Luke Judge

FEATURE STORY, INDYCAR, NASCAR – Sprint Cup Series, NHRA » It Was a good Weekend to Watch Electronically

NHRA funny Car driver Robert Hight takes a stroll in North Carolina with his constant companion. (RacinToday/HHP photo by Harold Hinson_

Some thoughts about a rather large weekend of racing and many hours in front of the flat screen (LCD, not that plasma crap):

– Robert Hight’s funny Car season is shaping up to be one of those special jobs that seems to come along every decade or so in the NHRA. like the one Greg Anderson had in Pro Stock in 2004 when he won 15 events. Or the one John Force had in 1996 when he waon 13 times.

Hight has four victories in five races now. He and tuner Jimmy Prock appear perfectly meshed. like at the Four-Wide Nationals over the weekend where they solved problems – they only had one solid qualifying run, though that was a beauty and earned the pole – all through the weekend and got the victory on Sunday.

“I wasn’t concerned at all,” Hight said of the shaky runs of Friday and Saturday. “I have a lot of confidence in my team and what we have been doing. We were on the good side of a tune up. that is an easy thing to fix. (Jimmy Prock) saw the clouds this morning and he got excited. He was able to step all Read the full story »

nascar car driver, flat screen, john force, nascar, nationals, robert hight

All area codes are 850 unless specified.

All City Council meetings, workshops, executive sessions and CRA Board meetings are held at the City Hall Annex, 4100 Indian Bayou Trail. all other board and committee meetings are held at City Hall, 4200 Indian Bayou Trail. Meetings are subject to change or cancellation without further notice. Agendas for city committees are posted at City Hall for review.

• State of the City Address, 5:30 p.m. Feb. 16

• Observance of President’s Day, closed Feb. 20

• City Council, 6 p.m. Feb. 21

• Destin Youth Council, 4 p.m. Feb. 22

• Code Enforcement Board, 5:30 p.m. Feb. 23

The Delta Delta Delta Alumnae of the Emerald Coast will meet at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 18 at Sandestin Beach Club. for reservations, gate code and directions, call 654-5008 or email .

“How to Cleanse and Polish your first Draft” will be the topic when Writers In Sandals meets from 10:30 a.m. to noon Feb. 18 at the Destin Library.

Coffee and Cars

Emerald Coast Muscle Car Club hosts Coffee and Cars the last Sunday of every month in Uptown Station in Fort Walton Beach. for information, call 200-2465 or email .

A small group interested in eating healthy and purchasing smart meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays at 125 Scottsdale Court in Mary Esther. On the second Tuesday, the group meets at Fountain Square in downtown Fort Walton Beach for the Growing Local film series. call 863-4040.

Kiwanis Club of Destin

The Kiwanis Club of Destin meets every Thursday at 8 a.m. at the Destin Methodist Church Life Center on Beach Drive in Destin. The public is invited to attend the club’s weekly meetings.

The Destin Rotary meets at 7:15 a.m. every Tuesday at Rutherford’s 465. call 269-1080.

Flotilla 1-4 USCG Auxiliary

Flotilla 1-4 USCG Auxiliary meets at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at Coast Guard Station Destin on Okaloosa Island. anyone wishing to become a member is welcome to attend. Prior military duty is not required. call 837-3717.

Rotary Club of South Walton

The Rotary Club of South Walton meets for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. each Thursday morning at the Embassy Suites, Scenic Hwy. 98 in Miramar Beach. Visiting Rotarians and their guests are welcome. call 267-2929.

The Destin Optimist Club meets at noon on the second Thursday of each month at The Lighthouse restaurant. Cost of lunch is $11. call 650-2800.

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Q: I never understood why people say, “I’ll fix your little red wagon” when they’re angry at someone. How is that a threat?

A: the saying does appear to be more of an offer to help someone than harm them.

It makes sense, though, when you take a different look at the word “fix,” according to the Phrase Finder (phrases.org).

The site explains that “fix” meant disable or mess up. Think in terms of the old days when gangsters would try to “fix” the outcome of a horse race, for example.

The site also states the phrase actually is “fix your wagon.” That’s a surprise to me, because I’ve always heard it as “fix your little red wagon.”

While looking up the answer to this question, I came across some interesting information on the history of the little red wagon.

Radio Flyer’s website, radioflyer.com, has a story from a February issue of “Time” magazine. the issue listed the Radio Flyer among the “All-Time 100 Greatest Toys.”

It explains the wagon was invented by Antonio Pasin, an immigrant from Italy, in the early 20th Century.

Pasin was a skilled carpenter who started building the wagons in Chicago out of stamped metal. He created Liberty Coaster Co. in 1923, where he mass-produced the wagon, which was named in honor of two of his favorite inventions: the radio and airplane.

Q: Why do we say someone has an “edge” on someone else when they have some type of advantage over them?

A: the QPB Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins explains this goes back to a poker term.

In the 1800s, the player to the left of the dealer often had the right to choose whether to continue in the game or drop out, the books explains.

The term was known as “having the age.”

That term became popular for use away from the poker table, as well, and soon someone or a group would be known to “have the age” on their competition.

As sometimes happens, however, a word was changed in the saying throughout the years because it’s so similar to another word.

In this case, “age” became “edge.”

Bernie Delinski writes Just Ask, which runs Wednesdays in the TimesDaily. if you’ve got a question, e-mail it to , call him at 256-740-5739, fax it to 256-740-4717 or send it to Just Ask, c/o TimesDaily, P.O. Box 797, Florence, AL 35631.

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One familiar joke about a great Disney attraction is that it always ends in a gift shop.

Tattoine Traders is a classic example of a gift shop at the end of the attraction. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

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so stepping out of the new Star Tours—the Adventure Continues at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort, I am taken back to the fall of 1980. I was working at a toy store in the Christown Mall in Phoenix, Ariz. the Empire Strikes back had just premiered and Star Wars merchandise had skyrocketed. along with car and plane models, my job was to keep up the ever-popular Star Wars display in the store. R2D2 and Yoda action figures were hot items, and customers often came in early in the morning to see if any new shipments had arrived. No doubt about it—Star Wars was hot!

It wasn’t always so.

Here are two new sets of Star Wars action figures: One for Star Tours Travel Agency and one for Ambush at Star Tours. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Movie merchandise was typically left to a few items like sheet music, LPs and posters. of all the studios, Disney did the best job of merchandising their films. as a child I remember finding a unique toy inside Sugar Crisp cereal when Mary Poppins was released. They were small toy chimneys that, when you pressed the lever, Bert or Mary Poppins would pop out. but beyond Disney, there wasn’t always much in the way of movie merchandise.

All that was changed by the time the Empire Strikes back rolled into theaters—not Star Wars IV: a New Hope. Before then, movie studios didn’t pay attention to cross merchandising a film. And 20th Century Fox paid dearly for that. their negotiation with George Lucas provided little salary, while instead offering Lucas 40 percent on the film’s gross and all rights to not only sequels but to merchandising. but he was too busy putting the film in the can to really create any merchandising strategy. And most toy manufacturers didn’t see the sci-fi genre as really a good bet.

Laser discs and other merchandise from the 1970s and 1980s when Star Wars first came out. this display is part of a larger display found at Disney’s Pop Century Resort. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Mego, which had distinguished themselves as the maker of action figure toys for Marvel and DC superheros in the 1970s rejected the opportunity to make toys for Star Wars. That left Kenner (now Hasbro) a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to license toys for Star Wars. That paid off dearly by the time I was arranging their toys on a retail shelf in Phoenix. Now, according to NBC’s Today, LucasFilm Entertainment properties garner $8 billion a year in sales for their films to include not only the Star Wars phenomenon but Indiana Jones, as well. Today people can find everything from Star Wars dog food to a TaunTaun sleeping bag (smell not included).

But Star Wars wasn’t the only movie to almost miss the boat when it came to merchandising.

As Barbie describes it in Toy Story II: “Back in 1995, short-sighted retailers did not order enough dolls to meet demand.”

I remember that Christmas very well, as I spent an enormous time searching everywhere in Orlando for a Buzz Lightyear figure for my son. John Lassetter, whose love of toys was reflected in the film, was shocked to hear that neither of Disney’s usual toy partners, Hasbro or Mattel, held much interest in the film. the license instead was provided to Thinkway Toys, a small Toronto-based manufacturer. Thinkway had wanted to produce 6-inch action-figure-style toys like Kenner had done with Star Wars. Lassetter wanted something more full size like the G.I. Joe figure he played with as a child. the toy manufacturer conceded in doing both size figures. When the larger 12-inch Buzz Lightyear was presented to Lasseter, he took it into the screening room and held it up in front of his employees. According to the account in Infinity and Beyond, “…the place went nuts!”

a wide array of toys on display at the exit of Toy Story Mania at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Still, retailers didn’t get it going into the holiday season. only a few Buzz Lightyear and even less Woody figures could be found in Toys R us and even the Disney Stores. And Wal-Mart didn’t take any. When the head of Thinkway, Albert Chan, saw the movie in advance, he put in his own money into making another 250,000 Buzz dolls to go with the 60,000 in the initial order. a week before the movie opened, every one of those toys had sold out, just from the movie trailers and commercials. a week later, after the movie premiered, orders for the toys totaled 1.6 million. Tom Schumacher stated:

“It’s one of the most famous stories in retail mistakes, because, except for Albert with his fantastic talking Buzz and Woody dolls, nobody on any level got on board with the movie, nobody cared. the great irony, of course, is that Toy Story has become one of the great toy franchises in the history of modern films.”

All the toys that have made Toy Story famous, with Buzz Lightyear at the top. Photo by J. Jeff Kober

Of course, the toy companies have learned to respect the film industry. And nowhere is that more apparent than in that Cadillac of all movie merchandising opportunities, Cars. the Hollywood Reporter announced in February that Cars had hit $8 billion in sales. More than 200 million die-cast cars have been sold. the franchise is averaging $2 billion a year in sales, and that number is about to dramatically increase for 2011 with the Cars 2.

take a look at the Mediterranean village found at the center of this Cars advertisement. then compare it with the village found at Lights! Motors! Action! as seen below.

With Lights! Motors! Action! only doing two shows daily while Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular still doing five shows daily, it’s clear that this attraction is ripe for being overhauled. And John Lasseter is just the man to do it. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

“We think we have the potential to make it even bigger,” the Hollywood Reporter quoted of Chris Heatherley, vice president of toys for Disney Consumer Products. “We have a lot of headroom with the international and the spy component of the new movie and all the new product and technology, which takes it to the next level.”

Small wonder that Radiator Springs looms large in the horizon for Disney California Adventure Park. Comparatively, with all of its years as an attraction, and with four movies behind it, Disney noted in the Hollywood Reporter that Jack Sparrow and company has only generated a fourth of what Cars has accomplished with one film and no ride. it is clear that the parks want to rev up the presence of this film in its parks. After all, it’s No. 2 in all-time film merchandise, just behind Star Wars. 

this model from the D23 Expo of Carsland illustrates many of the locations that are prime for retail experiences. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

So it’s no small joke that a gift shop seems to appear at the exit of every major Disney attraction.

It’s not just that the movies are a part of today’s Disney park experience. so is the merchandise. indeed, the most tangible token of Disney’s efforts to make memories to last a lifetime, might be the one inside your shopping bag.

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What should i do if my untamed female Budgie get egg bound(egg stuck inside her)???

pls help me out.my male budgie loves to have sex with her.so far she has laid 6 eggs,out of which 3 broke because my male budgie used to play with them.There are 3 left and im sure she is gonna lay one more.but my male tries to jump on her,and mate.what should i do if she gets egg bound??i dont want to seperate them as i am waiting for the chicks to come out from the box after the egg hatches.PLEASE HELP!tell me some other thing to do rather than taking it to the vet,since i live very far from it and i am afraid she will die on the way!

If your bird gets eggbound, the best move is probably to take her to a veterinarian immediately as this is a rather serious condition. The chances of it happening aren’t very large, though. I would suggest that if the male is bothering the female too much, you separate them to give her some peace and quiet.

Matt budgie jumping

budgie chicks, egg, eggs, vet, veterinarian

Sunday may 1, 2011 – Sunday may 1, 2011

Map and Directions | Register

Description:

20 Bromptons at the 5 Boro Bike Tour

If you’re a New York City resident, you’re almost certainly aware of the annual 5 Boro Bike Tour. A leisurely cruise through the sights and sounds of the big Apple, the 5 Boro Bike Tour has an attendance of over 30,000 people this year. We’ve already given away 20 tickets to people who will ride with us on this amazing day. Now we’ve created this event for those people to sign up and make it official. so if you have already confirmed with us that you have a ticket please go ahead and sign up.

For those of you who have received direct confirmation from us that you have a ticket, go ahead and sign up after reading the conditions below.

Use of our Brompton folding bikes on this tour is free. Participants must be comfortable with three basic conditions:

1. must wear a helmet! (We like you and we want you around!)

2. must stick with the group. You cannot go off and do your own thing. Don’t worry though, we know how to have fun!

3. This event is free, however, there is a $45 fee for anyone who signs up and is a no-show.  (We refund your $45 in full if you show up for the ride)

Riding so far:

1. Lauren Rosenberg

2. Thomas Lutz

3. Gerard Yuskauskas

4. Lydia Delman

5. Robert Ruddy

6. Daniel Broberg

Share and enjoy:

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Cheap Thomas the Train: Thomas “Leader of the Track” Laptop Discount Review Shop

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When Trevor Bayne was in the process of switching race teams last season, his cell phone rang one day while he was home in Tennessee.

On the other end was Carl Edwards, who encouraged him to join Roush Fenway Racing and told the young Bayne the organization wanted to help his career.

Bayne hung up, secretly thrilled by the call, and his friends looked at him in amazement.

“My buddies at home are like, ‘Dude, you were just on the phone with Carl Edwards?! What is that!?’” Bayne said with a wide grin. “I’ve just lost perspective because I’m in Mooresville a lot and around the shop, and I’m just used to it. But when you get outside of that (bubble), it’s like, ‘Wow, this is a big deal!’”

Bayne is planning to drive 17 Cup races for Wood Brothers Racing this season – though he could drive more if additional sponsorship is found.

He’s been recognized throughout the garage as an up-and-comer in the sport – a rarity in the current climate who has worked his way up to Sprint Cup based on talent, not money.

Because of that, several top drivers have offered Bayne unsolicited advice behind the scenes – Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick among them.

“(Johnson) has always been out-of-his-way nice to me, which is something you wouldn’t expect a five-time champion to do,” Bayne said. “If I’m walking down pit road, even if I’m on the other side, he always comes to me.

“At Texas, I was standing there before qualifying and he was like, ‘Hey, just keep your blinders on. Stay focused on your goals.’ That’s something he’s incredible at – being able to block out everything. so I gotta take that advice and run with it.”

Bayne drew Harvick’s attention at the spring Dover Nationwide race last year. After a wreck in which Bayne hurt his foot, Harvick asked to speak with the young driver.

“Kevin Harvick, believe it or not, has played an instrumental role,” Bayne said. “A lot of younger guys think he pushes them around, but for some reason, we’ve clicked.

“He called me over to his trailer at Dover and said, ‘Man, I don’t know what’s going on, but I feel like I want to help you.’”

Harvick told Bayne not to race every lap like it was the last lap, and instead find a rhythm to pace himself throughout the races. Bayne said he took the advice to heart.

And though Bayne has made only one Cup start (he finished 17th in the fall race at Texas last season), the youngster is bursting with optimism for 2011.

“I would love to say we could be a competitive, top-15 team,” he said. “I don’t know that, because we haven’t been on the track yet. But if it’s anything like Texas, there’s no doubt in my mind we can be a top-15 team every week.”

nascar amazement, buddies, carl edwards, perspective

DETROIT– Rick Hendrick knows his Chevys and jumped at the chance to own one of the first Chevrolet Volt hybrid electric vehicles offered to the public.

The owner of Hendrick Motorsports and chair of Hendrick Automotive Group submitted the winning bid in an online auction for the Chevy Volt, Detroit Public Schools officials revealed Thursday at a news conference.

Proceeds from Hendrick’s $225,000 bid will benefit science, math, engineering and technology education in the district through the Detroit Public Schools Foundation.

“This was an opportunity to own a piece of history while giving back to the community,” Hendrick said in a release. “I have been a Chevrolet dealer for more than 30 years, and the Volt is one of the most exciting and important new cars since we opened our first dealership in 1976.”

The Volt is produced at the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly facility. Hendrick will take delivery of his Volt later this month.

Thursday’s announcement was made at the Detroit International Academy. the school’s all-girls robotics team placed fourth in this year’s FIRST Robotics world championship. Funds from the Volt auction will provide competition materials, entry fees and travel expenses for future robotics competitions.

“I’m sure our young ladies will take advantage of this gift to build upon the strong math, science, technology and engineering programs already in place at our academy,” Principal Beverly Hibbler said.

The Volt can go about 35 miles on battery power before a gasoline engine kicks in to generate electricity. it has a sticker price of $41,000.

“Every aspect of the Volt — from its aerodynamic shape to its battery chemistry — is a testament to the importance of math and sciences,” General Motors North America President mark Reuss said in a release. “Now, the first Volt will help cultivate the next generation of engineers who will build upon the Volt’s innovative technologies.”

Hendrick is an avid car collector. Hendrick Motorsports has been racing the brand since 1984, winning 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car owner championships.

nascar chevy volt, detroit public schools, science math, x96

Press Release Source: Vanguard Cleaning Systems, Inc. On Thursday December 16, 2010, 6:31 pm EST

SAN MATEO, CA–(Marketwire – 12/16/10) – Vanguard Cleaning Systems, a leading commercial cleaning franchise organization, today announced that it had achieved a ranking of #7 in Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2011 Franchise 500™ list. the 32nd annual Franchise 500 is recognized as the world’s leading franchise ranking.

“We are extremely honored to be recognized as a top 10 franchise among such an impressive group of brands,” says mark Heisten, vice president of business development and marketing, Vanguard Cleaning Systems. “It is a testament to the hard work, integrity and leadership of our franchisees, our customer-centric business approach and the long-term dedication of the corporate staff. This is an achievement built on a foundation of consistent and measurable performance.”

In addition to the overall ranking, the magazine also recognized Vanguard Cleaning Systems in several other categories:

• #1 — Commercial Cleaning Franchise
• #1 — Low-Cost Franchise
• #1 — Homebased Franchise
• #6 — top Global Franchise
• #8 — Fastest-Growing Franchise

“We view this accomplishment as reflective of the outstanding alignment between Vanguard and our franchise owners,” says Jim Foley, vice president of master franchise operations, Vanguard Cleaning Systems. “We are committed to providing them with the tools, support and business knowledge necessary to grow their businesses, and they are committed to delivering exceptional service to their customers. In this respect, everyone’s a winner.”

Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 ranks franchises based on a variety of criteria, including financial strength and stability, growth rate and size of the system. This year’s rankings mark the 32nd anniversary of the Franchise 500.

About Vanguard Cleaning Systems

Vanguard Cleaning Systems provides commercial cleaning services for more than 9,000 corporate customers through an organization of 56 regional offices and 2,200 franchisees across 33 states and provinces in the U.S. and Canada. Established in 1984, Vanguard is recognized for franchising excellence. Vanguard is ranked #7 in the 2011 Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 and #1 for Low-Cost Franchises. most recently Vanguard was selected as one of USA Today’s 50 top Franchises for Minorities, Poder Magazine’s top 26 Franchises for Hispanics and Black Enterprise Magazine’s top 40 for African-Americans. More information on Vanguard Cleaning Systems can be found at vanguardcleaning.com.

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I am consistently re-rooting my play pal doll, I have vowed 2 long rows a day or four short ones, even at that though…it’s long going.

I had somewhat of a dilemma once the four rows of bangs were complete, they are thick. while looking closer I noticed a groove in the plastic that goes around the top of the bangs, down to the temple and then swirls up before coming back down to the ear. I figured it must be where the shorter styled locks must go. So….to make this short, I decided to try the top of the head to see how full it will be without the additional planned bangs. The above photo shows two rows, short rows. they start to overlap where I stopped, I’m thinking the crown might go really quick since all the rows kind of disappear. here she is with 4 complete, short rows. next posting on miss Sayco will explain the hair and how it behaves. I was surprised. C&G Design

Words and photos by Dawn,C&G Design.

saico dawn, long rows, sayco

At the London Games Festival last week, Steve Gibson, Marketing Head at Gearbox, spoke with the festival’s blog about the upcoming release of the long-awaited, near vaporware title Duke Nukem forever.

When asked if the title would appear on Steam, Gibson didn’t give a direct answer. instead, he said,

We wanted to have as many ways that people could get to it as possible. What we think is also going on is, we want people to be able to play together and right now if a guy buys a game on Games for Windows and a guy buys a game on Steam – they can’t play together. If another guy bought it in a retail store, he can’t play with the first two guys.

Making heads or tails of an argument like this is a confusing proposition, so let’s break it down.

Any game that exclusively uses Steamworks, Valve’s back-end API that requires a Steam ID, will only allow those folks who own the game and have a Steam account to play together. That sounds bad, but the truth is that requiring a Steam account only forces folks to spend about 3 minutes registering, and they’re in. this doesn’t even apply to every game on Steam, just those that use the Steamworks API.

It’s rare to see a major title exclusive to either service, unless it’s published by Valve or Microsoft. Even then, some of those games are operating across multiple services. for example, Relic’s Dawn of War II integrated both Steam and GFWL support. of course, it also required users to have accounts on both services, which was a bit of an annoyance.

Sure, there are a few titles out there that are exclusive to one service or another, but the vast majority of games will allow you to play with anyone, regardless of where they purchased their copy of the game. this has been the situation for years in PC gaming, with larger titles offering their own servers (in many cases hosted by third-party companies and paid for by players, as was the case with the Battlefield series), and smaller titles opting into agreements that would allow them to lease the middleware for matchmaking from services like GameSpy Arcade, Steam, or others.

Gearbox itself has used this option, with Borderlands using the GameSpy service for matchmaking in Borderlands, meaning that if you bought the game on Steam you need a second set of login credentials just to play with your buddy online.

All of these services have one thing in common: they make life easier for smaller developers. After all, if you don’t have to provide servers and support for multiplayer, it cuts a nice chunk out of the budget you need for your game. Sure, you have to give a little bit of your sales percentage to Steam (or whoever’s servers you use), but the overall headache for you is greatly reduced.

The problem with criticizing these systems is that they are simultaneously good and bad for PC gaming. on one hand, Steam and similar services allow smaller developers a place to market and sell their games without sinking millions of dollars into ad campaigns. on the other, they can be limiting in terms of who is able to play together.

Still, it’s at least a little disingenuous to imply that there are vast segments of the gamer population that aren’t able to play their PC games together. the vast majority of games have no such restrictions. If they do, many gamers will resort to options such as LAN play through a VPN such as Tunngle or Hamachi to get their game on with friends.

It’s a major issue that likely won’t be resolved unless one distribution service wins the battle and devours all the others. With the success of Steam, and Microsoft’s “renewed commitment” to PC gaming, that doesn’t seem likely anytime soon.

gearbox Toys game, steve gibson

Story Last modified at 10:55 p.m. on Wednesday, December 8, 2010 Wolves make hockey history in Chugiak upset

BY MATT TUNSETH Alaska Star

Chugiak’s Sean Casey tries to get the puck past Eagle River goalie Andrew Shortridge during Eagle River’s 3-2 win on Dec. 4 at the McDonald Center. The victory was the first for the Wolves over their crosstown rivals in six seasons of varsity play. STAR PHOTO BY CONNOR CIMMIYOTTI

Eagle River’s hockey team passed its biggest test Saturday night at the McDonald Center.

Powered by goals from Ben Russell, Brett Wood and Dominic Thompson and fueled by a rowdy crowd that screamed from start to finish, the Wolves beat Chugiak 3-2 for their first win over the Mustangs in six years on the ice.

“To finally get a win shows how far the program has come,” said Russell, a senior captain who has been with the varsity team for four years.

Russell might have tried to stick around for a fifth season in Navy and silver had he not been part of a win over his biggest rivals.

“Now I can graduate,” he said.

He wasn’t kidding. Coach Kirby Senden said the team’s emotional leader may very well have tried to skip graduation without getting the milestone win.

“I think he would have had a hard time walking across the stage without a win over Chugiak,” Senden said.

Eagle River improved to 5-3 overall and 1-3 in the Cook Inlet Conference. Chugiak fell to 4-4 and 2-3 in the CIC.

Russell sent the Eagle River half of the stands into a frenzy when he bulled his way in front of Chugiak goalie Joe Lindquist and snuck a shot just inside the top crossbar to give his team the lead midway through the opening period.

Chugiak struck back shortly before the first intermission when Doug Keller’s backhand of a Jaron Jones rebound beat Andrew Shortridge to make it 1-1.

Chugiak took control of the game late in the second period when Jake Wells threw a wrister on net that snuck just past a Sean Casey screen and sailed past a helpless Shortridge to make it 2-1.

But the Wolves didn’t quit, thanks in part to a wild crowd that cheered, chanted and caused security at the Mac to stay on their toes all night. there were no serious incidents of over exuberance, although the Wolves fans pushed the limits by pounding on the glass and once hoisting a student aloft for a brief crowd-surfing session.

“It’s probably the biggest game I’ve ever been in. It was crazy, we’ve never had that many people at our game,” said Thompson, who along with Russell has been with the varsity team for four years. “Having that many people there really gets you going.”

Chugiak’s crowd was more reserved, even if the Mustangs themselves were not. Chugiak committed eight penalties, one of which resulted in Wood’s equalizer, a top-shelf slap shot early in the third period that came off a feed from brother Dacota.

“One of our goals for the game was to stay emotionally in check and not let our opponent take us out of our game mentally,” Senden said. “I think our kids did a great job staying mentally tough and not retaliating.”

Chugiak had to kill off five power plays, while all three of Eagle River’s penalties were coincidental minors that sent players from both sides to the box and gave neither an advantage.

Mustangs coach Rod Wild said the infractions – which included a crucial hooking call with just 2:21 left in the game and the Mustangs desperate for a goal – were the difference.

“We had to kill off five penalties and they didn’t have any,” he said. “That’s ten minutes of killing penalties.”

Thompson’s game-winner came on a breakaway with 9:16 left in the third. with teammate Hunter Gally to his left on a 2-on-1, Thompson took the shot himself, lifting the puck just over Lindquist’s glove for the biggest goal in school history.

“It seemed like he was going to anticipate the pass across so I knew if I shot it short side I’d get it under the bar and it would go in,” Thompson said.

The tally stood up for the final 9:16, and when a Chugiak defender was whistled for hauling down Russell on a breakaway with just over two minutes to go, the Wolves had some breathing room.

As the final seconds ticked away, the Wolves’ crowd counted them off in full throat until the final buzzer sent the team’s players onto the ice to mob Shortridge, who stopped 17 shots in the win.

“It feels better than anything in the world right now,” Shortridge said.

Though his team was on the wrong end of the score sheet, Wild couldn’t help but acknowledge the importance of the game to the area’s hockey community.

“It’s the kind of environment that high school sports is supposed to be all about,” he said.

Senden agreed, and said a healthy rivalry between the two area schools can only help advance the sport.

“It’s a great community event, and hopefully it helps youth hockey in our community whether you go to Chugiak or Eagle River,” he said. “It was an awesome thing to be a part of.”

The good news for Chugiak – and anyone who missed this classic – is the Mustangs will get a shot at revenge on Jan. 27.

Wild predicted a packed Mac for that Thursday night.

“I don’t think it’s going to be any different,” he said. “It’s going to be another great game.”

South 4, Eagle River 0

Bain Quest scored twice as first-place South handed Eagle River a 4-0 loss Nov. 30 at Ben Boeke Arena.

Andrew Shortridge made 33 saves for Eagle River, which was outshot 37-18 by the Wolverines.

Chugiak picked up its second CIC win thanks to one of its youngest players.

Freshman Kris Tomazevic delivered a pair of second-period goals as the Mustangs handed West a 3-2 loss on Nov. 30 at the McDonald Center.

Lucas Geurts had two assists for Chugiak, which also got a goal from Josh Smith and assists from Sam Linder, Jaron Jones and Doug Keller.

Joe Lindquist stopped 16 shots to pick up the win in net.

The win wasn’t quite as close as the score indicated, with West’s second goal coming with just three seconds left on the clock.

Service scored three goals in the first period – including two in 20 seconds – to pick up a 4-1 win over Chugiak on Dec. 2 at Ben Boeke Arena.

Ben Morse scored the lone Mustangs goal, putting in a rebound with the Mustangs on the power play midway through the third period.

Joe Lindquist made 32 saves in the loss for Chugiak, which was outshot 36-20.

Contact Matt Tunseth at matt.tunseth@alaskastar.com or 694-2727, Ext. 215.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Wednesday, December 8, 2010.

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Published: Monday, November 08, 2010, 12:55 PM     Updated: Monday, November 08, 2010, 2:06 PM

HAMPTON TWP. — Preschool students at W.R. Bush Elementary in Hampton Township revved up their engines Monday morning for the school’s annual Road Rally fundraiser.

Now in its 15th year, the annual Road Rally teaches preschool students motor skills, art skills, counting, basic rules of the road and helps build confidence. Families pledge money to their children for each lap they run around the track, inside the school’s gym.

Students create cars from boxes, decorating them with headlights, wheels, a license plate and racing stripes. Students check in their cars at pit row, before heading to the starting line.

After the signal to start the race, students run around the track for 5 minutes, trying to get in as many laps as possible.

Assistant preschool teacher Susan Doyen said the fundraiser raises anywhere from $500 to $1,500 annually, depending on the year. all money goes back into the classroom to purchase toys, crafts and educational supplies.

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