We Have A Winner Plus $500 In Prizes For Awards!
Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2020 7:27 pm
We have a Winner!
But then again, aren't we all winners when so many of our friends and neighbors decorate their homes for the holidays? Of course we are.
This entire contest started when Steve Davis and I were driving around Lakewood taking pictures of Christmas lights nearly 20 years ago. That night we were distressed by some really underwhelming displays or so we thought. Then we came to a house on Newman or Countant, a small house with two windows facing the street. On the second floor was a green window blanket, and on the first floor was a red window blanket. I could tell they were window blankets having relied upon them in my early years. While we thought about what this meant, it occurred to both of us, that this person put in a hell of a lot more work than the neighbors on either side. And almost like with the Grinch, our hearts grew 10 sizes that day. Soon we were noting the subtlety of one string of light, one light maybe two. And the contest was born.
Not for individual recognition, but for us to celebrate the beauty, the work, the talents of others. A selfless act of love and sharing. Joining us each year, are Woodstock BBQ, Melt, India Garden, West End Tavern, Root Cafe and this year Gordon Tower Insurance. We really try to keep it simple and enjoyable, and use it as a way to motivate the city to get out, walk and drive around and see the amazing work of your friends and neighbors.
Each year, it is our hope--and the way we designed the contest-- to show you just enough of what is out there to get you to want to explore and share. We know the photos do not do justice to the displays, but it does take a major step toward putting everyone at the same table. Otherwise, how do the two lights compete against the person that hires a professional lighting company to do the bling? At the same time, do we really want to discount the person spending thousands for the bling, or just make it more fair?
So the process runs like this. We solicit nominations, and they pour in. At the same time we hit the streets looking for special homes, making sure the entire city is well represented. These homes are then posted for the public to vote on. The first year we learned that everyone voted for themselves and no one else. Well that was no fun. In the following years we have looked at many different ways to get more households involved and to make it more fun and more fair. The way it's set up now, you can vote once a day and you pick five houses. You can pick your own house if you want to, but to make it more fair, you also have to pick four more.
We use the public voting to narrow it down to a final 20 displays for the independent judges to come in without knowledge of how the homes placed and make the final choices. I personally did not vote this year. Tie breakers in judged voting was the number of legitimate votes in the open voting.
(Winners have until January 30th to claim prizes. Send a text to: production@lakewoodobserver.com, or call 216.407.6818 Mon-Fri 10am - 6pm. Prizes not claimed will be rolled over into the next contest)
Congratulations to all who were nominated, you put a smile on your neighbors face.
And here are the winners.
Top Choice by the Judges…
# 252 in original listing. $50 from Gordon Tower Insurance towards their electric bill, and $65 in fine dining
One of the judges commented, “If I was a kid, and I saw Santa Claus flying across the front yard in the sky, it would be magical.”
2nd and 3rd were tied in jury points
Second Place…
# 5 in the original listing, $60 in fine dining
3rd Place…
# 240 in original listing, Overall winner last year. $60 in fine dining
4th and 5th were tied in jury points
Fourth Place…
# 1, $40 in fine dining
Fifth Place…
# 250 in the original listing, $40 in fine dining
Sixth Place...
#15 in the original listing $40 in fine dining
7th - 10th were tied in jury points
Seventh Place…
# 13 in the original listing $20 in fine dining
Eighth Place…
#157 in the original listing $20 in fine dining
Ninth Place...
#259 in the original listing $20 in fine dining
Tenth Place…
#126 in the original listing $20 in fine dining
11th - 15th were tied in jury points
Eleventh Place
# 4 in the original listing $20 in fine dining
Twelfth Place…
# 6 in the original listing $20 in fine dining
Thirteenth Place...
#22 in the original listing $20 in fine dining
Fourteenth Place…
#17 in the original listing $20 in fine dining
Fifteenth Place…
#158 in the original listing $20 in fine dining
Thank you again to everyone!
Especially Gordon Tower Insurance, Woodstock BBQ, Melt, India Garden, WestEnd Tavern, and Root Cafe.
.
But then again, aren't we all winners when so many of our friends and neighbors decorate their homes for the holidays? Of course we are.
This entire contest started when Steve Davis and I were driving around Lakewood taking pictures of Christmas lights nearly 20 years ago. That night we were distressed by some really underwhelming displays or so we thought. Then we came to a house on Newman or Countant, a small house with two windows facing the street. On the second floor was a green window blanket, and on the first floor was a red window blanket. I could tell they were window blankets having relied upon them in my early years. While we thought about what this meant, it occurred to both of us, that this person put in a hell of a lot more work than the neighbors on either side. And almost like with the Grinch, our hearts grew 10 sizes that day. Soon we were noting the subtlety of one string of light, one light maybe two. And the contest was born.
Not for individual recognition, but for us to celebrate the beauty, the work, the talents of others. A selfless act of love and sharing. Joining us each year, are Woodstock BBQ, Melt, India Garden, West End Tavern, Root Cafe and this year Gordon Tower Insurance. We really try to keep it simple and enjoyable, and use it as a way to motivate the city to get out, walk and drive around and see the amazing work of your friends and neighbors.
Each year, it is our hope--and the way we designed the contest-- to show you just enough of what is out there to get you to want to explore and share. We know the photos do not do justice to the displays, but it does take a major step toward putting everyone at the same table. Otherwise, how do the two lights compete against the person that hires a professional lighting company to do the bling? At the same time, do we really want to discount the person spending thousands for the bling, or just make it more fair?
So the process runs like this. We solicit nominations, and they pour in. At the same time we hit the streets looking for special homes, making sure the entire city is well represented. These homes are then posted for the public to vote on. The first year we learned that everyone voted for themselves and no one else. Well that was no fun. In the following years we have looked at many different ways to get more households involved and to make it more fun and more fair. The way it's set up now, you can vote once a day and you pick five houses. You can pick your own house if you want to, but to make it more fair, you also have to pick four more.
We use the public voting to narrow it down to a final 20 displays for the independent judges to come in without knowledge of how the homes placed and make the final choices. I personally did not vote this year. Tie breakers in judged voting was the number of legitimate votes in the open voting.
(Winners have until January 30th to claim prizes. Send a text to: production@lakewoodobserver.com, or call 216.407.6818 Mon-Fri 10am - 6pm. Prizes not claimed will be rolled over into the next contest)
Congratulations to all who were nominated, you put a smile on your neighbors face.
And here are the winners.
Top Choice by the Judges…
# 252 in original listing. $50 from Gordon Tower Insurance towards their electric bill, and $65 in fine dining
One of the judges commented, “If I was a kid, and I saw Santa Claus flying across the front yard in the sky, it would be magical.”
2nd and 3rd were tied in jury points
Second Place…
# 5 in the original listing, $60 in fine dining
3rd Place…
# 240 in original listing, Overall winner last year. $60 in fine dining
4th and 5th were tied in jury points
Fourth Place…
# 1, $40 in fine dining
Fifth Place…
# 250 in the original listing, $40 in fine dining
Sixth Place...
#15 in the original listing $40 in fine dining
7th - 10th were tied in jury points
Seventh Place…
# 13 in the original listing $20 in fine dining
Eighth Place…
#157 in the original listing $20 in fine dining
Ninth Place...
#259 in the original listing $20 in fine dining
Tenth Place…
#126 in the original listing $20 in fine dining
11th - 15th were tied in jury points
Eleventh Place
# 4 in the original listing $20 in fine dining
Twelfth Place…
# 6 in the original listing $20 in fine dining
Thirteenth Place...
#22 in the original listing $20 in fine dining
Fourteenth Place…
#17 in the original listing $20 in fine dining
Fifteenth Place…
#158 in the original listing $20 in fine dining
Thank you again to everyone!
Especially Gordon Tower Insurance, Woodstock BBQ, Melt, India Garden, WestEnd Tavern, and Root Cafe.
.