The following is the list of the prize winners from the duck race:

1) $5,000 cash, Lou Johnson, Naugatuck, #6761.

2) 3 CT Diamond gold tennis bracelet, Jen Ziegler, Thomaston, #18216.

3) 42″ LG Plasma HDTV, Mikey Danels, Naugatuck, #23660.

4) $500 gift certificate redeemable at Brass Mill Center and Commons, Barbara Woofrey, Naugatuck, #7942.

5) Four box seats to the New York Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies redeemable at Yankee Stadium on June 15, Mary Dubay,
Watertown, #22027.

6) Four tickets for the performance of “Shrek” redeemable at The Palace Theater, Janet Conwur, Waterbury #22781.

7) Apple iPod touch 8 GB, Steve Hiscock, Beacon Falls, #6784.

Four tickets to Coco-Key Water Park including one overnight stay at Coco-Key Water Resort Hotel & Convention Center, Camille Fitzgerald, Watertown #18755.

9) Two weekend tickets to Lime Rock Park 2011, Linda Pearson, Wolcott, #19530.

10) Very Bradley gift basket, Izabela Deptula, Naugatuck, #7987.

11) $150 gift certificate redeemable at Bounce N Play Rentals, Joe Piro, #4068.

12) $125 gift certificate redeemable for a Youth Birthday Party (up to 10 children) redeemable at Lakewood Lanes, Diane Lombardi,
#20936.

13) Kodak camera and 100 photo prints redeemable at Costco Wholesale, Dr. D’Angelo, #19984.

14) Two tickets to Ski Sundown, Mary Gibson, #11784.

15) Two tickets to Mohawk Mountain, Collin Guidice, #16067.

16) Duck Race gift basket, novelties, T-shirts, Raelynn Wethered, #17280.

17) Two tickets to Six Flags New England, Amy Borenski, #9736.

18) Family four pack to Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, Rick Lane, #12383.

19) Men’s Timex watch, Nancy Courcnesne, #23165.

20) Designer sunglasses, Nimfa Marple, #9774.

21) $75 gift certificate redeemable at Toys R Us, Marisa Earnshaw, #16570.

22) Two tickets for the performance of “Christmas at the Palace” at The Palace Theater, Lynn Polzella, #16435.

23) Two tickets for the performance of “Christmas at the Palace” at The Palace Theater, Bob Delagrange, #10583.

24) Four complimentary tickets to any Warner Theatre main stage show, Joseph Bush, #8051.

25) Women’s Timex watch, Jared Katz, #10261.

26) $50 gift certificate redeemable at City Hall Café, Kelly Haywood, #16848.

27) $50 gift certificate redeemable at Carmen Anthony Restaurant, Sheila Baranowski, #16396.

28) $50 gift certificate redeemable at Bmuse Café at the Mattatuck Museum, Beth Allen, #18139.

29) $50 gift certificate redeemable at Ed’s Do It Best Hardware, Dan Layton, #787.

30) $50 gift certificate redeemable at Wal-mart, Kelliane O’Brien, #13809.

31) Mickey and Minnie gift basket, Terry Ingram, #946.

32) $50 gift certificate redeemable at McDonald’s, Josh Oun, #13220.

33) $50 gift certificate redeemable at McDonald’s, Nancy Cebik, #20957.

34) Ladybug iPod docking station, Daryl Saundry, #17275.

35) Family four pack to The Children’s Museum, Jena Gramesky, #6413.

36) Naugatuck Historical Society gift basket, Jill Kikaras, #6077.

37) Dancing duck, Scott Mercore, #21234.

38) Four passes to Quassy Amusement Park, David Marimekala, #20510.

39) Four passes to Kidcity Children’s Museum, Fran Pepe, #13278.

40) Summer BBQ gift basket, Jaden Woods, #20520.

41) $30 Silpada Jewelry gift certificate, Miranda Embelton, #17270.

42) Family fun pack for four redeemable at Chuck E Cheese, Kyla Porter, #6228.

43) Family fun pack for four redeemable at Chuck E Cheese, Janet Zupkus, #20966.

44) Family four pack to Imagination Nation Museum, Loren Luddy, #18500.

45) $25 gift certificate redeemable at Stop & Shop, Jennifer Whipple, #101.

46) $25 gift certificate redeemable at Stop & Shop, Martin Smith, #3541.

47) $25 gift certificate redeemable at Stop & Shop, Rebecca Burges, #16554.

48) $25 gift certificate redeemable at Stop & Shop, Charles Laliberte, #11761.

49) $25 gift certificate redeemable at Toys R’ Us, Carrie Scampolino, #600.

50) $25 gift certificate redeemable at Target, Bob Sweeney, #7024.

Prizes can be picked up during business hours at the Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce office, 195 Water St., Naugatuck, Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday from Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Thursday from Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. the week of June 6.

The entry fee for the 5K is $18 if postmarked by June 30th and $20 after July 1 or day of the race. T-Shirts will be given to first 100 registrants. The fee for the Kids’ Fun Run is $5. All participants receive a medal.

Register online at www.summerscorcher5k.com or mail paper application to Breakaway Sports Event Management, 1602 Whitney Ave., Hamden, CT 06517. Online registration is open until July 8 at 8 p.m.

5k Awards include a pair of running shoes valued to $100 from Woodbridge Running Company for the top male and top female overall, $50 gift certificate to Woodbridge Running Company for the top masters male and female, $25 gift certificate to The Full Harvest Bar and Grill in Beacon Falls for the top Beacon Falls’ male and female and prizes for the top three males and females in each age group. (0-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+)

The 5K course begins at the Pent Road Pavilion and travels on Pent and Lopus Roads, finishing on a paved path around the Pent Road recreational fields. Fun Run- Course will loop the recreational fields once on the paved path. Pets, in-line skates, and bikes are not permitted on the course.  Participants with baby joggers should be respectful of other competitors and yield the right of way.

The course will by timed with chip timing by Fast Track Timing, LLC. For more information visit the Beacon Falls Pent Road Recreation Facility, 150 Pent Rd. Beacon Falls, CT 06403 or contact Kevin Curley at 203-654-0117 or email at summerscorcher@gmail.com.

The run is sponsored by Stop and Shop, Woodbridge Running Co. and Full Harvest Bar & Grill and presented by Breakaway Sports Event Management.

Linda Togeleiro of Beacon Falls holds her granddaughter, Aaliyah, as she watches the ducks race downstream during the 12th Annual Riverfest Duck Race.

11 years (11 years!?) later, the Beacon Falls RiverFest and Duck Race is an annual tradition in town, and I’m proud to say not only that I’ve been to each one, but for the last five festivals, I’ve been the emcee.

Like every job I’ve been lucky to have, it’s a great gig. I get to hang out with a lot of great people from town — this year, in excellent weather — and sort of oversee the entire event to make sure it runs as smoothly as possible.

I get to play my favorite music when we don’t have live bands. Yes, that means a heavy dose of Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, and the rest of my country playlist. But don’t worry, I also toss in a little classic rock, some dance tunes, and even a bit of pop and hip-hop.

When I’m not pumping up the jams (yeah, I said it), I get to listen to the outstanding live acts we book every year. This year, the Red Dirt Road Band made another trip to town, playing some high-quality Americana, country, and gospel music. Of course, you’ll remember the band features Beacon Falls police officer Bill McCasland, and the guys and gals put on a great show every time I see them play.

I do manage to get around the grounds to check out the vendors and booths, perhaps the most underrated part of the RiverFest. I always make sure to visit the Naugatuck Valley Savings & Loan table to see what great free items they have to give away (this year, I took a bouncy ball, two pens, and a bottle opener/flashlight keychain).

My favorite part of this year’s event was the amount of free food I was given by vendors as long as I plugged their organizations when I made my occasional announcements. I was particularly pleased with the fried dough with apple topping Beacon Hose gave me, but I also enjoyed some beef and rice and a bowl of chili with the works. (By the way, thanks for the cheesecake, Aunt Sheila!)

I’d be remiss if I didn’t stop into the firehouse and try my hand at the 911 simulator like I used to when I was a little kid, or if I didn’t check out the Woodland Fine Arts Booster Club’s silent auction. I also couldn’t miss Beacon Hose’s vehicle extrication demo or USA Martial Arts’ karate demo.

The Duck Race — the original here in the Valley — is, of course, the featured event, but it almost had to be postponed due to high water. But the Lions Club didn’t let that happen as a few members went into the river to make sure the ducks floated for a 12^th time.

I’m not going to lie, I enjoy announcing any winners from Beacon Falls, but I also like much more to announce a winner who is actually there to accept the prize. This year’s grand prize was a hot air balloon ride for four. I hope the winner isn’t afraid of heights.

I will say there is one thing I don’t like about the RiverFest and Duck Race — carrying the sound system and speakers back into the Senior Center basement. Boo-hoo, I know.

The12th Annual Riverfest and Duck Race will be held in downtown Beacon Falls this Saturday, and  thousands of area residents are expected to attend as heaps of tiny yellow rubber ducks are plunged into the Naugatuck River.

Residents and visitors look on from the Depot Street Bridge as the ducks begin to float downstream during the 2009 Riverfest and Duck Race.

Each year the ducks are dropped into the river near Volunteer Park and float their way down toward a narrow bottleneck that separates the masses and allows only one duck at a time through the entrance — and it pays to find your duck alone at the top.

Participants can claim a numbered duck for $5 and receive a raffle ticket with a matching number. Winners, as in years past, will receive cash and prizes.

This year, the first place prize is a $1,000 gift certificate for a hot air balloon flight. The second prize is a 16-gigabyte IPad, and the third prize is an 8-gigabyte IPod Touch. Other prizes include a Fujifilm digital camera, jewelry cleaner, a portable DVD player, and $100 gift cards to Best Buy, Stop and Shop and Hope Depot.

Another prize, a $2,000 travel voucher to E-Z Travels of Ansonia, will be awarded by the Beacon Falls Merchant’s Association to the winner of its ongoing “Shop Locally” contest.

Officials hope the prospect of generous prizes attracts outside residents into Beacon Falls, and that once they’re downtown, they realize the beauty the area has to offer.

“It’s a great get-together, said Beacon Falls First Selectman Sue Cable. “It brings people here and helps them realize the beauty of this river and to appreciate the businesses that we have in Beacon Falls.”

Bob Bradley, a Lions Club member, Beacon Falls Merchant’s Association founder and local business owner, said he views the race as a way put downtown on display for visitors who may not know what Beacon Falls has to offer.

“It’s great to show not only residents of the town but people from out of town what is going on here,” Bradley said. “I think it makes a lot of people realize there is more to Beacon Falls than there once was. There is a lot going on, a lot of new business. Beacon Falls is growing, especially downtown, and this is a great way to show that.”

In addition to the race there will be approximately 20 large fiberglass ducks weighing in at nearly 150 pounds on display along Main Street.
The event is funded by numerous organizations in and around the Beacon Falls area.

The duck race is one of the biggest fundraisers held by the Lions Club each year. All money raised by the Lions at the event will be returned back into the community in the form of scholarships and other beneficial grants, Bradley said.

In past years, inclement weather has left the ducks singing in the rain, but this weekend clear skies are expected overhead while the ducks are tossed into the current below.

“It’s going to be a great day for it,” Bradley said. “I’m expecting it to be a good turn out and all the same fun we have every year.”

But there’s one thing about this job that I really like—some of my assignments. I hear about my first story all the time. You remember: I tried out for the Woodland girls’ volleyball team last summer (in case you didn’t know, I didn’t do that on my own), a brutal endeavor whose effects I felt for several days. Now, in year two of work here at CN, my next awesomely-interactive mission was to participate in the Beacon Falls Duck Scavenger Hunt.

Kyle Brennan, CN Sports Desk writer, scoured Beacon Falls in seach of fiberglass ducks like the one pictured above as part of the town's Duck Scavenger Hunt.

I knew this escapade was on the horizon a few weeks ago when I first heard about the hunt while emceeing the 11th annual River Fest and Duck Race. I thought about giving the it a whirl myself but decided I was far too mature for such a childish way to spend a few hours.

If I’ve matured in one way during my time here at Citizen’s, it’s this: You’re never too mature to take an assignment that will make you the laughingstock of town, as long as there’s some dime waiting afterward.

So, Sunday morning, I had two choices: Begin reading the 100-plus pages I needed to have done for my classes at Quinnipiac University or load up my 1992 Mercury Sable station wagon and hit the road. By the simple fact that this column exists, I guess you see which option won.

The gist of the adventure was not all that complex. The goal of the scavenger hunt was to search the town for 21 obnoxiously big, ornate, colorful, fiberglass ducks, each of which was purchased for $150 prior to the River Fest by local businesses, organizations, and individuals. After they were displayed for a week on North Main Street’s median, the ducks were scattered around town by their owners. My job? Find them all, answer the accompanying questions, and return my results to Town Hall by Nov. 2 to perhaps earn myself a prize.

“Piece of cake,” I thought. I’ve lived in Beacon Falls the duration of my long, storied, 18-year life and prefer to think I know its roads and businesses like the back of my hand. In fact, at the end of the summer, I rounded up some fellas and attempted to drive on all 130-plus roads in town in a day. That mission was cut short after my brakes almost caught fire 30 streets into the adventure—I’ll do it eventually.

Using my geographical expertise, my shotgunner, Craig Genz, and I embarked on what would be a two-hour trip (yes, it is possible to be in a car in Beacon Falls for two hours without leaving its borders). I had done a little scouting Saturday night and knew the locations of approximately 13 ducks. I wanted to sniff out the other eight and be crowned grand champion.

We discovered our first duck about 10 minutes into the largest game of duck, duck, goose ever played. It was in a residential neighborhood (a free hint to my competitors). Since I already knew where 13 were, we tried to guess where the others could be hiding. I don’t want to ruin the game for my fellow Beacon Fallers (by the way, I want to know what a Beacon Falls resident is called), but the following are examples of what not to do:

First, there are no ducks at the newly-dedicated Toby’s Pond (formerly O & G Pond) off Lopus Road. We followed a muddy gravel road at least a mile and a half before we realized we had reached the end of the pond and were nearly riding on train tracks. I threw the filthy wagon into reverse and got out of Dodge. The train came roaring by no more than two minutes later. Phew.

Second, there are no ducks in the Murtha Industrial Park down Railroad Avenue. I always enjoyed exploring that area in my younger days with my dad, and we never got in trouble for it. Sunday, I got pulled over for being there.

Officer: “What are you doing down here? This is private property.”

Me: “Well, I’m with Citizen’s News, and I’m participating in the Duck Scavenger Hunt. Just seeing if any of the Murtha companies bought a duck.”

Now-bewildered officer: “Can I see your I.D.?”

Me: “Sure … A lot of area businesses bought ducks, so I was just checking it out down here.”

Officer, realizing he just wasted his time: “See ya.”

Third, if you’re going to stop on the side of the road to visit a duck, make sure you actually pull over to the shoulder, put on your signal light, and close the door. The Town of Beacon Falls is not responsible for any damages incurred while satisfying your desire to locate oversized fake birds.

Of course, locating the ducks is the easy part. Answering the questions is far harder. For example, why would any Beacon Falls resident know who the president of the United States is? Who cares what the name of Woodland’s football team is? Honestly, though, some of the questions are a little tricky. Only a real Beacon Fallonian (again, I need to check that) will know all 21 answers.

Now, I know you all want to know the gold standard of the competition—how Craig and I did. Well, we found 16 ducks, missing numbers one, five, 14, 16, and 20. I was told by First Selectman Susan Cable and her administrative assistant, Karen Wilson, that all 21 might not be out, as a few of the orders were mixed up.

Without a doubt, I recommend giving this a go. Set aside an hour or two this weekend to take a ride on the town and see what you can do. Besides, there is $180 worth of prizes up for grabs for the participants who answer the most questions correctly and return them to Town Hall by Monday.

So, I’ve got a feeling I’ve got the clubhouse lead. I’m challenging you to beat me. I don’t think you can. I don’t think you’ve got what it takes to sit in your car and scour the town for attractive hunks of fiberglass for the better part of a Sunday morning like I did. Until I hear somebody bested my performance, I’ll assume I had the best pro-duck-tion. (You knew the duck pun was coming sooner or later.)

Laura Vitzoski, 10, and Tanya Gutierro, both of Beacon Falls, at the annual Beacon Falls RiverFest and Duck Race in Beacon Falls on Saturday.

BEACON FALLS — Rain, rain did not make the hundreds upon hundreds of people go away at the 11^th annual Beacon Falls River Fest and Duck Race Saturday at Beacon Hose Co. No. 1 and Volunteer Park. Despite an overcast—and sometimes very wet—late morning and afternoon, more than 1,000 visitors flocked to downtown Beacon Falls to check out the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes brought to them by the Beacon Falls Lions and Lioness Clubs.

A mass of vendors, from local restaurants to local businesses and organizations to the town’s Republican and Democratic town committees, packed the grounds of Beacon Hose, spilling into the Beacon Falls Senior Center, Volunteer Park, and North Main Street.

In addition to the myriad booths around the River Fest, the Woodland Fine Arts Booster Club sponsored a silent art auction inside the senior center, putting more than 30 pieces of art up for bid. Each work was donated by a local artist, teacher, or student.

The River Fest and Duck Race also served as the kickoff to Beacon Hose Co. No. 1’s Fire Prevention Week, which runs through Sunday. The fire department held an open house all day long, opening an ambulance and fire engine and putting their contents on display inside the garage. The company also operated a simulated smoke house and performed two demonstrations for the public—a vehicle extrication and a grease fire.

Other features of the River Fest included the Lioness Club’s cookie walk and quilt raffle, the drawing in the Beacon Falls Merchants Association’s Shop Locally Sweepstakes, the first-ever Parade of Ducks (a line of large, fiberglass ducks decorated by local businesses, organizations, and citizens), and several live music acts.

Of course, the main attraction of the day was the Duck Race, which was first run down the Naugatuck River in 1999. The Lions Club sold thousands of tickets to adopt ducks, which were released at the bottom of Volunteer Park, running about a quarter-mile down river before the first eight ducks to finish the race were fished from the water as prize winners.

The first prize, a $1,500 voucher good at EZ Travel in Ansonia, was won by Rebecca Ventimiglia. Other prizes included a four-piece set of Samsonite luggage, a PlayStation 3, a digital camera, and several gift certificates.

“We want to thank everybody for coming down, despite the weather,” Lions Club President Rod Farrell said just before announcing the prize winners, “This event is a lot of fun, and we hope to see everybody back next year.”

In this 2007 photo, Bill Fredericks (left) and Joe Poirier (center) trailed by Joy Adamatis, carry ducks to the riverside during Beacon Falls’ annual Riverfest and Duck Race. This year’s event takes place Saturday.

Pollution of the river might have improved considerably since that time, but it will run yellow on Saturday—not with toxic waste or poisonous chemicals, but with little yellow rubber ducks—as part of the town’s 11th Annual Riverfest and Duck Race.

Participants can sponsor a numbered duck for $5 and receive a raffle ticket with the same number. The ducks are dropped into the river, allowed to cruise for a couple hundred yards then driven down a bottleneck, which eventually allows only one duck at a time to pass—and only the strong survive.

The sponsors of the first several ducks to pass the finish line will win prizes that include a Playstation 3, a fishing trip, and a $1,500 travel voucher.

Proceeds from the race will benefit Lions Club scholarships for Woodland seniors.

But the duck race isn’t the only thing to see at the Riverfest, though it might be the most touted spectacle.

The Woodland Fine Arts booster Club will hold an art show and silent auction, the Beacon Falls Merchant’s Association will announce the winners of its “Think Globally, Shop Locally” contest, and games, crafts, food, and live music will be available all day.

Bradley said the event started off as a “bit of a farce … a tongue-in-cheek sort of thing,” but that it’s now become something of a tradition for Beacon Falls denizens.

Beacon Falls First Selectman Sue Cable indicated the Riverfest’s importance in “highlighting [Beacon Falls’] downtown revitalization” and giving commissions and volunteer organizations a chance to “showcase what they do and let people know what we have in the community.”

This year, for the first time, there will be a scavenger hunt associated with the Riverfest, which will continue two weeks after the event.

Local businesses, organizations, and even some private residents have purchased a total of 21 three-by-three foot, roughly 150-pound fiberglass ducks. These will be on display on Main Street until Oct 13, at which point they will be redistributed to their respective owners—at this point, residents can hunt down the ducks and answer a trivia question that corresponds to each duck found. The first three people to find all the ducks and answer the questions correctly will win a prize.