Posted: 11/27/02

ECM announces news, advertising awards

The Elk River Star News won the General Excellence Award (Elmer L. Andersen Award) in the ECM Better Newspaper Awards Contest and the Princeton Union-Eagle took home the ECM Advertising Awards General Excellence Award.

News and advertising awards were presented Monday, Nov. 18 at the ECM Shareholders meeting at Majestic Oaks Golf Club, Ham Lake.

On the news side, the Forest Lake Times earned the most awards, 18 including firsts, seconds and honorable mentions. The Elk River Star News was next with 13 news awards.

On the advertising side, the Anoka County Shopper and Elk River Star news tied for the most awards, seven each.

Here's a list of winners:

Better Newspaper Awards

General Excellence: Elk River Star News, first; Isanti County News, second and Anoka County Union, third.

Best Coverage News: Joni Astrup, Elk River Star News, first; Jessica Foster and Cliff Buchan, Forest Lake Times, second; L.A. Jones, Blaine/Spring Lake Park Life and Joel Stottrup, Princeton Union-Eagle, honorable mention.

Best General Reporting: Elk River Star News, first; Anoka County Union, second.

Best Coverage of a Meeting: Tad Johnson, Anoka County Union, first; Erin Johnson, Thisweek Newspapers and Berk Brown, Forest Lake Times, tie for second; John Gessner, Thisweek Newspapers and Evelyn Puffer, Isanti County News, honorable mention.

Best Coverage of Local Business/Economic News: Forest Lake Times, first; ECM Post Review, second.

Best Investigative Reporting: Barbara Brown, ECM Post Review, first.

Best Social Issues Feature: Nicole Jacob, Elk River Star News, first; Aaron Tinklenberg, Lakeville Thisweek Life & Times, second; Jessica Foster, Forest Lake Times, honorable mention.

Best Human Interest Story: Cliff Buchan, Forest Lake Times, first; Laura Adelmann, Thisweek Newspapers and Jake Muonio, Elk River Star News, tie for second; Tammy Sakry, ABC Newspapers, honorable mention.

Best Columnist: Jim Boyle, Elk River Star News, first; Cliff Buchan, Forest Lake Times and Luther Dorr, Princeton Union-Eagle, tie for second.

Best Editorial Page as a Whole: Princeton Union-Eagle, first; Elk River Star News, second.

Best Editorial Cartoon: Thom Peterson, Elk River Star News, first; Mike Wilke, Forest Lake Times, second.

Best Special Section: Forest Lake Times, first (Progress Edition 2002); ECM Post Review, second; Elk River Star News, honorable mention.

Best Sports Story: Gary Larson, Mille Lacs County Times, first; Berk Brown, Forest Lake Times, second.

Best Sports Reporting: Forest Lake Times, first; Isanti County News, second; Elk River Star News, honorable mention.

Best Sports Feature: Luther Dorr, Princeton Union-Eagle, first; Berk Brown, Forest Lake Times, second; John Dietz, Elk River Star News, honorable mention.

Best Sports Photo: Greg Hunt, Isanti County News, first; Rick Orndorf, Thisweek Newspapers, second; Jake Muonio, Elk River Star News, honorable mention.

Best Typography and Design: Elk River Star News, first; Forest Lake Times, second; Blaine/Spring Lake Park Life, honorable mention.

Best Photo Portfolio: Jessica Foster, Forest Lake Times, first; Tad Johnson, Anoka County Union, second; Greg Hunt, Isanti County News, honorable mention.

Best Photo Story: Aaron Tinklenberg, Thisweek Newspapers, first; Danielle Strenke, ECM Post Review, second; John Sucansky, Thisweek Newspapers, honorable mention.

Best Photography as a Whole: Anoka County Union, first; Forest Lake Times, second; ECM Post Review, honorable mention.

Best Portrait & Personality Photo: Jessica Foster, Forest Lake Times, first; Dawn Slade, Mille Lacs County Times, second; Jessica Foster, Forest Lake Times, honorable mention.

Best Feature Photo: Jessica Foster, Forest Lake Times, first; Aaron Tinklenberg, Thisweek Newspapers, second; Rick Orndorf, Thisweek Newspapers, honorable mention.

Best News Photo: Jessica Foster, Forest Lake Times, first; Rick Orndorf, Thisweek Newspapers, second; Dawn Slade, Mille Lacs County Times, honorable mention.

Advertising Awards

In advertising awards competition, the ECM division in Forest Lake won one award, a second place honor:

Best 1/2 page and over full color ad: First -- Predict the Future, designer Ellen Reierson, Thisweek Newspapers; second -- Market Place, sales rep Carol Lehnen and designer Stacey Wollschlager, St. Croix Valley Peach, Forest Lake; third -- Spring Grove Telephone, sales rep Robin Bartell and designer Robin Bartell, Caledonia Argus.

Top of Page