×

Spring in a box

Families build their best birdhouses for contest

Madelyn Gay, a senior at Saranac Lake High School, won first place for this schoolhouse birdhouse and won a $100 gift certificate to her favorite local business. The prize was sponsored by Renee Darrah of Champlain National Bank. (Photo provided)

SARANAC LAKE — Following last week’s snowman success, a group of local real estate professionals organized a birdhouse-building contest to give quarantined families something creative to do and share.

Making a birdhouse requires a lot more doing than making a snowman, but nevertheless, photos of 22 entries were received, Say Real Estate principal broker Cherrie Sayles said Tuesday.

It was a real family project, and parents and children worked together to make many of the nesting boxes.

“They are insanely talented, and the kids are getting right into it,” Sayles said. “It’s so cool.”

Each prize is a gift certificate to the winner’s favorite local business. Say Real Estate paid for those with last week’s snowmen, but this week other local businesses stepped up to sponsor a prize each.

The “Most Creative” prize went to Amanda Rae for this birdhouse made of wine corks. She won a $50 gift certificate to Blue Moon Cafe, sponsored by Beef’s Electric. (Photo provided)

The $100 first-place gift certificate went to teenager Madelyn Gay for a birdhouse styled like a schoolhouse, the facade of which bore a shout-out to her fellow seniors at Saranac Lake High School.

Four others won $50 gift certificates for category themes: “Most Creative,” “Most Ambitious,” “Most Adirondack” and “Best New Construction.”

Sayles made sure to mention some entries that came in too late for judging, such as a group of small “cookie-cutter” bird feeders shaped like stars and hearts, made by kids at Kids R Us day care.

“They were so cute,” she said.

Kristina Clifford and Ruth Hagman judged the contest. For next week’s project, they are asking people what they want to do.

The “Most Ambitious prize went to the Gibson family — including Callan Gadway at right and his brother Raylan Gibson — who won a $50 gift certificate to their favorite local business, sponsored by Janie Bevilacqua of Janie’s for Hair. (Photo provided)

“The judges will pick five out of all those suggestions, and then we’ll do a poll,” Sayles said. The idea that gets the most votes will be next week’s challenge — announced Friday.

“We’re going to keep to going until we all get free,” Sayles said.

You can find the weekly challenges on Facebook by searching for “Quarantination event page.” There are more than one.

Meanwhile, local businesswoman Andrea Audi of Cedar Circle LLC hopes to place some of the birdhouses in village parks and is asking makers to donate them for this purpose. Audi said local artists have offered to paint any birdhouses that aren’t already painted.

The “Most Adirondack” prize went to this birch-bark birdhouse by William and Kayla Bova, who won a $50 gift certificate to Blue Moon Cafe, sponsored by B’s Hive Embroidery. (Photo provided)

The “Best New Construction” award went to 7-year-old Milo David, who won a $50 gift certificate to his favorite local business, sponsored by Clyde Rabideau of Rabideau Corp. (Photo provided)

Blake Rohe, age 9, and his father Shawn Rohe submitted this “Love Nest” birdhouse entry too late for the contest, but the judges made mention of it anyway. (Photo provided)

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.75/week.

Subscribe Today