Weekly News wins 15 awards in all-state contest

The La Conner Weekly News keeps getting better in its efforts to bring news to the community. The staff earned 15 awards at the annual Better Newspaper Contest for Washington’s community newspapers, led by Bill Reynolds’ seven. Reynolds almost swept the “personality profile, long category,” getting second place for his story on Mike Carrigan retiring after 25 years at La Conner High School. His Fisher Family tribute ahead of the 2019 Pioneer Picnic took third.

Reynold gained firsts for his coverage of the Swinomish dental clinic opening and his sports feature on the 1968 undefeated La Conner football team. He also picked up a second for his story on the second place basketball finish by the La Conner High School girls and a second for profiling Middle and High School Principal Kathy Herrera donating a kidney. He took a third for his election story of Alana Quintasket defeating Swinomish Tribal Senate Chairman Brian Cladoosby

Anne Basye took the other first place award for capturing the extinction of the Smelt Derby.

Pat Paul gained a second for a set of her recipe columns, A’qiimuk’s Kitchen. The judge wrote “I felt like I got to know the author and became invested in her life.”

Ken Stern came in second and third in general news photography for his 2019 high school graduation photo and capturing the ritual march for the Swinomish Blessing of the Fleet.

Stern’s chasing the momentary run on hand sanitizer won a second place news award. His editorial on “Taking flattening the curve seriously” at the start of the pandemic in March was awarded third place and a set of his musings columns took second in the general interest column category. He took a second for his review of “The Addams Family” at the Whidbey Playhouse.

The behind the scenes staff of Eileen Engelstad, Michelle Havist and Cindy Vest ensure each week’s publication.

The contest time period was for newspapers published from April 2019 through March 2020. Awards are presented in four groups based on circulation. The Weekly News is in group 1, circulation under 2,500. Judging was by members of the New York Press Association.