By Connie Morrison — The Eastern Shore Post writing, advertising, and publishing team was recognized for excellence during the Virginia Press Association conference Saturday at The Main, the Hilton hotel in Norfolk, Va. The annual event recognizes the highest achievements in the newspaper industry throughout the state. It is the first time in many years the Eastern Shore Post has entered the competition. The paper took home 14 awards in this year’s contest.
“I am so happy our group is being recognized for its work,” said co-owner Ace Seybolt. “I know we have a first-rate operation, and now the rest of the state knows it too.”
“I can’t say enough about how great it is to work with people who strive for the highest standards,” said co-owner and editor Connie Morrison. “They have earned these accolades. It’s not why they do it, but it’s nice to see them recognized.”
Krystle Bono, Parks Nunnally, and Angie Crutchley shared first place for their layout of the Post’s food pages.
A first-place award also went to Stefanie Jackson for government reporting. Linda Cicoira took home second place in the same category.
“Keeping an eye on government is the fundamental purposes of a free press. That our reporters took first- and second-place awards is a testament to the priority we place on fulfilling this responsibility to our readers,” said Morrison.
Cicoira’s photo of watermen’s boots decorated for Christmas on the front porch of Hopkins & Bro. store in Onancock took the second-place award for feature photo. She also picked up a second-place win in breaking news photograph category for her shot of the Hillsborough Drive washout in September.
The washout photo paired with the story by editor Connie Morrison describing the event and its aftermath won second place for combination photo and story.
Morrison also nabbed a third-place award in the personality or portrait photo category for the photos of drag queens at the Drag Me to Lunch event at the Shore’s first LGBT Pride event September 28.
Copy editor David Martin was recognized with a second-place award for his feature writing portfolio, which included “More Than Glory: African-American Soldiers of the Civil War,” “Profiles in Patriotism: Shore Veterans,” and “Pulitzer Prize Winning Historian Shares Lessons for Leadership in Turbulent Times.”
Bill Hall’s Fishing from the Shore column garnered a third-place award for sports column writing.
The versatile Angie Crutchley, the Post’s classified and legal advertising manager who is also part of our Pony Swim coverage team, hit the mark with her photo essay of last summer’s Pony Swim, winning second place in the category of picture story or essay.
Crutchley also won third place with her “Scary Bear” yard sale ad in the category of member self-promotion.
Ad manager Troy Justis and ad designer Kimberly Perry teamed up for three wins: second place in professional services for an ad they made for Friends of Eastern Shore Democrats; a third-place award in the fashion and personal care category for an ad they created for Russell’s Formal & Bridal; and another third-place recognition for a Kate’s Kupboard ad in the category of small space ads.
The competition is tiered so that newspapers of similar size compete against each other.
“I am so proud of this entire team and I hope our readers are proud of their hometown newspaper,” said Morrison.
