Congratulations to the winners of the 2011 SPJ San Diego Area Journalism Contest. All winners are listed below, with judges’ comments for first-place winners, where provided. Judges did not award prizes in all categories.

Special Awards

Journalist of the Year
This award honors a journalist’s career achievements; consistent adherence to high standards of journalism, ethics and professionalism; service to the journalism profession; and advancement of First Amendment rights

Winner: Gloria Penner, Senior Political Correspondent, KPBS

Sol Price Prize for Responsible Journalism
This award goes to a journalist whose work not only meets ethical standards but also shows uncommon sensitivity to issues. He or she pursued truth in the face of such obstacles as unpopularity, economic retribution or physical harm.

Winner: Ana Tintocalis, KPBS-FM, “San Diego Gang Stories”
Judges’ Comments: “Great job at letting your subjects tell the story. Compelling.”

Herbert Lockwood “Woody” Award
This award honors the best humor writing.

Winner: Irv Erdos, North County Times, “Love thy neighbor”
Judges’ Comments: “Funny, genuine, and I could picture the whole shebang. Now I want cake.”

Diversity Prize
This award honors a story or series that provides outstanding coverage of communities not usually represented in local media, or an organization that deserves praise for its outstanding inclusion of diverse voices in everyday news coverage.

Winner: Ana Tintocalis, KPBS-FM, “A Rise In Zapotec-Speaking People In The Golden State”
Judges’ Comments: “The piece makes point on education for Zapotec. While not widely known, a need exists.”

James Julian Memorial Award
This award – named for the late Dr. James Julian, a journalism professor at San Diego State University who taught media law –goes to the best community service story or series in a newspaper with a circulation of less than 65,000.

Winner: Denis Grasska, The Southern Cross, “Former ‘Bumfights’ Star Seeks to Inspire Others with His Story”

Best of Show Awards

Best of Show – College Media
Winner: Alyssa Simental , Lyndsay Winkley & Sean Campbell, Southwestern College Sun, for “Election Series”
Judges’ Comments: “If Southwestern students are apathetic or uninformed about their school’s governance, they have only themselves to blame. The Sun has shown that it is a vital and essential voice in informing, educating, covering and debating the issues of importance to the Southwestern College community. They’ve done so with great professionalism and fairness – skills and attributes that they’ll take with them in their careers in ‘the real world.’ Indeed, ‘the real world’ can stand to benefit significantly from the professionalism and fairness of these young journalists and all who advise them.”

Best of Show – Newspaper Design, Photography & Headlines
Winner: Michael Domine, San Diego Business Journal, for “Downtown Prices, Tight Supply Spark Downtown Home Sales”
Judges’ Comments: “This entry is attractive and full of information for readers. It was a creative way to use a graphic as main art for the cover. And the Special Report pull-out box was an attractive element for highlighting additional information.”

Best of Show – Magazines
Winner: Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Pets Magazine, for “Dog + surfboard + website = a rediscovered passion”
Judges’ Comments: “Great human and canine interest story. Fun to read. Compassionately written.”

Best of Show – Online
Winner: Paul Gallaher & Tim O’Leary, Valley News, for “‘Crazy Singing Jesus Guy’ is a Temecula human landmark”
Judges’ Comments: “Great angle on a fun human interest story. It captured the essence of this man and probably answered a lot of questions by passers-by over the years. The video helped make the story a complete package.”

Best of Show – Radio/Audio
Winner: Cliff Albert & LaDona Harvey, KOGO Radio, for “Storm Coverage”
Judges’ Comments: “In a field that included very in-depth reporting with high-quality audio (from public radio), this breaking and continuing coverage came through. Commercial radio is not known for its great news value in some ways, but this entry shows why breaking and continuing coverage is so necessary in the radio medium – from anyone who can provide it.”

Best of Show – Television/Video
Winner: Joanne Faryon, Guillermo Sevilla & Christopher Maue, KPBS-TV, for “Who’s Supervising San Diego?”
Judges’ Comments: “This is meat-and-potatoes local government reporting, and it’s something more stations and news outlets need more of. KPBS underscores why public media is so vitally essential in the news and information landscape. It’s often thought that local public television stations can’t compete with their commercial counterparts in delivering local news. In San Diego, that is clearly not the case. This represents everything that is right and essential with public media. People (voters) may not know their elected officials, but they are damn sure impacted by the officials’ decisions and priorities. Well done, and keep it coming.”

Best of Show – Non-Daily Reporting & Writing
Winner: Brooke Williams, Watchdog Institute, for “Capitol Connections: Bilbray advances bills that would help cigar club lobbyists”
Judges’ Comments: “Lawmakers who suck up to lobbyists and industry don’t shock anyone. But this angle – involving a cigar club – is compelling, well-written and important. It’s also reported to a fault, something that’s rare in these days of short staffs doing double and triple duty. Perhaps it’s one reason why the Watchdog Institute entries in this category were consistently the best reported, although this one was the best written.”

Best of Show – Daily Reporting & Writing
Winner: Emily Alpert, voiceofsandiego.org, for “Hotel Stays, Flights and a $400 Bottle of Wine”
Judges’ Comments: “It’s the bias of the judge, but Best in Show is never going to a theater review or a musician interview. Not that such entries aren’t good – as they were here – but the best requires crisp writing and excellent reporting, plus a topic that resonates in a community. Emily Alpert did that, opening with a specific anecdote that opens up smoothly into a scandalous situation. Well done.”

Division Awards

College Media
C-1 Best Newspaper
1st Place: City Times Staff. City Times, San Diego City College
Judges’ Comments: “Strong story selection and great variety of topics. Kudos for your photos. Great covers and art.”
2nd Place: Southwestern College Sun Staff, Southwestern College Sun
Honorable Mention: The Mesa Press Staff, The Mesa Press

C-2 News Story
1st Place: Alyssa Simental, Southwestern College Sun, for “Student leaders deny endorsing Salcido”
2nd Place (tie): Alec Fernandes, The Mesa Press, for “Mesa College Professor Organizes Charity”
2nd Place (tie): Devin Banerjee, The Stanford Daily, for “Tragedy in E.P.A.”
Honorable Mention (tie): Jennifer Karnan, The Mesa Press, for “Paralyzed Mesa student walks again”
Honorable Mention (tie): David Leonard, The Telescope, Palomar College, for “The President’s Price”

C-3 In-Depth Reporting Story
1st Place: David Leonard, The Telescope, Palomar College, for “Professor Pawn”
Judges’ Comments: “A very timely and complete look at a situation that all can understand. Good use of facts and storytelling.”
2nd Place: Case Griffiths, The Mesa Press, for “Shootout Training Prepares Campus for Worst”
Honorable Mention: Lyndsay Winkley & Sean Campbell, Southwestern College Sun, for “Chopra resigns”

C-4 Feature Story
1st Place: Shane Finneran, City Times, San Diego City College, for “From sidewalks to shelters?”
2nd Place: Hazel Rodriguez, City Times, San Diego City College, for “Who is Jennifer Montgomery?”

C-5 Sports Story
1st Place: Chloë Branch & Josh Saposnekoo, Southwestern College Sun, for “Championship eludes Jags – for now”
2nd Place: Samantha Mendoza, Southwestern College Sun, for “Getting Reddy for prime time”
Honorable Mention: Ernesto Lopez, City Times, San Diego City College, for “Campus police officers, enforcers on the field”

C-6 Multicultural Story
1st Place: Holly Angeles & Jen Moreno, Southwestern College Sun, for “Marcha Migrante V”
2nd Place: Shane Finneran, City Times, San Diego City College, for “Students discuss fear of Islam”
Honorable Mention: Sean Campbell, Southwestern College Sun, for “Under African Skies”

C-7 Arts/Entertainment Story
1st Place: Ryan Johnson, City Times, San Diego City College, for “Jazz festival returns to OB”
2nd Place: Sara Burbidge, The Telescope, Palomar College, for “Escape to the ’80s”
Honorable Mention: Gina Hernandez, Southwestern College Sun, for “Walking works of art”

C-8 Review/Criticism
1st Place: Shane Finneran, City Times, San Diego City College, for “Joaquin Phoenix, are you still there?”
2nd Place: Tom Andrew, City Times, San Diego City College, for “Tim Burton’s ‘Alice’ is a fascinating film to watch”
Honorable Mention: Tom Andrew, City Times, San Diego City College, for “‘Pippin’ disappoints”

C-9 Opinion/Editorial
1st Place: Sean Campbell, Southwestern College Sun, for “Disingenuous incumbents need to go”
2nd Place: Cody Yarbro, Southwestern College Sun, for “Borderline Wasteland”
Honorable Mention: Brook Dailey, The Mesa Press, for “Mission Bay Hosts Extra Floaters”

C-10 Column
1st Place: Albert Fulcher, Southwestern College Sun, for “The Human Chord”
Judges’ Comments: “I especially enjoyed ‘Laughter as Best Medicine.’ When I’m finished judging, I’m going to look you up to see if I can find ‘the rest of the story.’ I pray that laughter and all of modern medicine mean a long future for you both.”
2nd Place: Dan McCarthy, The Telescope, Palomar College, for “Conservatively Speaking”
Honorable Mention: Angela Van Ostran, Southwestern College Sun, for “The Spinning Wheel”

C-11 News or Feature Series
1st Place: Alyssa Simental , Lyndsay Winkley & Sean Campbell, Southwestern College Sun, for “Election Series”
2nd Place: Mark Rivera, Dan Berger, John Balchak & Ernesto Lopez, City Times, San Diego City College, for “A fault runs through it”
Honorable Mention: Amber Sykes, Albert Fulcher, Alyssa Simental & Lyndsay Winkley, Southwestern College Sun, for “Accreditation Series”

C-12 Original Illustration or Cartoon
1st Place: Carlos Magana, Southwestern College Sun, for “Building a legacy”
2nd Place: Carlos Magana, Southwestern College Sun, for “Money eater”
Honorable Mention: Gabriel Orendain-Necochea, Southwestern College Sun, for “Save SWC”

C-13 News Photo
1st Place: Daniela Padilla, Southwestern College Sun, for “Number 8: Nick Popaditch”
Judges’ Comments: “Good use of color to highlight photos. Nice job.”
2nd Place: Diana Inocencio, Southwestern College Sun, for “Breaking down the debate”
Honorable Mention: Diana Inocencio, Southwestern College Sun, for “Under pressure”

C-14 Feature Photo
1st Place: Roy Enjambre Jr., Southwestern College Sun, for “Warrior woman”
2nd Place: Jiamay Austria, Southwestern College Sun, for “A natural behind the camera”
Honorable Mention: Gabriel Roberts, City Times, San Diego City College, for “City College celebrates Cinco de Mayo”

C-15 Sports Photo
1st Place: Jiamay Austria, Southwestern College Sun, for “A vow to defend”
2nd Place: Diana Inocencio, Southwestern College Sun, for “High flyers”
Honorable Mention: Jiamay Austria, Southwestern College Sun, for “Taking it in stride”

C-16 Headline
1st Place: Jennifer Bowman, Southwestern College Sun, for “Proposition to legalize pot lights up November ballot”
Judges’ Comments: “This one smoked the competition.”
2nd Place: Evonne Ermey, City Times, San Diego City College, for “Who is Jennifer Montgomery?”
Honorable Mention: Amanda Abad, Southwestern College Sun, for “Creative writers club a novel idea”

C-17 Layout and Design
1st Place: Alyssa Simental & Diana Inocencio, Southwestern College Sun, for “Pint sized prodigy”
2nd Place: Joseph Young, Daniela Padilla & Amanda Abad, Southwestern College Sun, for “Election Day 2010”
Honorable Mention (tie): Joseph Young, Southwestern College Sun, for “Chalky taste”
Honorable Mention (tie): Ernesto Lopez, Vanessa Gomez & Anulak Singphiphat, City Times, San Diego City College, for “Campus mourns”

C-18 News Program – Television
1st Place: Andie Adams, Coastline News, Point Loma Nazarene University, for “No Housing for the Homeless”
Judges’ Comments: “Good opening with proper use of official sound. Good B-roll. States the problems clearly.”

Newspaper Design, Photography & Headlines

DP-1 News Design – single page, daily
1st Place: Michael Domine, San Diego Business Journal, for “Downtown Prices, Tight Supply Spark Downtown Home Sales”
2nd Place: Michael Domine, San Diego Business Journal, for “Wireless Carriers Race to Bring 4g Service to Market”
Honorable Mention: Michael Domine, San Diego Business Journal, for “REBOOT!”

DP-2 Feature Design – single page, daily
1st Place: Michael Domine, San Diego Business Journal, for “Charging Ahead”
2nd Place: Michael Domine, San Diego Business Journal, for “Driving for Dollars”

DP-7 Feature Photo
1st Place: Paul Gallaher, Fallbrook/Bonsall Village News, for “Honoring traditions”
Judges’ Comments: “Well composed photo with vibrant colors.”

DP-9 Photo Essay
1st Place: Christine Rinaldi, Fallbrook/Bonsall Village News, for “Youth fair provides opportunity for students to shine”
Judges’ Comments: “Nice variety of photos. Some nice moments here.”
2nd Place: Christine Rinaldi, Fallbrook/Bonsall Village News, for “‘Americana’ prevails at Fourth of July event”

DP-11 Feature Headline
1st Place: Denis Grasska, The Southern Cross, for “It Takes a Church to Raise a Village”

Newspaper Special Sections

NS-1 Special section
1st Place: Jennifer Chung Klam & Daily Transcript Staff, The Daily Transcript, for “Soaring Dimensions 2010”
Judges’ Comments: “A solid comprehensive look at San Diego County’s construction and real estate industries and their successes and challenges. Well complemented by extra content online.”
2nd Place: Kristen Castillo, Jackie McDermott, Serena Shulman, Kendra Calhoun, John Caulfield & Andie Day, The Washington Post, for “Advancements in Mobility”
Honorable Mention: Julie Gallant & San Diego Business Journal Staff, San Diego Business Journal, for “Leading By Example”

Magazines

M-2 Feature Story
1st Place: Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Pets Magazine, for “Dog + surfboard + website = a rediscovered passion”
Judges’ Comments: “Wonderful human-interest story. Very touching and well-written.”
2nd Place: Kristen Castillo, Arizona Weddings, for “20 Fabulous Reception Trends”

M-3 Business Story
1st Place: Nicole Sours Larson, Sea Magazine, for “Sea Lube: Fast and Efficient Oil Changes on San Diego Bay”
Judges’ Comments: “Good, informative article relevant to the audience.”
2nd Place: Melissa Wirkus, The AMN Advantage, for “The Optimal Staffing Mix”

M-7 Food Story
1st Place: Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Pets Magazine, for “San Diego women entrepreneurs produce healthful pet food and treats”
Judges’ Comments: “Not your typical food feature, and that’s what makes this so interesting. The writer did a nice job of taking a nontraditional story and providing broad appeal.”
2nd Place (tie): Nathalie Taylor, Village Lifestyle Magazine, for
“Making this year’s holidays healthier”
2nd Place (tie): Nathalie Taylor, Village Lifestyle Magazine, for “Charge up your Holiday Spirit with the flavor-drenched cuisine of Le Bistro and El Jardin”

M-10 Arts/Entertainment story
1st Place: Pat Launer, San Diego Jewish Journal, for “Slavery and Freedom”
Judges’ Comments: “Fascinating story. I had no idea that any slaves in the South converted to Judaism. I enjoyed this angle of the story, as well as the insight that Jewish slaveholders were caught up in the ‘evils of slavery that infected our nation.’”
2nd Place: Pat Launer, San Diego Jewish Journal, for “She Birthed a Nation”
Honorable Mention: Pat Launer, San Diego Jewish Journal, for “Jewish Singer, Jewish Story”

M-11 Review/Criticism
1st Place: Nathalie Taylor, Village Lifestyle Magazine, for “1600 Degrees of Perfection at the Oak Room”

M-12 Opinion/Editorial
1st Place: Jennifer McEntee, San Diego Family Magazine, for “What I Learned at Preschool”
Judges’ Comments: “An interesting parenting and education story. I suspect this was relevant to a lot of readers.”

M-13 Column
1st Place: Irv Erdos, Escondido Magazine, for “City Shticker, California lingo: It’s a little fishy, State-of-the-art indolence”
Judges’ Comments: “Fun, folksy writing. Little doubt readers enjoy and look forward to this column each issue.”

M-17 Layout and Design – story or series
1st Place: Karina Ramos, Village Lifestyle Magazine, for “1600 Degrees of Perfection at the Oak Room”
Judges’ Comments: “Great use of color, both to go along with the theme of the story and to allow the stories and text to pop off the page.”
2nd Place: Karina Ramos, Village Lifestyle Magazine, for “Bugs in your plants?”

Online

O-1 News Site
1st Place: SignOnSanDiego Staff, SignOnSanDiego.com, for “SignOnSanDiego.com”
Judges’ Comments: “Well designed. Everything in its place. Easy to navigate.”
2nd Place: Rick Rogers, DefenseTracker.com, for “DefenseTracker.com”
Honorable Mention: Tracye Grimes & Daily Transcript Staff, The Daily Transcript, for “San Diego Source|The Daily Transcript”

O-2 Entertainment Site
1st Place: San Diego Night & Day Staff, SignOnSanDiego.com, for “San Diego Night and Day”
Judges’ Comments: “Delicious design. Great use of photography. Liked the top-of-the-page slideshow. AP content is well-integrated. Everything is in its place.”

O-3 Multimedia Package
1st Place: Paul Gallaher & Tim O’Leary, Valley News, for “‘Crazy Singing Jesus Guy’ is a Temecula human landmark”
Judges’ Comments: “Great use of audio and visuals. No doubt this was popular with people who’d seen the guy and wondered about him.”
2nd Place: Katie Orr & Susan Murphy, KPBS.org, for “San Diego’s Evolving Downtown”
Honorable Mention: Andrew Kleske, SignOnSanDiego.com, “Weekly News Quiz”

O-4 Produced Video for Web Use
1st Place: A.T. Nelson, Elizabeth Malloy & Michael Countis, The Daily Transcript, for “Comic-Con 2010: Wrap-up”
Judges’ Comments: “Fun video with good, short interviews and plenty of visuals.”
2nd Place: Carlos Davalos, The Star-News, for “Shop with a cop”
Honorable Mention: Carlos Rico & Michael Countis, The Daily Transcript, for “Changes in effect for MTS”

O-5 Design
1st Place: Ron James, San Diego Home/Garden & Lifestyles, for “San Diego Home/Garden & Lifestyles”
Judges’ Comments: “Easy to navigate, great use of photography and typography.”

O-7 News Headline
1st Place: Andrew Kleske, SignOnSanDiego.com, for “Dump the Pump Day hits the gas”
Judges’ Comments: “The sign of a good headline: knowing exactly what the story is about before you read it. That’s why this is a winner.”

O-9 Blog
1st Place: Beth Accomando, KPBS.org, for “KPBS: Cinema Junkie Blog”
Judges’ Comments: “Well written, good use of photos and other media. Everything comes together with this blog.”
2nd Place: Rick Rogers, DefenseTracker.com, for “DefenseTracker.com”

Radio/Audio

R-1 Breaking News/Live Report
1st Place: Cliff Albert & LaDona Harvey, KOGO Radio, for “Storm Coverage”
Judges’ Comments: “Breaking news on a large scale, good ‘official’ sound, timely updates, and scope of flooding and traffic updates numerous times. Good flow.”
2nd Place: Cliff Albert, Steve Yuhas, Phil Farrar, Mike Hancock & Joey Blackwood, KOGO Radio, for “Easter Sunday Earthquake”

R-3 Serious Feature Story
1st Place: Ana Tintocalis, KPBS-FM, for “San Diego High School Students Struggle To Get To School”
Judges’ Comments: “A person we can relate to, to care about. Nice storytelling, facts to back up those images and story. Very nice.”
2nd Place: Ed Joyce, KPBS-FM, for “UCSD Scientists Researching Vanishing Honey Bees”
Honorable Mention: Amy Isackson & Vicente Calderón, KPBS-FM and TijuanaPress.com, for “Tijuana Police Back On Street, Not on Beat”

R-4 Light Feature Story
1st Place: Katie Orr, KPBS-FM, for “Small Amusement Parks Doing Big Business During Recession”
Judges’ Comments: “This piece was fun and light, yet still managed to offer practical information just about anyone could appreciate.”
2nd Place: Amy Isackson, KPBS-FM, for “Tijuana Group Embarks On $5 Million Image Makeover”
Honorable Mention: Beth Accomando, KPBS-FM, for “Politics in Film”

R-5 Talk/Interview
1st Place: Hank Crook & Gloria Penner, KPBS-FM, for “Editors Roundtable: Labor vs. Business, City Budget Deficit, Impact of Supercenters”
2nd Place: Hank Crook & Maureen Cavanaugh, KPBS-FM, for “These Days: Local Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks”

R-6 Sports Story
1st Place: Hank Crook & Maureen Cavanaugh, KPBS-FM, for “Should Soccer Players Wear Head Protection?”
Judges’ Comments: “Good flow, good experts and nice way of putting the conversation on the level of the parent. Timely and will create conversation after they listen to it.”

R-7 Investigative/Enterprise Story
1st Place: Ana Tintocalis, KPBS-FM, for “‘Gang Pimps’ Power Over Girls”
Judges’ Comments: “Excellent investigative work.”

R-8 Regular Beat
1st Place: Katie Orr, KPBS-FM, for “San Diego Metro Beat Coverage”
Judges’ Comments: “Great content. Length was good, and variety of topics covers the Metro. Nice job.”
2nd Place: Ed Joyce, KPBS-FM, “Environmental Beat”

R-9 Criticism or Commentary
1st Place: Beth Accomando, KPBS-FM, for “Review: Survival of the Dead and Sex and the City”
Judges’ Comments: “The juxtaposition of these two reviews simultaneously absolutely kept my attention and left me wanting more. Very nicely done.”
2nd Place: Pat Launer & Michael Rovatsos, KSDS-FM, for “The Pirates of Penzance”
Honorable Mention: Cliff Albert, KOGO Radio, for “Cliff Notes on the News – We Need Dr Seuss”

R-10 Use of Sound
1st Place: Amy Isackson, KPBS-FM, for “Smugglers Transported Marijuana Through Tunnel On Motorized Cart”
Judges’ Comments: “The use of sound adds to and assists in taking the listener through the story. The use of crowd nats, ladder and tunnel nats and changes in audio was wonderful. I could SEE and hear the story.”
2nd Place: Beth Accomando, KPBS-FM, for “San Diego Asian Film Festival Extreme Program”
Honorable Mention: Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News, for “Awake Brain Surgery”

R-11 Community Service – program or series
1st Place: Ana Tintocalis, Kurt Kohnen & Maureen Cavanaugh, KPBS-FM, for “San Diego Gang Stories: A Special Report”
Judges’ Comments: “Very good set-up. Storytelling and use of interviews excellent. And great use of musical transitions with facts then new story. Nicely done all around.”

R-12 News or Feature Series (any subject)
1st Place: Amy Isackson & Vicente Calderón, KPBS-FM and TijuanaPress.com, for “Tijuana’s Leyzaola Dilemma”
Judges’ Comments: “Very clean and effective storytelling. Nice job.”

Television/Video

T-4 Spot Breaking News Story
1st Place: Steve Fiorina, KGTV-10News, for “King Monday”
2nd Place: Carlos Davalos, The Star-News, for “Congressman surrounded by opposition’s supporters”

T-6 Serious Feature – preproduced
1st Place: Diana Guevara, Channel 4 San Diego, for “Donate Life”
Judges’ Comments: “Both elements of donor and recipient were wonderful. Great end with Mom helping sign people up. The Call to Action moment, catching. Nice balance, enjoyed the piece.”
2nd Place: Mitch Blacher, Felicia Kit, Michael Gonzalez, JW August & Matthew Burrow, KGTV-10News, for “I-Team Investigates Chemical Restraint Of Elderly”
Honorable Mention: Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News, for “Awake Brain Surgery”

T-7 Light feature – produced & aired same day
1st Place: David Brooks, San Diego Union-Tribune, SignOnSanDiego.com for “Floatopia”

T-10 Investigative/Enterprise – single story
1st Place: Mitch Blacher, Michael Gonzalez, JW August, Matthew Burrow & Felicia Kit, KGTV 10News, for “San Diego Humane Society’s Spending Questioned”
Judges’ Comments: Good use of interview in multiple pieces. B-roll use very good.
2nd Place: Joanne Faryon, Kevin Crowe, Roxana Popescu, Sandy Coronilla & Jessica Plautz, Watchdog Institute & KPBS-TV, for “When Immunity Fails: The Whooping Cough Epidemic”
Honorable Mention: Mitch Blacher, Michael Gonzalez, Christian Cazares, JW August & Matthew Burrow, KGTV 10News, for “Documents Reveal Overcharging For State Court Projects”

T-11 Investigative/Enterprise – series
1st Place: JW August, Christian Cazares, Michael Gonzalez & Matthew Burrow, KGTV 10News, for “The Informant”
Judges’ Comments: “Great balance of sources. Comparative analysis key. Nicely done.”

T-12 Criminal justice report – single story or series
1st Place: Steve Fiorina, KGTV-10News, for “Broderick Letter”
Judges’ Comments: “Good recap up front, so all can understand. Great audio in hearing.”

T-13 Business/consumer report – single story or series
1st Place: Ed Joyce, KPBS-TV, for “Comparing Real And Synthetic Grass”
2nd Place: Diana Guevara, Channel 4 San Diego, for “Homeless Bikers: A Special Delivery”
Honorable Mention: Mitch Blacher, Christian Cazares, Felicia Kit, JW August & Matthew Burrow, KGTV 10News, for “Local Car Rental Company Admits Overcharging Customers”

T-16 Documentary – 30 minutes or more
1st Place: Joanne Faryon, Guillermo Sevilla & Roland Lizarondo, KPBS-TV, for “Life In Prison”
Judges’ Comments: “Stills, music, video with great nats and nice editing made for a smooth and easy-to-watch and understand piece. Good use of facts within, and a possible solution-based ending was very good.”

T-17 Community service
1st Place: Joanne Faryon, Guillermo Sevilla & Christopher Maue, KPBS-TV, for “Who’s Supervising San Diego?”
Judges’ Comments: “Excellent public affairs magazine – the kind of show that could enable a viewer to catch up on all the news of the week. Very good range of stories. Good production values.”
2nd Place: Allen Denton, Sandra Maas, John Soderman, Tom Jordan, Sasha Foo, Ross Becker & KUSI News Staff, KUSI News, for “Oxy: What Your Kids Aren’t Telling You”

Non-daily Reporting and Writing

ND-1 Breaking News Story
1st Place: Debbie Ramsey, Fallbrook/Bonsall Village News, for “Man hit, killed by school bus was writing a love message in roadway”
Judges’ Comments: “The story was compelling … a man who lost his life while writing a love note on the sidewalk. But it was made even more human by the details, sometimes difficult to gather on a breaking story such as this. The reporter covered most of the bases, finding relatives and friends who were able to fill in some of the answers. Under trying circumstances, a well-reported story.”
2nd Place: Elizabeth Himchak, Rancho Bernardo News Journal, for “Strong likelihood it’s Chelsea”
Honorable Mention: Andrea Verdin, Fallbrook/Bonsall Village News, for “Bonsall’s ‘Scoop’ Vessels killed in plane crash”

ND-2 Non-Deadline News Story
1st Place: Debbie Ramsey, Fallbrook/Bonsall Village News, for “Locals team up to save man’s life at golf club”
Judges’ Comments: “Good combination of fine writing with the inside story of saving a life. It demanded to be read to the end.”
2nd Place: Debbie Ramsey, Fallbrook/Bonsall Village News, for “Emergency crew visits with teen whose life they saved”
Honorable Mention: Marsha Sutton, Carmel Valley News, for “TPHS student convicted of drunk driving speaks out”

ND-3 Feature Story
1st Place: Scott Hopkins, The Peninsula Beacon, for “Emerging Challenger Little League offers special-needs kids at-bats”
Judges’ Comments: “A good feature starts with a good tale, and this is one. But it’s also very well told, with rich detail, multiple sources and good selection of quotes. This could easily have turned sappy, but the writer wisely didn’t allow that. Story also included the time of the next game, so readers could go, and contact info in case they wanted to get involved. Nicely done.”
2nd Place: Joe Tash, Del Mar Times, for “Local residents help Zambians make a living through ‘Zambikes’”
Honorable Mention: Maryann Castronovo, The San Diego Reader, for “I Was Bred For This”

ND-4 Investigative/Enterprise Story – single subject
1st Place: Kevin Crowe & Brooke Williams, Watchdog Institute, for “Catching Fire: Fire response data shows impact of brownouts”
Judges’ Comments: “Nice job comparing local statistics to national standards, and great job bringing in a real person’s story.”
2nd Place: Kelly Thornton & Kevin Crowe, Watchdog Institute, for “Risky Management: City could be overpaying claims, lawsuits”

ND-5 Business Story
1st Place: Emmet Pierce, San Diego Business Journal, for “Style and Convenience Are a Match on This New Women’s Fashion Web Site”
Judges’ Comments: “This entry won over judges who were reluctant to go down the fashion runway. But the profile of an online niche business combined with comments from the consultants and a customer made for a fully formed package.”
2nd Place: Emmet Pierce, Insure.com, for “How to tell your husband he needs life insurance”
Honorable Mention: Brad Graves, San Diego Business Journal, for “Leading By Example: Military Chiefs Share Lessons Learned”

ND-6 Real Estate Story
1st Place: Lou Hirsh, San Diego Business Journal, for “Tough Market Aids Affordable-Housing Builders”
Judges’ Comments: “Clear writing. Sentences flow nicely as they ‘show’ through actual examples a real estate trend occurring across the nation.”
2nd Place: Lou Hirsh, San Diego Business Journal, for “Retirement-Home Builders Scale Back”

ND-7 Science/Technology Story
1st Place: Emmet Pierce, San Diego Business Journal, for “The Power to Conserve”
2nd Place: Emmet Pierce, San Diego Business Journal, for “It’s Change for the Better in New Parking Meters”

ND-8 Health Story
1st Place: Helen Gao, Watchdog Institute, for “More Kindergarteners enter school without vaccines”
Judges’ Comments: “Good job combining data analysis with the real-world perspectives of parents. Nice work including studies that explain the community implications of parents’ decisions.”
2nd Place: Debbie Ramsey, Fallbrook/Bonsall Village News, for “Polio survivor to be honorary chair of Rotary conference”
Honorable Mention: Emmet Pierce, San Diego Business Journal, for “Digitalizing Medical Records”

ND-9 Food Story
1st Place: Christy Scannell, San Diego Uptown News, for “The Barbecue Issue”
Judges’ Comments: “Very well put, with many hints that any veteran or beginning barbecuer would benefit from. From savory sauces to mixed drinks, this isn’t just limited to the locals. Good job.”
2nd Place: Ron James, San Diego Uptown News, for “Fit to be Thai’d”

ND-10 Environmental Story
1st Place: Debbie Ramsey, Fallbrook/Bonsall Village News, for “Green with envy; New library’s green roof to add eye appeal, utilize rain water, save energy”
Judges’ Comments: “Well-written, informative story that uses a local angle to explain a complicated environmental topic: namely, why green roofs are beneficial and getting more popular.”

ND-11 Education Story
1st Place: Denis Grasska, The Southern Cross, for “Homebound Student Uses Videoconferencing to Participate in Class”
2nd Place: Andrea Verdin, Fallbrook/Bonsall Village News, for “Marines learn the truth about driving”
Honorable Mention: Andrea Verdin, Fallbrook/Bonsall Village News, for “Local schools receive grant to aid military children”

ND-12 Political/Government Story
1st Place: Brooke Williams, Watchdog Institute, for “Capitol Connections: Bilbray advances bills that would help cigar club lobbyists”
Judges’ Comments: “This article took the news of the day and delved deeper into the local implications to uncover an incredibly interesting political situation. Sure, a lot of it is inside politics but this reporter goes farther to show the implications to the rest of us in terms of seemingly influenced bill support. Well done.”
2nd Place: Brooke Williams, Watchdog Institute, for “Entertainment Industry and Bono Mack make sweet music”
Honorable Mention: Christy Scannell, San Diego Uptown News, for “A Park in Peril”

ND-14 Multicultural Story
1st Place: Christy Scannell, San Diego Uptown News, for “Agency for Change”
2nd Place: Christy Scannell, Gay San Diego, for “Metropolitan Community Church Celebrates 40 Years in San Diego”
Honorable Mention: Enrique Limón, San Diego CityBeat, for “Dust in the Wind: Can Mexico’s National Sport Survive Amid Increasing Animal-Welfare Regulations?”

ND-15 Sports Story
1st Place: Phillip Brents, The Star-News, for “Thrills and spills”
Judges’ Comments: “Some carefully chosen details and good quotes bring to life this look at a women’s roller derby team. A lot of information on the sport and the league is gracefully mixed in as well.”
2nd Place: Scott Hopkins, The Peninsula Beacon, for “Pointers hit end of CIF road with a thud”
Honorable Mention: Scott Hopkins, The Peninsula Beacon, for “Girls’ squad reignites volleyball fever at PLHS”

ND-16 Arts/Entertainment Story
1st Place: Debbie Ramsey, Fallbrook/Bonsall Village News, for “Photography show to be shutter magic”
Judges’ Comments: “Debbie Ramsey turned in the most journalistically complete entry, with the most detail. This explains her first-place finish and the lack of a second and third.”

ND-18 Opinion/Editorial
1st Place: Richard Riehl, North County Times, for “Courage, Tolerance and Kids”
Judges’ Comments: “A tough topic to focus on, Mr. Riehl does an admirable job summarizing not only the issue but the local specifics in this age-old battle. He then is able to give us his perspective of a broad and universal issue, leaving most of us nodding with him in agreement. Exactly what the best editorials should do.”
2nd Place: Richard Riehl, North County Times, for “Differing School Districts”
Honorable Mention: Allison Sampite , The Star-News, for “Mother’s laughter left resounding memory”

ND-19 Column
1st Place: Carlos Davalos, The Star-News, for “From the editor”
Judges’ Comments: “What a pleasure to read. Mr. Davalos’ columns strike a nice tone and keep the reader engaged. He asks tough questions when required; he uses humor when appropriate. His political column takes a fresh and interesting approach. The column about Mike reads like a novel: beautifully written, character development paced logically, golden coins dropped periodically to keep us reading. Nice job.”
2nd Place: Tom Basinski, The Star-News, for “Behind Police Lines”
Honorable Mention: Phillip Brents, The Star-News, for “Prep parade”

Daily Reporting and Writing

N-1 Breaking News Story
1st Place: Kristina Davis, Pauline Repard, Debbi Baker, John Wilkens & Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “Veteran officer killed in apartment shootout”
Judges’ Comments: “This story is so rich with poignant details that I felt like I was watching the scene unfold in front of me. The wounded officer carried by three fellow officers, the K-9 cop draping his injured dog over his shoulders and escaping out a window, the fact that Officer Wilson was kept alive long enough so his family could say goodbye – all contributed to elevate the story above a run-of-the-mill breaking news story. The accompanying profile of the officer was a moving tribute.”
2nd Place: Teri Figueroa, Mark Walker, Chris Nichols, Edward Sifuentes, Morgan Cook & Dorrine Mendoza, North County Times, for “John Gardner Guilty Plea Coverage – April 16, 2010”
Honorable Mention: Keith Darce, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “‘Son of Hamas’ wins asylum fight”

N-2 Non-Deadline News Story
1st Place: Matthew T. Hall, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “Tailgating gets boot in stadium plan”
Judges’ Comments: “More depth than I’d expect in a story about tailgating. Valid pros and cons of a choice in designing a hugely expensive public facility are explained in clear, readable language and voices of ordinary people (if having lightning bolts tattooed on your scalp passes for ordinary). A good job of discussing an important local building project on a human scale.”
2nd Place: Janine Zuniga, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “Teen’s Life Story One Of Neglect, Brutality: Boy accused of killing for Mexican drug gang was born”
Honorable Mention: Amy Isackson & Vicente Calderón, KPBS.org and TijuanaPress.com, for “Toxic Trailers May Be Bound For Mexicali”

N-3 Feature Story
1st Place: Matthew T. Hall, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “Teen’s Death Compels Brother to Steer Others From Violence”
Judges’ Comments: “This was an emotional and powerfully written story that struck a nice balance between the grief of Javier Quiroz’s family and the inspiration his life sparked in his brother. The story grabs readers with a rhythmic opening and holds on with evocative writing throughout. Short, staccato sentences keep the narrative moving briskly. It was a true joy to read.”
2nd Place: Matthew T. Hall, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “Their blogs chronicled love and loss”
Honorable Mention: Tanya Mannes, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “North County group disputes ‘cult’ description”

N-4 Investigative/Enterprise Story – single subject
1st Place: Emily Alpert, voiceofsandiego.org, for “Hotel Stays, Flights and a $400 Bottle of Wine”
Judges’ Comments: “This story does many things well. It documents an outrageous gift and travel problem that ultimately costs the public. It brings in objective outsiders for comment, provides good context and gives readers the extra courtesy of explaining why the news tip came to light. Great work. Keep going!”
2nd Place: Craig Gustafson, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “Pension boss had a unique deal”
Honorable Mention: Sarah Gordon, North County Times, for “CHP brass ignored calls to fire officer”

N-5 Business Story
1st Place: Jennifer McEntee, voiceofsandiego.org, for “The Green Behind Green Crude”
Judges’ Comments: “This story is interesting, well-written and timely considering the fuel crisis. Nice blend of the industry majors and the regional players.”
2nd Place: Padma Nagappan, The Daily Transcript, for “Smart Grids – the next gold rush?”
Honorable Mention: Tanya Mannes, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “Specialty foods remain hot”

N-6 Real Estate Story
1st Place: Eric Wolff, North County Times, for “A closer look at foreclosure-busting attorney Pines”
Judges’ Comments: “Michael T. Pines has attracted national attention for his break-in strategy on behalf of homeowners in foreclosure. It was good to read the back story on his personal foreclosure problems and investor recruiting issues.”
2nd Place: Tanya Mannes, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “Downsizing is booming”
Honorable Mention: Andrew Keatts, The Daily Transcript, for “With HAFA, Treasury looks to spur short sales”

N-7 Science/Technology Story
1st Place: Keith Darce, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “A Genomics Revolution is Sweeping Agriculture”
Judges’ Comments: “Does a good job of explaining why we should care about genetic engineering and how far the field has come.”
2nd Place: Keith Darce, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “Using Genetics to Save the Tasmanian Devil”
Honorable Mention: Elizabeth Malloy, The Daily Transcript, for “Ozzy Osbourne and the mysteries of genetics”

N-9 Food Story
1st Place: Keli Dailey, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “The craft cocktail movement arrives in San Diego”
Judges’ Comments: “A very well written story that focuses on a trend that hasn’t hit our part of the country this strong yet. The story offers great drink and locale descriptions, and I loved what one drink did to the reporter. The story made we want to take a taxi to some of them and enjoy, with a safe way home and some beef brisket in me.”
2nd Place: Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union Tribune, for “Burgers help upscale joints cut the mustard”
Honorable Mention: Elizabeth Malloy, The Daily Transcript, for “Consumers feel pinch of escalating lobster prices”

N-11 Education Story
1st Place: Emily Alpert, voiceofsandiego.org, for “Children Make the Rules at This School”
Judges’ Comments: “What a delightful lead; I was smitten immediately. The story provides an interesting glimpse into the minds of kids – and adults – who are willing to try just about anything. I was glad the story acknowledged the downside to such an experiment by mentioning the calls from parents who found discipline lacking. All in all, a fascinating story told very well.”
2nd Place: Emily Alpert, voiceofsandiego.org, for “The Meeting Man Goes Public”
Honorable Mention (tie): Emily Alpert, voiceofsandiego.org, for “Ratings: Coming Soon to a Preschool Near You”
Honorable Mention (tie): Christina Macone-Greene, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “Pet project gets kids reading”

N-12 Political/Government Story
1st Place: Craig Gustafson, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “Alarm sounded, critics decry fire engine brownouts as rolling the dice”
Judges’ Comments: “Compelling story that shows readers the impact of budget decisions.”
2nd Place: Craig Gustafson, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “Hueso money funneled to brother’s race to be returned”
Honorable Mention: Pat Broderick, Los Angeles Daily Journal, for “Pension Woes Spur Lawsuits”

N-13 Legal Story
1st Place: Pat Broderick, Los Angeles Daily Journal, for “Bringing DNA Testing to South America”

N-14 Multicultural Story
1st Place: Pat Broderick, Los Angeles Daily Journal, for “Tribe Seeks Help With Crime”
2nd Place: Carlos Rico, The Daily Transcript, for “Local engineers helping to rebuild Haiti”
Honorable Mention: Pat Broderick, Los Angeles Daily Journal, for “Intertribal Bar Association Grows”

N-16 Arts/Entertainment Story
1st Place: George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “Sting turns to symphonic pop”
Judges’ Comments: “Too many writers genuflect before celebrities like Sting instead of interviewing them, but George Varga stays lasered on his angle: old pop and rock stars embracing orchestras. And while the headline implies this is only a story about Sting, it sells short Varga’s effort, which includes insights from other touring artists. The best A&E stories teach as well as entertain, and Vargas gets a lesson across.”
2nd Place: Alison Gang, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “Trio behind Unconventional Films molded by military training”
Honorable Mention: Alison Gang, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “San Diego Isn’t Hollywood, to the Delight of many filmmakers”

N-17 Review/Criticism
1st Place: James Hebert, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “The Rep’s ‘boom’ is perfectly goofy”
Judges’ Comments: “This review offers a keen, witty take on an original, left-of-center work with enthusiasm, intelligence and charm.”
2nd Place: George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “Stoned alone: Keith Richards’ ‘Life’ selectively memorable”
Honorable Mention (tie): Pat Launer, Patch.com, for “Pointing Fingers and Naming Names in ‘The Crucible’”
Honorable Mention (tie): Pat Launer, Patch.com, for “The Glory Man Raises Roof at Lamb’s Players Theatre”

N-18 Opinion/Editorial
1st Place: Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine, for “Powerlink shocker: Feinstein tells Forest Service chief she supports Powerlink, sees ‘no opposition’”
Judges’ Comments: “Compelling and passionate. Flawlessly researched and supported by fact. Emotion simmers from it, but is effectively held back by reason. A well-phrased mini-treatise on behalf of a readership the editor believes have made their position clear — and whose safety may well be at stake.”
2nd Place: Pat Finn, KPBS.org, for “My Ride With Jerry Brown”
Honorable Mention: Gail Chatfield, North County Times, for “As profits go south, so do the jobs”

N-19 Column
1st Place: Beth Wood, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “Veggie Choices”
2nd Place: Michael Stetz, San Diego Union Tribune, for “Bandits probation; Chelsea newspaper; San Diego non-smoking policies”
Honorable Mention: Gail Chatfield, North County Times, for “My 500 Words”

N-20 News or Feature Series (any subject)
1st Place: Craig Gustafson, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “Proposition D: Proposed sales tax hike to solve San Diego’s budget crisis”
Judges’ Comments: “Excellent digging and watchdog work on the issue that San Diego has regrettably become the national poster-child for: pensions. The investigation provides a look behind the curtain at how the system was manipulated, who benefited, and why the taxpayers are on the hook. Great reporting and research throughout.”
2nd Place: Andrew Kleske, San Diego Union-Tribune, for “Internet darlings taking flight”
Honorable Mention: Chris Nichols, North County Times, for “Remaking the Backcountry”