Texas Press Association
Division 6 Weeklies 1,500 to 3,500
Division 7 Weeklies Less Than 1,500
Division 5 Weeklies More Than 3,500
GENERAL EXCELLENCE
1st-THE HIGHLANDER, MARBLE FALLS. Good package. Excellent writing, attractive layout, good story selection. Strongest of many fine entries. In this case, “largest” is best.
2nd-DUNCANVILLE SUBURBAN. Strong photography, tight packaging, use of spot color and solid reporting make this a pleasing paper to read.
3rd-DeSOTO NEWS-ADVERTISER. This newspaper strong for all the same reasons the Duncanville Suburban is. Obviously this group has a good formula and recruits good people. Nice product.
4th-(tie)PARK CITIES PEOPLE, DALLAS.
4th-(tie)PARK DALLAS. CITIES NEWS,
Highland Park and University Park are fortunate to have two quality publications to read. Shows what competition does for the business (and the readers). Both are excellent publications. All of Texas should be so lucky!
COLUMNS
1st-PARK CITIES PEOPLE, DALLAS. A wonderful column about a little girl’s treasures and the mother -who pauses to recognize the real treasure of that moment — Len Bourland is a treasure - both as mom and writer.
2nd-THE BEE, DAINGERFIELD. A timely column. Though written about an event that occurred decades ago, the event chronicled could describe any homeless family in America today. John Gore is a superb writer; he puts the reader on the scene.
3rd-FORT STOCKTON PIONEER. Teddye Stephan loves West Texas and made me yearn to go there too. This column was written from the heart. Excellent.
4th-THE HIGHLANDER, MARBLE FALLS. Mark Hager’s Halloween column kept you on the edge of your seat. He could give Stephen King a run for his money. Scary!
EDITORIALS
1st-FREDERICKSBURG STANDARD/RADIO POST. Concise, well written editorial with obvious community interest. Purpose clearly stated and conclusions logically supported. Impressive effort more characteristic of larger urban papers.
2nd-BANDERA BULLETIN. Well researched, purposeful writing. Minimal use of editorial “we.” Good selection of topics. Recommends solutions to problems presented.
3rd-FORT STOCKTON PIONEER. Serious treatment of serious subjects. Well researched. Objectives clear and solutions provided to problems addressed.
4th-NAVASOTA EXAMINER. Good job relating state issues to local concerns. Clear, concise writing. Short and highly readable. Absence of editorial “we” gives a professional flavor.
FEATURES
lst-WINNSBORO NEWS. John Raine) took a complicated subject and made it very easy to read. Good depth and structure.
2nd-PARK CITIES PEOPLE, DALLAS. Everybody likes to be first. Paula Lampe almost was with her feature on Koffee Klub. She gleaned the best from an already good subject.
3rd-THE BEE, DAINGERFIELD. Everybody likes a story about human tragedy - turned good. John Gore satisfied that appetite with his “Freedom of the Open Road” feature.
4th-THE HIGHLANDER, MARBLE FALLS. John Greeley does a good job of writing about a bad time in American history.
PHOTOGRAPHY
1st-PARK CITIES NEWS, DALLAS. Overall picture quality was very good, with the color being really excellent.
2nd-DeSOTO NEWS-ADVERTISER. Pictures overall were very good with a real strong sports picture package.
3rd-THE HIGHLANDER, MARBLE FALLS. Consistency of color and black and white pictures quality was good throughout both papers.
4th-THE FREE PRESS, DIBOLL. Color picture quality was good and black and white printing was consistent throughout.
NEWS WRITING
lst-WINNSBORO NEWS. Stories and news pictures excellent. Somebody knows how to, and does, put out a class paper.
2nd-THE HIGHLANDER, MARBLE FALLS. A big, bold and beautiful paper. Would have been in first place if not for outstanding quality of news writing in Winnsboro News.
3rd-NAVASOTA EXAMINER. News coverage good, solid.
4th-BOSQUE COUNTY RECORD TRIBUNE, CLIFTON. Lots of local news. This is a good newspaper.
ADVERTISING
1st-PARK CITIES NEWS, DALLAS. Advantage was lots of good, quality color work on ads. Certainly the top-quality layout with all the qualities of what makes a good ad.
2nd-PARK CITIES PEOPLE DALLAS. Close, real close to first. Top two winners were far and away the best.
3rd-ROCKDALE REPORTER. Consistency throughout with good layout and choice of typestyles.
4th-PLEASANTON EXPRESS. Several attractive ads.
SPORTS COVERAGE
1st-PARK CITIES NEWS, DALLAS. Excellent in the coverage of a wide range of sports. Eye-catching photos by Peter Waters. Good overall writing, especially enjoyed wrap-up section with the papers top ten . ... “Bubble Vision” offers a twist to the news story.
2nd-PARK CITIES PEOPLE, DALLAS. Particularly like the layout of the sports page. Nice photos bring action to the page. Phil Stephens adds quality writing. Edged Out by a nose in the race for 11. Sports Briefs add more info in a concise manner.
3rd-DUNCANVILLE SUBURBAN. Good emphasis on providing local coverage. Seasons Standing, Last Week’s Results and This Week’s Schedule all handy tools for the reader. Photo page stands out.
4th-WESTLAKE PICAYUNE, AUSTIN. Concise reporting presented in an effective way. Sports This column has its moments. Nice photos with good
Division 6 Weeklies 1,500 to 3,500
GENERAL EXCELLENCE
1st-THE INFORMER, HOUSTON Good writing, well organized, and well placed. By far the best overall newspaper in this group. I especially appreciated its focus on a community with which the general public has little knowledge or understanding. That, 01 course, is its stated purpose. A job very well done.
2nd-CEDAR HILL CHRONICLE. Well organized, well written, subjects interesting, neat layout and design. Some pictures bland and static, but overall good. I liked the use of color.
3rd-MINEOLA MONITOR. Neat appearance. Liked Neighbors section and use of sports photos. Ad placement good, organization good.
4th-SAN MARCOS NEWS. Use of color good, writing good, ad placement good, organization of year end review by subject excellent.
COLUMNS
1st-HONDO ANVIL HERALD. A touching account of the loss of a family pet by Doug Johnson. I don’t like hamsters but the first paragraph in the column very nearly changed my mind. Good writing!
2nd-BLANCO COUNTY NEWS, BLANCO. Loved Maxine Blackburn’s play-by-play account of a day of babysitting. A good storyteller.
3rd-CLAY COUNTY LEADER, HENRIETTA. Lewis Simmons’ column shows that friendships know no age boundaries. A delightful topic, well done.
4th-DEER PARK PROGRESS. Hilarious spoof on Soap operas by Mary Ellen Wilson has great imagination.
EDITORIALS
1st-HONDO ANVIL HERALD. Using comments and substantiated from an anonymous letter provided this writer fodder for a winning entry. This incident couldn’t be ignored and the writer handled it well. The second submission on a critical water issue provided readers with information and was a good spur for action. Good job.
2nd-PILOT POINT POST SIGNAL. David Lewis takes to task an apparently self serving city council and does a fine job of pointing out short comings that only the voters can alleviate.
3rd-ALBANY NEWS. Strong, common sense approach to a frightening potential hazard in the “Children Beware” piece. This entry could have moved up with a strong piece from March.
4th-SAN MARCOS NEWS. Good approach in rallying readers to the cause of conserving a vital resource. March submission also a strong piece regarding a crucial economic issue.
FEATURES
1st-CANADIAN RECORD. Well written and researched. Sterline Marcum’s - story about Dr. Malouf Abraham is-rich with detail. You understand the doctor and his mission after reading the story.
2nd-ARANSAS PASS PROGRESS. Juliet K. Wenger’s writing is particularly strong in her profile of the many facets of artist Simon Micheal. Nice work.
3rd-EDNA HERALD. Cyndi Roberson’s account of a couple’s bond to their “special” adopted daughter is a story oft-told. Yet this was sensitive and well done.
4th-HONDO ANVIL HERALD. Histories, while too long and boring to some readers, are still a vital feature offering. Doug Johnson’s account, while far too long by most newspapers’ standards, is well done and worthy of recognition.
PHOTOGRAPHY
1st-ZAPATA COUNTY NEWS, ZAPATA. Traffic Mishap Claims Local Boy, 6 — the skid marks and the remains of a bicycle tell the tragic story of the accident.
2nd-CASTRO COUNTY NEWS, DIMMITT. “The Championship Moment” says it all. The other sport photos in this edition are also very good. If I were the photographer, I would be very unhappy — no photo credits!
3rd-CLAY COUNTY LEADER, HENRIETTA. The Santa-Little Girl photos are usually dull and just alike. This one is great and tells a loving story.
4th-HONDO ANVIL HERALD. Fourth Graders Learn About Agriculture —good picture story. Cutlines explain the story very well.
HONORABLE MENTIONS. __
ONION CREEK FREE PRESS, BUDA. People Events - the photo by Ann Vliet tells a wet and muddy story about kids. Very good.
SPRINGTOWN EPIGRAPH. Installation ceremonies are usually a bunch of backs and boring to look at. Photographer Steve Turner did a good job. He worked to get this photo. Bet he likes his work.
NEWS WRITING
1st-ONION CREEK FREE PRESS, BUDA. Consistent quality is a vital part of service and Onion Creek writers perform a top-flight job on every page. Each story is well constructed and built upon a well-worded, attention-getting lead. From bank closings and school enrollment to cement plants and recycling, the articles are told with readers in mind. The same approach carries through each edition to feature and pages which other papers seem to give little attention. A superb paper. By the way, I don’t know what “Chispas” means but the stories under that heading were interesting.
2nd-PALACIOS BEACON. The courthouse killing of a local judge and shooting of an assistant police chief received exceptional coverage. In all respects, this story was thoroughly covered. Certainly the readership was well served. Tighter editing and less formula writing could have qualified this for first.
3rd-CITIZENS’ ADVOCATE, COPPELL. Good coverage of complicated issues plus solid editorials. A close decision between third and fourth. Strong sports needed here, but a paper striving to serve a changing community.
4th-LaMARQUE TIMES. Bob Whitby’s work qualifies this as a winner. He handles both hard news and features with flair. This paper barely edged the Deer Park Progress. Again, it was consistent quality that served as the deciding factor.
ADVERTISING
1st-EDNA HERALD. Good variety of ads. The Jackson County Historical Recreation Guide looked impressive.
2nd-VAN ZANDT NEWS, WILLS POINT. Ads overall were grouped well, clean, easy to read.
3rd-ROCKPORT HERALD. The variety of screens, reverses and color made the overall paper look good.
4th-SPRINGTOWN EPIGRAPH. Ads have variety and good white space.
SPORTS COVERAGE
1st-ALBANY NEWS. A good assortment of sports coverage, clean writing and appropriate pictures makes the Albany News a winner.
2nd-PILOT POINT POST SIGNAL.In this day of ESPN and other tv sports coverage, the Post Signal sets its sights on local sports and does a good job of it.
3rd-HONDO ANVIL HERALD. Good crisp writing and attention to statistics make the Hondo Anvil Herald a worthy competitor.
4th-FRISCO ENTERPRISE. Texas is big on football and the Frisco Enterprise upholds that tradition.
Division 7 Weeklies Less Than 1,500
GENERAL EXCELLENCE
1st-VAN PROGRESS. Good layout. Loved all the big pictures and opinions page. Impressive community newspaper.
2nd-CELINA RECORD. Good photos. Nice clean look to paper. Good local coverage.
3rd-NIXON NEWS. Lively Letters to the Editor page — I liked all the columns on page 2 and the News Briefs on front.
4th-CASS COUNTY SUN, LINDEN. Local, well written news articles. I like the ad idea on secretaries.
COLUMNS
1st-GOLIAD ADVANCE-GUARD. Paul Cline Jr. is an exceptionally talented writer. Both his entries “Sometime before Daybreak” and “The Hazards of Home Video” were head and shoulders above the competition. Definitely #1.
2nd-VAN PROGRESS. If Jeanette Dickerson would give a bit more detail and be a tiny bit more descriptive, she would be headed to first place. A good writer; heartbreaking topics.
3rd-DEPORT TIMES. Nanalee Nichols has a talent for humor.
4th-HOWE ENTERPRISE. Good column by Lana Rideout; Living on the Edge of a Crisis. Every parent should have to read it.
EDITORIALS
lst-GOLIAD ADVANCE-GUARD. Point well taken. Readers should be informed when their representatives close their minds on any issue (June 29 issue). Both submissions well written and points made concisely.
2nd-HOWE ENTERPRISE. This could have been first except for lengthy elaborations after points were made. And, too, I wasn’t sure what was going on between this writer and Carol Cox. Certainly a part of a weekly newspaper’s duty is to defend those who should be defended, but undercurrent of animosity here bothered me. Otherwise, except for length, writing excellent, points well organized.
3rd-INGLESIDE INDEX. This writer dealt straight forwardly with an issue important to the community — that of decisiveness in local government. Also, the Index didn’t hesitate to give credit where due to Police Chief.
4th-THE GOLDEN SPREAD, FOLLETT. This one could have moved up a place with more attention to detail, e.g., and by taking a stand for or against consolidation.
FEATURES
1st-GANADO TRIBUNE. Pat Patton sets the mood immediately and the descriptive words put you right in the middle of this feature on a tv series. Really makes you feel you’re right there on the lake.
2nd-GOLIAD ADVANCE-GUARD. So close to first it was almost too hard to differentiate. Good, quality writing. You can hear the hymns from the old church.
3rd-CELINA RECORD. Put~ third only because of a few sentence structure problems. But just a few. May have been best as a two-story feature.
4th-CHANDLER & BROWNSBORO STATESMAN. Somewhat long but then I don’t think you would have done justice to the story by cutting it. Still it’s interesting reading and good writing.
PHOTOGRAPHY
1st-VAN PROGRESS. The Terrific “T” Ball: Page 1 - 6. Greg Germany likes to be around kids and it shows in his photos. Good job.
2nd-CELINA RECORD. The Ghost of Celina? Good back lighting and good story to go with photo.
3rd-CASS COUNTY SUN, LINDEN. Good animal shot. Time consuming.
4th-MALAKOFF NEWS. Photos of water tank erection would have placed higher if they had been in order.
NEWS WRITING
1st-GOLIAD ADVANCE-GUARD. Both editions show initiative by staff to cover all aspects of the community — spot news, social life, business and agriculture. The front pages have enough variety to surely have something to interest everyone in the community. Some stories may assume the reader knows more than he does.
2nd-CELINA RECORD. A good variety of stories. Good coverage of the plane crash. Shows an effort to follow a nearly week-old story and assess impact on the community.
3rd-GANADO TRIBUNE. Not much really big news, but shows effort to get Out and report what is happening.
4th-STOCKDALE STAR. Shows good news judgment. Some of the writing is a little too fanciful ~- just tell’em what happened in plain, simple English. I really doubt the Texas Commerce Department has a magic wand.
ADVERTISING
1st-THE GOLDEN SPREAD, FOLLETT. Obviously a cut above the other entries in an otherwise tough field. Good use of graphics, shades, typestyle varieties set each ad apart but contributed to the overall excellence of the newspaper as a whole. Quality work by an enterprising sales staff and layout department!
2nd-CELINA RECORD. Clean, well designed, impressive product from cover to cover. Business Review sections a big plus. No doubt about this one being among the frontrunners in this category!
3rd-FALFURRIAS FACTS. Nice work on the Football Contest page. A little more variety in the typefaces would have helped set off individual ads. A solid overall product, nonetheless.
4th-CASS COUNTY SUN, LINDEN. Good Homecoming ‘89 section. The hard work shows.
SPORTS COVERAGE
1st-MALAKOFF NEWS. “Sideline Survey,” “Friday’s Area Grid Menu” and “Tiger Stat Board” get A + marks from the reader. Good concise sports writing. Rogers Report adds to the page. Again, stats, decent photos and page layout sets this sports page apart from the others.
2nd-CASS COUNTY SUN, LINDEN. Particularly nice Homecoming Special Section. Sonny Long does a good job of telling us the story. Pretty good photo work.
3rd-CELINA RECORD. Good coverage of two area high schools. “Game At A Glance” adds more to the telling of the story. Football Forecast a good idea.
4th-CHANDLER & BROWNSBORO STATESMAN. Cheers for homecoming photos. Nice writing, a variety of sources. Good coverage of jr. high and
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