Newspapers collect awards in regional journalism contest

The annual Better Newspaper Competition, held each year by the New England Newspaper and Press Association, awards the top newspapers from all six New England states in 85 editorial categories and 35 advertising categories. In recent years, the best college newspapers have also been honored.

The Vermont Community Newspaper Group publishes five community weeklies in Lamoille and Chittenden counties — the Stowe Reporter, News & Citizen, South Burlington’s The Other Paper, Shelburne News and The Citizen of Charlotte and Hinesburg — and two glossy magazines, the Stowe Guide and Magazine and Stowe/Green Mountain Weddings. All seven publications took home awards at this year’s competition.

“We’re small but mighty,” said publisher and editor Greg Popa. “I’m continually amazed by the talent of this crew and the serious news coverage and solid reporting they provide for our readers. I hope the sixteen communities we serve appreciate the work they provide to report the news week after week.”

Newsroom awards

The newspapers took home 20 awards for reporting, photography and overall presentation.

Five first-place prizes:

• Human interest feature story, by Aaron Calvin, for his piece about the death of a homeless veteran.

• Pandemic coverage, by Corey McDonald, for his piece about a well-known businessman grappling with the death of his son.

• Arts and entertainment reporting, by Avalon Styles-Ashley, for a profile of local artist Sue Gilkey.

• Serious Columnist, by David Rocchio, for a piece about snow and another about his memories of his father.

• Sports Action photo, by Al Frey, who also won second and third place in the same category, for three different photos of high school basketball games.

The newsroom also won seven second-place newsroom awards:

• Best Niche Publication, for the Stowe magazine, by publisher and editor Greg Popa.

• Arts and entertainment, by Rob Kiener, for a profile of painter Luigi Lucioni.

• Business and economic reporting, by Calvin, for a magazine story about how Idletyme restaurant and brewery weathered the pandemic.

• Climate change or weather, by Calvin and news editor Tommy Gardner, for their coverage of last July’s flooding in Lamoille County.

• Humor column, by Carole Vasta Folley, for her wit about tech trauma and kitchen freezers.

• Portrait photo, by Glenn Callahan, for a picture of Bambi Freeman.

• Reporting on religious issues, by McDonald, for a report on South Burlington schools renting out space to a church.

• Right-to-know, by Calvin, for a series about the dismissal of a Stowe police officer.

• Serious columnist, by Folley, for a piece about gender pronouns.

• Sports action photo, by Gordon Miller, for a Peoples Academy softball pitcher.

The newsroom won half a dozen third-place journalism awards:

• Crime and courts, by McDonald, about an investigation into a Shelburne cop.

• Human interest feature story, by Kiener, for a story about a man confronting the end of his dog’s life.

• General news story, by McDonald, for a piece about the Charlotte fire and rescue squads’ funding.

• Pictorial photo, by Gordon Miller, for a shot of the Spear Barn.

• Serious columnist, Tamara Burke, for pieces about marginalized people and school choice.

• Sports feature, by Gardner, about the Stowe soccer team with five sets of siblings.

Advertising and design

The Vermont Community News-paper Group performed particularly well in the advertising categories.

Eight first-place awards:

• Overall design and presentation of a niche product, by Popa, for Stowe magazine.

• Advertising in a niche publication, for the wedding magazine, by production manager Katerina Werth.

• Audience building, by designer Kristen Braley, for Get Connected.

• Automotive display ad, by Braley for Lamoille Valley Chevy.

• Creative use of small space, by Braley, for Manufacturing Solutions, Inc.

• Integrated ad campaign, by Werth and Braley, for Ferro Jewelers.

• Local display ad, color, by Werth, for Country Store on Main.

• Special section, by Werth, for the annual RIDE mountain biking supplement.

Second-place awards by the group were:

• Events ad, by the staff, for its advertising of newspaper-hosted political debates.

• Special section, by the Stowe Reporter staff, also for the RIDE supplement.

• Local display ad, black and white, by Werth, for Stowe Family Dentistry.

• Local display ad, color, by Braley, for Lamoille Valley Dance Academy.

The design crew took home five third-place awards:

• Advertising general excellence, by the Stowe Reporter staff.

• Health ad, by Werth, for Stowe Family Dentistry.

• Local display ad, black and white, staff, for Rimrocks Mountain Tavern.

• Advertising sales media kit, by Werth, for the company.

• Audience building promotion, by the Stowe Reporter staff, for The Stowe Kids Report, a collaboration with Stowe Elementary School.