MIDDLEBURY — The Addison County Independent and its sister publications Vermont Ski + Ride Magazine and Vermont Sports, have won 10 first place honors among 22 top three finishes at the annual New England Newspaper Press Association convention last week.
The Addison Independent took home three first place awards in advertising and four in news reporting, while Vermont Ski + Ride Magazine earned three first places, including first in General Excellence among all specialty publications in New England and first in best niche publication. The Addison Independent took second place in General Excellence for large non-daily newspapers with paid circulations over 6,000.
“We’re thrilled to again be recognized for top honors among New England’s best newspapers and publications,” editor/publisher Angelo Lynn said of the recent awards. “To be recognized equally for our advertising excellence, news reporting, graphics, page design and photos, as well as our digital services, and our two magazines is a testament to the hard work our staff of 21 amazing people put into our products each week of the year.
“It’s an incredible amount of work that goes into each publication” Lynn added, “and to have that work honored reassures us that we’re serving our community, readers and advertisers to the best of our ability — and to keep a high level of excellence throughout the pandemic is nothing short of stellar.”
Out of more than 2,400 contest entries from a membership of more than 340 newspapers in the six New
England states, the Addison Independent placed in the top three in the following categories:
 
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• EDITORIAL
4 First place honors were awarded to:
• Crime and courts reporting: Reporter John Flowers wrote a story titled “Schools navigate juvenile justice,” on the difficulties of separating a male student who had been convicted of sexual abuse of a female student at the same school, yet both students remained in that school.
• MiniBury Newsletter by Megan James: This digital newsletter published each Tuesday focuses on younger family activities, events and issues in the greater-Middlebury area. Sign up for free here.
• Environmental reporting: Reporter Emma Cotton wrote a three-part series on the Otter Creek, covering the history and environmental impact of this unique north-flowing river as it wends its way from the mountains around Dorset through Rutland and the farmlands of Addison County into Lake Champlain. Titled “The Giving Stream;” Cotton worked on the story with editor Angelo Lynn.
• Editorial/Commentary Pages took top honors in New England for the strength of the commentaries and columnists, breath of coverage and community participation in our letters to the editor submissions. Accepting the honor were Angelo Lynn, news editor John McCright and Production Manager Sue Leggett.
6 Second place awards to:
• General Excellence. (The Vineyard Gazette of Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., took first, and the Ellsworth American of Maine was third.)
• Health reporting: Reporter John Flowers on local addiction recovery programs going online.
• Feature video by Megan James that told the story of Ilsley Librarian Tricia Allen delivering children’s books by bike.
• Serious columnist, by Karl Lindholm, for his two submissions in Clippings on “Meditation on a hoop in the woods,” and “Automythology.”
• Special section on Graduation in June 2020, a staff effort in which more than 500 individual students were featured.
• Editorial Writing, Angelo Lynn, for submissions of three editorials.
2 Third place awards for:
• Reporting on religious issues, by John Flowers for his story on “Spreading the Good Word Online.”
• News photo by Steve James featuring a Middlebury College protest on pay issues.
 
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ADVERTISING
3 First Place awards for the Addison Independent for:
• Special section/Advertising supplement, for the production of the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival Program by Christy Lynn, Melissa Strong & Staff.
• Most Creative Use of a Small Print Space, for the Brandon Senior Center bake sale by Christy Lynn & Jan Kenney;
• Local Display Ad, Color, by Melissa Strong and Christy Lynn, for an ad created for the United Way TALK.
2 Second place awards went to:
• Best Holiday Ad, for JW&DE Ryan by Melissa Strong;
• Best Integrated Campaign for an Advertiser, for Porter Medical COVID Campaign, by Christy Lynn & Jan Kenney.
1 Third place award for:
• Special section/Advertising supplement, for the Independent’s Worship Directory, spearheaded by Melissa Strong & production manager Sue Leggett.
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Vermont Ski + Ride/Vermont Sports Magazines:
3 First place awards, 1 second place.
• General Excellence, specialty publications, editor/co-publisher Lisa Gosselin and assistant editor Abagael Giles. It’s the second consecutive year Vermont Ski + Ride has won the General Excellence award. The runners up were the Boston Business Journal and Upcountry Magazine.
• Best Niche Publication, also Lisa Lynn and Abagael Giles, with the Nantucket Today magazine taking second and the Stowe Guide taking third.
• Best Sports Feature Story, “The Women Who Rule” by Lisa Lynn, an in-depth look at the recent rise of women in the ski industry and in competition and the inequalities that remain.
• In addition to these awards, sister publication Vermont Sport’s profile of pro bike racer Ian Boswell of Peacham took second place for Best Local Personality Profile. It was written by former intern Ben Glass, a Middlebury College student.