by Gretchen Orr
WALSENBURG- Cub Scouts roared back into Huerfano County, with the Walsenburg pack 252 and La Veta pack 250 coming together to race their pinewood derby cars for the first time here in at least five years. Pack masters Sam Ortiz and Matt Dobbs have both worked hard to pull the event together, which brought 20 boys from both school districts together in a day of competition and camaraderie.
The pinewood derby race, a cub scout tradition since the 1950s, involves shaping down a block of pine into a car, attaching wheels into pre-set grooves, then painting them and racing them on an official track, which can time the winners. Each car cannot weigh more than five ounces, cannot be longer than seven inches, or wider than two and three quarter inches.
The boys raced their cars for close to three hours, with winners going into higher brackets. All boys won a participation ribbon.
