Of the fifty free fish distributed to Princeton area residents, thirty were returned.
Six winners were chosen with the help of Chamber of Commerce Board judges and each received $25 in Chamber Dollars checks (which can be spent at any business that is a Chamber member).
We asked the public to vote for their favorite fish during our Sturgeon Celebration on April 13th, and this ended up being a tie! Rather than split the prize, we were able to scrape up some more Chamber Dollars so each winner received the full amount ($25) and the People's Choice Award.
All told, that's a lot of cash for ugly fish, and we thank the Princeton Chamber immensely for sponsoring such awesome prizes!
Judges Remarks:
Ugliest Sturgeon: Mark Kallas
This turkey sturgeon is not only truly grotesque, but truly made of turkey. From its fanned fanny feathers to its turkey spur fangs and beady black eyes, this gobbler is authentically ugly.Prettiest Sturgeon: Gail Harter
This pink-and-purple, skirt-wearing, clownish fish reminds one of the character Mimi from the Drew Carey TV Show (1995-2004). It’s “pretty” alright- pretty ugly! Extra points for the fake eyelashes and dayglo accessories.Foxiest Sturgeon: Renee Cybul
This furry friend is truly a creature of the Fox River. Painted reddish brown and white, and featuring a furry tail, this foxlike fish (or fishlike fox?) has a face only a mother could love, and a texture to die for.Most Inspirational Sturgeon: Mary Lind
The body of this model has been remodeled to feature a real sturgeon’s ugly hallmarks, including spiny protrusions called scutes, and tentacle-like mouth feelers called barbels. However, it is also covered in lovely quotes from authors, celebrities, and world leaders about the definition of true beauty.Most Monstrous Sturgeon: Megan Kuhnhausen
This amazingly detailed fish has been remodeled to allow for Chinese dragon features. Its eyes, horns, spiny crest, and flowing whiskers are fantastical!Kitschiest Sturgeon: Denise Gorsuch
Hundreds of real, tiny shells cover the body of this model, making it the most kitschy fish, as well as the heaviest sturgeon here. This project must have taken hours!People’s Choice Award: Gail Harter and Megan Kuhnhausen
We invited each attendee to vote for their favorite sturgeon, and we had a tie!Ugly Sturgeon Contest Honorable Mentions:
The Ice Bowl: Keith and Elizabeth Barzyk
The face of this Packers-themed fish has been remodeled to allow for string barbels with yellow and green beads which sway in a breeze. Its nerdy expression, green cats’ eyes, and shellacked sides are nice, but there’s nothing better (or uglier) than a bad pun! The fish’s side is emblazoned with “FEEL THE #10,” a reference to Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love. A great entry from a great local business.Sturgeon Lamp: Cathy Eckart
The sturgeon itself is pretty but fairly plain, painted in a shimmery white with a pattern of pearl beads. However, transforming the fish into a table lamp complete with shade is a neat idea. It brings to mind the leg lamp in the 1983 classic movie “A Christmas Story.” Somebody out there with questionable taste or a great sense of humor desperately wants this in their living room window.Sturgeon Fountain: The Ladwig Family
A rushed execution and a plain fish kept this entry out of the winner’s circle, but the concept is amazing! This family used a Tupperware tote full of water as a base. A small pump connecting the water to the model turned their entry into a working sturgeon fountain. The constant trickle of water from the fish’s mouth is almost musical (and made at least one judge think about using the restroom). A technical triumph.Children's Sturgeon
We appreciate every single entry into the contest- including all of the sturgeon submitted by young children. We hope that the popularity of this contest will continue to expand, allowing us to create age categories and choose more winners.Our library (and every library in the Winnefox system) now has Kanopy. You can download or livestream movies free on Kanopy with your library card!
Click HERE
You will need to enter your library card and your PIN (it's usually the last four digits of your phone number).
Create a username and password
Log in
Watch great movies!Come in and get free seeds for planting a garden that will feed both you and the bees.
In the fall, if you can, please collect some seeds from your mature plants and bring them back to share with others.Available seeds include:
Early Blood Turnip Beet
Danvers Carrot
Rainbow Mix Carrot
Seed Savers Lettuce Mix
Sweet Granite Melon
Amish Snap Pea
Lavender Hyssop
Lupine
Bloomsdale Spinach
Waltham Butternut Squash
Mammoth Russian Sunflower
Sunflower MixBecause we are buying our seeds in bulk from a cooperative in order to save money, they will come in plain envelopes in limited quantities. All seeds are heirloom varieties grown in the Midwest. To learn more about seed saving and seed swaps, go to https://shop.seedsavers.org/
We also have some donated tomato and hot pepper seeds from last year. Although germination won't be 100% with these older seeds, they're free, so why not try some?
Do you want to download free library eBooks or audiobooks?
Use our FREE "Libby" app!
On your tablet or smartphone, click here: https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby
- if you are downloading books to your desktop computer, please use libbyapp.com
Libby comes with features we know you’ll love, like:
- Streaming media you can listen to any time
- Download books and audiobooks for use while offline
- A central bookshelf for all loans and holds
- Customizable notifications for ready holds
- Compatibility with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Sonos speakers
- Compatibility with Kindle Fire tablets, Android and Apple smartphones
- Easy access to OverDrive support staff
Our library has board games you can check out, just like a book or DVD!
We have games that appeal to all ages! Play traditional games like Trouble or Trivia Pursuit, or branch out into unusual games like Bluey's Keepy-Uppy Game for tots or Forbidden Island, a cooperative fantasy survival game for adults.
Other games include The Great British Baking Game, Twister, Monopoly, Munchkin, Jenga, Exploding Kittens, PatchWork, Cards Against Humanity, Outfoxed, Apples to Apples, Ticket to Ride, The Goonies: Never Say Die, and more!
Do you have gently-used games you'd like to donate? We'd love to add them to this new collection.
- DVD
- JFICTION
- JNONFIC
- LGPRINT
- NEW-FIC
- NEW-NONFIC
- YA-BOOKNF