Montclair Local staff left to right: reporter Erin Roll, ad director Jack Marflack, former editor Kevin Meacham, culture editor Gwen Orel, sports writer Andrew Garda and interim editor Jaimie Julia Winters.
Montclair Local and its staff have won the New Jersey Press Association’s General Excellence Award for the second year in a row.
For its coverage in 2019, the paper won 24 awards.
Last year, in its first year of qualifying for the contest, Montclair Local garnered 16 NJPA awards for its coverage of Montclair throughout 2018, including General Excellence, regarded as designating the best weekly in New Jersey.
Competing against weekly papers from throughout the state, judges commended Montclair Local, including among their review comments: “Well-written story content, strong reporting in this community-minded newspaper. Lots to read in this paper.”
Montclair Local launched in March 2017 and became a member of the NJPA — an organization comprising nearly 200 newspapers and dozens of digital news websites — in 2018.
The judges had this to say of some of its coverage:
“Great insight on gentrification.”
“Outstanding story that shows the tangled web of what some consider ‘progress.’”
“The finest journalism stems from a reporter going into the trenches and experiencing the plights of their subjects. Excellent story about the side of progress and development that many fail to recognize.”
“A different look at sports. I enjoyed a good read.”
Earlier in the year, Culture Editor Gwen Orel won two Keystone State awards: first place in lifestyle/entertainment writing for “Balancing Acts: A New Play About a Young Hannah Arendt at Luna Stage,” “Shifting Perspectives: ‘Considering Matthew Shepard’ Musically Examines Hate” and “‘Runaways’ Builds Empathy: Vanguard Theater Company Sleeps Out,” and second place in the same category for “Honey Saves the World: Apples and Honey Are a Jewish Tradition, and Beekeeping Is Part of Tikkun Olam,” “Facing the Darkness: Clergy Discuss Good Friday” and “Eid al-Fitr Brings Muslims Together: Celebrating the End of the Fast.”
The judge said: “Great reporting and storytelling instincts!”
In April, Jaimie Julia Winters won the New Society of Professional Journalism’s Stuart and Beverley Awbrey Award for Community-Oriented Journalism for her coverage of Lackawanna Plaza in 2019.
Of the Local’s 24 awards, 10 were for first place, eight were for second and six were for third.
The award winners:
First Place
Responsible Journalism
Affordable housing series
Jaimie Julia Winters, Associate Editor
Responsible Journalism – Enterprise
Life in a construction zone
Jaimie Julia Winters, Associate Editor
Responsible Journalism – First Amendment Award
Former deputy chief still on payroll; Deputy chief’s separation date not set
Jaimie Julia Winters, Associate Editor
News Writing
Church giving away a free home
Jaimie Julia Winters, Associate Editor
Coverage of Elections/Politics
Sudden turnaround; Deputy mayor drama continues; Telling their stories
Jaimie Julia Winters, Associate Editor
Sports Writing Portfolio
Clearing the hurdles; Simply the best; Running after a dream
Andrew Garda, Sports Editor
Investigative Reporting
Fighting to stay together
Jaimie Julia Winters, Associate Editor
Business and Economic Writing
Pig & Prince pulls out of Lackawanna
Jaimie Julia Winters, Associate Editor
Packaging the News – General Typography and Layout of the Entire Paper
April 25, Sept. 19 issues
Editorial Staff
Packaging the News – Feature Section Layout and Content
Sept. 19, Dec. 19 issues
Gwen Orel, Culture Editor, Andrea Bondy, Paginator, Elizabeth Oguss, Copy Editor
Second Place
Public Service – Lloyd P. Burns Memorial Award
Montclair Local Lackawanna Plaza series
Jaimie Julia Winters, Associate Editor
Coverage of Government – Art Weissman Memorial Award
Work stop; In search of spots; Plastic bag ban on
Jaimie Julia Winters, Associate Editor
Coverage of Crime – Police, Courts
Dog dies following attack; MHS teacher sues BOE; Stolen Lackawanna clock is back home
Jaimie Julia Winters, Associate Editor
Feature Writing
One of a kind
Jaimie Julia Winters, Associate Editor
Environmental- Health and Science Writing
Green building loophole?
Jaimie Julia Winters, Associate Editor
Investigative Reporting
Life-saving actions; A worrying trend with a greenhouse at local arboretum
Jaimie Julia Winters, Associate Editor
Best Use of Social Media
Break the Hate
Adam Anik, Photographer
Online Breaking News
Video/Photos: Montclair Celebrates Italian Culture and Sister City Aquilonia
Adam Anik, Photographer
Third Place
Responsible Journalism – Public Service – Lloyd P. Burns Memorial Award
Growing crowded
Jaimie Julia Winters, Associate Editor
Feature Writing
Stepping up: Concert to raise money for additional MAU staffing
Gwen Orel, Culture Editor
Reporting- Writing and Illustration – Special Subject Writing
A time to try yourself on
Gwen Orel, Culture Editor
Reporting – Writing and Illustrations – Fresh Approach to Routine Reporting
In search of parking spots
Jaimie Julia Winters, Associate Editor
Online Breaking News
Equality walk
Adam Anik, Photographer
Best Use of Social Media
Kwanzaa
Adam Anik, Photographer, Kelly Nicholaides, Reporter