For an employee of Westport’s Sylvan Nursery, returning a call from the boss paid sweet dividends Saturday.
Jim Krynicki was spending a vacation day out clearing a trail in woods near his house when the messages on his telephone answering machine began piling up.
He returned to find one from Gina Purtell, director of Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, another from Neal Van Sloun, owner of Sylvan Nursery where Mr. Krynicki has worked for 16 years, now as head of maintenance.
“I saw the phone light flashing and kind of had an inkling what it might be all about,” Mr. Krynicki said. He knew that this was Allens Pond rubber duck race day and remembered that Mr. Van Sloun had purchased a duck apiece for him and others at Sylvan awhile back.
“I called and found out that my duck had won the grand prize” — dinner for two anywhere in the world.
He next called his wife Melissa who was at a birthday party with their 6-year-old son Alex.
“Her reaction was the same as mine. Wow!”
Mr. Krynicki knew better than most what his duck Sunny (named by his son Alex) was up against having helped release the racing ducks at the derby’s start in the channel at Barney’s Joy a few years ago. “They are all at the mercy of the tide and the wind — it’s quite a sight, all those ducks floating along.”
They haven’t yet chosen a precise dinner location for their all-expenses-paid dinner for two, round trip airfare and two nights lodging.
“It really hasn’t all sunken in yet.”
But they do think they’ve narrowed the selection down a bit.
“The Mediterranean somewhere. It’s a place we have always wanted to go but never really thought we would.” This time of year would be good — nice weather and things aren’t as hectic at the nursery.
The odds against Sonny were greater than ever in this, Allen Pond’s tenth annual Duck Derby.
Jennifer Costa of the wildlife sanctuary said that this year’s anniversary was a record breaker with 5,866 yellow rubber ducks competing in the sanctuary’s biggest annual fundraiser.
There were lots of other winners in both the duck derby and the races on Sunday morning.
A total of 55 ducks brought prizes to their owners.
Second place, a $300 shopping spree at Lees Supermarket, went to Justin O’Connor of Lexington, Mass.
Third place, a $250 gift certificate to Sylvan Nursery, was won by Arch Horst of Cambridge, Mass.
Fourth place, a golf foursome at Allendale Country Club, went to Donna Ginsberg of Oakhurst, NJ. (See complete list below).
On Sunday, 18-year-old Mohammed Daud of Swansea was the top male finisher in the Duck Derby 5K with a time of 18:36 and Stacie Jaeger,28, of Saratoga Springs, NY, was the top female finisher with a time of 21:21 (all results are available online at www.coolrunning.com).
Scott Costa edged Dan Nashold for top honors among Westport runners, coming in just behind RC Smith of Little Compton.
From there, a crowd of youngsters tackled the Totally Quackers Obstacle Course before heading one field over at the sanctuary for the Duck Derby Festival. There participants enjoyed a barbecue, homemade desserts, blues from Neal McCarthy & Friends, and a silent auction and live plant auction, with plants donated and auctioned off by Fred Dabney of Quansett Nursery.
Duck Derby 2013 Prizes
Value
Duck Name
Prize winner name
City/St
1. Grand Prize
priceless
Sunny
Jim Krynicki
South Dartmouth, MA
2. Lees Supermarket Shopping Spree
$300
Chief Ducky
Justin O’Connor
Lexington, MA
3. Sylvan Nursery Gift Certificate
$250
Den Mother
Arch Horst
Cambridge, MA
4. Allendale Country Club Foursome Golf w/o Cart
$240
IMSURT 4
Donna Ginsberg
Oakhurst, NJ
5. Dartmouth YMCA – Two Youth Memberships
$240
Page
Elizabeth Scharlack
Brookline, MA
6. Residence Inn – One Night Studio Stay & Breakfast
$200
Ryder
Mel Yoken
New Bedford, MA
7. Lloyd Center Family Membership & Kayak Tour for 2
$150
Chris
Amy Burnes
South Dartmouth, MA
8. Carol Veiga – Original Drawings
$150
Melvyn 2
Cynthia Sachs
Newton, MA
9. Henley House B&B – One Night Deluxe Stay
$135
Abby
Diane Gilbert
Dartmouth, MA
10. Carabiner’s Indoor Climbing - Party for Six
$132
Lila
David Low
Arlington, VA
11. Salt Marsh Pottery Gift Certificate
$115
Tony
Antonio Santos
North Dartmouth, MA
12. Country Woolens Gift Certificate
$100
Metro 10
Wendy Born
Philadelphia, PA
13. Osprey Sea Kayak Adventures Gift Certificate
$100
Bob
Robert Clifton
Westport, MA
14. Wind Drift Studio – Sharon’s Murals & Faux Finishes
$100
Pierced
Dorothy Piranian
Boston, MA
15. Carabiner’s Indoor Climbing - Beginner Package
$90
Violet
Patricia Holst
Westport, MA
16. ArtWorks! Family Membership
$85
Kinloch
Brandon Cherenzia
Swansea, MA
17. Tripp’s Boatyard & Marina – 2 Life Preservers & Flag
$85
Dana
J.F. Brayton
Westport, MA
18. Mass Audubon Family Membership & Gift Pack
$80
The Quacken
Joanne O’Neill
Franklin, MA
19. WRWA Membership, Tote Bag & Book
$80
Jolie Faye
Mark Montigny
New Bedford, MA
20. Cape Cod Cupola Gift Certificate
$75
Quacker
Wendy Henderson
Dolores, CO
21. Sisters of Solace Holistic Healing Gift Certificate
$65
Doodles
Nadia & Andrew Belov
Sherwood, OR
22. The Comfort of Touch Gift Certificate
$60
Raba
Dorothy Piranian
Boston, MA
23. Ocean Explorium Family Membership
$60
De-Duck-tion
Leah Boles
South Dartmouth, MA
24. New Bedford Whaling Museum Four Admissions
$56
Ducky Dasher
Amanda Silveira
Nashville, TN
25. The Back Eddy Gift Certificate
$50
Rocco
Marina Gunning
South Dartmouth, MA
26. Black Bass Grille Gift Certificate
$50
Goompa
Terrance Connolly
Cedar Grove, NJ
27. Dartmoor Gifts Gift Certificate
$50
Ned
Morris Furtado
Westport, MA
28. Dartmouth Building Supply Gift Certificate
$50
Kiwi
Merilee Kelly
Taunton, MA
29. DNRT Family Membership
$50
Caroline
Barbara Ferri
South Dartmouth, MA
30. Flora Gift Certificate
$50
Maggie
Pat Connelly
Tiverton, RI
31. Folia Merchandise
$50
Rory
Horace Wildes
Dartmouth, MA
32. Norton Gallery Gift Certificate
$50
Alec
Jean McBride
Westport, MA
33. The Packet Gift Certificate
$50
Callum #10
Kate Mackenzie
Brooklyn, NY
34. Partners Village Store Merchandise & Gift Certificate
$50
#1
Peter Bullard
Dartmouth, MA
35. Sisters of the Wool Gift Certificate
$50
Adillion
Jo-Anne C. Masson
Acushnet, MA
36. Westport Apothecary Gift Certificate
$50
Duck Dasher
Frederick Lima
Westport, MA
37. A.S. Deams Gift Certificate
$35
C Mommy Duck
Gary Charpentier
Providence, RI
38. Ace Hardware Gift Certificate
$25
Ryman
Thomas Johnson
Worcester, MA
39. Ageless Beauty Medical Spa Gift Certificate
$25
Thelma
Diane Hartnett
Westport, MA
40. Beach Plum Café Gift Certificate
$25
#8
Patton Tabors
Cambridge, MA
41. Bittersweet Farm Restaurant Gift Certificate
$25
Matthew
Holly Schenck
Providence, RI
42. Davoll’s General Store Gift Certificate
$25
#1
Naomi Cardoso
Westport, MA
43. Details & Design Gift Certificate
$25
Mikey
David Low
Arlington, VA
44. Head Town Landing Country Store Gift Certificate
$25
Megan the Monster
Megan Zottoli
Woods Hole, MA
45. Ninety Nine Restaurant Gift Certificate
$25
Henri
Joan Freed
Deerfield, NH
46. Naughty Dawgs Express Gift Certificate
$25
Jamesam
Jeanne Leffers
Warren, RI
47. Not Your Average Joe’s Gift Certificate
$25
Marcia #4
Christopher Bosso
Boston, MA
48. Peckham’s Greenhouse Gift Certificate
$25
Chase
Megan Kelley
South Dartmouth, MA
49. Peckham’s Greenhouse Gift Certificate
$25
Gray
Michael Jupin
South Dartmouth, MA
50. Salon Blue Gift Certificate
$25
Marionette
Andrea Fournier
Fall River, MA
51. Salon Blue Gift Certificate
$25
Mimi
Lawrence Perez
Warwick, RI
52. Pine Hill Service Station Gift Certificate
$50
#3
Shawn Maloney
Harwinton, CT
Stealth Duck lunch for 2 and free coffee for one month at F.A. Simmons Store)
Speed Demon
Mary Sedney
Westport, MA
Slacker Quacker (one duck for 2014 Derby)
Happy Plover
Caron Rocha
Decade Duck (a flock of ducks for 2014 Derby)
Danny
Judith Medeiros
South Dartmouth, MA