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Summit Up

SUMMIT UP
Summit Daily/Brad Odekirk We will just let this one speak for itself.
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Good morning and welcome to Summit Up, the world’s only daily column taking a moment of silence to mark the sad end of The Streak.No, we’re not talking about finally washing those Fruit of the Looms. Nor are we referring to our frequent and regular penchant for “commando runs” through highly populated public spaces. We’re serious here. If you’ve never heard of Paul Schipper, it’s probably because you live in Summit Up Land, not at Sugarloaf in Maine. See, Mr. Schipper, who is 81, has been skiing every single day of the ski season for the last 20 years – just shy of 4,000 consecutive ski season days.Unfortunately, though, Paul came down with a bit of the flu in January, according to this Associated Press article we’re reading, and that’s when The Streak fell apart. While part of us laments this (we love to see anyone go over the top doing anything healthy and soul-filling like skiing), the other part of us wonders if it isn’t for the best, since anyone who skis that much has got to be a bit off his rocker. Think about it: If we told you our perfect streak of attendance at work had just been snapped and we’d gone for 4,000 days in a row, you’d wrap us up in one of those padded white jackets with shiny buckle straps.

OK, you’d probably just tighten up the straps in the one we’re already wearing, but you get the idea: There’s a fine but definitely very clear line between a good-natured streak and a sick, obsessive compulsion.Regardless, the Sugarloaf folks love Schipper, and they’re going to submit his name to Guinness and see if that isn’t some sort of record, and name a trail after him. We just hope they don’t call it “Streaker’s Run.” We think you can imagine why. Then again, if they do, we might have to move to Maine.***One of our Summit Up sources tells us that this week marks the 76th birthday of Dr. Maya Angelou, the country’s former poet laureate, which sounds like a pretty good gig to us, at least at first glance. So without further ado, we’d like to suggest that Summit County appoint a local poet laureate; someone who could inspire us on a daily or at least weekly basis with elegant, streamlined verse and prose that elevates the soul and makes the spirit sing.

Anyone who feels qualified to hold that position should immediately send some examples of their work straight to the Summit Up desk (summitup@summitdaily.com) where we can forward it to the People in Charge.***An Angel Alert!! Angel Alert!! just rolled across our desk, so we’ll leave the world of bonsai behind and send out a pair of gossamer wings from Cathy, who says, “Many thanks to the ‘honest angel’ that found my checkbook in the Wal-Mart parking lot. May good karma keep coming your way!” ***Stephanie in Summit Cove read about the smoke shacks getting torn down at Breck and, having lived here quite a while, has seen plenty of other changes. But before anybody starts the revolution we recommended the other day, she has this advice:



“I’ve seen so much change, I don’t want to fight it anymore,” she said in her voicemail message to us. “It gets to the point where you have to let change be and go for what’s good for you. The only change I want to make is not working. It’s not good for my health.”We’re right there with ya, Steph.***Yes, yes, Thursday! We have no idea why we’re so excited about it. Must have something to do with the longer days and later sunsets. That, or all this talk of streaking. Let us know what’s got you amped up at summitup@summitdaily.com, fax at (970) 668-0755 or just holler at us on the voicemail at (970) 668-3998, ext. 237.We’re out trying to imagine if there’s anything in the world we could do 4,000 days in a row …


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