2024 Year in Review
Karen Castelein shares her favorites from the fourth quarter

 

[January 14, 2025] 

LDN Co-owner and Director of Advertising Karen Castelein had the difficult challenge of pinning down 10 favorite photos from the fourth quarter of the year. In her notes she said that it was very difficult. Karen chose the 10 and then a few more by way of some of the remarkable slideshows staff put together from some really wonderful events.

“It is so hard to pick just a few favorite pictures from three months of the year to share! A lot of the ones I picked were because they are celebrations or snapshots that warm my heart or just plain amazing photographs that happened at just the right time.

“This community loves to celebrate and that's what makes it feel like home to many of us. Thank you to everyone who goes out of their way to plan, participate and create activities that are fun or help fundraise for those around us. You make this community great!”

Early October saw the coming of an annual event that is very near and dear to the heart of LDN staff as well as many other people in the community.

Karen began with some favorite shots from the annual Pink Pumpkin Auction to benefit the American Cancer Society.

On Thursday night it was a packed house at the 2024 Pink Pumpkin Auction to benefit the American Cancer Society.

The evening contained many fun and memorable moments while raising money for a very worthy cause.

While it will take a day or so to come up with the exact amount raised, what is important is that the community came out in support of the auction and its beneficiary. No amount is too large or too small, because every penny is given to cancer research, patient services, and raising awareness for breast cancer as well as all the other cancers.

Thanks to all those who were in attendance, thanks to those who bid on items, and thanks to all those who donated items for the auction.

While Baylor Ingram may still be a little small to actually ride the pink pedal tractor that was purchased for her at the Pink Pumpkin auction, it appears that she is not too young to be excited about it.

This is possibly one of our favorite pictures from the Pink Pumpkin Auction to benefit the American Cancer Society auction held on Thursday evening at Collision Concepts.

The auction committee is wrapping up on the final details and tallies of the auction, and LDN expects to have compete coverage from the event starting on Tuesday.

****

Karens next pick came from the new Touch a Truck event for children and families hosted in Scully Park just a week or so later.

*****

Being a fan of sports and kids, Karen also got a “kick” out of a couple of soccer pictures LDN ran that were taken by reader and often time guest photographer Cindy Bivin.

A photo of the stained-glass dome at the Lincoln Public Library Carnegie building also got Karen’s attention.

Next came a full slideshow by LDN stringer Stephanie Hall, who took to the streets of Lincoln one night close to Halloween and caught some amazing photos of the spooky exterior décor in our community.

Oct. 26 Halloween Walk About slideshow by Stephane Hall
A Halloween Walk About - slideshow

And being in a “spooky mood” the choices for the fourth quarter of the year extended to the many slideshows of the annual Lincoln Park District Halloween Fun Fest.

Oct. 30 Lincoln Park Dist. FunFest by Stephanie Hall & Nila Smith

Halloween FunFest at the Lincoln Park District - Part One - slideshow

Halloween FunFest at the Lincoln Park District - Part Two - slideshow

Halloween FunFest at the Lincoln Park District - Part Three - slideshow

Halloween FunFest at the Lincoln Park District - Part Four - slideshow

Moving on to November, a photo taken by LDN stringer Lesleigh Bennett was the next attention getter.

Tuesday was a very dreary day with lots of rain.

In spite of the gray skies and wet conditions, there was a rainbow that appeared in the afternoon. LDN’s Lesleigh Bennett just happened to catch that magic bow in her lens, and from the looks of it, somewhere in Lincoln, there should have been a large pot of gold.

Back to the library, a photo taken during the 1902 Club celebration in early November included a shot of the original librarian’s office upstairs in the Carnegie Building.

Winter Wonderland on the Logan County Courthouse Square is always an attention getter of LDN photographers as well as the public. When Mrs. Doneghue contacted LDN and said her special education class was going to decorate a downtown tree for the first time ever, LDN was happy to go. While we didn’t get to stay the entire time, former LDN stringer Heather Gaule, who is now one of the teachers in Mrs. Doneghue’s class made arrangements for a photo of the students with their finished product.

On Monday afternoon, the Lincoln Community High School Special Education class enjoyed a field trip to the heart of Lincoln to decorate their Winter Wonderland tree. Though it was a bit chilly and the wind was brisk, the kids enjoyed the opportunity to put their personal stamp on one of the more than 100 trees that will be lit on Friday evening as Lincoln kicks off its holiday season.

Karen’s final favorite comes to readers from the annual Lincoln Christmas Parade. This year Santa and Mrs. Claus rode the parade route in horse and carriage, and LDN got a great shot of the lovely Mrs. Claus.

On Thursday evening, while Santa Claus was busy waving to children on the north side of Broadway in downtown Lincoln, Mrs. Claus was making sure that no one on the south side of the street felt left out.

Mr. and Mrs. Claus were the last entry in the annual Lincoln Christmas Parade and this year rode in a lovely white horse-drawn carriage all along the route.

The two left the parade at the Logan County Tourism Bureau visitor center where they went inside and enjoyed spending the rest of the evening with local children.

Thanks to Karen for showing us her perspective of our community through photos.