Published: July 15, 2008 12:03 am            

CANAL FEST: NT tops Tonawanda again

In a return to it’s government-labor roots, this year’s Canal Fest Tug-of-War put scores of municipal employees on the line.

Thirteen seconds after it began, a group of 16 North Tonawanda cops, firemen and Department of Public Works employees nabbed what many say was the city’s seventh consecutive title Monday evening at Niawanda Park.

Controversy prevailed over the exact standings, with others claiming it was a six-win streak.

Opposition Mayor Ron Pilozzi took the defeat in stride, despite the stakes — he will be obliged to push North Tonawanda Mayor Larry Soos over the Delaware Street Bridge at 6 p.m. today. The mode of transportation, as always, will be wheelbarrow.

“I’m very used to this,” Pilozzi said. “But it’s still a great tradition — we have a lot of fun with it and I saved Mayor Soos from a hernia. Only a real man can handle the job.”

Seconds prior to the starting cue, one or two self-appointed auditors noticed a momentary unfair advantage on the NT side, which had fielded 16 members to the opposition’s 15. The lapse did not appear to be intentional, however, and a member was added on the low side.

This contradicted a consensus reached by organizers beforehand that the number of participants would be determined by whichever team had the fewest contenders.

This was the first time in recent years various non-city affiliated strongmen were barred from participating. Soos said sheer determination may have been the deciding factor for his city’s win.

“By looking at both teams I thought they had us by six or seven hundred pounds, but our guys were in it to win. You could see it in their faces,” he said.

Despite cheers from a group of enterprising Tonawanda High School cheerleaders performing a routine designed to bolster the south side’s efforts, no upset was to be found.

Dave Nedell, harbor master and City of Tonawanda team member, looked to next year’s event and summed it all up.

“Well live to fight another day,” he said.

Contact reporter Neale Gulleyat 693-1000, ext. 114.

        

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