September 2016 Sept 9 2016 | Page 14

Page 14 The Colebrook Chronicle Friday, September 9, 2016 Around The Region Clinton Bice shares a dance with Julie Davis at the St. Francis Manoir this week. Corey Bellam photo. “EL TOON” SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT For many years now St. Isidore de Clifton has held a Softball tournament on Labor Day weekend, and this year is no different. The fun all kicked off Friday evening around 7 p.m. with the first crack of the bat. This tournament has been held forever, but it took a true turn in 2014 when Anthony “ElToon” Labranche was killed on June 24 after playing softball all day in St. Malo. He was struck by a semi truck in the early hours when he was walking back to the house he and his teammates were staying at that weekend. Anthony died on scene that morning and his teammates, along with the Labranche family, decided that instead of the St. Isidore Labor Day Ball tournament, it would now be the Anthony “El-Toon” Labranche Memorial Ball Tournament. This year marked the third edition and included 16 teams consisting of 13 male teams and three female teams, to include a female team and male team from Manchester New Hampshire. The female team was Moor Interiors and the male team was Z-Clip. The crack of the bat and the sound of cheering echoed through the air all weekend with the final starting at 6 p.m. Sunday afternoon. Moor Interiors from took on the local team Les Incroyables with Moor Interiors winning 10-9. It was then time for the men's finals with Z-Clip taking on Max Pou from the St. Isidore de Clifton area. Z-Clip defeated Max Pou 15-8 to win the Mens division. Then the Competition Division which included two local teams, The Outlaws and The Jacks, hit the field. The Outs defeated the Jacks 21-14. That brought an end the ball tournament and the night closed up with a fireworks display and a party inside the building which lasted into the early hours of Monday morning. After the fireworks, this old photo taker headed home after a long hot weekend of ball and good friends. –Corey Bellam This weekend marked the latest memorial softball tournament for Anthony “El-Toon” Labranche, who lost his life in 2014. Corey Bellam photo. The Moor Interiors team from the El-Toon Softball Tournament, who came up to St. Isidore de Clifton, Que., from Manchester, with their shirts reading “We Play for Poutine.” Corey Bellam photo. Z-Clip from Manchester were the winners of the Men’s Division, joined here by Marie-France Fortier and “El-Toon” Labranche’s father, Christian Labranche. Corey Bellam photo. Competition division champs, “The Outlaws,” a local team in the weekend’s tournament. Corey Bellam photo.