By Press Times Staff
GREEN BAY – The Press Times recently won five awards from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation as part of the 2020 Better Newspaper Contest.
“We are humbled by these five awards from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation,” said Patrick J. Wood, Press Times publisher. “This mix of news and sports awards acknowledges our commitment to the Greater Green Bay area, and again proves our stewardship to the communities we are proud to serve.”
The Press Times competed in Division D, the category for weekly newspapers with circulation of 4,000 or more, the highest weekly newspaper category.
The awards won include:
- Kevin Boneske, first place for ongoing/extended coverage for news on a series of stories that ultimately culminated in the resignation of Allison Swanson, former Ashwaubenon village manager.
Boneske covered events starting last February with the public safety union announcing a no-confidence vote in Swanson and ending with her resignation in July.
“Great, in-depth reporting! Kudos to not shying away from open records requests and gathering as much information as possible,” the judge wrote. “This entry placed first due to the extensive reporting and the amount of work that went into covering this issue.”
Ten stories were submitted to the WNA for this award.
- Rich Palzewic, first place for sports news story for his story on the Bay Port Pirates defeating the Kimberly Papermakers in the state football semifinals Nov. 15, 2019, titled Undefeated Bay Port topped Kimberly 42-28 at Titan Stadium in Oshkosh.
“Reading your story makes me sad I was not there to see the game, but I could follow along and felt the excitement and struggles,” the judge wrote. “Congratulations on a job well done!”
The Pirates earned the right to play in the State Championship with the win, and lost to Muskego 21-10 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.
- Palzewic, first place for sports feature story for his story on Larry Zambrowicz, an unofficial and uncompensated Green Bay Packers employee since 1953.
Zambrowicz started displaying the score at Old City Stadium and now serves as a spotter, relaying the ball spot to be displayed on the scoreboard.
“What a great story. You did a wonderful job of telling the story and finding a true sports feature that might not have been told,” the judge wrote. “It’s not always the athlete that deserves the spotlight. Great job!”
- Ben Rodgers, second place for reporting on local education for stories related to the Howard-Suamico school board.
“The Strategy 2035 story includes a lot of great information. The reporter handled a delicate issue perfectly in the story on race issues, and I liked the inclusion of numbers to further illustrate the situation. The story about the community’s concerns regarding in-person instruction includes various viewpoints, and I appreciated how the reporter immediately followed the lead with the thoughts of an individual, instead of a lengthy description of the ‘issue,’” the judge wrote. “It was a tough decision between first and second place…”
- Heather Graves, third place for localized national story, for her story on homelessness in the Greater Green Bay Area.
“Great information on ways to tackle the homelessness situation,” the judge wrote. “Good use of those in the field working towards a solution.”