The Cordova Times won first place for best weekly newspaper in Alaska and 10 other honors in the Alaska Press Club’s annual awards announced Saturday, April 18.
The awards were posted online in lieu of the annual banquet due to social distancing mandates during the novel coronavirus pandemic. This is the first time in recent years that The Cordova Times has placed in this category.
“Beautiful layout and design, with plenty of good reporting and local news,” wrote the judge in the comments of the awards.
Four-decade veteran of The Cordova Times Dick Shellhorn won second place for the Leslie Ann Murray Award for Best Editorial or Commentary for his piece on the Alaska budget cuts effects on Cordova headlined “Cordova Chronicles: I have seen the enemy, and he is us” and third in the Best Humor category.
Zachary Snowdown Smith, who joined The Cordova Times in June 2019, won two reporting awards including first place Best Long Feature for his story about the last ferry run in Prince William Sound “Cordova steels itself for seven months of isolation”.
Freelance reporter Jane Spencer won her first Alaska Press Club award, third place for Best Culture Reporting for “Taking home a piece of the CoHo” about the auction of items from the historic Cordova Hotel.
Managing editor Annette Potter won two design awards in news design and magazine design categories. Former staff reporter/photographer Emily Mesner won three photography awards for work published in The Cordova Times.
The Cordova Times, a 106-year-old publication based in Cordova, is the only newspaper in the Prince William Sound region of Alaska and is owned and published by Native Village of Eyak.
The newspaper is staffed by managing editor Annette Potter, staff reporter/photographer Zachary Snowdon Smith, administrative assistant Vivian Kennedy, freelance reporter Margaret Bauman, freelance sports reporter and columnist Dick Shellhorn, freelance reporter Jane Spencer, contract local distribution specialist Penny Johnson, and a number of other freelancers and community contributors.
The Cordova Times awards at a glance:
First Place Best Weekly Newspaper
Print/Online (Large & Small circulation)
The Cordova Times
Judge’s notes: Beautiful layout and design, with plenty of good reporting and local news.
Second Place Leslie Ann Murray Award for Best Editorial or Commentary
(All media)
Dick Shellhorn
Cordova Chronicles: I have seen the enemy, and he is us
First Place Best Feature Photo
All media (small circulation)
Emily Mesner
Third Place Best Feature Photo
All media (small circulation)
Emily Mesner
Third Place Best Humor Column
All Media
Dick Shellhorn
Cordova Chronicles: Just who has the biggest moose of all?
First Place Best Long Feature
Print/Online (Large & Small)
Zachary Snowdon Smith
Cordova steels itself for seven months of isolation
CT-03-29-19-web-1
Second Place Best Page Layout and Design
Print/Online (Large & Small circulation)
Annette Potter
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: 30 years of healing
First Place Best Portrait
All Media (Small circulation)
Emily Mesner
PWSVG-2019-Cover
Third Place Best Magazine Design
Print/Online (Large & Small circulation)
Annette Potter
Prince William Sound Visitor Guide
Second Place Best Short Feature
Print/Online (Small circulation)
Zachary Snowdon Smith
Decades-old errors put property owners at odds with road project
Third Place Best Culture Reporting
Print and online (small circulation)
Jane Spencer
Taking home a piece of the CoHo
