Speaker series : Janis Mink, Tom Sanford and John Thornell.

This evening the program is all about rowing in shells with sliding seats and pulling sweeps and sculls on the Mystic River with particular emphasis on the new Mystic River Boathouse Park project just north of the Mystic Seaport.
Our three speakers Janis Mink, Tom Sanford and John Thornell. Janis Mink is an art historian, author and teaching professor. She has been rowing on the Mystic River for the past 20 years, coached the Stonington HS novice girls and taught sculling to many children and adults at the YMCA on Williams Beach. Janis will tell us about the aesthetic and athletic experience she enjoys rowing out on the River.
Tom Sanford rowed at Columbia College in the mid 1960's, served in the Navy and enjoyed a career in banking. He returned to rowing when he retired and moved to Stonington in 2001. He and Biddle Morris started a rowing program out of what is now the Naik Family YMCA on Williams Beach in 2005 which continues to this day. He will give us a brief history of sliding seat rowing on the Mystic River referring to some of those individuals who made an impact on the sport and may be with us this evening.
John Thornell rowed at URI and the US lightweight development camp in the mid 1980's and continues to row competitively today. He is starting his 10th year coaching with Stonington Crew. John has been singular in turning the dream of the Jim Dietz Rowing Center and the Hart Perry Boathouse into reality by developing community support and raising funds for the project. Speaking as Director of Rowing of the Stonington Community Rowing, Inc., John will provide us an overview of the project, outline planned programming, highlight the community impact, and share the latest update on the boathouse park opening.