5 Blade staff members' work wins awards in contests

10/13/2002

Several Blade staff members recently were honored for exceptional work.

In an annual contest sponsored by the Ohio Newspaper Women's Association, four writers received a total of 11 awards, presented last night in Dayton.

Ann Weber received a first place in the feature writing category for articles about the demise of the RSVP and advice from mothers to new parents.

She also took a first place in headline writing for “Dust to Dust: Chalkboards on the Way Out” and “Green Hair Could Look Good on Us,” a headline for a local column about Toledo's potential and its reluctance to embrace new ideas.

Ms. Weber was third in the prestigious Marion Geyer Memorial Contest, showcasing three different styles of writing.

Rhonda Sewell won first place in the personality profile category for stories about Ohio's First Lady Hope Taft when she built a Habitat for Humanity home and Doni Miller, chief executive officer of the Neighborhood Health Association.

Ms. Sewell received a third place in the specialty writing/feature category for an article about contemporary teen slang.

Vanessa Winans took first place in specialty writing/feature for articles about how to find the right hair stylist and decorating with bold colors. She received an honorable mention for feature writing.

Tahree Lane earned second place in the Marion Geyer Memorial Contest. She received a second place for a three-day series of articles on underage drinking. She received a second place in feature writing for an article about Eve Ensler, who wrote The Vagina Monologues, and a story on music jams. And in the specialty/news category, she took second for articles on teaching sign language to babies and marriage education.

The Association of Great Lakes Outdoors Writers honored Steve Pollick, outdoors editor, with a first place for hunting articles in newspapers for “A Lifetime of Memories,” a column about a boy's first rabbit hunt with his uncle.

He received a third-place award for “Fofrich Fights for His Life as He Fought for Lake Erie,” a column about the late, legendary guide Jim Fofrich, Sr., of Toledo. Mr. Pollick also won a third-place award in the organization's open division for “Brewing Some Camp Coffee.”