Boca Beacon/Gasparilla Island Magazine staff rock the BWN/Charley awards
The Boca Beacon staff traveled to the Sarasota Westin on Friday, July 16 for the Florida Press Association Better Weekly Newspaper awards, and the Florida Magazine Association Charlie Awards. We did pretty well, garnering 15 in the FPA contest and eight in the FMA contest.
In the newspaper contest Art Director Daniel Godwin received a second place award in the “Best Sports Page or Section” category, and also received a third place award in the “Best Special Issue, Supplement or Section” category with Editor Marcy Shortuse.
Raphaela Meyers, a resident of Little Gasparilla Island, got a third place award in the “Best Photo Series” category. Our columnist Delores Savas took a first place in the “Agricultural and Environmental Reporting” category. Boca Beacon cartoonist Dave Horton took a second place award for “Best Local Editorial Cartoon.” Island School Teacher Jane Bengston received a third place award in the “Best COVID Feature Story” category for her guest piece on teaching during a pandemic.
Along with the award she received with Godwin, Shortuse took home a first place in the “Community History Reporting” category, a first place in the “Investigative Reporting” category, a second place in the “Best Obituary” category, a second place in the “Best Community Service” category, a third place award in the “Agricultural and Environmental Reporting” category, a third place in the “Arts and Entertainment Reporting” category, a third place in the “General News Story” category and a third place in the “Best Breaking News Coverage Reporting” category.
In the Florida Magazine Association Charlie Awards the Gasparilla Island Magazine staff took a silver (second) place award in the “Best Writing: Service Feature” category for their story titled “Honoring Those Who Served, and Who Keep Us Free, on Veteran’s Day.”
Art Director Christine Cunningham received a Charlie (first place) award in the “Best Advertisement: Self-Promotional” category, as well as a silver award in the same category. She also received a silver award in the “Best Photography: Single Image” category.
Guest photographer H Wetzel received a Charlie Award in the “Best Photography: Single Image” category.
Shortuse received a Charlie award in the “Best Writing: Editorial/Commentary/Opinion” category for her work with writers Olivia Cameron and Dean Laux, as well as a silver award in the “Best Writing: Department” category for two stories submitted from three different issues in 2020. She shares that award with guest writer Ann Taylor-Roman, who wrote a third story in that contest entry.
Shortuse also took a silver award in the “Best Writing: Feature Headlines” feature category.
