Reminiscing about Andre Raymond, cycling hero

MIDDLETOWN – What I’d like to do in this space is simple — tell stories through sports. You will get to read about people, places and things around Greater Middletown that I think are interesting, cool and important to know about. Hope you feel the same way, too.

That said, Andre “Andy” Raymond’s story fits this forum to a T. Or in Andy’s case, a “C.”

Raymond died on April 25 at the hearty age of 90. He was a U.S. Army veteran who served in Korea, was a Middletown firefighter for three decades and a member of many local organizations, including the American Legion’s Post 75.

His story is spun out of any one of his bikes. A well-known cyclist around these parts, Raymond wanted to take his love for the sport to another level, and in so doing he left a lot appreciative people in his wake.

Raymond did this by organizing a competitive race in the city back in the day. He convinced town officials that riders would turn out from all over and people would come out and watch. He would insist on Main Street as a focal point. And he had the friends and knew enough cycling enthusiasts to help get the work done.

And there you have it — the Andy Raymond Firecracker Criterium was born.

For the better part of the 1970s, all of the 1980s and into the ‘90s, the race was held on the Fourth of July. You may remember the herd of long-legged riders (is there another kind?) whizzing past to the cheers of a crowd that gathered downtown. One resident remembers sitting near the corner of Russell and Hunting Hill Avenue, which was part of the race loop, to watch riders fly by.

“The Firecracker Criterium was his love and his legacy,” said Hank Hiller, Raymond’s friend for decades and forever a cyclist, too. “That’s how he got his name attached to it. He was the force behind the Firecracker Criterium. He just dedicated himself to that July Fourth spectacle. He had a lot of volunteer help, and the city did a great job making the center of Middletown the course.

“Cyclists loved it and looked forward to coming back every year. Andy was a statewide influence for cycling.”

According to a Press account in 2007, Raymond said the criterium drew upward of 600 participants each year. Hiller, who was close to Raymond for more than 40 years and thought of him as his cycling mentor, remembers riders coming in to the city from the New England states, New York, even Pennsylvania, to race.

“There would be tons of

people who would watch, too, partly because criteriums are exciting races,” Raymond told the Press then. “They would take laps right down Main Street and around the Green. It was great. People loved it.”

As time passed, though, costs for holding the race became prohibitive. The criterium took the last of its 19 spins around town in 1993. Attempts have been made to revive a similar event, but they haven’t panned out.

At Pedal Power on Main Street, the guys working in the service department have fond memories of Raymond’s visits to the shop. They reminded me that Raymond also was president of the Middlesex Bicycling Club and at one time was in charge of the city’s bike safety day. On Saturday, what is now Middletown Kids Health and Safety Day will be held on Main Street (between Court and College streets). The day will include tips on bike safety and a family ride.

“He did everything in the world for cycling. He lived it and breathed it,” Spencer Gates, Pedal Power’s service manager, said. “Early on in his life he did so much for the cycling community. He was a special person in that community.”

Raymond was still visiting the shop into his 80s, bringing with him one bike or a few at a time for repair. Most of the bikes were for kids. “You couldn’t say ‘no’ to Andy,” Gates said.

One day, Gates recalled, Raymond said he wanted a new bike for himself.

“He wanted a new bike, modern with all the bells and whistles. I had to talk him out of it,” Gates said, half smiling.

There also was the time Gates visited Raymond at his Middletown home, because Raymond asked him to fix his exercise bike. “He wanted to stay in shape – in his 80s,” Gates said.

It’s hard not to think that cycling played a major role in Raymond’s longevity.

“It kept him going, that and wife, Helene,” Gates said, “and he was a faithful person. He had a pretty good mix of things going on in his life.”

The Hiller-Raymond friendship revolved around the sport. They would hit the road over the years for riding trips that would last a week or more, some venturing into upper Michigan and Nova Scotia, Hiller said.

Hiller also enjoyed the times the two watched the Tour de France on TV, and how the magnitude of the Lance Armstrong doping scandal devastated them both as fans of the sport.

“He was a lifelong friend, a terrific guy and a very giving person,” Hiller said. “He was a joy to be with and I’ll miss him forever.”

If you’d like to share a story about Andy Raymond or the Firecracker Criterium for future mention, please visit my Facebook page.

Around the area

*Middletown and Portland play a baseball game on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Middletown has won three of four to get to 8-8. Portland started 0-4, won five in a row and now has won four straight to wind up 10-6. Should be an interesting matchup at a renovated and gorgeous Palmer Field, which some are calling Junior Camden Yards these days.

*Middletown’s DeAaron Lawrence, who will play football at Stonehill College in the fall, won the long jump, triple jump and high jump in his team’s 108-42 victory over Berlin last week.

*The Coginchaug boys and Old Saybrook girls won team titles in the Runnin’ Rams Invitational at Old Saybrook High on Saturday.

Three Coginchaug athletes won their events (Sean McMaster, 1,600 meters; Matthew Schinas, triple jump; Tanner Jameson, javelin) and East Hampton’s Cody Goodson won the pole vault. In the girls division, titlists from the area included Cromwell’s Andraya Yearwood in the 200, Hale-Ray’s Emily Sienna in the 1,600 and Cromwell’s 4x400 relay team of Meghan Savinelli, Caitlin DellaRatta, McKenzie Keane and Shannon Morrill.

*Coginchaug’s Tyler Woodward (38 at Lyman Orchards) and Oliver Artus of Haddam-Killingworth (42 at Black Birch in Moodus) were the medalists in their respective teams’ golf wins last week.

*Vincent Gritzuk, Brennen Maxfield, Noah Blake and Shane Rosario have been a medalist at one time or another for the Middletown boys golf team this season. Logan Frame has medaled for the girls team. Her brother, Derek, was a solid player for the Blue Dragons in recent seasons.

*Carly Lane got the victory and Amalia DeMartino, Taylor McDermott and Ayannah Helmedach drove in two runs each in Coginchaug’s 8-5 softball win over Cromwell on Friday. Ashley Mountain was 3 for 4 with two RBI for Cromwell. Coginchaug (13-3) is the Shoreline’s next-best team to 15-0 North Branford.

*Portland High senior Abby Dillon signed a letter of intent recently to continue her softball career at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, where she will play for coach Jim McKinnon. Dillon also was a four-year member of Portland's girls basketball team, which is coached by McKinnon's son, Jim.

Play golf for ‘Skubel’s Kids’

The inaugural Skubel’s Kids Golf Tournament, with proceeds to benefit the Middletown Football College Scholarship Fund and Summer Camp, will be held June 9 at Portland GC. The fee is $150 per golfer for the four-player scramble event. Donations to the fund also are accepted. The shotgun start is 1 p.m. Contact Mike Morello (860-836-8783) for more information, or email skubelskids@gmail.com.

Portland’s Piersall

Portland’s Nick Piersall is making a name for himself in what will be his only season with the Central Connecticut State men’s golf team. Central is eliminating golf after this year as one way to save money.

CCSU won the Northeast Conference title in April to automatically qualify for the NCAA regionals this week in Kissimmee, Fla. Piersall was named second team all-conference after tying for seventh with rounds of 71-76-76. He was a four-time All-Shoreline Conference player and two-time Shoreline champion.

“He’s had a great season,” Portland coach Joe Santavenere said. “We keep in touch as much as we can and he’s super excited they made (the regionals).”

Rivalry is alive and well

*The summer promises great fun in the AL East between the Yankees and Red Sox. I expect a backand-forth race. The lineups are equally strong in different ways. The Red Sox have the edge in starting pitching. At some point the Yankees won’t be able to justify having Sonny Gray pitch every fifth day. It’s hard not to think that the race will go down to the wire. Both will make the playoffs. Let’s revisit this on Sept. 30, the final day of the regular season!

*I know many Orioles fans. Some walk around with their heads in their hands these days. Baltimore lost 28 of its first 40. Bad, bad team. Manager Buck Showalter and GM Dan Duquette are in the final year of their contracts. The Angeloses are not. Something’s gotta give.

*What do Doris Burke, Jessica Mendoza, Beth Mowins, Rebecca Lobo, Dottie Pepper, Jamie Little and AJ Mleczko have in common? They are outstanding sports broadcasters who happen to be women. In 2018, we should not be surprised that women are just as good as men talking about a zone defense, a spread offense, a golf swing, a pitcher’s mechanics, whatever it may be. They are very good at what they do and they are here to stay.

Finally …

At a high school game earlier this season, I pulled into a parking lot to see an umpire changing into his gear beside his vehicle. This is not uncommon. What was surprising was he was down to his skivvies in full view of students still milling about the lot. So much for good judgment. We shouldn’t expect umpires to arrive to games in full gear, but honestly ...