Beachcomber picks up 16 prizes in state journalism contest
Published 1:30 am Thursday, October 12, 2023
The Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber garnered 16 awards in the statewide Better Newspaper Contest, put on by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association (WNPA).
The contest, judged this year by the Montana Press Association, awarded prizes in both advertising and editorial categories published during the time span of April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023, and special sections published by May 31.
Elizabeth Shepherd, former editor and current reporter for The Beachcomber, picked up six awards for stories that reflected the fast pace of island news during that time span.
Shepherd won first-place awards in the categories of news story (long) and news story (short) for “Islanders endure the crash of the Cathlamet,” published last August, and “Islanders stand to show support and love,” published last July, about the escort home to Vashon of Sam Yates, 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, following his death in June at Marine Corps Base Quantico Station, in Virginia.
Shepherd also won a first-place prize in a health or medical story category, for “A Tale of Two Clinics,” one of several stories she wrote about the split between Vashon Health Care District and Sea Mar Community Health Centers that occurred in the late summer and fall of 2022.
“We’ll figure it out” authored by Shepherd for the March 16 Beachcomber, took first prize in the category for editorial writing. She also picked up third-place prizes for “Short Staffed: Vashon Post Office Reels” in the news story (long) category, and “‘Sweeney Todd’ is a triumph for local troupe,” in the arts review category.
Bruce Haulman’s and Terry Donnelly’s Nov. 23, 2022 article “Looking Backward and Forward at the Portage Store,” won a third place award in the contest’s history feature category.
Along with Sound Publishing designer Analise Hannah, Beachcomber Publisher Daralyn Anderson won first prize in the arts and entertainment ad category, for The Beachcomber’s Strawberry Festival Guide; as well as first and second prizes in the “youth-oriented content” category for ads designed for Halloween safety and music opportunities for island youth.
Anderson and Hannah took home the second and third place prizes in the multiple advertiser category for their “Who’s Who Vashon” and “Women in Business” layouts; the second prize for a color ad that was smaller than a half-page, for Corry’s Fine Dry Cleaning;” and third prize for a branding ad designed for John L. Scott Real Estate agents Leslie Ferriel and Samuel Hankin.
The Beachcomber also won second prize for a special section cover, for “Destination Vashon,” featuring a stunning photo by photographer Ray Pforter of a breeching orca, and the third place prize in the same category, for the cover of “Island Child.”
Alex Bruell, The Beachcomber’s editor as of Oct. 2, won a third-place prize for his 2022 comprehensive coverage, with Ray Miller-Still, of the trial of Allan and Joann Thomas in Enumclaw’s The Courier-Herald. (At the time, Bruell was not yet working with The Beachcomber.)
Allan and Joann Thomas were charged with crimes related to a scheme to defraud Enunclaw taxpayers of more than $460,000 that took place while Allan was a commissioner of an Enunclaw taxing district. Both were found guilty in a trial that took place in 2022.
The prizes were announced on Oct. 7, at WNPA’s annual conference and awards ceremony, held in the Kennewick Columbia Center.
