Newtown Parks & Recreation announced its list of winners and honorable mentions for the Fourth Annual Scarecrow Contest this week. Following tradition, the winners were announced on Halloween.

Town & Country Garden Club of Newtown picked up the win for Most Original, with people of all ages falling in love with the sculpture of a woman in a dress and bonnet created of pinecones and needles, dried grasses and reeds, and a splash of dried red leaves and flowers. It was the first win for the local garden club.

For the fourth year, Newtown Pride was won by The Newtown Bee/Bee Publishing Company. A group of employees crafted a beekeeper, complete with bee hive and a mock newspaper “Ooozing with News,” for this year’s entry.

People’s Choice this year went to UK Gourmet for its Wallace & Gromet scarecrow that had the former working very hard to keep the latter away from his cheese and crackers. UK Gourmet last year won the contest’s Most Original title.

Over 1,000 votes were received, according to Parks & Rec Assistant Director of Recreation RoseAnn Reggiano, who coordinates the competition.

“I am so happy,” she said Tuesday afternoon. “It’s successful every year, and people have already said they are looking forward to next year.”

Gift baskets filled with items donated by Art by Tom, BD Provisions, Castle Hill Farm, Cover Two, Good Directions, Nick’s Catering, Oak Barrel Wine and Spirts, Soccer Shots, and UK Gourmet, and Parks & Rec season passes were divided among the winners.

“The winners were so happy to hear that they won, including those who were honorable mention,” Reggiano said.

Honorable Mentions went to Edmond Town Hall (ETH: Movies, Music, Comedy), Girl Scout Troop 50763, Joanne’s Fitness Studio (Weird Barbie), Meeting of The Mindless (Wrong Way Again/upside down kayaker), Newtown Emergency Communications Center (911 Dispatcher Dudes), Newtown Lions Club (Lion Scarecrow), Newtown Senior Center (Something For Everyone), and JoAnn Noonen (Gardening Scarecrow).

The public was invited to vote in three categories — Most Original, Newtown Pride, and People’s Choice — October 26-30. Voters were allowed to vote once each day during the voting period.

The 29 scarecrows displayed were handmade by local groups as well as individual residents and their families. Entries this year are concentrated along Trades Lane, Keating Farms Avenue, and Simpson Street.

Reggiano recently urged readers to park and walk if they wanted to truly understand the work that went into this year’s scarecrows.

“When you drive by them you really can’t see what’s going on,” she told The Newtown Bee last week, noting some of her favorite details. “You really have to walk up to each one to really see what’s happening. They’re just so awesome. I love them all.”

Reflecting on the response she and others saw and overheard during the past week, Reggiano said she and others “really enjoyed the contest. There’s great creativity.”

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Managing Editor Shannon Hicks, who only reported on but did not participate as a member of this newspaper’s Scarecrow Contest team again this year, can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.