Montclair Residents Make Awesome Gingerbread Houses For County Contest

MONTCLAIR, NJ — If you’re looking for an example of a first-class gingerbread house, just look to Montclair residents Natalie Steele and Ella, Ashlyn, Avery and Hayden McAdams.

According to officials, a total of 37 families participated in the 12th Annual Essex County Sustainable Homes and Habitats Gingerbread Contest for 2016. On Dec. 20, county officials presented awards to the winners, which were judged on distinctiveness, creative use of a nature theme, use of “green” building design techniques and skill in decoration.

Winners included:

• Group/Family Category: First Place: Thea, Jeff, Dottie and Frank DeFrank from South Orange. Second Place: Ella, Ashlyn, Avery and Hayden McAdams from Montclair. Third Place: The Gaudiosi Family from Roseland.
• Individual Child Category: First Place: Mesgana Geberyesus from West Orange. Second Place: Natalie Steele from Montclair. Third Place: Gabrielle King-Price from Newark.
• Non-Professional Adult Category: First Place: Aleah Colon-Alfonso from Caldwell. Second Place: Patricia and Dylan Saraciniello from Fairfield. Third Place: Essex County West Caldwell Campus culinary arts students Dominique Thomas, Krystal Guevara, Ingrid Cruz, Azaria Agosto and Crystal Gonzalez and their teacher Victoria Atfield.
• Adult Professional Category: First Place: Tamara and Alexandra Hon from Livingston. Second Place: Highlawn Pavilion from West Orange. Third Place: ShopRite in West Caldwell.

“Our Sustainable Homes and Habitats Gingerbread Contest is a wonderful project that incorporates our mission to raise awareness about nature with a holiday theme,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said. “I am amazed at the creativeness and ingenuity of the entries each winter. Everyone who participated in this contest was a winner.”

Sponsors of this year’s contest included McLoone’s Boathouse Restaurant in West Orange, Fairchild’s Market in Roseland, Aramark in West Orange, REI in East Hanover, the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, ShopRite in West Caldwell, Trader Joe’s in Millburn, Kitchen a la Mode in South Orange, Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, Manhattan Bagel in Roseland, Starbucks in Roseland, Essex County Codey Arena in West Orange, Green Point Juicery in Verona and Essex County Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange.

Photo: Essex County

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