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”