THE FEATHERS WERE FLYING (AND FALLING).

Byline: - Janet Firestein Katzman

Turkeys . . . the bird of the hour on this Thanksgiving Day.

Most of us plan to gobble one up sometime today, but for many of our readers, the word ``turkey'' conjured up something different.

For the past several weeks, we were deluged with artwork as L.A. Life readers everywhere dressed our annual naked turkey in its Thursday best.

In fact, we kinda felt like Montezuma (no revenge jokes, please), who, during his heyday, received 365,000 turkeys a year as an article of tribute from his subjects.

Now, while we didn't receive anything close to that number, nearly 700 of you were inspired to take crayon, marker, feathers, fabric and even baby-food jars to paper to participate in our annual contest.

We were quite touched by some of our entries, which included drawings sent by preschools, special education programs, Girl Scout troops, families and even a prison inmate, who hoped to win the turkey for his family.

This year, however, as our turkey contest enters the new millennium, our winner amused our panel of expert judges no end by taking a completely different direction.

Howard Schwartz, 44, of Woodland Hills, UNDRESSED his bird.

``Everyone is talking about what is going to happen on Y2K,'' said Schwartz, who is vice president of production for Warner Bros. TV animation. ``And I thought, `What's the worst thing that could happen to a turkey at 12:01 on Jan. 1?' ''

Why, to lose its feathers, of course! Schwartz and his family will be enjoying an honest-to-Y2K frozen turkey this Thanksgiving, courtesy of the Daily News.

Every year, we give a special award for a turkey created by our younger readers. And Trenton Wagner's Pilgrim was a particular hit with our judges.

Trenton, a third-grader at White Oak Elementary School in Westlake, decorated his turkey with feathers he selected himself at the crafts store.

``It was Thanksgiving, so I just thought of making a pilgrim,'' the 8-year-old explained. ``I knew that pilgrims had hats, so I made a hat. I knew they had baskets to put food in and so I put the food in it.''

His mother, Julia, said the turkey was a class assignment.

``He brought it home and said he had to decorate it. I drove him to the craft store and he picked out all these things.''

Mom admits she helped ``a little'' - to keep things organized. ``He had glue and feathers all over himself,'' she laughed. ``I was plucking them from him and telling him, `Why don't you put them here instead of on your forehead?' But it was his idea and he did a lot of the work himself.''

For his efforts, Trenton is enjoying chocolate turkeys today.

And as for the rest of you, thank you once again for participating in our annual wackiness. Now turn the page for more examples of the best dressed of 1999.

CAPTION(S):

24 Photos

Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) ``Millennium Turkey'' by Laurel Schwartz of Woodland Hills

(2) Clarence McAlpin sent us this ``Jail Bird'' from his cell in the California State Prison - Los Angeles County - in Lancaster.

(3) Krispy Kreme doughnuts are all the rage, and Kelly Virtue of Palmdale had a vision of a new tradition for the new millennium. Virtue's doughnut counterbird even came to us in - what else - a Krispy Kremes box!

(4) Victoria Hill of La Canada tolls the bell for ``The Last Turkey of the Century: Foul-Play Bill.''

(5) A. Shlosberg of Sylmar spoke for many with this Thanksgiving depiction of ``The Emperor's New Clothes'' (or ``Vanity, Thy Name Is Turkey'').

(6) Diana L. Austin of Burbank took a simple approach to illustrate a high-tech issue to create her ``Dot Com'' turkey.

(7) `Howard Schwartz decided that as Y2K dawned, turkeys everywhere could be in trouble. His family is enjoying a frozen turkey for his winning millennial efforts.

(8) Trenton Wagner's pilgrim turkey won him chocolate turkeys for his best of show among the children's entries.

(9 -- color) Mona Stroud of Canoga Park offers ``Regis Philbird'' - and that IS our final answer.

(10 -- color) ``Turkey of the Night'' will be puttin' on the glitz, compliments of Linda Emord of Canoga Park.

(11 -- color) Danielle Katzner, 10, of Woodland Hills thinks her turkey ought to ``Run for the Border'' to escape our American traditions.

(12 -- color) How wonderful of Marilyn Sanders of Acton to give us the most wondrous ``Wonder Bird.''

(13 -- color) Glitter, feathers, glitz - and a jeweled navel. That's how this bird, by Mary Pierce of West Hills will greet the new millennium.

(14 -- color) Our food theme was best demonstrated by Joshua Gavin Becker, 7, of Northridge, who chose a Froot Loops, M&M's and marshmallow motif.

(15 -- color) Zoe Potkin, 11, a student at Oakwood School in North Hollywood had a blast from the past with her tribute to ``Bye Bye Birdie.'' What's the story, Morning Glory, indeed!

(16 -- color) Sharmaine Wilson, 10, of Woodland Hills cleverly incorporated the year 2000 into her visually rich ``Y2K Turkey.''

(17 -- color) Adrian Reyes of Tarzana visited Woodstock for inspiration.

(18 -- color) Mere newsprint doesn't do justice to this shiny, yet self-absorbed, bird, created by Pamela M. Taguinot of Woodland Hills, ``Y2K Vanity'' shows off ``the latest in millennium fashion,'' says her designer.

(19 -- color) Where there's a millennium, there's a bug, according to Melissa Mitchell, 9, of Valencia.

(20 -- color) Jasmine Zuniga, 9, of Reseda showed her Girl Scout pride with her turkey, part of a flock submitted by Troop 1119.

(21 -- color) Carol Wilcox of Tarzana calls herself a 56-year-old Harry Potter fan, as evidenced by her wizard-like turkey.

(22 -- color) ``Sparky,'' the sparkle-farkle brain child of Toni Sanchez of Canyon Country, glitters with sequins, beads and ``jewels.''

(23 -- color) Tammy Goldstein of Lancaster sculpted this ``First Turkey to Mars,'' complete with baby-food-jar space helmet.

(24 -- color) Gotta catch 'em all, we supposed, and this turkey, trained by John Lampos, 7, of Northridge, is feathered with many - if not all - of those Pokemon creatures.