Third annual gingerbread house contest winners announced

WARWICK — Voting for the third annual Village of Warwick Gingerbread House contest ended Dec. 22. And on Saturday, Jan. 3, the winners of the family and individual categories were announced at an award presentation held at Newhard's, the Home Source, store on Main Street.

Family division
The winner of the family division was Warwick's "Old School Baptist Meeting House," by Bridget DeHaan, a freshman at Clarkson University in Potsdam, and her father, Chris DeHaan, a partner in the Middletown firm of DeGraw & DeHaan Architects.

The creative gingerbread house, which even has peppermint gums serving as roofing, has been on display in the window at Newhard's.

Bridget DeHaan, who is pursuing studies for a career in engineering, was also last year's winner and before that, had been the first-place winner of the Applefest "Pie Contest" in the junior and then senior division for five consecutive years.

The Gingerbread House project, with dad's design and help with the icing from mom, was completed in one day.

"We stayed up all night to finish it," said Bridget.

Individual division
The Individual Gingerbread Contest award went to Kristen Unick of Warwick.

Heather Kurosz of Warwick took second place in that same category.

And their entries have been on display at Akin's Drug Store on Main Street.

Each of the entries had been placed in a Main Street business window, where onlookers could cast their vote for their favorite entrant.

Two years ago the Warwick Merchant Guild started this tradition with their first annual Gingerbread Contest.

"They were all wonderful," said Nicole response, chair of the event and owner of Etched in Time. "The winners were decided by the votes of the shoppers during Home for the Holidays."