Sequim Gazette earns WNPA Better Newspaper Contest honors

By Sequim Gazette Staff • October 23, 2019 1:30 am
Sequim Gazette editor Michael Dashiell, left, and reporter Matthew Nash celebrate a second place in General Excellence (Division 2) at the Washington Newspaper Publisher’s Association convention in Olympia in mid-October. Nash took home a second place in WNPA’s Feature Writer of the Year. Photo by Patsene Dashiell
Sequim Gazette editor Michael Dashiell, left, and reporter Matthew Nash celebrate a second place in General Excellence (Division 2) at the Washington Newspaper Publisher’s Association convention in Olympia in mid-October. Nash took home a second place in WNPA’s Feature Writer of the Year. Photo by Patsene Dashiell

The Sequim Gazette took home second place in General Excellence along with 25 individual or staff awards in the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s 2019 Better Newspaper Contest.

Reporter Matthew Nash, editor Michael Dashiell, special sections editor Laura Foster, designers Kathleen Golding and Drew Herman and and former reporter Erin Hawkins were among those honored as professionals recognized top industry work at Washington non-daily and small daily newspapers at the association’s 132nd convention, held in Olympia from Oct. 10-12.

Nash was awarded second place for Feature Writer of the Year.

The Gazette and other Sound Publishing newspapers earned more than 150 contest awards. Jessie Stensland of the Whidbey News-Times took home first place for News Writer of the Year while Patricia Guthrie of the South Whidbey Record earned first place for Feature Writer of the Year. Mark Krulish of the North Kitsap Herald won third place for Sportswriter of the Year.

The Gazette is in Group 2 among WNPA’s four circulation groups; the group includes the Nisqually Valley News, Anacortes America, Cheney Free Press, Chinook Observer and Sunnyside Sun, among others.

The contest considered writing, design, photography, advertising and web content from newspapers statewide between April 1, 2018, and March 31, 2019, and special sections between April 1, 2018 and May 31, 2019.

The North Carolina Press Association judged this year’s WNPA contest, with 1,133 news pieces, 328 photos, 232 advertisements, 114 special sections and 34 web submissions from 58 participating newspapers.

See a full list of winners here: issuu.com/wnpafiles/docs/2019_wnpa_awards_tab_final.

Sequim Gazette BNC winners:

Writing

• Erin Hawkins

Third place, Social Issue Story (“Recovery finds a home,” Nov. 14, 2018)

• Matthew Nash

“From Blue Hole to His Holiness” (Jan. 16, 2019) earned Sequim Gazette reporter Matthew Nash a first place in Story on the Arts at the the Washington Newspaper Publisher’s Association’s 2019 Better Newspaper Contest.

“From Blue Hole to His Holiness” (Jan. 16, 2019) earned Sequim Gazette reporter Matthew Nash a first place in Story on the Arts at the the Washington Newspaper Publisher’s Association’s 2019 Better Newspaper Contest.

First place, Story on the Arts (“From the Blue Hole to his Holiness,” Jan. 16, 2019)

Second place, Feature Writer of the Year (all divisions)

• Michael Dashiell

“Wolves are off the the races” (May 23, 2019) earned Sequim Gazette editor Michael Dashiell a first place in Story on the Arts at the the Washington Newspaper Publisher’s Association’s 2019 Better Newspaper Contest.

“Wolves are off the the races” (May 23, 2019) earned Sequim Gazette editor Michael Dashiell a first place in Story on the Arts at the the Washington Newspaper Publisher’s Association’s 2019 Better Newspaper Contest.

First place, Sports News Story (“Wolves are off to the races,” May 23, 2018)

Second place, Sports News Story (“A comeback for the ages,” Feb. 27, 2019)

Third place, Sports Feature Story (“50 for the food bank,” Sept. 26, 2018)

Special Sections

• Laura Foster

Second place, Lifestyle/Culture (“Living on the Peninsula”)

Third place, Event/Festival (“North Olympic Discovery Marathon”)

Third place, Community Guide (“Who’s Who”)

Photography

• Matthew Nash

Sequim Irrigation Festival royalty, from left, Princess Gabi Simonson, Queen Erin Gordon, Princess Gracelyn Hurdlow, and Princess Eden Batson stand by a sprinkler on the Dick Family Farm during a photo shoot for the festival’s programming in April 2018. The photo earned earned Sequim Gazette reporter Matthew Nash a first place award in the Color Portrait Photo category at the the Washington Newspaper Publisher’s Association’s 2019 Better Newspaper Contest. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Sequim Irrigation Festival royalty, from left, Princess Gabi Simonson, Queen Erin Gordon, Princess Gracelyn Hurdlow, and Princess Eden Batson stand by a sprinkler on the Dick Family Farm during a photo shoot for the festival’s programming in April 2018. The photo earned earned Sequim Gazette reporter Matthew Nash a first place award in the Color Portrait Photo category at the the Washington Newspaper Publisher’s Association’s 2019 Better Newspaper Contest. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

First place, Color Portrait (“Princesses at the wheel,” April 25, 2018)

Debbie Ferreria of Bellview takes a selfie in the barn of Kitty B’s Lavender Farm on July 22, 2018. It was her first time visiting a Sequim lavender farm. The photo earned earned Sequim Gazette reporter Matthew Nash a second place award in the Color Feature Photo category at the the Washington Newspaper Publisher’s Association’s 2019 Better Newspaper Contest. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Debbie Ferreria of Bellview takes a selfie in the barn of Kitty B’s Lavender Farm on July 22, 2018. It was her first time visiting a Sequim lavender farm. The photo earned earned Sequim Gazette reporter Matthew Nash a second place award in the Color Feature Photo category at the the Washington Newspaper Publisher’s Association’s 2019 Better Newspaper Contest. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Second place, Color Feature (“A lavender-inspired selfie,” July 25, 2018)

Third place, B/W Feature-Portrait-Pictorial (“Feeding time,” Sept. 12, 2018)

• Michael Dashiell

With counselors Melee Vandervelde and Erin Fox and fellow grad-to-be Tyler Smith looking on, Tristan Dodson and Jorden Reed — along with about 190 of their fellow Sequim high School seniors — gear up to graduate on June 8, 2018. The photo earned earned Sequim Gazette editor Michael Dashiell a first place in the Color Feature Photo category at the the Washington Newspaper Publisher’s Association’s 2019 Better Newspaper Contest. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell

With counselors Melee Vandervelde and Erin Fox and fellow grad-to-be Tyler Smith looking on, Tristan Dodson and Jorden Reed — along with about 190 of their fellow Sequim high School seniors — gear up to graduate on June 8, 2018. The photo earned earned Sequim Gazette editor Michael Dashiell a first place in the Color Feature Photo category at the the Washington Newspaper Publisher’s Association’s 2019 Better Newspaper Contest. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell

First place, Color Feature (“Ready, set, graduate,” June 13, 2018)

Trying their best to snag a cookie off their own heads without using their hands at a Homecoming assembly contest on Sept. 21, 2018, are Sequim High School students (from left): Anthony Norton, freshman; Jackson Lindorfer, sophomore; Jarrett Allen, senior, and Maddie Grider, junior. The photo earned earned Sequim Gazette editor Michael Dashiell a first place in the Black-and-White Feature/Portrait/Pictorial Photo category at the the Washington Newspaper Publisher’s Association’s 2019 Better Newspaper Contest. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell

Trying their best to snag a cookie off their own heads without using their hands at a Homecoming assembly contest on Sept. 21, 2018, are Sequim High School students (from left): Anthony Norton, freshman; Jackson Lindorfer, sophomore; Jarrett Allen, senior, and Maddie Grider, junior. The photo earned earned Sequim Gazette editor Michael Dashiell a first place in the Black-and-White Feature/Portrait/Pictorial Photo category at the the Washington Newspaper Publisher’s Association’s 2019 Better Newspaper Contest. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell

First place, B/W Feature-Portrait-Pictorial, B/W (“Silly human tricks,” Oct. 3, 2018)

First place, Breaking News (“Firefighter a feline’s best friend,” Feb. 12, 2019)

Second place, B/W Sports Photo (“Storm King wins,” Aug. 8, 2018)

Third place, Color Sports Feature (“Three cheers for the Wolves,” Dec. 12, 2018)

Third place, Color Essay (“The year in pictures,” Jan. 2, 2019)

Design, web content, editing

• Kathleen Golding, Drew Herman

Second place, Front Page Design (Oct. 31, 2018)

• Michael Dashiell

First place, Sports Page Design (April 4, 2018)

Third place, Sports Page Design (“The year in Sequim sports,” Jan. 2, 2019)

Third place, editorial pages

• Staff

First place, Online Photo Essay (“Sequim Lavender Weekend”) (Hawkins, Nash)

Second place, Online Photo Essay (“Sequim Little League opening”) (Dashiell, Nash)

Third place, Online Photo Essay (“Clallam County Fair”) (Dashiell, Hawkins, Nash)