The Vermont Muench Family Blog

Click on video to hear Bill's speech.

Taylor had quite the year on his baseball team and he is still playing this summer on the all-star team. Here are two short videos---1 is the end of a no-hitter he pitched and the other is his third HR in three at bats in the same game! Way to go Tay Tay!!

Former Astronaut Jerry Carr To Be Burr and Burton Academy’s Commencement Speaker. Bill Muench To Give Faculty Address

Headmaster Mark H. Tashjian is pleased to announce that Skylab astronaut Jerry Carr has accepted the school’s invitation to be the speaker at the 2009 Commencement Exercises.

“We are very excited that Jerry has agreed to be our speaker,” said Tashjian. “As this year is the 40th anniversary of the Apollo lunar landing and the 400th anniversary of Galileo's invention of the telescope, Mr. Carr's presence has historical as well as present-day relevance.”

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Taylor's 6th grade team won the Ed Glodzik tournament this year. Over two hundred kids participated and Taylor was named to all-tourney team! Watch the game in the video below and see what a fun tournament this is. Also included is the article from the newspaper and yes, that is Taylor's arm in the picture from the paper!







WEST RUTLAND -— Free basketballs falling from the rafters. A laser light show. A magic show. Balloon animals.

Is it halftime at the University of Vermont?

Nope, just business as usual at a 5th- and 6th-grade basketball tournament celebrating its 50th birthday.

Welcome to the 50th edition of the Ed Glodzik Memorial Tournament at West Rutland High School, a rite of winter that keeps fans, supporters and teams coming back even after a long season spent indoors.

The tournament that was first played in a bandbox gym nearby is still going strong and is as good, if not better, than ever. Eighteens teams converged on Hinchey Gymnasium when the tournament began last Sunday, with Friday's third-place and championship games bringing down the curtain on another successful celebration of b-ball in a little town known for a proud sporting heritage.

"This is our March Madness," Pat Loughan, the event's public address announcer, said. "A lot of (future) stars come out for this tournament. They all remember it."

That's because members of the West Rutland Booster Club realize the value of their signature event and try to keep things fresh and exciting.

"Now that this tournament has become what it's become a lot of teams have this right on their schedule," John Center, a former booster club president, said. "And that's what we've been aiming to do, to give them the opportunity to compete in a playoff-type atmosphere.

"A lot of people come to see this tournament who don't even have kids in this tournament."

The tournament was renamed for Glodzik, a Westside graduate and sports enthusiast, in 1989. Glodzik passed away in 1988 but his legacy lives on.

Loughan, whose son Pat Jr. played for West Rutland High teams, was a good friend of Glodzik and coached a local team that won the event the year it was renamed.

Members of his team asked Loughan whether they could dedicate the victory to Glodzik if they won the title.

"They weren't cocky, but they were confident," Loughan said.

"I was almost in tears. We're talking about fifth- and sixth-graders here."

Loughan, like many others, has been part of the tournament for decades.

Theresa McGinnis is one of the smiling faces greeting spectators at the admissions table.

"I come back for this because this is just so much fun," she said. "It's a social event."

And a very competitive one, showcasing players sure to be recognized at higher levels in years to come. But even these mighty-mites are capable of drama, like the Proctor player who sent a game into overtime Wednesday night with a nothing-but-net 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation time.

"The kids" keep me coming back, booster club president Mark Coderre said. "They enjoy this so much. You can see the looks on their faces and that's worth all the time and effort."

The boosters run the tournament like a big-time event. Copies of a reprinted story about Glodzik and the tournament provide spectators with a sense of its history. Every team member is listed in a program, which also includes a tournament bracket.

The boosters club is a classy group that puts the proceeds back into the tournament, and into Westside sports from kindergarten through high school.

In this special year, every player received a golden engraved commemorative medal. The volunteer officials, men who commonly work high school games, receive engraved golden whistles.

The crowning touch was Friday's third-place game and the title game, after which Annie Higgins, Glodzik's widow, handed out trophies befitting a high school state championship along with the Glodzik children, Bethany and Brian.

Magician "Mr. Phil" from Tilden, N.H., was hired to entertain the crowd Friday night and between the last game and the trophy presentation came the highlight of many youngsters' week as 100 free, regulation basketballs were dropped from the rafters.

The timing of the basketball giveaway was something the boosters tweaked after introducing it last year.

"All we heard (during the championship game) was bounce, bounce, bounce."

Just like the steady beat of this special event as it prepares for its second half-century.

bob.fredette@rutlandherald.com

It has been a very busy winter for our family and I have not had a chance to update the blog. Don't Leave is playing again and one of the highlights was having Weston's band ("Please Stay") share the stage with us. I also coached at the high school level for the first time in years. It was also the first time that I coached a girls team. It was the best experience that I have ever had coaching! Weston made the states in skiing and had a very successful season as did Taylor in basketball. Taylor was names all-tournament team twice this winter and single handedly outscored one of the teams we played. He scored 31 points and the team we played scored 30! Barb and I worked hard this winter (Barb worked harder than I did). In addition to her work at school Barb worked at Stratton Mt. on the weekends. I taught adult night classes in Psychology and Space exploration. CHeck out Weston's band below:

What an enjoyable year I had coaching this group of girls. We improved each game and each girl gave 100 % each day this year! I will be missing this team after school each day when the last game has been played.

Check out the three songs that the boys played at their first real gig!

Here is a 3 minute video that covers this week in Vermont. It starts with video of Don't Leave (band) playing for Warm Up Vermont, pictures of the foliage, pics of the boys, Weston racing and Barb riding her horse.

Look for Taylor with the puppet on the left:-)

Don't Leave is back!
After a short (2 year) hiatus, Don't Leave is reunited and back performing with its ageless, unique blend of time honored rock and roll built around powerful vocals and contagious energy. Bill Muench and Lee Romano started Don't Leave (with Rich Titus) 23 years ago at Stratton Mountain. Dave Domenick joined the band in 1998 and with the recent addition of Mike Meaney on drums/vocals along with Greg Snedeker on keyboard/cello/vocals, the band is ready to rock the Northshire. Don't Leave has enjoyed a devoted following over the years, performing throughout the Northeast and beyond while making friends at every step along the way. They are proving once again that they are "...more fun than is absolutely necessary." (photo courtesy of Lee Krohn)

Come Join Don't Leave for a fun evening and a worthy cause! Warm Up Vermont is a group of concerned residents decided to step up and address the potential heating crisis for our local community.

Warm Up Vermont’s kick-off event will be held at Bromley on October 5th. Tickets will cost $10 per person or $25 per family (plus a small ticketing charge) if purchased in advance online. Tickets will be available at the door for $15 (individual) and $30 (family). Prices includes use of The Adventure Park between 3:30-5:00 and entertainment by the Don’t Leave Band from 6:45-9:00 along with the silent auction and brown bag raffle.

Team Trivia will also be held between 5:15-6:30. Special guest Governor Jim Douglas will kick off the contest and a grand prize of $500 will be awarded to the team winning the most rounds. Tickets will be $20 per person with a limit of 5 people per team.

Warm Up Vermont will be matched one dollar for every dollar raised, up to $8,000! So please plan on attending our kick-off drive for Adventure, Trivia and Music for a very good cause on October 5th. There's something for everyone!

Taylor became the next Muench equestrian today! He took the reins and rode Cisco for a walk up Wideawake and down Three Maple Drive. He did a great job! Of course his Mom was beaming beside him :)
Cisco was a gentleman all the way. Our fan club included Skunk and Bill who cheered us on our way out.

What an exciting day Bill had with his friend Al Ishu (ESPN Cameraman). Bill had the chance to see how ESPN works a baseball game. He got behind the scenes, saw interviews with Jeter (Bill even shook his hand!) and Reggie Jackson, went to the editing trucks, saw many players, watched Johnny Damon play baseball with his kids alone on the field after the game, and even got a chance to get behind the dugout camera. Thank you Al for giving Bill such an amazing weekend!

Here is the song set we used (We did a tight 45 minutes):

LIVE GREEN (RILEY RINK Saturday Aug. 30, 2008)

Cripple Creek
Keep your hands to yourself
Abracadabra –
Barefootin’
Friend of the devil (Greg on Cello)
Amie (Greg on Cello)
Wild Nights
Higher Ground
Take the Money and Run
Ice Fishing
Rolling Stone (greg on cello) / Bertha (greg on Piano)

(photos courtesy of Lee Krohn)

Check out Barb's imitation of Michael Phelps.

Check out the piggies!

Barb's new truck and Rummy the horse.

Taylor's birthday wish was a trip to Cooperstown with the family. We spent an night at the American Hotel in Sag Harbor (really a hidden treat -- check it out). The next day Mom and Dad surprised Taylor by spending the day with us!

Our dear friend Rich Millet took all of us to see the final concert at Shea with Billy Joel and special guests! 35 songs and three hours of music-- it was amazing!!


Billy Joel started with the Star Spangled Banner and ended a couple hours later with Souvenir. Behind the musicians was a large backdrop that showed not only scenes from New York, but also Mets highlights.

The big surprise, though, were the special guests who joined Joel on stage. Early in the show, it was Tony Bennett on New York State of Mind, (the boys thought Tony Bennett looked like Pop-Pop) followed by John Mayer (This is the Time), Don Henley (Boys of Summer) and John Mellencamp (Pink Houses). Rich- another highlight- Thank you!!!

The set list:

• Star Spangled Banner
• Miami 2017
• Prelude/Angry Young Man
• My Life
• Everybody Loves You Now
• The Entertainer
• Zanzibar
• Allentown
• Ballad of Billy the Kid
• New York State of Mind (with Tony Bennett)
• Big Man on Mulberry Street
• Root Beer Rag
• Movin Out
• Goodnight Saigon
• Don't Ask Me Why
• This is the Time (with John Mayer)
• Keeping the Faith
• Downeaster "Alexa"
• Innocent Man (including an intro of Stand By Me)
  
• Boys of Summer (with Don Henley)
• She's Always a Woman
• Captain Jack
• Lullabye
• River of Dreams (including a bit from A Hard Days Night)
  
• Pink Houses (with John Mellencamp)
• We Didn't Start the Fire
• Still Rock and Roll
• You May Be Right
• Please Please Me

Encore:

• Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
• Only the Good Die Young
• She Loves You
• Piano Man
• Souvenir

Our new kitty is a tuxedo kitty who enjoys playing with Gus' tail, chasing his toy mouse and walks on the beach at sunset.

Bill and I just came in from serving dinner to our piggies. They are sooooo adorable and fun to watch. We have two blacks, and two oreo colored with one gender representing each color. We have had visitors as far as Chittenden. Our woods is looking nice and rotatilled. We are feeding them pig mash which I mix with a little warm water for a lovely texture and dining experience. We also collect scraps from our meals however because I cook enough to eat for 4 their scraps consist of scrapings from a pan here and there....although they did polish off a watermelon rind yesterday. Gus is like a mama to them. He walks around the pen sticking his nose in and he enjoys licking their mash covered noses. The boys come and look but are afraid of being too attached now. We may have to buy pigs from somewhere else since all of our pigs are named Wilbur! So far we are enjoying our new role as hog farmers.

We went into NY City this weekend to visit our friend Brian Gawlik (Brian looks great and he is ready for the bone marrow transplant) and our good buddy Rich Millet took us out to see The Lion King. It was one of the most amazing things that I have ever seen! Rich got us excellent seats and it was something that our family will never forget.
Sunday morning we visited with Brian for a couple of hours at Mt. Sinai Hospital. He says that he is receiving excellent care and that he is ready for the bone marrow transplant. He is an amazing person who has helped so many of us through our medical issues. All of us want him to know that we will be there when he needs us!

Weston and Taylor had quite a game yesterday! Taylor pitched and got the win and had to two hits. Weston came in and pitched the last inning to get the save and hit two home runs.

Today we spent the morning at the water park. The kids had a ball. Barb had the most fun riding the hippo in the kiddie pool!

After our trip to the hospital, Washington D.C. and Kennedy Space Center, we headed to West Palm Beach for a week of relaxation on the beach and by the pool. Later in the week, we had a chance to visit with friends of ours Lu and Clark French. Taylor was especially happy to see their son , Nikki, his buddy from Vermont. All in all it was relaxing and a treat to be together healthy and happy after the last year that we have had.

What a time we had at the Kennedy Space Center! Mom and Aunt Sharon met us at Cape Canaveral and we spent an entire day touring the KSC. We saw the launch pads , all the rockets and space ships that went into space. We met astronaut Jack Lousma who flew on Skylab 3 (see the video below). We went to the Astronaut Hall-of-Fame and saw our friend, Jerry Carr's hall-of-Fame plaque.

What a great time we had in Washington D.C. We spent an entire day walking "The Mall" and I was amazed at how impressive the entire place is. We had never been as a family and we were very moved by the Korean, Viet Nam and WWII memorials.

Things went well in Baltimore and the MRI showed what most people suspected already--there is nothing in my head! After the appointments at Johns Hopkins we headed to meet up with mom and Aunt Sharon at the Kennedy Space Center. A friend of ours said that there is a saying at the hospital: "Johns Hopkins always looks better in the rear-view mirror."