Gee... my sarcasm-o-meter is totally pegged. :)
--jeffp


* Daniel Matthew Silvernail (dmsilvernail@...) [070502 21:03]:
> I was there when the lights went out on Saturday.
>
> As a participant in the Epee Open I cannot know nor, given the
> circumstances, shall I ever again care what results of that event
> might have been posted under different circumstances. I DO know I
> excelled in the pools, besting Bill Gelnow, top seed in the event, in
> the process. So I expected high standings in the results table, had
> there been any official result. But such was not to be - the
> electrical situation was the hand dealt us and we are fencers,
> infinitely adaptable to situations - that is our calling.
>
> In that context I'll never forget our Club's response, dealing with a
> raw situation, on Sunday at mid-day. Addressing us, the Open
> Foilists, when the entries closed Paul Egli to his avowed and
> everlasting credit announced loud and clear the circumstances of the
> situation, the committee's plan of action, and how that action plan
> would implemented. And to it's avowed and everlasting credit, under
> impossible circumstances, the bout committee of Salle Santa Cruz -
> through the extraordinary efforts of Mary Keene, Jeff Powell, and
> unnamed others - pulled that off, and made that action plan manifest....
>
> And so I was there that night, in utter darkness except for those
> jury-rigged lamps, when Anen and Murugin faced off...
>
> What was subsequently witnessed was among the most dramatic,
> brilliant fencing matches most of us have yet seen in our brief
> lives. And that match owes it's very existence to just a very few
> persons of action, reacting to an emergency, attacking an
> extraordinary, unforeseen situation, and carrying out their game plan
> forcibly, effectively, honorably, brilliantly...
>
> Daniel Silvernail
> Salle Santa Cruz
>
>
>
>
> On May 2, 2007, at 10:47 AM, Karen Bailey wrote:
>
> >We shouldn't forget the other saviours of the boardwalk, all of the
> >people
> >trying to run in under difficult circumstances. I have been
> >involved in
> >every boardwalk since its inception and none have been more
> >difficult than
> >this one. So let me add my thanks to Paul for being the diplomat,
> >organizer
> >and goodwill ambassador, to Sarah for manning the desk at the most
> >difficult
> >time and losing her voice in the process and probably her energy
> >for the
> >foil the next day, to Mary, John, and Andrew for throwing
> >themselves in to
> >the fires of directing some not to pleasant fencers and Amanda for
> >both
> >directing and helping with registration and last but not least to
> >Geoff and
> >Johann for coming up with the lights , generator and other
> >equipment to keep
> >us going. This one was a team effort. If I have left anyone out please
> >forgive and blame it on mad cow disease, also called old age.
> >Bob
> >
> >
> >>From: "Mary Keane" <mary.keane@...>
> >>Reply-To: santacruzfencing@yahoogroups.com
> >>To: "'Jeff Powell'" <jeffp@...>, "'SDC
> >>Fencers'" <fencers@...>
> >>CC: <santacruzfencing@yahoogroups.com>
> >>Subject: [santacruzfencing] RE: Salle DeCesare and the Boardwalk Open
> >>Date: Tue, 1 May 2007 20:52:11 -0700
> >>
> >>And a hearty thank you from Salle Santa Cruz!!
> >>
> >>-----Original Message-----
> >>From: Jeff Powell [mailto:jeffp@...]
> >>Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2007 4:09 PM
> >>To: SDC Fencers
> >>Cc: Mary Keane
> >>Subject: Salle DeCesare and the Boardwalk Open
> >>
> >>Hey Gang,
> >>
> >>I need to tell you a story. It is titled:
> >>
> >>How Salle DeCesare Helped Save The Boardwalk Open
> >>
> >>On Saturday, the Boardwalk Open was in full swing in
> >>the UCSC campus when the unexpected happened: the power
> >>went out. Apparently the entire campus went dark.
> >>
> >>I wasn't there, but the good folks from Salle Santa
> >>Cruz that were hosting the tournament realized that
> >>all of SDC's scoring machines could be run on batteries,
> >>and moved what they could over to those machines.
> >>
> >>Alas, it wasn't enough, and power wasn't restored quickly.
> >>They had to stop the open epee at the round of 16.
> >>Basically, the fencing was called due to darkness.
> >>
> >>On Sunday morning I was called by Mary Keane asking
> >>what they could do to run their other scoring machines
> >>on batteries, as they had the foil half of the entire
> >>event to run, the power still wasn't back, and 4 strips
> >>wasn't enough.
> >>
> >>We talked a while and figured out a plan. Mary has a
> >>generator and I have a big UPS. That combination would
> >>drive their scoring machines just fine. Ambient light was
> >>enough for the morning and afternoon, so we hoped things
> >>would go fast. And they did, for a while. They had 8
> >>strips in use as often as they could, but eventually
> >>things slowed down as fencers were directing, they ran
> >>out of directors, breaks were needed, and what-not.
> >>
> >>And darkness set in, again. As it always does.
> >>
> >>But Sunday we had more time to plan. We got some halogen
> >>lights (thanks to Mary's SO) and put them on the generator.
> >>Then we finished the open foil events using SDC's battery
> >>operated strips. It was an odd sight, fencing by halogen
> >>work light on two strips in that big gym, but it worked.
> >>We finished cleaning up at about 9:15pm, I think. Well
> >>after dark.
> >>
> >>It was an interesting and eventful tournament, but it
> >>never would have finished up without SDCs equipment.
> >>So on behalf of Salle Santa Cruz I need to thank the
> >>good people of SDC for the equipment loan. Though it was
> >>never planned that way, it saved the day. Thank you!
> >>
> >>The UCSC people say the problem is the main underground
> >>power cable to the west fieldhouse is bad and must be
> >>replaced. They weren't going to work on that until
> >>Monday to save money. Imagine that. :)
> >>
> >>Anyway, thanks again. You really came through!
> >>
> >>--jeffp
> >>
> >
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