TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
This year’s Friends of Council Grounds State Park amateur photo contest drew 34 entries from visitors across the state of Wisconsin. Entries were narrowed to the top three images in each of the four categories: Landscape, Wildlife, Plants, and People Using the Park, and then the public was invited to vote, once per person, for their favorites via the Friends Facebook page and by email.
Voting has ended and the results are in. First through third places are being recognized in each category as follows:
Landscape
First place: Foggy Dawn on 9-11 – Kathy Yahr, Merrill
Second place: Sunset off the Pier – Joscelyn Callos, Merrill
Third place: Fall Road – Lynn Marrier, Merrill
Wildlife
First place: Eagle in Flight – Tina Diel, Merrill
Second place: Barred Owl – JoAnn Milewczyk, Merrill
Third place: Seven Swans a Swimming – Becky Zuelsdorff, Merrill
Plants
First place: Frosty Oak – Hillary Lau, Merrill
Second place: Spooky Tree – Joseph Frederick, Merrill
Third place: Fungi on Nurse Log – Audrey Huftel, Merrill
People Using the Park
First place: Grandpa and the Twins – Deb Hafenbredl, Milladore, Wis.
Second place: Krueger Pines Walk – Beth Bartelt, Merrill
Third place: Handicapped Fishing Pier – Denis Ashauer, Appleton, Wis.
All finalists are invited to participate in the Council Grounds State Park Candlelight Walk on Oct. 8, 2022, where prizes and 8×10” prints of the photos will be distributed.
“Please come and tell them how much you enjoyed their photos and enjoy a moonlit walk in the park,” said Laurie Nikolai-Svetlik, a member of the Friends of Council Grounds State Park. [See separate article for details.]
“Thank you to all the people who took time to submit their photos and thanks to the Facebook followers of Friends of Council Grounds State Park for voting,” Nikolai-Svetlik said.
The Friends group appreciates T.B. Scott Library for displaying the contest photos and the Merrill Chamber of Commerce, Merrill Foto News, The City Pages, 96.3 Merrill Bluejay Radio, 92.5 WJJQ Tomahawk Radio, and WJFW Channel 12 Rhinelander TV for their help in promoting this contest year after year, she added.