Six hours of snowshoeing to the top of Mount Marcy… then a whole lot of fun sledding back down! Talk about feeling like a kid again.

When I think back about the people who have positively influenced me over the years, there are many family and friends, coaches, classmates and co-workers who come to mind. It’s a bit sad when I realize some of those people are no longer a part of my life due to distance or passage of time. But I’ve always believed that people enter and leave your life at a particular time for a reason, be it a brief acquaintance or lasting relationship.

A few days ago, I was saddened to hear that my high school track coach, Dr. Regis Leonard, passed away. He coached our team to numerous State track and field meets and medals, school records and, perhaps most impressive, spent 15 years of his life behind the stop watch sacrificing his time and his patience dealing with a group of high school girls on a regular basis. I spent some time today leafing through boxes of old photos and found a bunch that made me smile, remembering my teammates and our time with the Doc. I’m grateful for those memories. He will be missed.

I cover a lot of Syracuse Crunch games for The Post-Standard. The minor league hockey team (AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets) has some pretty devoted fans, and yesterday, had a few thousand more (21,000 plus!) as the team played Binghamton in the AHL’s first-ever outdoor game at the New York State Fairgrounds. It turned out to be a really great venue.