ATHOL — After a two-year hiatus, the River Rat Race is paddling back to town in April.
The last time racers put their canoes in the Millers River for the area’s signature event was in 2019, but at its meeting on Feb. 1, Athol’s Selectboard happily voted to issue a license to the Athol Lions Club to hold the race in April. The race was canceled for 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Jeanette McIntosh, new chair of the River Rat Race Committee, made the pitch for the license. McIntosh is filling the position long held by David Flint, who died Dec. 22.
Before she made her presentation, Selectboard member Stephen Raymond was heard to say, “You’ve got big shoes to fill. We’re going to miss him.”
“As you know,” McIntosh began, “we lost our beloved member of our Lions Club in the North Quabbin region, Dave Flint. Dave was very active in our area, and especially as chairman of the annual Athol to Orange River Rat canoe race.
“On Jan. 12, the Athol Lions Club met and decided to hold the canoe race — permit pending — on April 9, 2022. At that time, they voted me in as the new chairman,” she continued.
McIntosh, a long-time member of the Lions Club, has been a member of the race committee for 27 years and has served as finish line judge since the Lions took over as race organizers 30 years ago.
Dave Lozier, who has been involved in the event since its inception, will continue to serve as race director.
McIntosh told the Selectboard, “I have received hundreds and hundreds of notes and forms that Dave had saved from previous race years. It is our commitment to continue the race format as he had done in the past.
“Our biggest change will be to the Friday night post position drawing,” she went on. “We will be outside, instead of inside at the Town Hall. After speaking with Board of Health officials, it was determined that 400 to 500 people would not be a good idea.”
Instead, she said, the drawing will take place at the Silver Lake pavilion. Headquarters for the event will be at Else Wear, located at 1485 Main St. Registrations will be accepted at that location beginning March 1. An online registration website, she said, will also be up and running by then.
Those in attendance applauded immediately following the board’s vote to approve the license. Due to his membership in the Lions, board member Mitch Grosky abstained from the vote, but the remaining four members were unanimous in their approval.
“I think it’s great,” Town Manager Shaun Suhoski said the day after the Selectboard’s vote. “Kudos to the Lions Club for picking this up, and to Jeanette McIntosh for picking up the mantle that Dave Flint left, in terms of organizing the event.
“You don’t usually get applause for an agenda item,” he continued. “It’s a namesake in Athol and it’s been around for many years, and to pick up where Mr. Flint left off is a credit to the Lions organization, the work they do and to all the partners they engage throughout the community.
“As health conditions allow, and with events outdoors, we hope that we can have safe and great weekend come April 9.”
Suhoski said he hopes news of the return of the race signals a return to near normality after two years of dealing with pandemic-related restrictions.
“I think that impromptu applause,” he said, “and the permit’s approval — I think that conveyed a sense of ‘aaah,’ a relief. It’s great to have this signature event and this signature weekend come back to life in Athol.”
It’s not yet known if other events that have been held in conjunction with the race will all return this year. That will be determined over the next few months. These events have included a promenade, a spaghetti supper at the Athol Congregational Church sponsored by the Boy Scouts, and the increasingly popular Big Cheese 5K sponsored by the Athol Area YMCA.
One thing that will be back is coverage of the event by Athol-Orange Community Television (AOTV).
Station Executive Director Carol Courville said, “Every year, technically, there are some challenges. Since it’s been two years — three now — once the weather breaks, we go out and test each location and see if we can still go live there. But we have every intention of doing it, hopefully.
“We’ve been checking it right along. Ever since the passing of Dave, we were inquiring if it would happen and any changes that might be made. One of the changes they’re doing is having the drawing not inside, so that may or may not be covered. If it is, it probably won’t be live because we won’t be able to go live from Silver Lake.”
Courville said AOTV is always in need of volunteers. Those interested should email her at carol@aotv13.org or call the station at 978-249-4470.
“We can train them for what their position will be for the day,” she said. “Some people will be running camera, but others we just need to be wranglers or drivers or do other things that we can train them on fairly simply. And, of course, we need help setting up and breaking down.”
(Wranglers, for those who are interested, are those who “wrangle” officials, participants or spectators to be interviewed by AOTV’s on-air personalities.)
Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.