Pahrump Valley Gazette, Thursday, September 25, 1997 19
PVO swoops I'IPA awaI00 II
Members of the Pahrump Valley Gazette
staff traveled to Winnemucca this weekend to
receive 13 Nevada Press Association Better
Newspaper Contest Awards. Six of the awards
were first place status for small weeklies and
one was the very prestigious General Excel-
lence award for all-around first class work in
reporting, writing, design and advertising.
General Excellence represents the highest
award given in the statewide contest.
"If I ever, ever won anything in my life, I
always thought I would cite what the actress
Jodie Foster said several years ago when she
accepted her "Best Actress" Oscar award," PV
Gazette Publisher Mary Ann McNeill said.
"Foster said that when she was a young child, her
parents always made her feel like her school draw-
ings were Picassos and placed them on the refrig-
erator for everyone to see. It is this unconditional
kind of love that gives us the confidence, desire and
energy to go out and face challenges and adversity
in later life. I was very lucky that my parents also
gave me this kind of love."
"I saw what a talented group of people I had
working for me and I tried to make them feel their
works were Picassos, too," McNeill said. "I chal-
lenged them to do the very best work they could,
often under very adverse conditions. They worked
very hard for these awards. I guess it paid off.
Almost nothing feels better than recognition from
your peers for work well done."
"PV Gazette owner, Joe Richards, gives my
staff and I complete creative freedom outside
his page 6 Target editorial column. I will
always thank him for that and treasure that
opportunity," McNeill said.
Carlton McCaslin, PVG advertising director
said, "I think the General Excellence award was
the most significant for what we did here. But,
wait until next year when we win Ad of the
Year!"
There are 33 member newspapers in the NPA
and only three of those are large dailies. The
PVG competes with 15 other small weeklies in
the annual contest.
EXCELLENT
AWARDS---Clockwise
from upper left, Mary
Ann McNeill accepts
the General Excellence
award; Carlton
McCaslin and Sean
Wilson accept a First
Place Ad award; and
Patti Babcock accepts a
First Place for Features
from Governor Miller.
Bruce Stevenson shows
his Third Place Photo
award; Bob Dandy won
First Place for his
Illustrations; and Dann
Weeks proudly displays
his two First Place
Design awards.
i
The winning entries were:
General Excellence, Pahrump Valley Gazette Staff, First Place
Best Feature Story, Patti Babcock, First Place
"The Chosen Ones," about BLM adoptive horses
Best Feature Page Design, Dann Weeks, First Place
Nevada Highway Patrol Layout
Best Feature Page Dedgn, Dann Weeks and Sean Wilson,
Second Place, Community College Layout
Best Overall DesJ_gn, PVG Staff, Third Place
Best Sports Page Design, First Place, Dram Weeks, Little
League Layem
Best Robert l)mdy, Flrst PVPAC CuIa, al
C.enr and AUea Vtors
Best Feature Photo, Bruce Stevemm, Thh-d Plaee, Death
Vidley Hone Sigm
Best Multiple Feature lqmtm, Patti Second Place,
Abandoned Horses
Best Portrait, Pam Babcock, Third Place, The Llmm
Horseman
Best Sports Photo, Pare Babcock, lqrst Ptace, Radeo Rkter
Best paee Ad, Carlton McCmBn and Semi Wllseca,
First Plaee, "Don't Blow Your Coog' for tho Double Eagle
Castno
Best Black and White Ad, Carlton MgCaslin and Sean Wiisea,
Third Piaee, The Odyssey
Photos by Brent Babcock
and Ethel Messer
