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t this Saturday’s Croaker Relay, the star of the event will be a Fish Named Sue. Turtle Midyette, who’s been making 130 of the fish-shaped plywood batons with his cousin George, says the croakers in the 2009 Croaker Relay are being named for Oriental resident and artist Sue Henry.

In front of her lilac shed, Sue Henry shows two of the croakers that will carry her name in Saturday’s Croaker Relay.

Sue is happy with the honor. “I feel the love, “ she laughed the other day after being show a sample of two of the croakers-in-progress. “My siblings will be so jealous.”

Sue Croakers in progress. Sue describes the colors — done in AwlGrip donated by SailCraft — as “DownEast Nouveau.”

The croaker honor comes as Sue is recovering well from a bone-marrow transplant. She underwent that around Thanksgiving of last year to combat multiple-myeloma.

Turtle and George with their croakers.

Last year, the croakers Turtle and George made were named “Leon” in honor of the retiring UPS deliveryman. As with those batons, The Croakers Named Sue will be passed between teammates of runners-walkers-skaters-bikers on Saturday.

But it’s after the running that the croakers will truly be front and center, playing their main role in determining who wins the event. Traditionally, the croakers have been tossed in some fashion or other. (Turtle is keeping this year’s croaker competition a closely-guarded secret.)

How croakers have ended up in other years of the Relay.. tossed on the ground.

George and Turtle Midyette with the “croaker guts” – the parts that were cutaway from three sheets of plywood.

After the relays, the croakers are taken as souvenirs, gracing porches and walls in homes not only in Oriental but beyond. Sue Henry herself has one in the sunny studio at her house. “In 2002, I ran, “ she says. “All I remember is all the little kids running way faster, and then enjoying the water spray at the finish line.”

This year, Sue says that residual back injuries keep her from running or walking the distance, but “I’ll probably ride my bike.”

Sue in her studio showing some of the 2009 Croakers that will be named Sue in her honor. Behind her is a croaker from the 2002 relay which she ran. (That year, the fish featured a bright orange sunrise.)

Posted Tuesday June 30, 2009 by Melinda Penkava