Scarecrows Now On Display,

Voting Open Through Sunday

Newtown Middle School’s My Favorite Scarecrow Contest entries went on display this past Saturday, October 20, and will remain up until this Sunday, October 28.

From Winnie the Pooh, Thing 1 and Thing 2 from The Cat in the Hat, and Doctor Who, this year’s scarecrow contest entries have a number of recognizable characters. SpongeBob SquarePants has a wooden bench to sit on, and Aragog, a large spider from the J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, is creeping along next to a tree on the front lawn of the school, near where Spider-Man is slinking down from a tree limb.

Nearly 50 scarecrows are on display for the contest this year. Other entries include a “Chinese Style Dragon,” a lantern, a flower and bee, and “The Woodland King,” a wooden skeleton with a pumpkin head surrounded by leaves and more.

Each year eighth grade student groups are challenged to create a larger-than-life scarecrow, designed to frighten away a demon of their choice, that can withstand inclement weather. Each student group is limited to spending a certain amount on its scarecrow, and this year that limit has been raised to $30 from $25. The creations are then put on display on Newtown Middle School’s front lawn, voted on by the public for $1 per vote, and the top three winning scarecrow groups receive the proceeds to donate to a charity of their choice.

Last year’s My Favorite Scarecrow Contest winner was “Monsters Inc,” or Scarecrow 36, created by Michael Roche, Chris Grasso, Sam Duffy, and Kevin Finnegan.

Voting on the scarecrows is open while the creations are on view for the public. Ballots are available at the school and online at www.newtownbee.com. Each vote costs $1, with the top three winning groups awarding the money to a charity of their choice. Votes can be submitted with the accompanying payment to either NMS or dropped off at The Bee’s 5 Church Hill Road office.

A photo slideshow of the scarecrows is available with this story at www.newtownbee.com.