Watertown WPBS TV crew films Higley canoe race in Colton as nearly three dozen entries compete

COLTON – A Watertown WPBS tv crew filmed portions of the The Higley Association’s ‘Round the Islands Canoe Race Saturday as nearly three dozen entries competed at Higley Flow.

Rob Palmer, left and Larry Palmer, right presents veteran paddler award to Jeff Kelly.

Segments of this year’s race were filmed by Watertown PBS for a special on the Raquette River to air next summer.

The race started and ended at Brookfield Power’s Big Rock Picnic area. Contestants participated in a four-mile paddle with younger contestants paddling a one-mile course. Pedal boat races and a picnic lunch followed.

The Phyllis Baker Young Paddler Award was presented to the youth best exemplifying the spirit of the competition, Chantel Rose, who battled to a .01 second victory margin in the Youth kayak event against Allison Bickford.

The Veteran Paddler Award was presented by the Palmer family in memory of their Dad, C.M. Palmer, to Jeff Kelly for the fastest time of the day by any paddler. Palmer was a former race participant, avid and well-traveled paddler, and a firm promoter of the adage “You don’t stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing.” The award was presented to Kelly by Larry and Rob Palmer, Charlie’s sons.

Allison Bickford and Spencer Bartkus with their awards.

The race results follow:

Fledgling Girls

# Place
12 KC. Bartkus NH 13 1
13 Marley Bartkus NH 13:21 2
14 Daphne Bartkus NH 23:15

Fledgling Boys

16 Spencer Bartkus NH 24:33:00 1

Short Kayak Men

1 Kevin Pentalow NY 55:02:00 1
20 Glenn Henry NY 69:44:00 2

Short Kayak Veteran Men

10 Rob Palmer MASS 64:31:00 1
5 Gerry Maston NY 1752:00:00 2

Short Kayak Women

9 Lorraine Gowing NY 52:09:00 1
17 Chantelle Rose NH 54:40:00 2
7 Allison Bickford NH 54:41:00 3
28 Lynde Wangler NY 55:18:00 4
27 Cheryl Laneve NY 66:46:00 5
21 Sharon Henry NY 69:23:00 6
18 Jean Peets NY 70:21:00 7
19 Crystal Kearns NY 70:21:00 7
2 Rebecca Pentalow NY 73:13:00 9

Short Kayak Veteran Women

4 Sue Maston NY 73:00:00 1

Men's Medium Kayak

29 Dave Everding NY 50:98 1

Men's Veterans Medium Kayak

25 Chuck Goolden NY 58:36:00 1
33 Gut Lannis NY 72:12:00 2
4 John Bartholomew NY 73:10:00 3

Women’s Medium Kayak

23 Marilyn Fayette NY 45:48:00 1
32 Mary Lannis NY 72:12:00 2

Women's Veterans Medium Kayak

26 Linda Goolden NY 58:37:00 1
30 Rosie Bartholomew NY 72:12:00 2

Men's Long Kayak Veterans

6 Jeff Kelly NY 38:44:00 1
22 Jim Plumley NY 38:01:00 2
11 ERIC Hewitson NY 44:56:00 3

Women's Long Kayak

16 Becky Bickford NH 49:33:00 1

Men's Canoe

34 Blair and Gary Gowing NY 52:48:00 1

Mixed Canoe

8 Janet & Jim Bickford NY 49:40:00
3 Fran & Baker Kerfott LA 50:10:00 2

Solo Canoe

24 Tom Chapel NY 41:46:00 1