MPA honors Star-Herald

    LINCOLNVILLE — The Maine Press Association presented its Better Newspaper Contest awards on Oct. 17 at the organization’s annual conference at Point Lookout; and the Star-Herald was named among the best weekly publications in its circulation division.     The Sun Journal of Lewiston earned top honors in both the daily and weekend newspaper categories. In the over 5,000 circulation group, the Bridgton News placed first, followed by the Star-Herald of Presque Isle and the Ellsworth American. In the under 4,000 paid circulation weekly newspaper division, the Mount Desert Islander was judged best of its class while The Observer of Dover-Foxcroft placed third behind The York Weekly.
    More than 30 judges from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Vermont, Connecticut and Rhode Island evaluated hundreds of entries in various categories from headlines to investigative reporting.
    Debra Filcman, editor of the Somerville (Mass.) Journal said the Star-Herald “gets a lot of local focus into the paper, especially the education section, and obviously has a strong foothold in the community based on the variety of stories.”
    Other recognition for the Presque Isle weekly newspaper included:
    Second place in the Supplement/Special Section category for the “Fort Fairfield 150th Anniversary” section supervised by reporter Scott Mitchell Johnson.
    Second place in the Sponsorship Page division for the ‘Meet Your Teachers” section.
    Second place in the Sports Feature Story category for Abigail Hunt. Hunt also won third-place honors in the sports story and sports photo competitions.
    In addition to Johnson and Hunt, other Star-Herald staff who contributed during the contest period from April 2008 through March 2009 were reporters Kathy McCarty and Kevin Sjoberg, salesmen Scott Galipeau, Bob Buckley and Jim Berry, receptionist Joanna Richards, graphic artist April Michaud and managing editor Mark Putnam.