DMC Announces Scarecrow Stroll Winners

Even though plagued by rainy days, Cranford's Downtown District Management Corporation is pleased with the voter turnout for this year's Scarecrow Stroll.

Voters had 132 scarecrows to choose from this year. Last year, more than 100 wild, artistic and crazy scarecrows were on display downtown and more than 6,000 votes were cast for scarecrow favorites. While DMC staffers are unsure of the total votes cast at the end of this October, they believe it to be comparable to last year's stroll.

The DMC released the winners of the 2009 Scarecrow Stroll competition earlier this week. Coming in first: Scram Crow by the Kalnis family, followed by Sleepy Hollow by Cub Pack 178 in second, and The Joker by Judy Schnieder in third.

Honorable mentions were given to Brownie Troop 73's Fancy Lady, The Green Thumb Garden Club's Itzy Bitzy Spider, Elane and Pat Paul Margulis' Mad Hatter, and Kristen and Claire Collins' Corpse Bride.

The Scarecrow Trophy, award to the top-voted scarecrow created by a downtown business, went to Hynes Jewelers' County Down Lad and Lassie.

Participants were told to remove their scarecrows from their downtown perches by Thursday. DMC and the public works department dismantled those scarecrows left behind and donated the clothing, shoes and other accessories in decent condition to Goodwill.

Click through the photo gallery to see this year's winners.