Just ducky

Weather clears for Warwick’s 17th Annual Duck Derby WARWICK - Last year, the weather was great for ducks but not so good for people. This year, it was near perfect for all. Warwick’s annual Duck Derby is a popular fund raiser sponsored by Winslow Therapeutic Center. Proceeds are divided equally between Winslow and other not-for-profit organizations, which help market tickets for the popular race. On Sunday afternoon, anyone new to Warwick or just visiting could be excused for wondering why hundreds of adults and children were crowding the bridges or running along the banks of Wawayanda Creek in the downtown area of the Village. The answer was that most had “adopted” one or more of thousands of rubber ducks, each bearing the number that corresponds with the $5 ticket they purchased. And the prizes were valuable. At approximately 1:30 p.m., volunteers released all the ducks from Cablevision’s pedestrian bridge, the starting line of the race. The often swift waters of Wawayanda Creek were moving at a normal pace this year and it was an orderly race to an extended new finish line on the west side of the Main Street Bridge. Nine of the ten prizes were donated in merchandise or services by local businesses. The first place prize of $1,000, provided by Winslow Therapeutic Center, was won by Diana Cosimano of Valley Cottage. Second place prize, two Broadway tickets, valued at $400 and donated by WTBQ Radio, were won by Carole Redner of Warwick. The duck adopted by Nancy Kraus of Glenwood, N.J., came in third and her prize was a home window treatment, valued at $300, provided by Custom Creations of Greenwood Lake.