Lights Are On! And Red Sox Won!

Lights

Yes, they have been turned on at Conard and will soon be shining for the first time at Hall, too!

After years and years of petitions and discussion, and then more than a year of hardcore fundraising (and great support from West Hartford’s legislative delegation), the first high school game was played under the lights at Conard on Wednesday. I personally think it was great to showcase the Conard vs. Hall field hockey game for the first official night game – setting a precedent that the lights will be used for all sports!

The stands were full, with spirited cheering by the Conard Tribe and many fans who, like me, were attending their first field hockey game. At halftime, Athletic Director Betty Remigino-Knapp thanked everyone who worked to bring the lights to West Hartford. (Fundraising is continuing; see www.uniteforlight.com for details.)

And as is typical of the West Hartford crosstown rivalry, the competition was intense.

Hall went ahead early in the first half with a goal by Ann-Margaret Sullivan. The Warriors kept the lead until a goal by Conard’s Lizzy Christianson tied the score at 1-1 with 29:07 left in the second half.

Thankfully I was sitting next to the parents of a former Conard field hockey player who explained some of the rules, including the 7-on-7 sudden-death overtime period.

Neither team scored in overtime. With the final score 1-1, Hall (9-5-2) and Conard (8-5-3) will have to wait until Friday to find out who they will meet in the first round of the Class L championship.

Lights Also Mean Halloween

Yes, it’s happening – and on Oct. 31! And we all have lights and power in our homes.

“It’s on this year,” West Hartford Mayor Scott Slifka said on Wednesday evening. Slifka’s own daughter, now a kindergartner, was probably happiest of all that her dad did not have to cancel Halloween for the third year in a row. 

And since I have no official reason to seek refuge at the police station covering West Hartford’s response to yet another superstorm, I am pretty happy for docile weather this Halloween season.

There were a few reported snowflakes on Wednesday morning, but it’s hard to even remember what West Hartford looked like in late October last year and two years ago. I dug out a few photos to remind you!

Sox and Fox

Finally, in other “What a difference a year makes” action, there are the Red Sox. From the bottom to the top, bringing good news to Boston after April’s marathon tragedy, the season of the beards has been exceptional.

First World Series win at Fenway since 1918!

And no discussion of the Red Sox game would be complete in my book without a link to a little song that builds on my strange obsession with the “fox”: What Do the Sox Say?