SCN team claims nine honors in 2023 NFPW At-Large Communications Contest

by Agnes Geiger
Creativity reigned throughout the pages of the Stockbridge Community News last year and the hard work recently was recognized in the National Federation of Press Women’s 2023 At-Large Communications Contest.

SCN’s Hope Salyer, Mary Jo David, Diane Constable, Shuyler Clark and Judy Williams received a total of nine awards for the excellence of their stories, columns, photography and newspaper page design. This is the sixth consecutive year that SCN team members produced winning entries.

Salyer and David each received one first-place award and those entries are eligible to advance to national competition. National award-winners will be announced June 24 at the NFPW Conference Awards Dinner in Cincinnati, Ohio, according to Teri Ehresman, NFPW At-Large Contest director.

To earn the awards, the journalists competed with others from Michigan and Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington state, Wisconsin and Spain. The at-large contest is open to states that do not have an NFPW chapter.

Joan Tucker is the president of the SCN Board and a previous winner of a first place award in the NFPW’s National Communications Contest. She is extremely proud of SCN’s showing in this year’s At-Large Contest.

“I’m amazed at the imaginative and creative work the SCN volunteers produce.  Clearly, they put a lot of thought and effort into their work,” Tucker said.

She went on to share her own perspective on each of this year’s SCN At-Large Award winners.

“Salyer’s eye-catching layouts always make readers want to pick up the paper.  David’s ability to clearly write a story and make readers feel like they were a part of the experience is amazing. And I just love Constable’s nature photos and the information she provides.  For a young writer, Clark’s column, “Between the Lines,” adds depth to our paper with her unique and engaging perspective. And we all enjoy Williams’ way of communicating community events in a descriptive and practical way.  What a talented group of writers!”

SCN team members and their winning entries are listed here:

Hope Salyer wins a 1st-Place award, a 2nd-place award, and a 3rd-place award in the 2023 NFPW At-Large Communications Contest.

Hope Salyer
SCN Managing Editor Hope Salyer, who also works as a reporter and page designer, received three awards for Page Design: Newspaper.

“2022 Top Ten Seniors,” published in the June 2022 edition on the back pages, was a first-place winner for the layout of photos and information on the top members of the Stockbridge High School Class of 2022. “This is a dynamic layout and the headline font is the top element,” the judge wrote. “The inviting headline draws the reader in to read about the seniors. The use of the background enhances the overall design.”

Another page design, “Hello Winter,” published in the March 2022 edition on Pages 30-32, earned second-place honors. The pages displayed a variety of scenes following a winter storm in February.  “This layout is a veritable winter wonderland. The snowy background is a nice touch and doesn’t take away from the photos,” the judge wrote … “The color choices for the headline are another plus as the eye is drawn to the golden ‘Winter.’ Well done!”

Published on the back page of SCN’s December 2022 edition, “A Community Prepares to Give Thanks Together” took third-place honors. The short article and photos tell the story of volunteers preparing for the annual Thanksgiving dine-in or carryout dinners the morning of the holiday. “The use of artwork is the strength of this layout. The pumpkin graphic is a nice touch,” the judge wrote.

Mary Jo David

Mary Jo David wins a 1st-Place award and a 3rd-place award in the 2023 NFPW At-Large Communications Contest.

SCN Editor-in-Chief Mary Jo David earned two awards in the contest.

She received a first-place award in Writing: Specialty Articles: Hobby for “Soaring with Eagles — Five Minutes from Home,” published on Page 1 of the SCN June 2022 edition. The story details her unexpected ride in a glider while covering the Sandhill Soaring Club. “What an awesome experience for you. I have never heard of this before,” the judge wrote. “Good job helping me understand it. Nicely written story.”

David also received a third-place honor in Writing: Columns: Informational for “Woah Nellie: Almond Cake (Topped with Meringue Soup).” Published on Page 11 in the September 2022 edition, David tells of the challenges of making a 100-year-old recipe found in Nellie Maxwell’s “Mother’s Cook Book” column from 1922. “Nice column and I love the headline!” the judge wrote.

Diane Constable wins a 2nd-Place award and an Honorable Mention in the 2023 NFPW At-Large Communications Contest.

Diane Constable
SCN nature columnist and photographer Diane Constable received two awards for work in her “Rural Perspectives” columns.

Published in the September 2022 edition on Page 2, “Trumpeter swan makes a successful comeback” received a second-place award in the Photography: Photographer-Writer category. “This is an informative article about trumpeter swans and the two are nicely packaged together,” the judge wrote. “The composition is good—especially since it captures the swan’s reflection.”

“Robins–our harbinger of spring,” published on Page 2 in the April 2022 edition, earned an honorable mention in the Writing: Columns: General category. “I liked that you included a way to attract robins to the yard—that’s good info for readers,” the judge wrote.

Shuyler Clark wins an Honorable Mention in the 2023 NFPW At-Large Communications Contest.

Shuyler Clark

“Reading Between the Lines” columnist and SCN board of directors member Shuyler Clark received one award for her column published on Page 5 in August 2022.

“You won’t want to wait ‘Until September’ to read this debut” won an honorable mention in the Writing: Columns: Personal opinion (bylined, not editorial) category. In the column, she reviewed the book “Until September,” a coming-of-age tale by Harker Jones. “This category was tough with a lot of great entries,” the judge wrote. “This is a great column — nice work!”

Judy Williams wins an Honorable Mention in the 2023 NFPW At-Large Communications Contest.

Judy Williams
Writer and SCN Treasurer Judy Williams received one award in the Writing: Specialty Articles:
Green/Environmental category.

“Rainwater now makes Community Gardens grow,” published in the June 2022 edition on Page 9, received an honorable mention. The article details how Merelyn Snider used donated and repurposed items to create a rainwater system to water the Stockbridge Community Gardens. “Concise. To the point,” the judge wrote.

NFPW is a nationwide organization of women and men pursuing careers across the communications spectrum. Members include reporters, editors, bloggers, authors, artists, photographers, graphic designers, freelancers and publicists. Students, professionals and retirees are eligible to join.