Authors
Bob McKinnon
Bob and Suzy McKinnon have been with Greyhounds since the closing of Glacier Greyhound Park in Great Falls, Montana, upon the adoption of a big guy with the kennel name of Moose. One thing led to another, and it did not take long for the McKinnons to involve themselves with racing kennels in Rapid City, South Dakota and Ebro, Florida, in addition to leasing dogs to race all over the country and Mexico with outstanding competitors such as Ol Honch, Ol Rose, Ol Whitey, to name three. Zoning problems and geography (absurd distances and shipping problems to the nearest tracks) eventually put the McKinnons out of the dog business. A hospital went in next to the McKinnon's back yard, plus that dratted medical helicopter pad, and the McKinnon Greyhounds, who loved a siren, one and all, pitched in, and went way beyond any intelligent definition of a "roo." Most recently, the McKinnons adopted a racer from Bluffs Run, RJ's Beretta, couch potato re-named Jones. Jones was the poster guy for three straight Iowa Greyhound Association fair booths and was the star in the 20 minute film "Montana: I Love Ya!", produced by Bev Yates, with fifty copies going to 50 Greyhound Pets of America chapters, as well as the featured character in the magazine Travels With Jones. The McKinnons, Bob and Suzy, also known throughout the industry as Maddog and Little Elsie, have attended adoption functions all over the country, including Dewey Beach and Prairie Beach, and are honorary lifetime members of Greyhound Pets of America. They have traveled to England, Wales, Scotland, Mexico, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, and maybe twenty-five American tracks, and written stories and taken pictures for The Greyhound Review's column, "In Search of the Big Picture." The McKinnons have produced two one issue feature full-color magazines for the Iowa Greyhound Association, Travels with Jones and From Cairo to Iowa: on the trail of the Racing Greyhound. Bob's most recent publications are Ebooks. One is a trilogy: The Captain's Dog: a dog's view of the Lewis and Clark Expedition; a second recent publication is an off-the-wall collection of sixteen of the old Greyhound Review Maddog satires, "from the good old days," Vintage Maddog.
Cecilia Harris
Cecilia Harris is a professional freelance writer working for the Greyhound Hall of Fame since 1989. Her work includes the Hall of Fame page in the Greyhound Review Magazine, video scripts and exhibit text for Hall of Fame and Pioneer inductions, and press releases. She also currently writes two blogs for Kansas Travel and Tourism, is a regular feature article contributor to two magazines, and produces travel articles for the Abilene, Ks. Convention and Visitors Bureau. She also has authored two books.
Gary Guccione
Gary joined the NCA staff in 1971 as Coursing News editor and has served as NGA Secretary-Treasurer since 1982, also coordinator of the American Greyhound Council, Inc. for the past decade. The last of his and lovely wife Terri's children will be on his way to KU this fall, while 12 grandkids scattered nationwide keep them busy on the homefront in Abilene. Contact info: garyg@ngagreyhounds.com
Leslie Wootten
Mark Battersby
Mark E. Battersby is a freelance writer who has specialized in taxes and finance for the last 25 years. Mark’s involvement with the greyhound industry goes back many, many years and he has long provided a tax information clearing house for local and state taxing authorities requiring guidance on greyhound-related tax questions. Working from offices in the suburban Philadelphia community of Ardmore, PA, Mr. Battersby currently writes for publications in a variety of fields, syndicates two weekly columns that appear in over 65 publications, writes 14 monthly columns, and has written four books.
Nick Fulchino
Shane Bolender
Stan Pawloski
Steve Sigafoose
I'm a native of the Washington, D.C., area and a graduate of the University of Maryland. I'm now retired after a two-decade plus stint as the sports editor of the Council Bluffs, Iowa, Daily Nonpareil. Contact me at slsig1@cox.net
Vera Rasnake
Since 1978 I have been tutored by the most respected leaders in the industry at tracks in WV, WI and FL. As Media Relations Director and Company Spokeswoman I have a unique opportunity to share my passion for the sport. I have written hundreds of feature stories and taken just as many greyhound photos. My articles have been published nationally and internationally. I have been a color analyst on Sky Network at the Irish Derby multiple times and on America’s Night of Stars. I am also a former Greyhound trainer.
I am proud to call Derby Lane home, which is the most established Greyhound racetrack in the nation since 1925. I have met iconic kennel operators and watched the greatest greyhounds of the past decade including Dominator, Talentedmrripley and Flying Coal City-all historic award winners. I have written and produced videos used to honor industry people and Greyhound athletes at the Greyhound Hall of Fame and coordinated track shots for the Born to Run and Ensuring the Welfare of the Racing Greyhound videos. I have coordinated major film projects at Derby Lane including Animal Planet’s "Breed All About It", Oceans 11 and baseball’s Carl Crawford’s commercial. I coordinated all of the media for the world’s biggest Greyhound stakes in 2005-2006 when Derby Lane hosted the Million Dollar races. I am also a GPA volunteer. I have two grown daughters, a granddaughter and a racing greyhound. I am blessed with endless energy and share a home in FL with two retired Greyhounds. You can follow me as topgreyhound on twitter and read Vera’s News at www.derbylane.com.
Contact me vera@derbylane.com
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