Pennsylvania Press Club | Communications Contest

Winners — 2011 Pennsylvania Communications Contest

Each January Pennsylvania Press Club members are invited to enter their best work in the state communications contest, which encourages and rewards excellence in communication.

The contest is open to all Pennsylvania Press Club members, providing an opportunity to compete in a broad range of categories.

First-place winners in the state competition are eligible for entry in the National Federation of Press Women National Communications Contest.

Eight members of the Pennsylvania Press Club went on to win 12 awards in the national contest in 2011:

Johanna Billings (Northampton and Whitehall-Coplay Press) – One first place, two honorable mentions
Katherine Noll (Northampton Community College) — One first place, one honorable mention
Donald R. Serfass (Pencor) | Two second places
Walter M. Brasch (Bloomsburg University) | One second place
Kay Stephens (Altoona Mirror) | One second place
Susan Brimo-Cox (Penn State) | One third place
Maddie Mathias (Morning Call) | One honorable mention
Cynthia Tintorri (Northampton Community College) | One honorable mention

Here is the list of statewide winners in the 2011 contest, for entries published or broadcast between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2010. Entries which went on to win in the national contest are indicated in red.

2011 SWEEPSTAKES

Top Points | Donald Serfass
Runner-up | Walter M. Brasch

1A News Reporting, Non-Daily Newpaper

Honorable mention | Paul Bealer
His talents show Illinois man is differently-abled / Hellertown cave raises money to save bats

1B News Reporting, Daily Newspaper

*1st | National honorable mention | Madeleine B. Mathias — A Flurry of Discontent in Nazareth / Free Expressions Urged
2nd | Kay Stephens — Fire Department rescues two / Accused murderer agrees to plea deal

1C News Reporting, Publication/Magazine

1st | Megan Angstadt — The Bunchers

2 Continuing Coverage or Unfolding News

1st | Johanna S. Billings — Headed to Trial / A Promise Kept / others

5 Special Series

1st | Myra Saturen — Four New Chapters
2nd | Danielle Lynch — Live from Boot Camp

6B Editorials, Daily Newspapers

2nd | Kay Stephens — Process 'Raises' Concerns

7A Feature Story, Non-Daily Newspaper

2nd | Bonnie Lee Strunk — Fall is the perfect time to see squirrels in action

7B Feature Story, Daily Newspaper

7C Feature Story, Publication/Magazine

1st | Myra Saturen — Ya'at'eeh: Greetings

8B Personality Profile, Daily Newspaper

1st | Walter M. Brasch — An extension of her motherhood
2nd | Walter M. Brasch — Pigeon shoots hunting for courageous legislators
3rd | Linda Koehler — New Life for a Baby House Survivor
Honorable mention | Linda Koehler What Joyce Wants for Christmas
Honorable mention | Donald R. Serfass — My Hero, My Son

9A Speciality Articles, Business

1st | Linda Koehler — A cut and a salute / C&C Food Outlet, Farm Fresh products
2nd | Kay Stephens — Trash to Treasure / Looking Upward
3rd | Johanna Billings — Open for the Season / New food choice in Bath

9C Speciality Articles, Arts and Entertainment

2nd | Madeleine Mathias

9D Speciality Articles, Health and Fitness

1st | Donald Serfass — Fighting the Odds / Long Road to Good Health
2nd | Kay Stephens — Good plastic surgery looks natural / Organ donors give

9E Speciality Articles, Education

*1st | National honorable mention | Cynthia Tintorri — Scientists: Who Needs Them / Bad at Math?
2nd | Walter M. and Rosemary R. Brasch — Exploiting low-paid workers / Hammering out a contract
3rd | Johanna S. Billings — 3:07 Steckel Scoop / Middle School Reward
Honorable mention | Linda Koehler — Educator of the Year / Power of the Printed Word
Honorable mention | Donald R. Serfass — Tree climbing / Thankful for all things blue

9H Speciality Articles, Government and Politics

3rd | Madeleine Mathias — Taxes rise 32 percent / Residents Angry
Honorable mention | Kay Stephens — Salary Board Oks $223,228 / Blair Records $541,000 surplus

9I Speciality Articles, History

*1st | National second place | Donald R. Serfass — The Amber Latern Massacre / An Evening with Spies
Honorable mention | Linda Koehler — Baking up some history / Two men archive barns of Polk

9J Speciality Articles, Home

2nd | Linda Koehler, Designing Women / Pam's Paradise

9L Speciality Articles, Religion

*1st | National second place | Kay Stephens — Congregations put faith to work / Singout held for victims' families
2nd | Linda Koehler — Wrapped up in prayer / Working for the Lord

9N Speciality Articles, Social Issues

1st | Johanna S. Billings — Volunteers party in the name of the law / Working out holiday visitation
3rd | Linda Koehler — Hannah inspires students / Kicking their way to a cure

9P Speciality Articles, Hobby or Craft

2nd | Donald R. Serfass — Pen pals for 60 years / Scrapbooking

9S Speciality Articles, Green/Environment

1st | Kay Stephens — Touring the turbines / Help needed to clear dumps
2nd | Walter M. Brasch — Oil Indignation / Oil politics led to disaster

10A Columns, Humorous

1st | Tresita M. Beach — Getting old requires lots of products / This cat
2nd | Walter M. Brasch — Cheap Air Fares / Fruitless Days of our Repair
3rd | Linda Koehler — Lingerie fairytale / T'was a couple of weeks before Christmas
Honorable mention | Bonnie Lee Strunk — Everyone has a story / Venturing near, far...
Honorable mention | Donald R. Serfass — Honesty is the best policy / Breakfast with Jack Lalanne
Honorable mention | Linda Koehler — Sausage and Resolutions / Forgetfulitis

10B Columns, General

1st | Donald R. Serfass — The Unbelievable Story of Jean Stevens / Let your fingers do the walking
2nd | Walter M. Brasch — Cold Shoulder for Homeless / Err-America
3rd | Linda Koehler — Do we forget / Watching Tink grow old
Honorable mention | Linda Koehler — The Broommaker's Trust / Eldred Twp. to lose a little of its heart

10C Columns, Informational, How To

*1st | National third place | Susan Brimo-Cox — Farewell Mr. Luck / Holiday Cacti
2nd | Bonnie Lee Strunk — Take steps to prevent falls / The holiday won't be merry for all
3rd | Donald R. Serfass — No more BS for Pennsylvania / The Fix
3rd | Bonnie Les Strunk — It's Time for Spring Cleaning Our Inner Selves / To Live Fully Today

10D Columns, Personal Opinion

*1st | National honorable mention | Johanna Billings — Tuesday is anniversary of NAMS student's death and Low-cost program makes spay/neuter accessible to all
2nd | Donald R. Serfass — Trying to Make Sense of National News / Thoughts on a Decorated Tree

15C Publications Regularly Edited by Eentrant (Publication/Magazine)

2nd | Walter M. Brasch, Spectrum Magazine, Winter Spring 2010 and Summer/Fall 2010

16C Page Layout, Publication/Magazine

2nd | Nicole Clark Martinez — Twirling the Night Away and Sink or Swim

18B Photography, Non-Daily Feature Photo

*1st | National honorable mention | Johanna S. Billings — Somewhere over the rainbow

18E Photography, Non-Daily, Photo Essay

*1st | National first place | Johanna S. Billings — February snow

19B Photography, Daily Newspaper, Feature Photo

*1st | National second place | Donald R. Serfass — The Amber Lantern Massacre

22 Photography/Writer

1st | Bonnie Lee Strunk — Homelessness has a face

32A Writing for the Web, Content for Non-profit, Government

*1st | National honorable mention | Katherine Noll — What it means to be black

32D Writing for the Web, News Article Written Specifically For the Web

*1st | National first place | Katherine Noll — Lost rights: A historical whodunit

51B Four-color Magazine

1st | Nicole Clark Martinez — Spectrum Magazine, Summer Fall 2010

62A Collegiate News Writing, Newspaper, Magazine or Supplement

Honorable mention | Kimberlee Courtney — I just like to ride

63A Collegiate Feature Writing, Newspaper, Magazine or Supplement

1st | Kimberlee Courtney — Twirling the Night Away

73 Faculty Adviser of Student Publication

*1st | National second place | Walter M. Brasch, Spectrum Magazine, Summer/Fall 2010

75D Non-fiction History Book

Honorable mention | Donald R. Serfass — Iron Steps, Illustrated History of Tamaqua