How has the Burning River Roller Girls name come to be? The phrase “Burning River” comes from the Cuyahoga River which had caught fire numerous times such as 1868, 1883, 1887, 1912, 1922, 1936, 1941, 1948, and in 1952. The 1952 fire burned for three days and caused over 1.5 million dollars in damage.. The 1969 fire is the most famous fire on the Cuyahoga River, for it was this fire that the “Burning River” gained its notoriety. The fire of June 22, 1969 made major news attenetion when Time Magazine ran an article headlined “The Price of Optimism”,
…Some river! Chocolate-brown, oily, bubbling with subsurface gases, it oozes rather than flows. “Anyone who falls into the Cuyahoga does not drown,” Cleveland’s citizens joke grimly. “He decays.” . . .
Time Magazine, August 1969
Flames climbed as high as five stories until fire boats brought it under control approximately 25 minutes later. This fire had also became the inspiration for a few songs, one of the first being Randy Newman’s “Burn On, Big River” which can be heard here.

“I will never forget a photograph of flames, fire, shooting right out of the water in downtown Cleveland,” President Clinton’s EPA administrator Carol Browner said years later. “It was the summer of 1969 and the Cuyahoga River was burning.”

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What a great time this was! I decided to make one of my favorite appetizer Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts. I ended up making 180 of those little bastards; I think they were all gone in about an hour! It is always good to see everyone. For the first few hours, I jumped around saying hi to so many people whom I’ve come to love, I could not believe how fast the time had went! But down to business; the whole reason we were there was to announce the results of the draft! The fresh meat was brought to the center floor with their mustaches looking better than anything I could ever grow(and I’m almost 30)! So basically the draft went down this:

Cleveland Steamers:

Killustrator (transfer skater from Leheigh Valley, also now on the All-Star team)

Electra Mayhem (transfer skater from Green Mountain Derby Dames in Vermont)

Take-out

Bamm B Hunt-her

Holly Huntress

Rainbow Fright

Death Proof

Rolling Pin-Ups:

Paddie Whacked

Lebrawl James

X-TRON-X

Hard Knockers:

Syren Van Dahl

Finnish-Her

Sergeant Fractal

Gorgon Girl

HellBombers:

Chelle Shock

Olive Bruises

Buggie Smalls

Delilah Dartmount

Of course the biggest draft announcement was Professor Booty, who was a free agent is now a member of the Rolling Pin-Ups! This is huge for the Pin-Ups, this puts them in a postion where the 2009 Hazard Cup is in they’re reach.  Another huge announcement was the tragic loss of the Steamer’s Pain Austen, who is going to be dearly missed. Pain Austen “The Mayor of Painesville” has went “ALL IN” in a game of “No Limit D.C. Hold em” and we’re hoping she has a full house “Queens over Aces”; we love you to death Pain!

So after the tears, hugs, and smack talking (mostly by me). The party ended with some beach ball hacky sack. I was glad to get to see everyone, hear how people are feeling about the ’09 season, and just get to talk derby with everyone! Thanks for a wonderful evening!

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