*** Cut due to Election Coverage of minor Rochester officials (Pygmy News) ***

Wow! What wild wintry weather. We were water-soaked when welcoming Winn, worthy world-class winner.

"Whoa, wait-up," whispered wearisome whompees, whereby whippet-like Winn went, "Want warm," waltzing away...(Okay, enough of that - Ed.)

Sorry, I'll start again. The 3rd Annual Nute Ridge Half Marathon was won in the record time of 1:07:15 by Bob Winn of Ogunquit, Maine, despite the cold and rainy conditions. Runner-up was last year's winner, Tony Quinn of Milton, Vt, some three minutes behind, and feeling the effects of recent injury.

Christine Maisto of Concord improved on her own 1986 record to romp home in 1:20:37, comfortably ahead of the second woman, Clare Fuller, who had traveled from her home in Colorado for the race. Yes, folks, the old Nute Ridge is getting famous. Several other times went into the record books including that by Somersworth runner, Ken Houle (1:14:27) for the male masters. Female masters category, which is ages 40-49, was pushed down to 1:14:51 by Christa Curtis from Durham. Completing the new records established for this tough and challenging course was a time of 1:14:57 by over 60 Royce Sawyer of Marlboro, Mass.

But as it said on someone's running vest, Finishing is Winning, and 98 of the 102 starters did just that, before flocking gratefully back inside the warmth of the Town Hall for a slap-up feed, and the bestowal of prizes, which were so generously donated by local business and industry.

Twas a happy sight that inspired verse:

Fol the diddley idle day

Sincere thanks to the dozens and dozens of local people from the Milton and Farmington area who made this race possible with donations of time, food, money, expertise and equipment. Included are FNS Bank, Union Tel. Co., Davidson Rubber, Judge Nute, James Thayer, George Meyer, Liberty Insurance, Osgood Pharmacy, Bud's Star Market, Pease Real Estate and N.H. Distributors; Mills Market, Dumontskees, C & B Minimarket, Cardinal Snax and Varneys Mkt.; Stuart Pease, Rochester Gardens, Barratt's 5 & 10, the NAPA store, Palmer Hardware and Trudy Pence; Steve Goodwin, Marty Gilman and Edna Parshley; Joel and Farmington Fire Department; Brownie and the Police Department; Betty Mros and the kitchen crew, Seymour and the Ambulance Corps; Paul Turner and the Lions; Zeke, Joyce and the Water Stop folks, Alan and the Monitors; Al and the Cocheco Crew; the Parks and Rec. Commissioners; John Gliman and the Milton Ambulance Corps; Milton Police Department; Mayor Green and Jeannie Blinkinsop-Blinkinsop. And a special word of appreciation to Pam Reynolds, barely recovered from illness.

Finally, thanks to the largest single sponsor, the town of Farmington, and to everyone that I have neglected to mention, like Bob Tesheck of Granite State Race Services and Doc Quinn. Incidentally, Bob, who is state record keeper, reckons that the winning time of 1:07:15 makes it the fastest half-marathon ever run in New Hampshire. An all-comers record. Oh, thanks also to Pepsi and to Cameron's Garden Center. Phew!

As promised here are the times of local runners:

Mark Batchelder - Alton Bay - 1:15:06

Joe Mailloux - Rochester - 1:19:51

Joseph Boyle - E. Rochester - 1:31:40

Jack Prescott - Rochester - 1:39:49

Tom Novak - Farmington - 1:40:56

Pat Theberge - Alton - 1:40:27

Dan Baker - W. Lebanon - 1:51:45 7

Ken Grossman - Barrington - 1:51:56

William Shost - E. Rochester - 1:56:00

Judy Brenner - Brookfield - 1:58:32

Shelley Gingras - Rochester - 2:03:48

Reynold Solari – Farmington - 2:09:57

David Butterworth – Farmington - 2:11:37

Next week, these good citizens will no doubt be laboring over a Farmington Flagpole Ordinance, but last week the Planning Board theme was Doctors. Kenneth Marx, M.D. was given approval to open a clinic on Route 11 near River Road, subject to plans requiring patients to park at the rear of the building. Huggins Hospital of Wolfeboro will be associated with this generally welcomed venture.

Frisbie Hospital, not wishing to be left behind, also revealed plans to start up a clinic on Charles Street in property that was formerly a funeral parlor. Their proposal included an intention to blacktop an area that is grass at present, for car-parking, with the resultant water run-off being directed into a nearby catch-basin.

Then up and spake abutter Mrs. Beatrice Fish who said that, sure as shooting, the water would end up in her basement. In spring, apparently Mrs. Fish pumps water from her basement out of a window and into a catch basin, from where it filters back into her basement. The Water Department has been so courteous as to offer her a circular pipe. Going back to 1934, when she bought her house, Mrs. Fish gave a lively history of brooks, dry wells, catch basins, sump pumps, dehumidifiers, lengths of hose and water flowing up hill. She sounded like Percy Day in one of his finest hours as Bridges and Culverts supremo.

A man in a suit, for the doctors, said, "We hear your problem and I guess we're sensitive to it."

Beatrice replied that it was hard to unbake a cake, and the doctors were obliged to concede this point.

Another historian on the public benches indicated that unless the 30-mile speed limit was enforced in this vicinity, prospective patients might have greater need of the funeral parlor. He asserted that the last observers of this restriction were Jack Howard's oxen in the 1940s, and he pointed to Mr. Paul Pease (also in a suit, for the doctors) as a guilty party.

However, if the water problem can be solved, the abutters indicated they would be in favor of the clinic.

Perhaps large amounts of blotting paper, or cloud seeding over Gonic, or a flame thrower ... or ... those with other sensible suggestions should attend the continued hearing on Oct. 27.

Bob Winn's time of 1:07:15 is indeed a N.H. state all-comers record. Yaahoo!

Due to yet another Rochester Courier typographical error in last week's Farmington Corner the word "baldy" read "badly." We apologize to any Farmington barber who may have been nettled by this insult.