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Hood River News, Saturday, June 27, 2015
Contributed photos
LITTLE LEAGUE ALL-STARS
The Hood River Little League All-Star teams head to The Dalles this weekend for their annual double-elimination tournament, with the winner of each bracket going on to the state tournament later this sum-
mer. The 10U team, competing in a 10-team bracket, will first face Redmond on June 27 at 8 a.m.; 11U, in a five-team bracket, will play Bend North on June 27 at 8 a.m.; 12U will start out with Redmond
on June 27 at 7 p.m.; and 10U softball will face Warm Springs Nation on June 27 at 5 p.m. to start the two-team bracket. 10U All-Star Baseball, left to right: Robert Glassman, Ethan Rivera, Luis Maldonado,
Colbey Hughes, Braeden Bellus, Colton Hicks, Matt Bellus (manager), Scott Hughes (coach), Devon Boydston, Kyle Smiley, Hunter Duckwall, Grady Williams, Izaiah Adams, Aaron Aamodt. Not pictured: My-
chal Lucas (coach). 11U All-Star Baseball, left to right: Jackson Perkins, Jake Von Lubken, Nathan Van Dooren, Mauricio Diaz, Robert Rowan, Trenton Hughes, and coaches Nathan Duckwall, Erick Von Lubken,
Mike Van Dooren, Drew Beam, Hunter Hough, Ryles Buckley, Michael Frost, Cole Duckwall, Danny Trejo. 12U All-Star Baseball, left to right: Taylor Routson, Derek Homer, Ren Tappert, Sebastain Zeman, Andy
Foster, Emilio Castaneda, Dan Homer (coach), Thad Routson (coach), Eric Foster (manager), Tanner Fletcher, Harrison Howell, Mason Spellecy, Ian Searcy, Alan Rodriguez, Joe Reitz. 10U All-Star Softball, left
to right: Sarah Routson, Gabriella Mooney, Zoe Mansfield, Mariana Santillan, Rachel Smith, Kyra Davis, Tonya Schroeder (manager), Ryan Flory (coach), Julie Stuben (coach), Miyana Robertson, Hailey Stuben,
Sienna Davis, Lauraine Smith, and Ximena Santillan.
Joined the
RUN
Continued from Page A7
an accomplished photogra-
pher, but was well-known in
the valley as an avid biker
and runner before running
became a popular sport in
the 1970s. A Nov. 28, 1974
Hood River News article that
profiled Kollas noted that the
65-year-old Odell resident
had dedicated himself to “an
almost daily ritual… of at
least a 10 mile jog or 20 to 30
mile bicycle jaunt.”
Or as, Gumm puts it: “It
was kind of like Forrest
Gump — he just ran and
ran.”
Kollas was part of a small
group of like-minded cross-
country enthusiasts, who
called themselves the Mid-
Columbia Track Club, ac-
cording to the event website,
and was one of the founders
of the July 4 race. Originally
referred to as the “July 4th
Odell to Hood River Run” (ac-
cording to the 1975
timesheets) or the “Mini-
Marathon” (according to
newspaper clippings of the
day), it eventually became
known as the Joe Kollas
Fourth of July Run, and then
received the “Memorial” tag
after Kollas’ death in 1979 at
age 70 after battling what
was called “a long illness” in
his death notice that ran in
the News.
Kollas ran in the 1975 race,
posting a time of 1 hour, 21
minutes. At 66, he was the
oldest individual to run in
the event.
Also running in the event
that day was Jerry Cranmer
(misspelled as Cramner on
the timesheet), who, then 20
years old, ran the event in
58:33.
Like Kollas, Cranmer was
born and raised in Hood
River and spent the vast ma-
jority of his life in the valley.
He eventually took over the
operation of the Vagabond
Lodge from his family, but
like Kollas, was also interest-
ed in photography and espe-
cially botany, joking in a 1990
Hood River News profile of
him that his motel served as
“only a front for my arbore-
tum.”
In high school, he was ac-
tive in cross country and
eventually came to help orga-
nize the Joe Kollas run, man-
ning the water stops. Gumm,
a longtime friend of Cran-
mer’s who took over for him
as race organizer in the late
1990s, said that Cranmer was
dedicated to the run, sup-
porting the event for 25
years.
“When he was managing
the event, and what most
people don’t know, is that he
was paying for almost every-
thing out of his own pocket,”
Gumm remembers.
“He always called it a ‘fun
run’ because he wanted to
encourage as many people to
come out and experience the
valley and enjoy what he en-
joyed his whole life,” she
adds.
Tragically, Cranmer’s life
was senselessly cut short in
September 2009, when he
was murdered during a rob-
bery of his motel. The next
year, Cranmer’s name was
added to the run, as a tribute
to the longtime supporter of
the event. Today, Cranmer’s
nephew and current owner
of the Vagabond Lodge,
Grant Polson, helps manage
the finances of the event,
Gumm says.
Though the name has gone
through a few changes over
the years, the run has pretty
much stayed the same. The
run still goes from Odell to
Hood River on July 4. Race t-
shirts, which feature a new
design every year, are still “a
main part of the event.” It’s
certainly become less infor-
mal and much larger than
the early events, but it’s
largely remained a locals-
oriented run, with little out-
side advertisement of the
event as it grows every year.
Even in 1980, organizers de-
sired a local focus.
“We want it primarily as a
Mid-Columbia event,” orga-
nizer Carroll Davis, who
passed away last year, was
quoted as saying in a June
26, 1980 edition of the News.
“Anyone who happens to ar-
rive here is welcome to race,
but we’re not going to whole-
sale advertise.”
Local organizations are
also both the volunteers and
beneficiaries of the event.
The Boosters Club, Hood
River County Sheriff ’s Of-
fice, the Lions Club, Odell
Fire Department, H2Oregon,
Matt Rankin
Oregon Broker
541-400-0648
209 3rd Street • Hood River
mattrankin@remax.net
River City
Athlete of the Week
Chantelle Carter
Horizon Christian School
HCS junior Chantelle Carter was able to qualify for
the Silver State International Rodeo for the second
consecutive year after receiving high marks in the
cutting, barrels, and poles events at the Washington
State High School Rodeo last month.
Shop Local
the Gorge
The Athlete of the Week will receive a large
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Congratulations to our winner 6-27-15.
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to change without notice. Consumer Loan License NMLS-3240, CL-3240
Factory Outlet
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Queen Size
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MURRAY’S
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and the Hood River Valley
High School Wrestling Team
all help out at the event in
various capacities, with
Gumm noting that coach
T rent Kroll gives his
wrestlers the choice of ei-
ther running or working the
event. Much of the leftover
money from the race goes to
the wrestling team, with the
Odell Fire Department and
the Lions Club often receiv-
ing funds as well.
Gumm says there aren’t
any special plans made to
honor the 40th anniversary
of the run this year, but that
doesn’t mean it won’t be a
special occasion.
“Every year, we try to
make it something to cele-
brate,” she says.
Washington side, on Highway 197. Cross the bridge
into Washington, turn left at Columbia Hills R.V., for
Washington’s Largest Selection of FIREWORKS!
Apr. 18th
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Celebrating
FRESH
LOCAL
a new publication by the Hood River News
highlighting the growing array of producers and the FOOD
flourishing
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