tamatoledonews.com After you cast your vote on Nov. 2, let your voice be heard in Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area’s (SSNHA) 2010 Capture the Heart of America Photo Contest.

Between Nov. 1 and 7, the top photo in each of five categories will be posted online at www.silosandsmokestacks.org for the public to help choose the “Best of Show.”

The contest, which seeks to capture the unique culture and heritage of the 37-county Heritage Area, is in its fourth year and continues to grow. For 2010, the contest brought in more than 550 photos in the following categories: Farm Life, Farmscapes, Festivals & Fairs, Heritage Area Sites and Images of the Past (pre-1950s). All of the photos submitted to this year’s contest can be viewed at www.flickr.com/ssnha.

“We would like to thank McKenna Pro of Cedar Falls for their sponsorship of this year’s awards. Their donation has really helped to raise the bar for all of the photographers,” commented Don Short, SSNHA President.

SSNHA is one of 49 federally designated heritage areas in the nation and is an Affiliated Area of the National Park Service. The Heritage Area covers 37 counties in the northeast quadrant of Iowa. Interstate 80 borders it on the south and Interstate 35 borders it on the west.

Through a network of sites, programs and events, SSNHA interprets farm life, agribusiness, and rural communities-past and present.