Rita Duda new Rochesterfest chair

One of the most familiar voices and faces around Rochester will serve as general chair for Rochesterfest 2010.
The new person in charge is Rita Duda, the promotions director for Rochester television stations KTTC, Fox 47 and Signal Hills CW. She has been heard and seen on local commercials for the last 11years.

Rrita joined Fox-47 when the station began operations in 1998 and became associated with KTTC when the two stations banded together in 2001 and then added promotions for Signal Hills CW to her duties. She did promotional work for Universal Ford in Rochester before getting into the television business.She is no stranger to Rochestefest. She has served on the City Celebration Board of directors since 2002 and has volunteered for several Rochestefest activities. She also helps produce and does TV commercials for the Fest.

 Rita, a Caledonia farm girl, and her husband Ed have lived in Rochester since 1983. Ed works as a career counsellor at the Work Force Center in Rochester. They met while attending St. Cloud State University, where Rita majored in speech and minored in theater and arts.
 
 Rita and Ed have four children, who were all involved in one sport or another that kept their parents on the move. The oldest is 30-year-old Joey, who is as an accountant at the Smith-Schafer firm in Rochester. Their other children are Peter, 28, who works in the finance department at Mayo Clinic; Angela, 23, a student at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse; and Jacob, 21, also a student at UW-La Crosse.  Jacob was a standout football and baseball player at Rochester Lourdes High School.

 “I feel real honored to be selected as chair for Rochestefest,” Rita said. “I’m looking forward to working with all the great people associated with the Fest.” Rita suceeds Kak and Dewey Johnson, who served as co-chairs for Rochesterfest 2009.

Five resign from Rochesterfest board

Four former overall Rochesterfest chairpersons are among five Celebration of a City board members who have resigned from the board that oversees the Fest. The four are John Wade (the 1997 chair), Dennis Nygren (2005) and Al and Peggy Mannino (2007 co-chairs). Sue DiGrazia, who was named to the board a year ago, also resigned because she moved to Rochester NY. Wade joined the board in 2002, Al Mannino and Nygren in 2003 and Peggy Mannino in 2005.

Wade is president of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, Nygren is a 40-year employee at Crescent Electric in Rochester and Al Mannino is vice president corporate affairs at Home Federal Savings Bank . Peggy Mannino also has done work for Home Federal. Nygren and the Manninos have also served as chairs for various Rochesterfest events. Nygren has been the vendor and information booth co-chair for what seems like forever, Peggy Mannino was the Rochesterfest button chair in 2007 and 2008 and Al Mannino was the first Fed Ex airplane pull chair in 2008. Nygren will continue to serve as vendor and information booth co-chair. DiGrazia organized the Rochesterfest Parade for many years while working for the Rochester Chamber and served in an advisory capacity for the event last year.

Rochesterfest says a big thank you for these five departing board members.

Heins farm to host 2010 breakfast

Rochester Ag committee co-chair Harley Flathers has announced the 2010 Breakfast on the Farm, a Rochesterfest event, will be held at the Ron and Michelle Heins-owned Amber Rae Swiss Farm near Eyota. The 23rd annual country breakfast is scheduled on Saturday, June 26, between 6:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The farm is located in Olmsted County  ½ mi. north of Eyota on MN Hwy 42. The Heins operate the 475-acre farm and three times a day milk 180 head of registered brown swiss cows.

The breakfast on the farm is sponsored by the Rochester Ag Committee and the Olmsted County Farm Bureau. Last year’s event attracted more than 3,000 people.

Honors Choir to present Oklahoma in 2010

The Southeast Minnesota Honors Choir’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which was held in conjunction with Rochesterfest 2009, was a big success. Organizers of the event reported that total attendance for four shows was 3,587 -- up from 2,055 in 2008  for Sound of Music -- and that net profit was $39,124.The event was held at Rochester’s Autumn Ridge Church for the first time. The cast and crew included about 135 children and adults from all over southeast Minnesota.

The Honors Choir will put on a production of Oklahoma as part of Rochesterfest 2010. It will be staged from June 24-27, again at Autumn Ridge Church.

Ice Cream Social huge success

The PossAbilities of Southern Minnesota Ice Cream Social, one of the most popular events of Rochesterfest, raised $6,800 in 2009. The money goes to support individuals with disabilities as active community participants.

The most popular feature of the Ice Cream Social is the ice cream eating contest for both kids and celebrities. Gabriella Pena was the 7-9 year old champion and Katelyn Goodman ate her way to the 10-12 year old title. Ted Schmidt of KTTC-TV successfully defended his title in the contest that featured local celebrities. Other celebrities who took part were Jeff Kiger of the Post-Bulletin, Dave Berg of 102.5 The Fox radio, Alex Morgan of Y-105 radio, Sarah Swistak of KAAL-TV and Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede.

The 2010 Ice Cream Social is scheduled Monday, June 21 at Rochester's Central Park.

Rochesterfest sponsor wins national award

The Gillette Group of Rochester has been named bottler of the year by Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages for 2008, it was recently announced. It’s the highest honor bestowed on Pepsi-Cola North America bottlers. Rochester Pepsi has been a major sponsor of Rochesterfest for more than a decade.

 “Gillette Rochester has proven itself a real winner year-in and year-out,” Pepsi North America CEO Hugh Johnson said as he presented the award to Gillette Rochester CEO Fred Truax during a ceremony in Los Angeles. “You only have to visit the Rochester area to see just what an impact this bottler has on its community,” Johnson added. “When you look at the numbers they’ve posted in large-format retailers, in convenience and gas stores and at foodservice you’re simply blown away.

Pepsi Cola North America presented Gillette Rochester with a $5,000 grant, which it will donate to the Shjon Podein Children’s Foundation of Rochester.

2009 results
Rochesterfest Triathlon

Olympic

1st - Sam Hauck, Omaha, Neb, 1:55.48

2nd - Curt Wood, Chaska, MN 1:56.44

3rd - Alex Hooke, Rochester, MN 1:59.01

Sprint

1st - Jesse Nelson, Red Wing, MN, 54:18

2nd - Chris Koch, Rochester, MN, 54:26

3rd - Mederic Hall, Rochester, MN, 58:03

Puzzle Contest

Winning team: Janet Helgren, Marcia Helgren, Sue Jenkins and Matt Jenkins

Million $ Golf Shoot-Out

Championship - Philip Valenti won $1,000 for closest to the pin at 10 feet 6 inches

Session Winners

Tuesday 1st Session:  Michael Mulcahey 1/2 inch

Tuesday, 2nd Session:  Leif Erickson, Hole-in-One

Wednesday, 1st Session:  Derek Clarey, 3 1/2 inches

Wednesday, 2nd Session:  Larry Oefstedahl, Hole-in-One

Thursday, 1st Session: Tracy Phelps, Hole-in-One, Philip Valenti, Hole-in-One

Thursday, 2nd Session:  Mark Boenish, Hole-in-One, Brian Lisovskis, Hole-in-One

Friday, 1st Session:  Rob Mounts 4 1/4 inches

Friday, 2nd Session:  Philip Valenti, Hole-in-One, Jeff Beck, Hole-in-one

Treasure Hunt
Winner Josiah Nagel - Found the treasure and won $500.00

Bicycle Winners
Kiwanis Parent Child Free Fair
Winners: Chase Larsen and Samantha Padmos

Parade High School Bands

Class A - 1st Place - Lake City, 2nd Place - Henry Sibley

Class AA - 1st Place - Winona Cotter. 2nd Place - Lutheran Vanguard. Overall Champion - Winona Cotter

Rochester's Strongest Man

The first Rochester's Strongest Man Contest proved to be a Clash of Titans where the winner was determined by 1 second on the last event.  On the hot 85-degree day, Carl Foemmel, a 295-pound ball of muscle from Marshfield, WI, dominated the 1st three events.  Carl carried a 235-pound sandbag, 250-pound sandbag Farmer's handles in each hand, and dragged a 560-pound sandbag anchor chain all 50-foot in 27.9 seconds to win the carry and drag medley. 

The 2nd event was the last man standing deadlift.  Alex DeMarco of Faribault, MN and Jeff Peterson of St. Paul, MN both finished with lifts of 820 lbs. but it was Carl Foemmel finishing 1st again with a lift of 870 lbs. 

The 3rd event was the overhead press medley.  Foemmel made quick work of 5 odd objects finishing 1st again. 

The 4th event called for the athletes to flip an 800lb. tire 7 times as fast as possible.  Jeff Peterson, a 220lb competitor with over 50 competitions under his belt, edged Carl in this event. 

In the 5th event, Jeff Peterson pulled a 16,000lb. truck arm over arm style 50 feet in 41.5 seconds capturing 1st in the event.  Foemmel finished a disappointing 4th in the event propelling Peterson into 1st place overall by a half point with one event to go. 

The last event was one of the strongman signature events:  the stones. Peterson and Foemmel were only a half point apart.  Foemmel lifted the 5 stones weighing 235lb., 265lb., 285lb., 310lb., and 340lb. to the 50" platform in a blistering 25.7 seconds.  Peterson followed with an inspired 24.4 second run to capture the title of Rochester's Strongest Man.

1st Place Jeff Peterson - St. Paul

2nd Place Carl Foemmel, Marshfield WI

3rd Place Paul Bayleat - PlymouthList of Winners – What they won: Ice Cream Certificates from Kemps
4th Place Joel Dierks - Voted Fan Favorite

Ice Cream Eating Contest
7-9 yr olds
1. Gabriella Pena

10-12 yr olds
1. Katelyn Goodman

Celebrities
1. Ted Schmidt KTTC
2. Jeff Kiger Post Bulletin
3. Dave Berg The Fox 102.5
4. Alex Morgan Y 105
5. Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede
6. Sarah Swistak KAAL

Friday, June 25 - Start time 6:15 p.m.

The Grand Parade is an annual Rochesterfest event put on by the Ambassadors of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce.

Sponsor:  Think Mutual Bank

Parade Route