Our paper is a member of Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, and we compete with other community papers state-wide in the association's annual Better Newspaper Contest.
2011
La Conner Weekly News received 15 awards for editorial content and advertising competing with other community newspapers with circulations not over 2,500 in the 2010 Washington Newspaper Publishers Association's Better Newspaper Contest.
In all, 79 community newspapers in the state, with circulations ranging from under 2,500 to more than 12,000, entered the contest. Awards were presented in October during the association's annual convention in Everett.
La Conner Weekly News took four first place awards, five second places, six third places, and swept the photography division of Color Pictorial.
Alexander Kramer was also the youngest staff member present, for the second year in a row. For this, he was awarded one WNPA 125th Anniversary shirt.
Here is a list of the La Conner’s winning entries:
1st Place - Best Business Story (including Technology and Agriculture)
Anna Ferdinand, for her story Art is sustenance at Tweets
1st Place - Best General Column
Jim Smith's column Notes from Pull-and-Be-Damned
1st Place - Color Feature Photo
Amylynn Richards, for her picture "Just Right"
1st Place - Color Pictorial
Kirsten Morse, for her picture "Breathtaking"
2nd Place - Best General Column
Mickey Bambrick's column Nuggets from Norway
2nd Place - Best Business Story (including Technology and Agriculture)
Sue Phillips, for her story Making whiskey in an old chicken coop
2nd Place - Advertising, Most Effective Use of Small Space, Black and White
Cindy Vest, for a Magnolias 20% off ad
2nd Place - Color Portrait (Human or Animal)
Sue Phillips, for her picture "Beauty and the Blooms"
2nd Place - Color Pictorial
Ryan Hiller, for his picture "Star-Spangled Fireworks"
3rd Place - Advertising, Most Effective Use of Small Space, Black and White
Cindy Vest, for a Baby & Me Story Time / Toddler Time ad
3rd Place - Best Government Reporting
Amylynn Richards, for her story Private ceremony marks dedication of Kiket Island
3rd Place - Best General Feature Story - Long
Mickey Bambrick, for her story A forever friendship forged in war
3rd Place - Black and White Sports Photo - Action or Feature
Amylynn Richards, for her picture "Boys' Basketball"
3rd Place - Color Feature Photo
Kirsten Morse, for her picture "Cool Move"
3rd Place - Color Pictorial
Kirsten Morse, for her picture "First Snow"
2010
La Conner Weekly News received 14 awards for editorial content and advertising competing with other community newspapers with circulations not over 2,500 in the 2010 Washington Newspaper Publishers Association's Better Newspaper Contest.
In all, 77 community newspapers in the state, with circulations ranging from under 2,500 to more than 12,000, entered the contest. Awards were presented in October during the association's annual convention in Wenatchee.
La Conner Weekly News took four first place awards, and swept the government reporting category, taking first second and third.
In addition, Alexander Kramer, was recognized as the youngest journalist at the state convention. Kramer won an internship scholarship funded by the publisher’s association foundation and wrote many stories for La Conner Weekly News. He is now a student at Western Washington University, where he is majoring in journalism.
Here is a list of the La Conner’s winning entries:
1st place - Advertising, Color ad
Cindy Vest, for a color ad designed for the La Conner Institute of Performing Arts.
1st place - Government Reporting
Anna Ferdinand and Sandy Stokes, for Town Council bennies a fair tax burden?, a story package on La Conner Town Council health insurance benefits.
1st place - Best Comprehensive Coverage of a Single Issue
Anna Ferdinand, for her series on the aftermath of the January earthquake in Haiti.
1st place - Best Sports News Story
Amylynn Richards, for A coach for lady wrestler, a story on the La Conner High girls’ wrestling coach.
2nd place - Best Multiple-Advertiser Ad
Cindy Vest and Anna Jahnke, for a Christmas page featuring La Conner merchants.
2nd place - Government Reporting
Sandy Stokes, for Town Council: Impetuous governance? a story on the Town Council voting on items not on the agenda.
2nd place - Best Story of the Arts
Alexander Kramer, for Giving Life to Stone, an arts story on Northwestern stone sculptor, Tony Angell.
3rd place - Best News Story
Anna Ferdinand, for Earthquake did not crush Haiti's soul, a news story on the earthquake in Haiti.
3rd place - Best Story of the Arts
Julie Bell, for Poet shows kids the power of words, an arts story on state Poet Laureate Sam Green’s visit to La Conner schools.
3rd place - Best Environmental Story
Julie Bell, for Cow power to go online, a story on the manure digester power plant near Rexville.
3rd place - Best Educational Story
Amylynn Richards, for Parents, cops, and school join in teen drug fight, an education story about parents, school officials and police meeting to discuss school drug problems.
3rd place - Best Government Reporting
Alexander Kramer, for Town Council debate: Voters quiz and candidates spar, a government story on the town council election debate.
3rd place - Best Feature Story - Short
Alexander Kramer, for Fire in the blood, a feature story on the young La Conner Volunteer Firefighters.
3rd place - Best Sports News Story
Alexander Kramer, for A great show at Homecoming, a sports news story on last year’s high school Homecoming game.
In 2010 the WNPA awarded several Foundation Internship Scholarships to students in Washington state. The interns are nominated by the journalism departments in colleges, and newspapers part of the Association. A handful are selected by the Board each year. Interns are awarded $1,000 stipends (plus whatever their newspaper pays them) for 240 hours of work.Alexander Kramer was awarded one of the internships this year. He has been contributing to the paper since last June, weeks after graduating. He started interning March of this year, days after learning about the award, and is expected to continue until mid-summer.
2009
1st place - Best Business Story
Anna Ferdinand, for the Scientists And Apiarists Working To Save Bees article. The story focused on the efforts to slow the decline in bee populations.
1st place - Best Crime and Courts Story
Amylynn Richards, for the Eagle Watching Horror, an article about the slaying of an eagle in public.
2nd place - Best Environmental Story
Anna Ferdinand, for the Skagit Cows Can Turn On Lights article. The story was about a new "green" manure digester to create power.
2nd place - Best Photo (Black and White)
Amylynn Richards' "Beary Good." (Note: Was published in black and white, but is otherwise on here).
2nd place - Best Scenic or Pictorial (Color)
Robin Carneen's "A Quack Up." Division also included Floral, scenery, and abstract graphic appeal.
3rd place - Best Comprehensive Coverage of a Single Issue
Janna Gage, for Neighbors: La Conner Landmarks series.
3rd place - Best Breaking News Story
Sandy Stokes, for Brunisholz appointed to Town Council.
Anna Ferdinand, for the Scientists And Apiarists Working To Save Bees article. The story focused on the efforts to slow the decline in bee populations.
1st place - Best Crime and Courts Story
Amylynn Richards, for the Eagle Watching Horror, an article about the slaying of an eagle in public.
2nd place - Best Environmental Story
Anna Ferdinand, for the Skagit Cows Can Turn On Lights article. The story was about a new "green" manure digester to create power.
2nd place - Best Photo (Black and White)
Amylynn Richards' "Beary Good." (Note: Was published in black and white, but is otherwise on here).
2nd place - Best Scenic or Pictorial (Color)
Robin Carneen's "A Quack Up." Division also included Floral, scenery, and abstract graphic appeal.
3rd place - Best Comprehensive Coverage of a Single Issue
Janna Gage, for Neighbors: La Conner Landmarks series.
3rd place - Best Breaking News Story
