We ran the Wells State Park event on another fantastic fall day this year. A total of 148 people came out to walk and run 86 courses with many of them running multiplecourses starting on white and then trying yellow. Between white and yellow there were 50 individuals and groups participating. The majority of our white course runners were cub scouts with their families or with their dens. A few boy scout troops were also in attendance.

Our course setter, Sam Levitin, did an excellent job setting up challenging but achievable white and yellow courses, an orange course that stretched the yellow graduates, and a green course that took some experienced orienteers over some interesting terrain. The map as most know has it's problems but Sam was able to carve out courses that worked with that map. All the comments that we heard about the courses were positive!

We would have liked to have offered a string course but were too short staffed to do so this year. It would be great to have some more people from the Central Mass area to help us put on this event next year. Please contact Bob LaFlamme (send e-mail to Bob) at to volunteer for next October. Also, if anyone is interested in setting up an event out here in the future, we have our own event kit that will
either be here in North Brookfield with me or further West with Phil Bricker (who will be setting up an event at Mt. Tom in Nov.).

There are many people to thank for helping with this event. I must start with the staff of Wells State Park who were very accomodating before the event and on the day of the event. We do our best to leave the property better than we found it by picking up after ourselves and others who have been there before us in hopes that we can continue using this great property.

Sam Levitin put in long hours setting up courses and getting the maps, clue sheets, and symbols copied. He had a long day on Sunday setting the long courses early and retrieving the furthest controls late into the afternoon.

Joanne Sankus made her annual drive to Worcester to bring us out the event kit one evening. I expect that that won't be necessary in the future with our own Central Mass event kit #3 to keep out here.

The Bedwell family was most helpful from early on Sunday vetting some of the short courses, through running our finish line, to bringing in the white course and parts of the orange and green courses. Most of them were able to get out and run a course during the day.

Caroline and Ceire Fleming came out to help with our finish line. Caroline has also been helpful in answering questions that an inexperienced meet director needs to know.

Susan Brown LaFlamme did a spectacular job starting our participants. Her skill working with fifth graders made the event alot less confusing for our younger, inexperienced orienteers.

We must thank Brookfield Orchards for the delicious cider and macoun apples.

North Brookfield Newsroom provided great coffee that stayed hot until late in the afternoon and biodegradable cups for coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. The the biodegradeable coffee cups are decomposing nicely in Bob's compost bin.

Here are the results from the competition listed by course: