BOSTON —The Ellsworth American and its sister paper, the Mount Desert Islander, won 13 first-place awards Saturday at the annual convention of the New England Newspaper and Press Association.

Topping The American’s list was first place in General Excellence among the larger weekly newspapers.

“This newspaper immediately connects the reader with the community,” the judges commented. “This publication commands respect for its content, design and overall packaging of the news for readers and advertisers.”

The American’s editorial page also took a first.

“Great editorial writing, especially editorials on Maine schools. Great layout with colorful photo and good selection of letters and opinion pieces,” the judges remarked.

The American’s coverage of local elections won a first and occasioned one judge to observe: “I love that you published a grid listing the candidates’ stances on key issues. That makes it simple for readers to compare and contrast, and it’s so much easier to digest than if all of those positions had been written about only in prose form.”

Out & About magazine, the summer guide that is published as a supplement to The American and Islander, landed another first.

In Spot News Coverage, reporter James Straub’s coverage of the Aug. 3, 2008, flooding that caused the evacuation of Blue Hill Memorial Hospital won a first and the comment that his reporting was “spot news at its best, given the unique and unplanned situation.”

Straub also won first for Spot News Photography for his picture of a tractor that had broken through a pier at Newbury Neck in Surry.

The American also won a first for an advertisement created in-house to promote the paper’s annual yard sale. “Original and uplifting,” the judges wrote.

The paper’s “Weekly Freebie” promotion advertising free products at area businesses scored a first in the Circulation Promotion division. “The Weekly Freebie was a great promotion for both the readers and the advertisers. Anytime you can help bring foot traffic into an advertiser’s store, you are truly creating a strong partnership.”

The Mount Desert Islander took a first in Editorial Writing. The judges commended Editor Earl Brechlin’s “focus on subjects with both local and universal appeal. The detail reveals the author’s knowledge of the issues impacting the community, and he seems to have considered various facets of the topics discussed in order to give a balanced opinion.”

Islander reporter Oka Hutchins won a first in Arts and Entertainment Reporting for a piece on Islesford author and illustrator Ashley Bryan “that captures the spirit of its unique subject. Oka’s observant style is extremely descriptive — a benefit for the reader,” the judge wrote.

The Islander won the Advertising General Excellence award and one judge’s commendation for “the eye-catching graphics and the use of white space in many of the ads [which] gains the reader’s attention. Also, the use of color was great but not overdone. Page layout also set the ads up to be readable. Headlines were clever but not over the top.”

The Swan Agency, Sotheby’s Real Estate won first place for its full-page, full-color advertisement in the Real Estate ad division. The ad had “creative appeal,” the judge said.

An advertisement for the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce’s Early Bird Sale won first place for Sponsorship Page.

Seth Koenig of The Times Record in Brunswick was honored as New England Journalist of the Year.

The Bangor Daily News also won awards in the daily newspaper division.

For more business news, pick up a copy of The Ellsworth American.

Comments (0)