The Boothbay Register, Wiscasset Newspaper and Pen Bay Pilot won 28 print and online awards in the 2019 Maine Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest, presented at the MPA’s annual conference held at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in South Portland Saturday, Oct 19.

The three newspapers’ websites won the MPA’s special awards for General Excellence-Digital, with the Boothbay Register and Wiscasset Newspaper taking second and third place, respectively, in the Weekly 1 division (newspapers with a circulation of under 3,000) and the Pen Bay Pilot taking second place in the Weekly 2 division (online newspapers are in the Weekly 2 division). The Boothbay Register won another special award, third place in Advertising General Excellence. And Pen Bay news director Lynda Clancy won a special award for Freedom of Information for work on the Town of Rockport and the Constant Application of FOAA.

Individual and staff awards

Boothbay Register 

First place: Staff, Summertime, Supplement/Special Section; Kevin Burnham, “Showing her scared face,” People Photo; Lisa Kristoff, “Falling over mushrooms,” Outdoors Story; Bill Pearson, “Boothbay supports move to 8-man football,” Sports News Story.

Second place: Lisa Kristoff, “Student Art Show,” Critic’s Award; Bill Pearson, “Boothbay students following vocational education path toward careers,” Education Story.

Third place: Staff, Windjammer Days, Supplement/Special Section; Joseph Charpentier, “What is holding the region back from economic vibrancy,” Analysis.

Wiscasset Newspaper

First place: Susan Johns, “Play bag! Cornhole tourney draws 60 players to Ames True Value on sunny Sunday,” Sports Headline.

Second place: Susan Johns, “Wool it make money,” Feature/Lifestyle Video; Susan Johns, “Rubblized: Haggett building comes down,” News Story.

Third place: Gina Hamilton, “DHHS bills and signature,” Political Story; Susan Johns, “How to move a bridge,” News Video.

Pen Bay Pilot

First place: Lynda Clancy, “Work in progress: Rebuild of historic American Boathouse on Camden Harbor turns corner,” Business Story; Lynda Clancy, “DOT mulls overwhelming criticism while Islesboro awaits Commissioner’s say,” Analysis; Erica Thoms, “Carillos pleas guilty to charges of murdering 10-year-old girl,” News Photo.

Second place: None

Third place: Lynda Clancy, “Rocking the crates at the 2018 Camden Windjammer Festival,” Sports Photo; Staff, Penbaypilot.com Voter Resource page, Special Online Project; Lynda Clancy, “Sen. Angus King on Russia’s election meddling …,” Political Story; Erica Thoms, “Tensions run high in Waldo County Court as Sharon Carillo lawyers …,” Courts Story; Erica Thoms, “Why and how did Maine’s DHHS fail to protect two young murder victims,” Continuing Story; Kristen Lindquist, “A summer walk through Monhegan’s Cathedral Woods,” Outdoors Story; Sarah Thompson, “Composting company works to keep scraps from landfills …,” Environmental Story; Sarah Thompson, “Firefighters from across Northeast, New Brunswick visit Rockland …,” Health Story.

One of the highlights of the conference was a keynote conversation with Rebecca Corbett, investigations editor at the New York Times, who led the Times’ Pulitizer Prize-winning coverage on Harvey Weinstein and sexual harassment. Corbett started her newspaper career at the Morning Sentinel in Waterville after graduating from Colby College.

The conference also featured several workshops, the induction of three journalists into the MPA Hall of Fame, the annual auction and the evening dinner and awards ceremony.

Operations Manager Sarah Morley was elected to represent the Boothbay Register and Wiscasset Newspaper on the MPA Board of Directors, joining Clancy, who moved into the 1st vice president position for the board. Clancy served as secretary for the board and worked on the contest the past year.

The Kentucky Press Association judged this year’s MPA contest.