For the week of May 1 - 7, 2002

Express sweeps weekly newspaper awards

Captures first place in General Excellence

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By KEN RETALLIC
Express Editor

The Idaho Mountain Express scored a hat trick at the Idaho Press Club’s 2001 annual awards presentation Saturday in Boise.

The Express captured first place in the coveted General Excellence category for weekly newspapers. It took the Sweepstakes Awards for winning 40 of the 88 total awards presented to weeklies. And Express staff members garnered 13 first place awards in addition to the General Excellence award.

Six awards also were won by Express staff writers and photographers for the Sun Valley Guide magazine. The magazine’s website on the Internet took third place in General Excellence.

Two members of the Express staff also swept the prizes ¾ first, second and third places¾ in two categories: production manager Tony Barriatua for page design and photographer David N. Seelig for magazine photography.

"It’s great. We’re very proud of the hard-working staff members whose work was honored. And we’re proud of providing the valley with an award-winning newspaper year after year," said Express publisher Pam Morris.

Second place in General Excellence for weeklies went to the Wood River Journal of Hailey and third to The Star-News of McCall. The Journal also picked up five awards, including a first place in political reporting for Chris Ehlers, who died in a car accident March 9.

A record 180 people attended the 2002 Awards Banquet at the Powerhouse Events Center in Boise. The Funny Business Comedy Troupe provided entertainment and announced the winners in more than 100 categories of awards to the state’s print and broadcast media.

A silent auction collected more than $1,700 to benefit the press club's First Amendment Fund, helping to preserve access to public records and open meetings.

Judges for the weekly newspaper category were Greg Clark, of the Record Searchlight, Redding, Calif.; Mike McInally, of the Missoulian, Missoula, Mont.; photographer Glenn Oakley and writers Karen Baker and Marianne Flagg, all of Boise.

Idaho Mountain Express staff members and associates show off some of the awards for their hard work. Left to right, back row: Myko the dog , Rich Trevillian, Pat Murphy, Jim Desnoyers, Matt Smylie, Jerry Seiffert, Brad Nottingham, Greg Stahl, Laurie Burke, Peter Boltz, Greg Moore, Adam Tanous, Zeb the dog, Gavin McNeil. Middle row: Dana DuGan, Lisa Larroquette, Gayle Kerr, Jean Levy, Pam Morris. Front row: Willy Cook, Tony Barriatua, Jeff Cordes, Amy Gray, Connie Johnson, Ken Retallic. Also, dog Sophie. Not shown are Betty Bell, Dick Dorworth, Leanne Klaver, Jean Swartling, Travis Purser , Jody Zarkos, David Seelig, James Mitchell, Janice Hicks and Jim Bahnholzer. Photo by Jack Williams.

The full list of Idaho Press Club 2001 annual awards garnered by the Idaho Mountain Express, as well as the Sun Valley Guide and the Express’ website, follows:

General Excellence

1st: Idaho Mountain Express

General News Story

2nd: Travis Purser—"Ketchum housing planners learn from Jackson"

3rd: Travis Purser—"Rinker proposes swap for mid-valley state land"

Spot News Coverage

1st: Greg Stahl and Travis Purser—"Ketchum Mayor Coles dies at 77"

2nd: Travis Purser —"Air shutdown hits Blaine County"

Watchdog/ Investigative Report

2nd: Travis Purser —"Assessor: Sun Valley land among cheapest in county"

Serious Feature Report

1st: Travis Purser & Greg Stahl —"Welcome to Ketchum – now go home"

Honorable Mention: Greg Stahl —"To the sea and back"; Dana DuGan —"Called to serve a world away"

Light Feature Report

1st: Jeff Cordes —"Lt. Pat Pidgeon retires from Sheriff’s Department"

3rd: Travis Purser —"Falconers hunt from the skies"

Honorable Mention: Dana DuGan —"Yin & Yang of Valentine’s Day"

Series

1st: Greg Stahl —"A tale of three rivers"

3rd: Travis Purser —"Myths taint organ donation process"

Sports News Coverage

1st: Jody Zarkos —"Green, green grass of home"

2nd: Jeff Cordes —"Schelecht, Welton shoot 700 targets"

Sports Feature Story

1st: Jeff Cordes —"Russell on roundball and Celtic pride"

Specialty Column

1st: Pat Murphy —"Legislator mounts high horse; Right wing theocracy; Musings about tortures"

Review

2nd: Peter Boltz —The Metaphysical Club; Making of a Navy SEAL commando; The Wild Blue"

Editorial

2nd: Pam Morris —"Politically incorrect and proud of it; Brake the attitude; Small town economic terrorism"

Page Design

1st: Tony Barriatua —"Summer splendor; Wander into Art; Architecture & art"

2nd: Tony Barriatua —"Salsa; For love and art; Northern Rockies Folk Festival"

3rd: Tony Barriatua —"Best of the Valley; Fully Committed; Dancing Outloud"

Honorable Mention: Leanne Klaver —"Bridal guide; Home & Garden; Christmas around the world"

Spot News Photography

1st: David N. Seelig —"Wild Fire"

3rd: Willy Cook —"Firefighters triumph"

Feature Photography

1st: Willy Cook —"David and Goliath"

2nd: David N. Seelig —"Drought"

Sports Photography

1st: Willy Cook —"Elkhorn Cyclists"

2nd: Willy Cook —"Skateboard haven"

Political Reporting

2nd: Greg Stahl —"Candidate reflects on rocky political past"

Education Reporting

2nd: Travis Purser —"Dual-immersion classes"

Business Reporting

1st: Travis Purser —"Broadband comes to valley"

Agriculture Reporting

2nd: Travis Purser —"The push-me, pull-you politics of agriculture"

3rd: Peter Boltz —"Farmers squeak through drought"

Crime / Courts Reporting

3rd: Peter Boltz —"Victim fought off attack"

Environment Reporting

2nd: Greg Stahl —"Blaine County’s SUV love affair"

Health/Medical Reporting

2nd: Peter Boltz —"State cites St. Lukes"

3rd: Travis Purser —"E.coli found in McHanville well"

Magazine Writing – Serious Feature

1st: Greg Stahl – Sun Valley Guide – "Return of the Wolf"

Magazine Writing – Light Feature

2nd: Ken Retallic —"Silver Creek: Jack’s Private Idaho"

Honorable Mention: Ken Retallic —"Birds of the Valley"

Magazine Photography

1st: David N. Seelig —"Window to Idaho’s past"

2nd: David N. Seelig —"Mural"

3rd: David N. Seelig —"Gourmet Idaho"

Website (Print) General Excellence

3rd: Richard Trevillian —"www.sunvalleyguide.com"

 

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In addition to second place in General Excellence, the Wood River Journal staff, including the late Christopher J. Ehlers, won the following awards:

Light Feature Report

2nd: Christopher J. Ehlers— "The Lariat Laureates – Cowboy Poets"

Outdoor Feature

3nd: Christopher J. Ehlers— "Rumblefish 2001"

Sports Feature Story

2nd: Philip A. Janquart— "The Packers, Dad and Grandpa Petcka"

Specialty Column

2nd: Susan Bailey— "Bailey’s Bailiwick: ‘It’s no wonder...; Look out…; It’s a near miss…"

Political Reporting

1st: Christopher J. Ehlers— "Road trip! From Bellevue to Bliss…"

 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.