By Stephen Dafoe
Morinville – Judges in the Morinville Community Library’s Valentine’s Day Colouring Contest, co-sponsored by The Morinville News, had a tough time picking three winners in two categories. Sixty-three entries were received by the Feb. 12 deadline, 37 entries in the 4-7 year old category, and another 26 in the 8-12 age group.
Morinville Public Library Board members Keith Norris and Barb Haberer joined Library Manager Isabelle Cramp and Assistant Manager Cheryl Pasechnik in judging the entries.
“I just love the way the kids put the imagination and their time and effort into it,” Norris said. “The colours, the shading. They spent a lot of time doing it. They put their heart and soul into it, and it was a very difficult decision.”
Fellow board member Barb Haberer agreed. “It was a very difficult decision because you could see they all just want so bad to impress everybody.”
The judges said they feel all the children who participated are to be commended for their efforts.
Library Manager Isabelle Cramp said colouring contests are something the library loves to participate in because it is an opportunity to share with the library and its patrons the children’s talent and how they see the world. “They all see it in different ways and with different colours,” she said. “Seeing the kids coming in with their entry completed – it’s a fun part of the job.”
Winners, who cannot be named due to Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act regulations, were notified by phone Wednesday afternoon. Among the prizes offered were family passes from The Morinville Festival Society and The Morinville News to this weekend’s Family Dance at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre.