And the Winners Are All Quacks

What follows below is the list of all 108 winners of the Potstown Rotary Club Duck Race that was held in Memorial Park during Saturday's Third Annual Pet Fair.

This race, until recently held during the Fourth of July celebrations, helps about 25 community groups raise money for their programs. 

The Rotary Club organizes the race and provides the personnel. Rotarians and the community groups sell certificates. 

For each certificate sold, the number on that certificate is transposed to a plastic duck. The ducks were released to float down the Manatawny Creek. 

 Prizes were awarded to holders of the certificates of the fastest ducks. There is also a prize for the last duck to finish the race.

The winners' names, and their prizes appear below.

$1,000 Cash Prize	Jim Yiaski
47" HD Television	Jeffrey Gilley
IPAD	Remax Group
$1000 Gift Certificate for alarm system	Dennis Hillegass
1 Hour Hot Air Balloon Ride for 2	Rich Graver
3 month Family Membership at Freedom Valley YMCA	Harvey Gordon
$20 Gift Certificate to Downtown Records	Remax Group
$50 Gift Certificate for Freed's Market	A Elko
Complimentary Round of Golf for 4 at Gilbertsville Golf Course	Ethan Sager
$25 Gift Certificate to Pottstown Roller Mills	Cindy Cebular
$20 Gift Certificate for T&N Hair Salon	Cheryl Drake
Cutter & Buck Cap	Lee Sing HU
Cutter & Buck Cap	Mary Ann Hudson
Cutter & Buck Cap	Pete Dolan
1 Christmas Tree	Joe Thomas
$25 Gift Card to Wawa	Andrew Taylor
$25 Gift Card to Wawa	Kylee Scherer
$25 Gift Card to Wawa	Kevin Bieber
$25 Gift Card to Wawa	Judy Fehr
Bird House	Robin Smith
Crystal 2pc Chip and Dip Tray	Donna Heffline
Gift Certificate - Dinner for 4 at Acorn Room Frederick Mennonite	Susan Bigham
3' x 5' American Flag	A Elko
Black & Decker Steamer & Rice Cooker	Betty Place
Gift Certificate for 1 free weekend Pet Lodging	Aaron Snyder
Gift Certificate for 1 free weekend Pet Lodging	Wolf Baldwin & Associates
Dining Membership to Brookside County Club	Jack McQuaid
1 Round of Golf for 4 at Brookside Country Club	Remax Group
2 Adult and 2 Children tickets to Philadelphia Zoo	Shawn Freese
2 tickets to Dorney Park	Alisha Black
$25 Gift Certificate for Mike's Brick Oven Pizza	Lee Wanner
$25 Gift Certificate to Brick House	Sylvia Leedom
$25 Gift Certificate to Brick House	Schumacher & Benner
$100 Savings Bond	Suda Hawes
Sorb-Mats (Water Protector) pkg of 6	PMMC
Sorb-Mats (Water Protector) pkg of 6	Linde Rude
Sorb-Mats (Water Protector) pkg of 6	Remax Group
Sorb-Mats (Water Protector) pkg of 6	Jason Eddy
Gift basket of Wine	Connie Lawson
$25 Gift Certificate for T&N Hair Salon	Anna Yanisko
Bird Feeder	Roger Baumann
$20 Gift Certificate for 20# Propane Refill	Michael Benner
$25 Gift Certificate to Camelot Salon	Remax Group
$25 Gift Certificate to Camelot Salon	Ed Kropp, Jr
$25 Gift Certificate to Camelot Salon	Remax Group
$25 Gift Certificate to Camelot Salon	Tom Yiselli
1 Christmas Wreath	PMMC
$25 Gift Certificate to Coventry Pub	Ronald Wilson
$50 Gift card to Wawa	Frank Lombardo
$50 Gift card to Wawa	Rosalie Beekley
$25 Gift Certificate for Copperfield Inn at Lakeside	John Hartenstine
$25 Gift Certificate for Copperfield Inn at Lakeside	Sharon Levan
$25 Gift Certificate for Copperfield Inn at Lakeside	Remax Group
$25 Gift Certificate for Copperfield Inn at Lakeside	Judy Smith
Gift Certificate for stress reduction acupuncture session	Vinnie Locricchio
Visiting Angels Travel Mug with $10 Wawa gift card	Deb Lee
Gift Certificate Salon 22 - Body Treatment	Marsha Slody
$20 Gift Certificate for Tornetta's Italian Delight	Frank Schwaltz
$15 Gift Certificate & 9 appetizers @ PF Changs	Bernadette McElroy
$15 Gift Certificate & 9 appetizers @ PF Changs	Jamie Smith
$15 Gift Certificate & 9 appetizers @ PF Changs	Denise Starr
Gift Certificate for a Free Oil & Filter, Tire Rotation	Frank Pellegrini
3 Pilates Reformer classes	Michael Henzes
3 Pilates Reformer classes	Wolf Baldwin & Associates
3 Pilates Reformer classes	James Burkhart
$5 Gift Certificate to Olive Garden	Christine Konopelski
$5 Gift Certificate to Olive Garden	Roger Baumann
$5 Gift Certificate to Olive Garden	Adam Krausley
$5 Gift Certificate to Olive Garden	Terry Baker
$5 Gift Certificate to Olive Garden	PMMC
$40 Gift Card to Funky Frets	Lisa Schiavone
1 large Cheese Pizza (Bravo in Pughtown)	Joan Kelly
Gift Certificate 1 hour massage	Remax Group
$40 Gift Certificate to Sal's Italian Pizzeria -Lionville	Jodi Frank
$25 Gift Certificate to Somerset Nursery	Wolf Baldwin & Associates
$25 Gift Certificate to h.h. Gregg	Eugene Pretnicki
Gift Basket w/autographed book	Arthur Green
$25 Gift Card to Giant	Cathy McDevitt
$50 Gift Certificate for Applebee's	Remax Group
$10 Gift Card to Wawa	PMMC
$20 Gift Card to Home Depot	Norbert Shaffer
$50 Gift Certificate to Weitzenkorn's	Robin Sollinger
$25 Gift Certificate for Lowes	Remax Group
$25 Gift Certificate for Home Depot	Remax Group
Holiday Framed Picture	Jean Spotts
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Diana Jankoviak
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Remax Group
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Travis Grosser
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Remax Group
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Marcella Kucera
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Remax Group
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Matt Melcher
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Sarah Larkins
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Linda Lozorak
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Barb Cooper
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Colin Bogle
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Doreen Paynton
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Jayme Perry
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Jerry Myers
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Terry Bertolet
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Adam Krausley
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Robert Caruso
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Chuck Butera
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Adam Sager
15 free tickets for Rita's Water Ice	Ronald Dinnocenti
$50 Gift Certificate to Downtown Stores (Last Duck In)	Sharon Stofflet

Exelon-fueled Grants to Improve Water Quality in the Manatawny

Photo provided

Schuylkill River Heritage Area Executive Director Kurt Zwikl announces the 2012 Schuylkill River Restoration Fund grant recipients on the Russell Guntz Farm, in Oley, on Thursday. Looking on are (l to r) PA House Rep. David Maloney, Exelon Generation representative Chris Gerdes, Delaware River Basin Commission Planner Jessica Sanchez, and farm owner Russel Guntz.

Blogger's note: The following was submitted by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area.

OLEY -- The Schuylkill River Heritage Area distributed over $200,000 in grants Thursday to nine projects that will improve water quality in the Schuylkill River and its tributaries.

The Schuylkill River Restoration Fund grants were funded by Exelon’s Limerick Generating Station, the Philadelphia Water Department and Aqua PA, and administered by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area (SRHA). 

Manatawny Creek at Memorial Park in Pottstown

The grant announcement took place at the Russell Guntz Farm, in Oley, a Restoration Fund recipient for a recently completed agricultural remediation project.

Speakers included Christopher Crockett, Deputy Commissioner of the Philadelphia Water Department; Kurt Zwikl Executive Director of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area; Jessica Sanchez, River Basin Planner with the Delaware River Basin Commission; Chris Gerdes, representative of Exelon’s Limerick Generating Station; and state Rep. David Maloney, R-130th Dist.

Maloney presented certificates of recognition to property owner Russell Guntz and Berks County Conservancy Senior Ecologist Larry Lloyd for their work in significantly reducing the agricultural run-off from the Guntz dairy farm, located along Manatawny Creek.

Following the grant announcements, Guntz and Lloyd led a tour of the farm, highlighting the agricultural remediation projects. 

Among the projects completed as a result of the grant were: construction of a manure storage tank, a new roof over the barnyard, rain gutters, stream bank fencing and a stoned animal walkway. All the projects help prevent manure and other pollutants from washing into the Manatawny Creek, which is a tributary of the Schuylkill River.

This is the seventh year the grant program has been available. 

This year, money was distributed to five projects that will mitigate stormwater runoff and agricultural pollution. There are also four land transaction grants, totaling $4,000 each, to assist with costs associated with permanent protection of priority watershed parcels. (Please see 2012 Grant Awards list for recipients and project descriptions).

All the projects will benefit the entire watershed because they reduce the amount of pollution that enters creeks, and ultimately, the river, which is a source of drinking water for 1.5 million people.

“Over the past seven years, the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund has helped fund 30 projects, effectively reducing the amount of pollutants entering the river and its tributaries,” said Zwikl. “We are grateful to the unique partnerships that have formed to support this fund, which is helping us improve water quality throughout the watershed.”

This year, Exelon Generation contributed a total of $211,092 to the fund, while the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) donated $100,000. Aqua PA, a first time contributor, provided $2,500. All funds not distributed for 2012 projects will be rolled over into the 2013 grant round.

The Land Transaction Assistance Grants program, introduced last year, provides for matching grants of up to $4,000 per project. It will pay for costs associated with property purchases and conservation easements, in order to facilitate preservation of high priority lands for water quality and habitat protection. A total of $16,000 in land protection transaction grants were distributed to assist with protection of four properties.

Exelon has provided $1.6 million to the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund since it was established in 2005. The annual fund began as part of a demonstration project for what is known as the water supply program at Exelon’s Limerick Generating Station. That program is under the purview of the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC).

For the past several years, the Schuylkill Action Network (SAN) has been working to grow the program by seeking additional funders. This is the third year the Philadelphia Water Department has contributed, and the first year Aqua PA has donated, so that more projects can be undertaken. SAN continues to seek additional contributors in an effort to further expand the fund.