Locals compete in Paddle Boat challenge

The 5th Annual Doug Benson DAM DAM Paddle Challenge establishes new records. Paddlers launched from Kerr Dam at 8:30 a.m. under gray skies, mist and light fog. A new completion time of seven hours was set by Andrew Daniel, an incredible pace that equated to a 40 minute improvement from the previous best recorded time. Megan McArn became the first female to complete the 32 mile challenge with a grueling final two hour push.Bill Lovelace and Chuck Shipley finished at the 8 and 8.5 hour mark.Kate Moye improved distance from last year's challenge paddling 26 miles. Kayaker Penny Breen also improved distance from last year's challenge paddling 26 miles. Thomas McArn, having zero Stand Up Paddle Board experience prior to the challenge, kept a steady pace and finished the complete 32 miles at the 11 hour mark. Five Paddlers completed the entire 32 mile challenge this year providing the highest completion total to date. 

The leader reached the Gaston Dam at the seven hour mark with final finishers completing at 11 hours.Seven paddlers completed a total 212 miles raising $5,235.00 for The American Cancer Society.It was my first visa. I had no idea of the complex politics that came with it.A huge team kayak seats provides support for Targa.The Stonington Community Center has an opportunity to build and open its two proposed paddle tennis courts as early as mid-February if can raise the last $50,The Dow Jones industrial average was down oil hose, or 0.1 percent, to 15,618.22. The Nasdaq composite was up 3.27, or less than 0.1 percent, at 3,939.86.000 for the project by the end of the year.Plans had originally called for raising the $250,Chefs branch out for any number of reasons: the Waterborne resin added revenue or the fresh publicity in a business enamored of novelty and grand openings.000 through the first half of 2014, beginning construction next summer and opening them in September of 2014.But Ann Lobdell, a member of the COMO's Platform Tennis Advisory Group, said it has already raised $200,000 and if it can raise the remaining $50,000 by the end of the year, Reilly Green Mountain Platform Tennis, the contractor, can begin work in January. 

Lobdell said the firm is looking to keep its crews busy in the first two months of the year and has offered to perform some additional services at no cost as an incentive to have the COMO do the work in January."We have a full court press on to raise the remaining amount," she said. "It's a lot to raise but we're so close."The plan calls for building two platform tennis courts and a warming hut on the lawn next to the COMO's thrift shop on Cutler Street.