FREEPORT, Maine — The Bangor Daily News received 17 first-place awards and a reporter for the paper received a top honor during the Maine Press Association’s annual banquet Saturday evening at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Reporter Aislinn Sarnacki received the Bob Drake Young Writer’s Award, presented each year to a journalist with less than two years experience whose work demonstrates ability and great potential. Sarnacki, a University of Maine graduate, joined the BDN staff in 2010. She reports on the outdoors, produces the 1-minute hikes video series and writes features for the newspaper’s Living section.
Aimee Thibodeau, editor of the BDN’s Living section, introduced Sarnacki to the audience of 140 newspaper employees, praising the reporter for her powers of observation, sense of humor and ability to tell great stories. Sarnacki is the seventh BDN reporter to win the Drake award since its inception in 1995. The award is named for the late editor of the Waterville Morning Sentinel.
Bangor Daily News journalists who received first-place awards for their work were:
Photographers Kevin Bennett and Gabor Degre; graphics director Eric Zelz; reporters Jen Lynds and Bill Trotter; columnists Renee Ordway and David Farmer; and editorial cartoonist George Danby. Former page designer Khela Kupiec also won. In addition the staff was honored for producing the top daily and weekend business sections.
Advertising and marketing staff members who took home first place honors were: Shelley Sund, Elizabeth Hansen, Beth Grant, Sam Wood, Kathy Keegan and former staffer Chris Quimby.
Bangor Daily News Editor-in-Chief Michael J. Dowd, who completed his one-year term as president of the MPA Saturday, said the awards are a testament to the dedication and talent of the BDN staff.
“Our journalists and our advertising and marketing people give their utmost effort every day to serve our readers,” Dowd said.
The MPA honored A.M. Sheehan and Matt Hongoltz-Hetling as co-Journalists of the Year for their reporting for the Advertiser Democrat of Norway on deplorable conditions found in low-income housing in Western Maine.
Earlier Saturday, former editors Mary Dodge Brewer of the Boothbay Register and Wiscasset Newspaper and Ann B. McGowan of the Waterville Morning Sentinel were inducted into the MPA Hall of Fame.
Earl Brechlin, editor of the Mount Desert Islander, was voted president of the MPA for the fourth time in his career.
BDN honorees:
Spot News Photo
Kevin Bennett, Bangor Daily News, First Place, Spot News Photo, Daily/Weekend, “Workers”
Scenic Photo
Gabor Degre, Bangor Daily News, First Place, Scenic Photo, Daily/Weekend, “Kayaks”
Sports Photo
Kevin Bennett, Bangor Daily News, Second Place, Sports Photo, Daily/Weekend, “Is it safe?”
Michael C. York, Bangor Daily News, Third Place, Sports Photo, Daily/Weekend, “In-flight double play”
Illustration
Eric Zelz, Bangor Daily News, Third Place, Illustration, Daily/Weekend, “25 things to do this holiday season”
Graphic
Eric Zelz, Bangor Daily News, First Place, Graphic, Daily/Weekend, “A city rebuilds”
Specialty Page Design
Chris Peary, Bangor Daily News, Second Place, Specialty Page Design, Daily/Weekend, “Sax symbol”
Front Page Design
Jim Emple and Eric Zelz, Bangor Daily News, Third Place, Front Page Design, Daily/Weekend, March 24-25, 2011
Editorial Page – Daily
Staff, Bangor Daily News, Third Place, Editorial Page, Daily, May 31, 2011, Oct. 7, 2011, Oct. 14, 2011
Sports Section – Daily
Staff, Bangor Daily News, Second Place, Sports Section, Daily, June 15, 2011, Feb. 2, 2012, Feb. 3, 2012
Sports Section – Weekend
Staff, Bangor Daily News, Third Place, Sports Section, Weekend, Sept. 17-18, 2011, Jan. 14-15, 2012, Jan. 21-22, 2012
Business Section – Daily
Staff, Bangor Daily News, First Place, Business Section, Daily, April 22, 2011, Dec. 1, 2011, Dec. 2, 2011
Business Section – Weekend
Staff, Bangor Daily News, First Place, Business Section, Weekend, June 25-26, 2011, Sept. 17-18, 2011, Feb. 25-26, 2012
Feature Section – Daily
Staff, Bangor Daily News, Third Place, Feature Section, Daily, Nov. 9, 2011, Nov. 10, 2011, Feb. 1, 2012
Feature Section – Weekend
Staff, Bangor Daily News, Third Place, Feature Section, Weekend, Dec. 17-18, 2011, March 3-4, 2012, March 10-11, 2012
Campaign or Series
Shelley Sund, Bangor Daily News, First Place, Campaign or Series, Daily/Weekend, “Quite Appealing” and Appsolutely Appy”
Best Supplement Cover
Chris Quimby, Bangor Daily News, First Place, Best Supplement Cover, Daily/Weekend, “A day of reflection”
Sam Wood Bangor Daily News, Second Place, Best Supplement Cover, Daily/Weekend, “Perspective Living 2012”
John Koladish, Bangor Daily News, Third Place, Best Supplement Cover, Daily/Weekend, “Washington’s Birthday Autorama”
Self-Promotion
Shelley Sund and Elizabeth Hansen, Bangor Daily News, First Place, Self-Promotion, Daily/Weekend, “Marketing platforms”
Shelley Sund and Elizabeth Hansen, Bangor Daily News, Second Place, Self-Promotion, Daily/Weekend, “Make your vote count”
Sponsorship Page
Kathy Keegan, Sam Wood, Bangor Daily News, First Place, “Hermon, Maine.”
Best New Idea
Beth Grant and Shelley Sund, Bangor Daily News, First Place, Best New Idea, Daily/Weekend, “Welcome HOME”
Debra Bell, Beth Grant and Shelley Sund, Bangor Daily News, Third Place, Best New Idea, Daily/Weekend, “Marry ME”
Local Ad
Sam Wood, Bangor Daily News, First Place, Elegance is Beauty
Website
Staff, Bangor Daily News, Second Place, Website, Daily/Weekend, www.bangordailynews.com
Staff Blogger
Jen Lynds, Bangor Daily News, First Place, Staff Blogger, Daily/Weekend, “jewelsfromthecrown”
Multimedia Presentation
Staff, Bangor Daily News, Second Place, Multimedia Presentation, Daily/Weekend, “great-fire-of-bangor”
Breaking News
Diana Bowley, Christopher Cousins and Judy Harrison, Bangor Daily News, Second Place, Breaking News, Daily/Weekend, Dexter shootings
Continuing Story
Nok-Noi Ricker, Andrew Neff, Staff, Bangor Daily News, Third Place, Rev. Bob Carlson death, sex abuse coverage.
Analysis
Eric Russell, Bangor Daily News, Third Place, Analysis, Daily/Weekend, “Sex offender registry”
Arts/Lifestyle Feature
Bill Trotter, Bangor Daily News, Second Place, Arts/Lifestyle Feature, Daily/Weekend, “52-foot-long puzzle a whale of a challenge”
Aislinn Sarnacki, Bangor Daily News, Third Place, Arts/Lifestyle Feature, Daily/Weekend, “Crazy for coupons”
Local Columnist
Renee Ordway, Bangor Daily News, First Place, Local Columnist, Daily/Weekend, “My sister, ill with cancer, celebrates life” and “Naturalist died on her own terms”
Critic’s Award
Aislinn Sarnacki, Bangor Daily News, Second Place, Critic’s Award, Daily/Weekend, “Running to the top”
News/Sports Headline
Khela Kupiec, Bangor Daily News, First Place, News/Sports Headline, Daily/Weekend, “His name is Camden”
Editorial
Tom Groenig, Bangor Daily News, Third Place, Editorial, Daily/Weekend, “No happy landings”
Opinion Columnist
David Farmer, Bangor Daily News, First Place, Opinion Columnist, Daily/Weekend, “Blaming the jobless for unemployment,” and “Holding back the flood”
Editorial Cartoonist
George Danby, Bangor Daily News, First Place, Editorial Cartoonist, Daily/Weekend, “Quimby map”
Environmental Story
Bill Trotter, Bangor Daily News, First Place, Environmental Story, Daily/Weekend, “Seabird population declines as eagles in Maine recover”
a paper that can’t even investigate an article?
Whatever that means.
Huh?
Give us a clue.
or report on own stories in this state without yanking it from the AP or another outlet first.
If you’d check your facts, you’d find that the BDN is a member of the Associated Press. As such, you could be reading stories from the BDN in other newspapers. And, more than likely hearing them on TV and Radio. Membership requires full participation by all. Why you reprimand the BDN for using an AP story when it occasionly takes advantage of its membership, is uncertain. The bulk of the BDN’s stories are by-lined by staff.
Congratulations to the BDN. It is a very difficult time, for many reasons, for the news business, and yet you continue to provide quality articles and analysis that avoid the loss of objectivity which has taken hold of many of our media outlets. Your patience and continued acuity, in this climate, are truly noble.
To be, or, not to be. The downward spiral of paper news, must arrive, is arriving, has arrived? Burning gasoline to put paper in a driveway box, cutting spruce, running a mill, trains, diesel, for paper news,
we give in so slowly, I will miss the paper news, I have to get them from a neighbor to start my woodstove now.
Not to worry. You still have toilet paper.
Well deserved!
Nice that they spelled Tom Groening’s name wrong. Sheesh.
I guess I’m lost for words. It’s hard to comment on an article like this that commends people for a job well done, but the job that gets done is not done with an unbiased mind. The job of the news is to report the news, not form public opinion in such a sublime way that the readers don’t even realize that opinion is even being formed. I would give all kinds of kudo’s to this group of people if they had done their job without being in the “liberal tank”, but I suppose that goes with the career field.
I suppose you’re in Rupert’s “tea party” tank?
What about the great team that covers Portland? They deserve a whole lotta recognition. Seth – great work!
Well deserved. Congratulations for dropping the news of the world on my front door step each morning, and also the staff which creates this minor miracle each day.
Without it – we’re lost. I read it cover to cover. Except for the personal opinion pieces, I find no slant in news coverage. The News is tops in local news coverage, as well.
Despite the trend and preference of many to have news read to them via TV and Radio, I’m thankful I’m still able to pick up the world each day, read it myself, and make up my own mind.
Through incredible tough times, the BDN has always managed to weather the storm. For more than 100 years, it continues to provide us with the best source for objective news reporting, and many entertaining features and pictures.
cmy6 hit the nail on the head!! The Bangor Daily News often will report news or make a small, insignificant tidbit seem like it is news when in fact it just reflects the personal agendas of the editors and maybe some of the writers. The headlines are frequently sensationalized to help shape the opinions of the readers. Just last week a story had a tame headline in the evening and when morning dawned (and the editor reviewed it), the headline was changed to one that was totally biased and inflammatory.
Are you one of those who doesn’t read past the headlines? How shallow.
Example?
They must hand out awards to everyone like they were third graders. That’s the only explanation.
“Condescending tone as though I were speaking to a child”
GOOD JOB BDN!!
Like i said before they all lie running for the big chair in DC. ive seen it happens for 45 years an it get worse every 4 years. They tell you one thing at a stop an than at another stop they tell you just the opposit an when up bring it up they will tell you they did not mean it or they will humiliate you by call you names
Congratulations. Well deserved.
Great to see so many positive posts in here. Really boosts morale.
Congratulations to all.
Staff reporters of Bangor Daily News are honored for following the party line. Good work comrades! Vpered!
Well, you can always watch, read, and listen to the radical right wing’s 24/7/12 flood of Murdoch propaganda. The Tea Party’s radical ideological rants linked to Plutocracy, favor rich over poor. Deriding those who seek a bridge between the two, as communists, just shows how far the Tea Party has sunk, along with the GOP.
Tea Party tea party tea party is that all you can vomit out? The thought police are well and stalking this comment thread.
Congratulations to all at the BDN. You publish a superior newspaper in perilous times to a fractious readership. Thank you for sending talented reporters to towns and territories far from Bangor to capture the subtleties of Maine life.
BDN winning awards?? The bar must be VERY low…LOL…
Great job Bangor Daily News reporters and staffers. You all work hard to produce a quality product.
Wonder which one got the Carrying obama’s water award.