Westport in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Sunday, August 15,
2010
Quick Article Index . . .
“Bertal”
wins the seventh running of the ducks at Barney’s Joy.
Politics
and jambalaya at the COA.
|
“Bertal” wins the seventh running
of the ducks at Barney’s Joy. EverythingWestport.com Wednesday,
August 11, 2010 Photos/EverythingWestport.com View
the photo album for this event now 88 photos | Dial-up
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Al St. John adopted one duck at
Bayside Restaurant on Friday the 13th because his 45th wedding anniversary
was on the 14th. Again, all it took was one duck. Just one. But the race was not without its own
challenges. Last minute course changes were made by race organizers trying to
deal with a brisk northeast wind that almost derailed the race. “Davinci” took second with “Aflack” rounding out the top three winners. A winning
finishing time of slightly more than 10 minutes was well off the record of
six minutes set last year. 4676 quackers qualified for the
annual running of the ducks, a new zenith according to Gina Purtell,
Sanctuary Director. “This race event continues to grow,” she said. “We sold
more than 500 ducks over last year. These funds enable us to be good stewards
of the properties under our care.” A treacherous current and slippery
course conditions swept hundreds of ducks under the finish boom, but “Bertal” was able to navigate the The
“stealth duck” handler, randomly selected by a computer-generated process was
won by Cheryl Foley of Assonet. At purchase time Ms. Foley named her duck “Sydney”. How could
she have know this covert quacker would win her lunch for 2 and free
coffee for a month at F.A. Simmons Store in Adamsville! Click here to see a list of all winners and their
prizes. The event was held at the Sanctuary by the Field House on Horseneck Road. Activities
included: race broadcast, silent auction, plant live auction, barbeque,
music, children’s art exhibit, games, crafts, and displays about the sanctuary
wildlife and activities.
“While this Duck Derby might be best known for its unbeatable Grand
Prize, in the end it benefits more than just one lucky winner: 48
participants take home more than $8,000 in prizes; Allens Pond raises
important funding to continue its conservation work; and the entire community
continues to benefit from the free trails and undeveloped landscape that Mass
Audubon works so hard to protect,” Cushing added. Challenging course brings fame to the few whom could
hang on. As has been the case with many of
these races over the past seven years, an eager quacker takes an early lead
and maintains it throughout the race. But the perils of the finishing gate
are also well known and many ducks have had their hopes dashed seconds from
the wire.
The unique current and wind
combination caused the quakers to string out into a long, snake-like
formation not seen in previous races, with the last duck finishing a full
five minutes after the winner. The herding and roundup of over 4600
ducks took kayakers to the furthest reaches of the channel and marshes, as
the qwazy quackers tried to make their escape into nature’s realm. “The attendance was great,” a smiling
Purtell told the gathering later at the Sanctuary. Duckmaster Norman Buck
quacked in agreement.
For more information, call (508) 636-2437, or email allenspond@massaudubon.org Politics and jambalaya at the COA. EverythingWestport.com Tuesday, August 10, 2010 Click here to view 17 high-resolution photos.
COA Director Mary Ellen Gomes welcomed the overflowing crowd that came
out to support the superb efforts of this important community service to our
seniors. There’s quite a
lot happening at the Westport Senior Center these days. Their day care program is growing by leaps
and bounds, according to Ms. Gomes. “Two years ago, the program had six
participants. Now, we’re averaging 14," she said. Recent events like the surprisingly
good Elvis
impersonator and Magnolia
Night are proof positive that the Senior Center is not just for the elderly
and the affirm. Read more about the COA’s day
care program. They came for the dancing, face painting, raffles, and for a good ol’
time under the big tent. Truly a party for all ages. Senior teenagers brought
their antique cars and custom hot rods, got VIP parking and competed for
prizes.
You couldn’t tell which was hotter; the dogs, the band, the politics,
or the spicy Creole dish by Westport’s jambalaya king. Whatever, they were
dancing in the aisles! Click here to see more
photos of Magnolia
Night 2010! - - - - - End - - - - - © 2010 Community Events of Westport All rights reserved. EverythingWestport.com |
