BAR HARBOR — The Houlton Pioneer Times received seven awards, including third place in the general excellence category during the Maine Press Association’s annual banquet Saturday night at the Atlantic Oceanside Hotel and Conference Center.
The daylong conference drew more than 240 people. A total of 30 newspapers entered the contest, submitting a total of 1,443 entries in 57 categories.
Staff reporter Joseph Cyr took first place in the people photo category with his photograph entitled “What a clown.” Cyr also took second place in the news photo division for his photograph entitled “Military funeral flag holders.”
Staff reporter Gloria Austin received third-place awards: one in the sports story category entitled “Houlton boys win school’s first-ever gold soccer ball” and one in the sports feature division for a story about the Katahdin High School cheerleaders’ efforts to support their teammate with special needs.
Austin and Cyr shared a runner-up award in the business section category.
The Pioneer Times advertising staff — Dave Bates, Steve Cowett and Wanda MacIroy — won third place in the advertising campaign/series division of the annual Better Newspaper Contest.
In other Maine Press Association news, Lewiston Sun Journal reporter Lindsay Tice was named Journalist of the Year for her investigative reporting on health care and school security. Michael Shepherd, a reporter for the Kennebec Journal, was presented with the Bob Drake Young Writer Award, which is presented each year to a journalist with less than two years experience whose work demonstrates ability and great potential.
The Bangor Daily News took second place in the General Excellence categories for daily and weekend papers. The Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram took first in those categories, respectively.
The Mount Desert Islander and York County Coast Star won top General Excellence awards in their respective weekly newspaper categories.
Earlier in the day, former BDN photographer and photo editor Scott Haskell was inducted into the MPA Hall of Fame. Also inducted were former Portland Press Herald editorial page editor Don Hansen and former sportswriter and publisher of the St. John Valley Times Emery “Legs” Labbe.
The Hall of Fame, begun in 1998, honors people with Maine ties who have made outstanding contributions to the newspaper profession.
Kelly Morgan, editor of the York Weekly and managing editor of Seacoast Media Group’s Maine weeklies, was elected MPA president during the organization’s annual business meeting.
