Islands' Sounder garners eight state newspaper awards

The Islands' Sounder won eight awards, five of them for first place, at the

annual Washington Newspaper Publishers Association convention Sept. 15-16 in Tacoma.

The Sounder winners, their categories, and judges' comments are as follows:

Robin Hamilton, Friday Harbor Edition editor, first place, Best Art Story,

"A Passion for Music," about San Juan Island musician "Andor Toth." The

judges wrote, "Hamilton's 'snapshot' of Toth's experience with 'music

therapy' in World War II makes this story worthwhile."

Ted Grossman, Orcas-Lopez Edition editor, first place, Best Editorial, "It's

easy to blame Abood," about the Orcas Port Commission. The judges wrote,

"There is no beating around the bush in Grossman's view on the Port

Commission. Step by step he gives us his perspective on the individuals and

their weaknesses. And he calls for action (quit) and a plea for new

candidates. It's powerful and gutsy; what an editorial should be."

Miles Crossen, Sounder photographer, first place, Best Color Photography,

Spot News, "Saturday night blaze," about an island fire. The judges wrote,

"Wow! What a spectacular photo. You could call this 1. Fire & Ice 2. Color

guard 3. The definition of spot news. Nice photojournalism, Miles. Easily

the winner."

Grossman, Crossen, Hamilton and (cartoonist) Frank Shiers, first place, Best

Editorial Pages. The judges wrote, "I like the layout of this page. Strong

editorial content and amount of letters. Grossman's column also gives a good

boost to those involved in community."

Deb Griff and Frances Bacon, first place, Best Presentation of Classified

Ads. The judges wrote, "Nicely done. Index/promotion area easy to read and

follow. Leading is just right."

Lauren Theodore, Pierre LaBossiere, Crossen, Grossman and Hamilton, second place, Best Comprehensive Coverage, "Along for the ride." The judges wrote, "Detailed coverage of ferries' future - impact on the community and individuals. Gives readers insight into people who operate the ferries and

those who use them - personalizing the topic."

Crossen, second place, Best Color Photography, Spot News, "Fire fall," about

an island fire. "You again. Another great shot on the scene. It's like a snapshot of a dream...and definitely tells the story of what appears to be one wicked fire."

The San Juans Beckon, The Sounder's tourism promotion magazine, placed third in the category "Special Sections: Tourism & Community Guides."

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