 200-300 weekend warriors. One exception to that was the women's victory by twelve year old Mary Decker in 3:09 in 1971. Race organizers added a half marathon which boosted overall numbers but a maturing community and prohibitive road closure costs finally doomed the full marathon in 2011. A half marathon survives and is run every November. The Jimmy Stewart Relay Marathon (1982-2006) was a different kind of 26.2. Teams of five people would split up David sporting a vintage Culver City Marathon shirt MARCH/APRIL 2014 Page 3 LOS ANGELES FRONTRUNNERS LA Marathon Race Report: PRs plus Mark & Eric and William & Mike win relay; $9708 raised for SRLA A total of 36 LAFRs ran in the three LA marathon events.