Pacer Long Run — The Pretzel Hut

by pagodapacers

For July, the Pagoda Pacers Long Run Committee has decided to host a group run on the Horse-Shoe Trail and adjacent trails at Camp Mack.

When: Sunday, July 9, 9:30 a.m.

Where: Run will start from the HST trailhead across the street from the Pretzel Hut (2224 Furnace Hills Pike, Newmanstown)

Post-Run: Pour Man’s Brewing Company

The exact route, along with other details, will be published on the Facebook Event for this run.

Race Results (June, 2023)

by pagodapacers

Want to see your race results in the next newsletter?

Email your race results to Amy Bird at raceresults@pagodapacers.com.

Cayuga Trail 50k

8:36:55Lisa Domeshek

World’s End 100k

12:30:33Gabriel Batdorf3rd OA, 2nd M 30-39
14:51:43Cody Harris
15:52:00David Dunkelberger
17:20:58Karin Tursack
18:54:05Michael Reinhart

World’s End 50k

7:27:49Jess Gockley

Dumb Dutchman Half a Half Marathon

1:12:44Andre Marjanowski3rd M 68-74
1:33:03Helene Horn
1:33:06Joanne Patti
1:36:47Beth Consugar
1:37:44Rose Hagy1st F 75+

Dumb Dutchman Half Marathon

1:25:18Mihai Sanchez2nd Male
1:38:41Ben Lego1st M 30-39
1:47:59Karen Gibbon2nd Female
2:10:36Steven Holgate2nd M Clyde
3:55:26Michael Oetting

Half Sauer Half Kraut Marathon

5:08:42Amy Bird2nd F 45-49
5:08:43Ted Bieniosek

Fleet Feet West Reading BIG Run

22:37Nicholas DiMascio1st M 60-69
24:52Shawn Weller
34:26Diane Gilbert1st F 60-69
37:59Helene Horn
38:54Craig Richards
43:35Bruce Cronrath1st M 70+
52:29Evette Vega

June Third Thirsty Thursday

18:07Mihai Sanchez1st M 20-29
21:50Curt Minich2st M 50-59
22:45Nicholas DiMascio2nd M 60-67
23:10Karen Gibbon1st F 50-59
23:46Jason Tolley
26:42Blair Hogg
27:29Sandie Kincaid
29:01Denyne Tolley
29:56Shawn Weller
30:40Larry Drogo
30:43Michelle Foley
32:45Andrea Thrush
38:56Barbara Raifsnider3rd F 60-67
39:40Rick Showers
42:02Michael Oetting
43:19Bruce Cronrath3rd M 75+
44:07Leonard Burton
47:30Diane Gilbert
47:33Joanne Patti
50:39Helene HornSweep

Coventry Woods Trail Running Festival 5k

52:16:26Brian Krantz1st M 40-49

Coventry Woods Trail Running Festival 10k

1:18:05Michelle Foley2nd F 40-49

Coventry Woods Trail Running Festival 3-Hour

17.75 miles in 2:57:15Mark Weaver1st M 50-59
11.9 miles in 2:00:17Karen Tursack1st F 40-49

Coventry Woods Trail Running Festival 6-Hour

23.6 miles in 4:34:22Chris Fisher1st M 40-49

Running for the Ages 10k Trail Chase (Adjusted times)

43:55James Blandford5th OA
52:25Brian Stoltzfus7th OA
1:04:28Kristen Jacoby8th OA
59:24Nicholas DiMascio2nd M 65-59
51:45Kelly Ammon1st F 30-34
58:49Karen Gibbon1st F 50-54
1:06:43Jackie Snyder2nd F 60-64
49:39Mihai Sanchez1st M 25-29
55:44Justin Kratz
1:05:53Kevin Monaghan
1:12:03Jennifer Pierdomenico
56:24Ray Ingaglio1st M 30-34
1:10:37Fred Foose
1:03:07Cody Harris
1:11:01Tania Salaneck1st F 40-44
1:29:23Sue Jackson
1:18:58Yvonne Good
1:12:59Shawn Weller
1:27:09Mark Gilette
1:17:07Aaron Kreider
1:23:02Michelle Foley
1:37:45Diane Gilbert
1:46:18Cyndi Borelli

On the Rocks Trail Runs 33.3 k

5:55:26Sandie Kincaid3rd F 40-49
6:38:26Steven Holgate

On the Rocks Trail Runs 50k

7:06:18Ted Bieniosek3rd M 30-39

Exeter Library Book-It 5k

31:21Larry Drogo2nd M 70+
41:11Bruce Cronrath
42:29Rose Hagy1st F 70+

Minutes from the Monthly Membership Meeting (June, 2023)

by pagodapacers

Date: June 8, 2023

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Mohnton Fire Company

Treasury Report – Shaun Luther – 131% of target. Constant Contact yearly bill was due, generator for the inflatable start/finish line (capital equipment designated), and Charlie Horse expenses.

Races:

  • Charlie Horse Half Marathon – Shaun Luther – race is completed for 2023; operationally the event went well, and the weather was good. The maiden use of the inflatable start/finish line went well. Registration numbers were 66 entrants for the half marathon and 25 entrants for 5K. According to Shaun, these numbers are too low to keep the race sustainable. Feedback from those who ran was positive, but that doesn’t include people who didn’t run and their reasons for not choosing to participate. Various ideas for marketing and changes to race were discussed.
  • Run for the Ages 10K Trail Run (Sunday, June 25, 2023) – Blair Hogg – 106 entries so far (last year was 175 entrants). Yesterday was the change in price and the end of the guarantee for socks as the swag item. This WNR will be the run for the Pacer course – Steve Vida needs someone to lead the run for this.
  • Grings Mill 5K and 10K, Kids run (Sunday, August 6, 2023)  – Jason Karpinski – planning going ok. He will have list for volunteers at the next meeting.

Committee Reports

Community Service

  • Weekly runs – Steve Vida will need help with leading the distances since Matt is not here this summer
  • Trail Maintenance – Shaun Luther put in a lot of work on the Horse Shoe Trail – a shrubbery cutback, which took about 4 hours. His effort received kudos from the trail association and the land owners who also benefitted.
  • This month’s long run, Port Clinton run, with ‘afters’ at Copperz Brewing Company. See the club’s Facebook page for notifications about this.
  • The ‘Intro to trail running’ event was successful. Fleet feet covered the gear, Berks Trails did a discussion, and Pacers did some training and about a 2-mile run.

Old business

  • Annual Passport – From Michelle: Keep in mind that 3 meetings are required and there are 5 left available to attend.
  • Remember the RSVP for meetings (for food headcount) needs to be made by the Monday prior to the meeting.

New business

  • Board meeting – next round of changes to the by-laws. The board members looked at section 6 about officers.
    • The club President runs the board meetings according to the current by laws, the change is attempting to lessen some of this responsibility.
    • Descriptions of volunteer positions: several positions also indicating that they are officers of the club. Proposing that the volunteer roles be removed.
    • Elections – needs a new section that provides actual details of how the elections are conducted. Propose that election announcements get started in September which will lead to the election in November, and that any dues paying member may vote in the election. Motion made to post the proposed updates in the next newsletter, with intent to vote at the July meeting. Seconded, and passed the motion.
    • Also discussed the update of the website—Michelle is looking for any club member(s) who have experience in website development. The objective is to explore whether a member would volunteer to do this (update the web site) or make recommendations about a service that can assist with this. Someone who speaks the website lingo is needed.

Are You Playing Realtor Roulette?

by pagodapacers

by Jeffrey Hogue

Buying a home is often the most significant investment a person makes in their lifetime. People who understand the magnitude of this investment are unwilling to gamble when buying or selling their homes. A Realtor® can be a great asset in this endeavor, yet many are willing to play a game of chance when choosing one.

The Hook is the House

Many home shoppers start their search online. Websites such as Zillow.com, Realtor.com, and many others provide tools and information to assist consumers with the process. Of course, these home search websites offer all this functionality out of the kindness of their hearts. Well – If you believe it is a charitable offering, I have some swamp land coming for sale on February 30th.

Pay to Play

The mega-real estate websites hope you find a home of interest on their site and request more information or a showing. If someone inquires about a house, an agent will contact the customer shortly after making the request. In almost every case, the agent will NOT be the agent who listed the property.

Here is where the “Realtor® Roulette” starts – The choice of what agent contacts the would-be home buyer has nothing to do with their experience, knowledge of the area, or any other quality that a consumer may consider when choosing a professional. It has more to do with how much the agent pays the website company.

The real estate website makes its money by offering agents the opportunity to be one of those contacting you. You are just a lead to the real estate website company. It does not matter to the website company if you are successful. What matters is that the agents keep paying them.

Do Your Homework

Consider the following: The home-buying market has never been tighter. The inventory of available homes is thin. Find the right real estate agent first, and you will have the best opportunity to own the house you want.

Home sellers are often more seasoned when selecting a representative. When selling their home, they interview agents and choose the one that will best help them meet their goals. Buyers should take a cue from this practice.

Either way, do your homework and don’t leave your home ownership dreams to chance. It is just too important!

Knowledge is Power! Jeffrey C. Hogue

Wednesday Night Runs (July ’23 Locations)

by pagodapacers

Our mid-week group runs have at least two different distance options (3-4 miles and 5-6 miles) with an appointed leader for each route. Each run will have its own Facebook “event,” and the routes will be posted a couple days before the run. After each run, those who can will stick around for food, drink, and good conversation, either at a nearby restaurant or a club member’s residence. Come for the run; stay (if you can) for the fellowship. (If you don’t have time to stick around, no worries–just come run with us!)

July 5: Phil and Andrea Lechner’s residence (4220 Stoudts Ferry Bridge Rd — please park along the edges of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church parking lot across the street) — Post-run to follow at same location

July 12: Antietam Middle Senior High School — Post-run at Kelly Ammon’s residence (1113 Carsonia Ave)

July 19: Maidencreek Community Park — Post-run at Cody and Brittni Harris’s residence (445 Acer Drive, Blandon)

July 26: Larry and Missy Drogo’s residence (1450 Schoffers Rd, Birdsboro) — Post-run to follow at same location

All runs start at 6:15 p.m.

Proposed By-law Changes

by pagodapacers

The Board of Directors reviewed Section VI of the by-laws at their quarterly meeting in May.  Proposed changes were brought to the June club meeting and were approved for posting in the July newsletter.  A vote to approve these changes to the by-laws will be held at the July club meeting.

Changes are proposed to address 3 specific items:

1. The by-laws specify that the President will organize meetings of the Board of Directors and set the agenda. It is proposed that the Board organize their own meetings 4 times a year, but still invite the President.  This is intended to offload duties from the President.

2. The by-laws section about Officers also includes descriptions of other club roles such as results coordinator and youth coordinator. It is proposed to remove descriptions of the volunteer positions and only describe the elected officers and appointed officers. An accurate list of the volunteer coordinators and committees is hard to maintain and isn’t necessary within the by-laws.

3. The by-laws do not describe any framework for conducting club elections. A new Section XI is proposed to provide some boundaries around the election process without being too detailed.

To view the relevant sections and proposed changes in full, please scroll through the documents below.

ppac_bylaws_june2023_proposalDownload
ppac_bylaws_june2023_current_sectviDownload

Run for Donuts with Fleet Feet!

by pagodapacers

If you haven’t heard about Fleet Feet West Reading’s monthly “Donut Dash,” now might be the time to check it out.

2nd Friday Donut Dash: Start your weekend off right!  Every 2nd Friday, the good folks at FFWR meet at the store for a morning run through Wyomissing Park.  Donuts and coffee are provided at the store afterwards.  The next Donut Dash will be on July 14.

That’s Friday, July 14, at 6:30 p.m., 705 Penn Ave, West Reading!

Check out the Facebook Event for more details.

This is the end of the July 2023 newsletter. You can read older posts by continuing to scroll down.

Next Membership Meeting: Thursday, June 8th

by pagodapacers

June’s Monthly Membership Meeting will be held on Thursday, June 8th, at Mohnton Fire Company Social Quarters, 100 E Summit St., Mohnton, PA 19540.  The meeting is upstairs. Enter the front door and go up the stairs to your left. There is no need to ring the buzzer for entry. 

Click HERE to see the location on Google Maps.

Food and drink at 6:30pm | Meeting starts at 7:00pm. All members are welcomed.

* Members are responsible for purchasing their own beverages. Please bring cash.

** Please remember to RSVP by Monday (the week of the meeting) if you plan on coming so we can have an accurate headcount for food & seating.

RSVP can be sent by selecting your correct response on the Facebook event page or via email to mhenry.pacers@gmail.com.

Price Increase Coming Up for Run for the Ages 10k Trail Chase!

by pagodapacers

Run For the Ages 10K Trail Chase

Sunday, June 25, 2023

Held in beautiful NOLDE FOREST!

Rolling, age-graded start begins at 8:30 a.m.

This is quite the bargain for a race entry of only $30! However, the reduced registration price deadline is rapidly approaching. 

You have until Wednesday, June 7 to get the lower price and guarantee swag for the Sunday, June 25, 2023 race. After that, the entry will go to $35 with no swag guarantee.

Run For the Ages 10k is run on the trails and service roadways in beautiful Nolde Forest near Reading, PA. The age-graded start gives any age-group competitive runner a chance to win the race outright.

Fastest overall runner gets a super cute Nolde Forest Pottery turtle, and the first 10 overall finishers get Nolde Forest Pottery plates. Fleet Feet Running Store certificates go to the top three finishers and top age-group medals will also be awarded.

We do allow walkers. Same entry fee and swag as runners, but just not eligible for awards due to an earlier start time of 8 a.m. which will provide ample time to finish with the running participants. *If you are thinking of walking the course, please contact the race director prior to race day. 

Part of all race proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Nolde for park projects and improvements.

This year’s swag is a cool pair of turtle and hare socks which are available in 3 sizes. Swag is guaranteed to the first 150 registered (and we are already half way there). After that, availability will be based on inventory left. Get registered to guarantee yours!

Click here for print registration

Click Here for online registration