Here they are - all fifteen entries in the “What Makes Great Falls GREAT!” contest! To vote, you must leave a comment on this entry (the entry you are reading right now) — and it must include two things: your e-mail address, and the title of the photo that you are voting for. Voting will remain open until Wednesday (October 17) at midnight. The entry that receives the most votes will win, and the winner will receive a shiny new iPod Shuffle! To see all of the entries in their full size and the one-word title for each, click the collage below, and then come on back here to cast your vote!
You can only vote once - but you can also encourage your family and friends to vote, too!
UPDATE, Thursday, October 18: the contest is over and we have a winner!
October 15th, 2007 at 12:00 am
All of the entries are wonderful, but my favorite is entitled, “Lights”. It was a toss up between a few, but that is my fav.
October 15th, 2007 at 1:29 am
I love the squirrel!
October 15th, 2007 at 6:35 am
I’m with Mark. They’re all great, but if I have to pick just one, it’s “Lights.”
October 15th, 2007 at 7:47 am
Lights is my choice.
October 15th, 2007 at 9:30 am
Lights is my favorite pic, but the people are what make Great Falls a wonderful place.
October 15th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Aw, c’mon Dave; a squirrel? One of those tomato-stealing, raspberry-eating, squash-destroying non-native interlopers from Ohio or New York? A photo of “Chip-n-Dale” as an example of what makes Great Falls Great?
Can that be my anti-vote?
October 15th, 2007 at 10:17 am
Thirsty Thursday Club… Hands down the best!
October 15th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Northern Lights
October 15th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
I may be biased, but I will go with lights!
{!-{>
October 15th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
My vote goes to “water”. Simply beautiful!
October 15th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
I’m going to go with Water
October 15th, 2007 at 6:39 pm
I must agree with Rod the with “Water” has such Great composition and lighting.
October 15th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Thirsty Thursday!! Funniest part of a trip to Great Falls!
October 15th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
I love the detail and the lighting so I choose water.
October 15th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
Tough one….. baby cousin, squirrel….but it’s got to be the lights!
October 15th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
You guys are crazy…The only picture that makes Great Falls great is the fine tradition of White Sox baseball, $1 beer, and timely heckling. The others are nice but we could find most of them elsewhere.
October 15th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Can’t we find the White Sox in Chicago too?
October 15th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
The Thirsty Thursday picture is the only picture that clearly speaks about Great Falls. Having lived there for three weeks I can honestly say the Thirsty Thursday Club at The GF Sox really stood out in my mind, and will FOREVER have a place in my heart. Thank you Great Falls..You take care now, you hear
October 15th, 2007 at 8:19 pm
My vote is for Water, it’s very beautiful and finely detailed.
October 15th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
Thirsty Thursday all the way. Listen, just because I could use photoshop and make Smelter Ave look like Rodeo Drive doesn’t mean that one can take a picture of great falls in the one marginally photogenic area of town and have that become the emblem of what makes this city “great”. Thirsty Thursday is about people making this town fun, in spite of all odds.
October 15th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
I don’t think it’s very cool of you to dog people, Everyone who put a picture up here did it because they “liked” what they saw in the picture. Now I would suppose that, photoshopped or not, these people think that what their picture is of makes Great falls greater to them. And that margenally photogenic area of Great falls obviously makes Great Falls Greater, because it’s marginally better to look at..Make sense. I think all of the people who entered did a wonderful job and Kudos to everyone who submitted something..It’s one step better then not doing anything at all.
October 15th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
The entry entitled “Fun” is one of the finest images to come out of Great Falls. Charlie Russell as well as Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea would be proud to look down upon Great Falls and see that friendship, togetherness and booze is still helping the people of Great Falls cope with the hardships and tough living of the mighty Electric City. The Thirsty Thursday Club is the toughest and most warm hearted group of individuals to grace the likes of Montana since Lewis and Clark navigated that harsh winter on the Missouri River.
October 15th, 2007 at 10:49 pm
great falls, i shall return! =) go white sox!
October 15th, 2007 at 10:53 pm
Jana Lee, I find your comment about it not being cool to dog people very hypocriticle. Just a few comments before you pose the question (in a rather poor demeanor)”Can’t we find the White Sox in Chicago too?” Well Jana, yes they do have a team called “The White Sox” however, there is also a Great Falls in Virginia, the point is moot. The White Sox here are comprised of youths vying for immortality and honor in an all out battle to claim Great Falls, Montana as having the best program in North Western America! These men are pioneers! Much like Lewis and Clark. That is all.
October 15th, 2007 at 11:43 pm
My point was not to be hypocritical, it was simply to say that, almost everything INCLUDING the White Sox, CAN be found somewhere else,the OP said that “the others are nice but can be found elsewhere” and the Great Falls VA. thing makes my point. Not to mention I was not DOGGING the OP, by belittling
his photography or creative skills.
“Listen, just because I could use photoshop and make Smelter Ave look like Rodeo Drive doesn’t mean that one can take a picture of great falls in the one marginally photogenic area of town and have that become the emblem of what makes this city”
First of all not everyone does know how to use photoshop and really there still has to be some talent on the photography end to use it. Second of all people entered this contest because they find the things that they submitted to be part of the reason they happen to love Great Falls. Not everyone in our community is well traveled
so to say that it can be found elsewhere, doesn’t make a whole deal of sense anyway. And then to say something only makes our town marginally photogenic, is kinda low too. I think Great Falls is pretty..the whole thing not just parts, Sorry we are not a huge Metropolitan with smog and
filth and no we are not situated in a forest, but this is OUR part of the world, and the people here are proud of that.So I’m sorry if you don’t like the fact that I am proud of the community I grew up in..I guess that’s my opinion. I personally love it here.
October 16th, 2007 at 1:07 am
I love the Baby photo.
Special friends is what makes me think Of Great Falls.
especially friends babies as cute as this one.
October 16th, 2007 at 2:29 am
My vote goes to “water”.
October 16th, 2007 at 4:15 am
I choose water.
October 16th, 2007 at 6:37 am
I vote for ‘water’. Very beautiful and peaceful. Just like Great Falls.
October 16th, 2007 at 8:17 am
I would like to vote for “Water” please, it’s the best one up there!! Thank you!
October 16th, 2007 at 9:13 am
i vote for “Water” that is the beauty of Great Falls all the water and walkways.
October 16th, 2007 at 9:14 am
I cast my vote for “Water” I love the way the light is reflecting off the water itself.
October 16th, 2007 at 9:18 am
I think everyone did a wonderful job but having recently visited Great Falls the “Water” picture reveals all the sentiment of the gorgeous summer nights I had there along the water. The lighting was well done KUDOS to you who took it. It brought back some wonderful memories.
October 16th, 2007 at 11:41 am
I vote for “Water” It really brings you to a certain place and time, like a really happy memory.
October 16th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
I love “water” It’s so serene. It’s got my vote!
October 16th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
I vote for Water. It mesmerizes me.
October 16th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
I vote for water. It is so peaceful and beautiful.
October 16th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Fake vote alert above!!!! Anyway, if we could all enjoy some $1 beers at the big ballpark on River Dr, everyone would be happier.
October 16th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
Sorry about the double vote, Jeff and everyone. I was half asleep when i posted the first one. Fortunately, ‘water’ (the one i voted for) is so far ahead, taking away my extra vote won’t be a big deal. : )
October 16th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
Agreed, dollar beers would chill down the croud a bit. Look, my original comment was not meant to demean folks; rather it was to point out that if one has to modify a picture to make it look “great”, then perhaps it is not something that should exemplify what makes this town… what it is. To me, this contest was to show a picture that markedly demonstrated what makes “Great” Falls earn its moniker; and the locales displayed in the cleverly cropped images from remote parts of the area are not something that most people get to enjoy in this town. Dan 04 is right, “Fun” embodies the pioneer spirit that made this town and this part of our nation GREAT; the ability to make something thrive out of the bitter cold, ubiquituous wind, and arid dust.
October 16th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
I just don’t understand perhaps what you mean by cropped, I mean I do, as I spend a large amount of time with my camera,
looking at most of these pics, I believe we are seeing the whole thing. Lights, isn’t photoshopped and if it is it’s a damn good job.:) We get to see the northern lights in full display every few years, I know that is a greater addition to an already Great Place. There are a few in there involving the sunsets. Maybe when you live in a world that is so wind blown and dust driven you learn to appreciate alot more then
what man can offer, you begin to look at the things nature can offer. Sure it’s dusty and we are in “BFE” but we have some gorgeous sunsets, and that river down there…well without it this town wouldn’t be here..Lewis and Clark and Paris Gibson all discovered this spot because of this river..it’s our claim to fame…And that really adds to what is Greater. I’m not trying to be rude or anything to that effect, Simply that each of the pictures up there show each individual idea of what is greater. And that was the point of this contest…to submit a picture of what you feel makes Great Falls”greater”. I think each person did a good job doing that.
October 16th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
Folks, Thirsty Thursday wins HANDS DOWN. (Although I must say the photo of the two young lads, one sporting a veritable Mississippi Mudflap in the back, runs a close second.) First of all, look at how much fun those chaps are having. If you look at the scoreboard the Olde Towne team is trailing 11-2, having committed two errors. Did the Thirsty Thursdayers give up on their team? Of course not. As a matter of fact, it was the TTC’s persistence and dedication in reaching new heights (as evidenced by the photo) that rubbed off on the Great Falls White Sox this season, inspriring them to a record-setting 51-24 season and, were it not for some disgustingly incompetent umpiring, the Pioneer League Championship.
Isn’t that what Great Falls is all about- inspriring people to do their best? To exceed one’s own capabilities? Or is it just $1 beer? Whatever the case, the Thirsty Thursday Club photo exemplifies the heart and soul of The Electric City.
October 16th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Camilla and I had a smashing good time with the Thirsty Thusday club this season- way too much fun. Can’t wait to fly across the pond back to GREAT FALLS, MONTANA!!
October 16th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
Thirsty Thursday Club photo wins. I hope those guys are getting plenty of rest this offseason.
October 16th, 2007 at 7:43 pm
My vote goes to “water”
October 16th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
I really like “Water.” It is a calming and soothing picture. Some place where I would go to be still and relax.
October 16th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
My vote goes to Giant Springs = something that can NOT be found any where else except Great Falls. The sound & the smell of the springs on a quiet day is one of the best things to be found any where in the world.
October 16th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
I gotta vote for the baby…since she’s mine.
October 17th, 2007 at 1:58 am
Water. Good stuff.
October 17th, 2007 at 10:08 am
Water is my favorite with Sun in at a close second
October 17th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Gotta go with “water”.
October 17th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
I vote for Baby. Loved that lights picture too. What a cutie!
October 17th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Kristen your baby is adorable!
October 17th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
thank you!
October 18th, 2007 at 3:40 am
Water is my hands-down favorite, no contest.