The Potomac Almanac’s photography and its coverage of local sports and business received first-place awards from the Maryland Delaware D.C. Press Association last week. For the sixth consecutive year, the Almanac also won an award for public service. The awards were announced in Ellicott City on April 27 at the annual meeting of the Maryland Delaware D.C. Press Association.
“The Joy of ‘06,” Almanac Editor Alex Scofield’s coverage of the Walt Whitman High School boys basketball team’s state championship, won first place for sports story. “Author does a wonderful job of capturing the excitement of a state championship game.” said the judges about Scofield’s stories and column. “Easy to read and colorful.”
“Mammal Mia,” Scofield’s photography spread on the alpacas and other miniature animals at the Phillips family’s Brickyard Road home, won first place for photo series. “Overall very creative layout and variety of photos,” said the judges.
Community Reporter Mary Vause won first place in the business/economic category for “Potomac Eateries Fold,” which detailed the closing of the Picasso Grille and the Potomac Village Deli, two long-running restaurants in the Village that closed within a week of each other. “A good business story reports on the effects of business operation and how that translates in the real world. It answers how and why clearly,” the judges said. “Ms. Vause does a good job doing this in a story that her readers are interested in.”
Scofield and Community Reporter Ken Millstone won second place in the public service category with “Pulling No Punches,” several articles that covered Walt Whitman High School’s Youth Summit. The Almanac has won first or second place in the public service category for the last six years.
Millstone’s “Japanese Tradition in Bloom” won second place for arts/entertainment.
The Potomac Almanac’s sister papers, the Connection Newspapers, which consist of 17 weeklies in Northern Virginia, won more than 60 press awards from the Virginia Press Association, announced last month in Roanoke, Va.