Sandee Brackett’s photo of the Arch Bridge in Bristol Mills received the most votes from readers to win the 2017 #LCNme365 photo contest. Brackett, of New Harbor, will receive a prize package from Lincoln County Publishing Co., including the first copy of a 2018 calendar featuring the monthly winners of the contest. (Photo courtesy Sandee Brackett)
Only 11 votes decided the winner of the annual #LCNme365 photo contest when polls closed the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 2. Sandee Brackett, of New Harbor, received 133 of the 675 votes cast to come away with the win.
Brackett, along with the 11 other finalists, had previously won a monthly #LCNme365 contest to become eligible for the final vote. Brackett’s photo of the historic Arch Bridge, which carries Benner Road over the Pemaquid River in Bristol Mills, won the month of November, receiving twice as many votes as its closest competitor.
Brackett snapped the photo with her Canon Rebel T5 in October, just as the fall colors were peaking. While she had read about the contest in The Lincoln County News, it wasn’t until her friend, Kristine Poland, encouraged her to enter that Brackett began submitting photos.
Much as she did during November’s voting, Brackett, in a post on her Facebook page, asked friends to vote for her photo in the annual contest. The comments she received were “very favorable,” she said.
“People were sharing my post on their pages and then they received comments about voting for my photo, and that’s really how the news got networked out,” Brackett said. “I’m so happy it worked out!”
As winner of the annual contest, Brackett will receive a prize package of products featuring her photo from Lincoln County Publishing Co., of Newcastle. Lincoln County Publishing Co. publishes The Lincoln County News.
Sandee Brackett holds a copy of the Nov. 30 edition of The Lincoln County News with her photo on the front page. The photo won the November contest before going on to take the annual contest too. (Photo courtesy Sandee Brackett)
The prize package includes decks of playing cards, postcards, a framed print of her photo, and a one-year subscription to The Lincoln County News.
Brackett will also receive the first copy of a 2018 calendar featuring the monthly winners of the contest. Brackett’s photo will grace the cover.
The 12 monthly sponsors of the contest will also receive a free copy of the calendar. The sponsors for 2017 were King Eider’s Pub, of Damariscotta; JM Automotive, of Newcastle; Van Lloyd’s Bistro, of Damariscotta; SugarSpell Sweets, of Damariscotta; Smitten Collectibles & Nerdy Treasures, of Damariscotta; Coastal Car Wash, of Boothbay Harbor and Damariscotta; Riverside Butcher Co., of Damariscotta; Long Winter Soap Co., of Waldoboro; Renys; Split Rock Distilling, of Newcastle; Damariscotta Bank & Trust; and Louis Doe Home Center, of Newcastle.
The rest of the calendars will be available for purchase at The Lincoln County News office, 116 Mills Road, Newcastle, starting next week.
The 2018 contest is already underway, with more than 60 photos submitted. Brackett and the 11 monthly winners from 2017 are again eligible to enter the contest.
Each week, The Lincoln County News staff will select a winning photo. At the end of the month, readers will choose the photo of the month from the weekly winners via a poll at lcnme.com/photo-contest.
The photo that receives the most votes will appear on the front page of The Lincoln County News. In addition, the winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to a local business from the contest’s monthly sponsor.
Sea Smoke Shop, of Damariscotta, is the sponsor for the month of January.
“We are so proud to be LCN’s first contest sponsor of 2018,” Sea Smoke Shop owner Penn Way said. “Being able to experience our local scenery and life from so many unique perspectives is truly special. We look forward to supporting this project in the future and can’t wait to see this month’s photo entries.”
For complete contest rules and to see previous entries and winners, go to lcnme.com/photo-contest.
