Cub Scouts compete in Pinewood Derby

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Excited Cub Scouts bounced into the all-purpose room at Seaford’s Manor Elementary School on Jan. 31. The sharply dressed scouts proceeded to check in their pinewood cars to scoutmaster Jimmy Price, who officially weighed each entry to qualify it for the races that were to come. Cars had to weigh exactly 5.0 ounces.

Seaford’s Pack 239 skipped on over to their viewing table as Price collected the last of the cars and walked to the official timekeepers table.

“This is the third time we’ve done this, and Joe really enjoys it,” said Robert Hewitt, 42, of Seaford. “He designed it. I can tell he is taking a liking to building things with his hands. It’s a good memory to have with my son.”

Hewitt’s son Joe, 7, topped his car with a Lego Han Solo figure. Robert Hewitt, chuckled, and said: “He really wanted it on there.”

As the races were about to begin, Price and his fellow scoutmasters tested the racetrack and it’s timing mechanism, which relays each car’s time to a computer program. The 25-year old racetrack didn’t work, at least for a few minutes. Finally, the group managed to attain the times from two of the track’s six lanes, and pitted the cub scouts in heated head-to-head matchups.

Each short race concluded in an exuberant cheer.

After about an hour, a winner was crowned. Travis Morgenthaler won first place. After being announced as the winner by Price, he stood up, motioned for the microphone and said, “This is the best day ever!”