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Press Association Awards

By Sue Gillis

The Vermont Press Association (VPA) awarded Vermont Woman third prize for best editorial among daily and non-daily Vermont newspapers. The award was presented at the VPA annual banquet on November 6, 2005.

The award was presented to Vermont Woman Editor, Margaret Michniewicz, for her October 2004 editorial “Find the Courage to Question.” The judges wrote, “Michniewicz is critical in a way that hits home locally and nationally. The problems that she sees and the connections she makes between fraternity culture and torture and Abu Ghraib are insightful and [relevant] to many college graduates and friends of fraternity brothers.”

The other winners in the Editorial category were: Randy Holhut, Brattleboro Reformer, first place; and Ross Connelly, Hardwick Gazette, second place.

The contest, which evaluated issues published in 2004, was judged by peers outside of Vermont, and includes competition between ten daily and 60 non-daily newspapers throughout the state.

This is the second year in a row that Vermont Woman has been recognized by the VPA. Last year, Vermont Woman was awarded third prize in the non-daily newspaper category for “General Excellence.”

“It’s quite remarkable that Vermont Woman has been recognized for editorial excellence,  particularly since we publish monthly. I think it speaks highly to the range of issues we cover and to the serious side of our editorial focus. Margaret deserves the VPA acknowledgement for her thoughtful and powerful insights and the quality reasoning she brings to bear on her editorials. We are proud of her efforts and our readers are fortunate to have her as editor of this newspaper,” said Sue Gillis, Vermont Woman publisher.

Also this month, Vermont Woman was notified that it has won four New England Press Association awards.

First, second, or third prize will be awarded to Vermont Woman at the annual NEPA awards ceremony on February 11, 2006, for the following categories:

General News Story, Margaret Michniewicz.

Personality Photo, Margaret Michniewicz.

And, for Feature Photo there will be a battle between Michniewicz and Assistant Editor Mary Fratini!

Brenda Reed, Executive Director of NEPA, stated that this year’s contest “had more than 350 newspapers participating with over 6,000 entries, making it our most competitive contest ever.”

Other Vermont Press Association award winners included:

General Excellence (daily newspapers):

1. The Burlington Free Press; 2. Rutland Herald;

3. Brattleboro Reformer.

General Excellence (non-daily newspapers):

1. Seven Days; 2. Stowe Reporter; 3. Williston Observer.

The Mavis Doyle Award (daily and non-daily combined): 1. Nancy Remsen, Burlington Free Press;

John D. Donoghue Award for Arts Criticism (daily and non-daily): 1. Anne Galloway, Times Argus;

2. Marina Gisquet, Stowe Reporter.

Rookie of the Year (daily and non-daily):

1. Andy Netzel, Burlington Free Press.

Sports writing (daily) 1: Matt Crawford, Burlington Free Press; 2. Ted Ryan, Burlington Free Press; 3. Tom Haley, Rutland Herald.

Sports writing (non-daily):

1. Sarah Tuff, Seven Days; 2. Andy Kirkaldy, Addison Independent; 3. Dave Morse, Hardwick Gazette.

Best state story (daily and non-daily): 1. Burlington Free Press staff; 2. Cathy Resmer and Ken Picard, Seven Days; 3. Kevin O’Connor, Rutland Herald.

Best local story (daily):

1. Jodie Tillman, Valley News; 2. Jodie Tillman and Alex Hanson, Valley News; 3. Sally Pollak, Andy Netzel, Brent Hallenback, The Burlington Free Press.

Best local story (non-daily):

1. Cathy Resmer, Seven Days; 2. Ken Picard, Seven Days; 3. Greg Elias, Williston Observer.

Feature writing (daily):

1. Candace Page, Burlington Free Press; 2. Sky Barsch, Rutland Herald/Times Argus Sunday Magazine; 3. Kevin O’Connor, Rutland Herald/Times Argus Sunday

Magazine.Feature writing (non-daily): 1. Kathryn Casa, Vermont Guardian; 2. Ken Picard, Seven Days; 3. Terry Hoffer, North Star.

Headline writing (daily):

1. David Bailey, Valley News; 2. Paul Beique, Burlington Free Press; 3. Ernie Kohlsaat, Valley News.

Headline writing (non-daily):

1. Greg Elias, Williston Observer; 2. Kate Miller, Milton Independent; 3. Addison Independent Staff.

Photo – sports (daily): 1. Albert Marro, Rutland Herald; 2. Alison Redlich, Burlington Free Press; 3. Jennifer Hauck, Valley News.

Photo – sports (non-daily):

1. Glenn Callahan, Stowe Reporter; 2. Trent Campbell, Addison Independent; 3. Vanessa Fournier, Hardwick Gazette.

Photo – general news (daily):

1. Alison Redlich, Burlington Free Press; 2. Jason Henske, Brattleboro Reformer; 3. Vyto Starinskas, Rutland Herald; Honorable Mention Jason Henske, Brattleboro Reformer.

Photo – general news (non-daily): 1. Glenn Callahan, Stowe Reporter; 2. Michael Penchina, Milton Independent; 3. Trent Campbell, Addison Independent; Honorable Mention: Vanessa Fournier, Hardwick Gazette.

Photo – feature (daily): 1. Vyto Starinskas, Rutland Herald; 2. Tom Rettig, Valley News; 3. Jason Henske, Brattleboro Reformer.

Photo – feature (non daily): 1. Daria Bishop, Williston Observer; 2. Trent Campbell, Addison Independent; 3. David Ballou, North Star; Honorable Mention: Glenn Callahan, Stowe Reporter and David Ballou, North Star.