Rachel Maddow to read from new book at MHC

Rachel Maddow to read from new book at MHC

SOUTH HADLEY – An evening with Rachel Maddow, during which she will read from her new book “Drift: The Unmooring of the American Military,” will be held on March 31 at 7 p.m. at Chapin Auditorium on the Mount Holyoke College campus.
The evening is a collaboration between the Odyssey Bookshop, the Five College Women’s Studies Research Center and the Gender Studies Department at Mount Holyoke College. Doors will open at 6 p.m. General admission tickets are $5 and will become available March 1 at the Odyssey Bookshop and online at www.Odysseybks.com. A limited number of priority tickets are available. Priority tickets include the $5 general admission ticket and a copy of “Drift” (a total of $31.56) and guarantee signing by Maddow.
Maddow will only be signing copies of “Drift” purchased through the Odyssey Bookshop. She will be signing her name only and no more than three copies per person. There will be no posed photographs possible.
“One of my favorite ideas is never to keep an unnecessary soldier,” Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1792. Neither Jefferson nor the other Found­ers could ever have envisioned the modern national security state, with its tens of thousands of “privateers;” its bloated Department of Homeland Security; its rust­ing nuclear weapons, ill-maintained and difficult to dismantle; and its strange fascination with an unproven counterinsurgency doctrine.”
Written with bracing wit and intelligence, Maddow’s “Drift” argues that we’ve drifted away from America’s original ideals and become a nation weirdly at peace with perpetual war, with all the financial and human costs that entails. To understand how we’ve arrived at such a dangerous place, Maddow takes us from the Vietnam War to today’s war in Afghanistan, along the way exploring the disturbing rise of executive authority, the gradual outsourcing of our war-making capabilities to private companies, the plummeting percentage of American families whose children fight our constant wars for us, and even the changing fortunes of G.I. Joe. She offers up a fresh, unsparing appraisal of Reagan’s radical presidency. Ultimately, she shows us just how much we stand to lose by allowing the priorities of the national security state to overpower our political discourse.
Partial proceeds from this event will support new initiatives on women and the media at the Five College Women’s Studies Research Center.

Bigfoot sightings discussed at library

A hair-raising account
Bigfoot sightings discussed at library

By Matthew Couto
Turley Publications Correspondent

SOUTH HADLEY – A group of young and old Bigfoot enthusiasts alike gathered at the South Hadley Public Library on Wednesday night to share ideas and learn about the history behind the hairy subject.
“We’ll never know for sure if a Bigfoot exists until one is tagged,” said Adult Services Librarian and Bigfoot hobbyist Desiree ‘Desi’ Smelcer. “But I believe there are many people who have seen them throughout the world, especially because of my encounters.”
Smelcer, who grew up in northern California, has had two encounters with the humanoid Bigfoot, both at very different times in her life. The first encounter happened was when she was just five years old and on a camping trip with her family.
Peeking from her tent, Smelcer noticed a dark image by their campfire. Upon closer inspection it was hairy ape-looking figure with a human face playing with a stick.
“I didn’t think twice before falling asleep that night,” said Smelcer. “For some reason it did not strike me as odd at the time.”
The second encounter came in 2010, exactly two years ago, on a remote highway in northern California. According to Smelcer, there was a large figure in her lane up ahead that darted off to the side of the highway. Smelcer, being an ever-curious Sasquatch lover, slowed down and looked toward the breakdown lane to where she saw the being move.
When she turned her head, a Bigfoot was squatting within ten feet or so from her car. Despite wanting to get out and try to interact with the oddly human-like ape, Smelcer stayed in her car and waved without showing her teeth, nor her excitement, in order to not spook the Bigfoot.
“Even while squatting on the side of the highway, its head was still above the top of my car,” said Smelcer. “It noticed me staring at it and kind of tilted its head to the side as if it was thinking about what I was.”
But the presentation was not only about her experiences with the hairy humanoid. Smelcer briefly outlined some of the earliest information concerning the rare species that is said to be part human and part animal.
The packed library full of intrigued Bigfoot enthusiasts learned there are hundreds of different names for the abnormal being. Some of the names are Yeti, Sasquatch, Hig-a-bon, Mondo-grande, Nadi Bear, Di-Di, Yeren, and Almas.
According to Smelcer, who holds an Anthropology degree from Wheaton College, a Bigfoot is usually spotted in wooded areas. In the United States, there are more than 747 million acres of forest, 33 million of which are in California where Smelcer has had her two encounters.
“Many people don’t realize that one-third of California is the forest,” said Smelcer. “That leaves a lot of room for a Bigfoot to go undetected.”
Questions were taken after the hour-long presentation in order to relieve audience members of their curiosity. Some things learned from the questions are Bigfoots are not always friendly. They have been said to wear clothes sometimes, not all look the same – sizes vary some five to eight feet tall – and there have been sightings all throughout the world but never any picture captured.

“It has been said that Bigfoots are blurry in nature,” said Smelcer. “Which makes it tough or near impossible to capture one on a camera.”

School Committee discusses proposed parking fees, new courses

School Committee discusses proposed parking fees, new courses
By Matthew Couto
Turley Publications Correspondent

SOUTH HADLEY – Principal Sean McNiff of South Hadley High School was present at a special School Committee meeting Thursday, Feb. 16, to propose a new plan concerning parking fees and four new courses that will be offered this upcoming fall.
“Parking pass sales were down this year and we feel it is somewhat of a reflection from reducing the cost of the lower upper lot,” said McNiff. “After these spaces were not available anymore, the students did not want the higher priced spaces.”
What McNiff proposed, and was approved of by the four present members of the School Committee, was making all of the high school parking passes one price of $75. When the passes were all one price in the past, all the spaces sold out and the high school was able to make the most of its parking lots.
This year there have been 31 parking lot spaces left vacant, meaning a potential $3,100 loss in revenue.
New cell phone policy begins trial run
Also discussed at the meeting was a new cell phone policy the high school has been testing out. For the past few weeks, students have been able to use their electronic devices in an appropriate way during non-academic times. These times include before and after school, during the break period, lunch and passing from class to class.
The current policy requires students to not have any electronics visible throughout the day and if a student was to be caught with their cell phone out it would be confiscated and their parents would be called.
“The new policy would be allowing the school to open up, but opening up to potential problems such as cyber-bullying as well,” said School Committee Chairman Dale Carey. “I am by no means ready to change the current policy.”
The school committee voted to approve the trial period and wait for more information on what the impact is going to be before a change in policy is approved.
New high school courses available for fall 2012
Four new courses will be available at the high school come the fall of 2012. Financial Literacy, AP Calculus BC, Honors Chinese I, and Honors Chinese II will all be included in the course of studies for the 2012-2013 school year. AP Calculus BC will provide a total of six college credits to a student once completed.
Sports fee increases by $25
Parents will have to pay a little bit more money for their children to be able to play sports next year. User fees are increasing from $75 to $100, which still keeps South Hadley as one of the area towns with the lowest price.
Middle School Principal Erica Faginski-Stark discusses budget
Principal Faginski-Stark was present at the meeting on Thursday night as well to discuss the need for professional development in terms of contracted services, substitutes and supplies.
The most important thing the middle school needs according to Faginski-Stark was an outside math specialist to come in and work with their math teachers in order to get a set of fresh eyes on the math department. The cost of having an outside math specialist to come into the school and be present for a few weeks would be close to $10,000 but it is something that will have a lasting effect on the school’s teachers.

Brianna Fitz crowned 2012 Holyoke Grand Colleen

Brianna Fitz crowned 2012 Holyoke Grand Colleen

By Dennis P. Hohenberger
Turley Publications Correspondent

HOLYOKE – Brianna Fitz of Holyoke was crowned the 2012 Holyoke Grand Colleen at the Log Cabin on Saturday evening. Fitz was joined by her court of Juliette R. Chenier, Kelly W. Donahoe, Allison B. Lapointe and Kelli A. Laramee.
The five women previously competed in the Colleen Pageant in January at Holyoke High School.
Fitz, 20, said it took her a few moments to realize her named had been called. “I was so completely thrilled. This is what I worked so hard for, for so many years. It’s always been at the back of my mind,” she said.
Fitz, with the tiara firmly placed on her head, said she felt like a princess and expected the feeling to last throughout the parade season. “It seems surreal. I’m still walking on a cloud. If I weren’t wearing it, I would think it didn’t exist. It’s like a dream,” she said.
The newly crowned Grand Colleen said she is anticipating parade day. “I watched those floats go by for many years now, and I’m so excited to be on it, waving and smiling all along the way,” she said.
Fitz is a junior at Boston College and is majoring in psychology major with a minor sociology. She plans to attend medical school after graduation and hopes to work for the international agency Doctors without Borders.
She graduated from Holyoke Catholic High School where she received numerous academic and athletic awards. Recently, Fitz received the EMT of the Year Award for her volunteer medical work to the Boston College community. She also teaches CPR and sexual assault prevention classes.
Fitz is the daughter of Michael and Kathleen Fitz. Her father said, “If my mother was here, she would say, ‘If I died tomorrow, I’d die happy.’”
The colleens were attired in olive-green satin gowns designed by Patti McClain, a South Hadley designer. Each contestant held a small bouquet as they took their moment on the stage, as family and friends offered wild support.
Shannon Hegy, of ABC News40, was the mistress-of-ceremonies and introduced the contestants. She asked each women of the key attribute a Grand Colleen should possess.
Fitz said while outer beauty was appreciated, inner beauty was the most important attribute. She said Cinderella and similar characters had inner beauty, which inspired her and other little girls. “Just stay beautiful,” she told the audience.
Laramee, escorted by her father, Timothy, said leadership was the key, as past colleens also displayed poise and beauty. She said the Grand Colleen should empower other young women in the community.
Chenier said being honest with herself and the actions she performs throughout her day was important to her. “When you are yourself is when you’re the most happiest,” she said.
Parade Committee President Russ McNiff Jr. received his walking stick from his father, Russ McNiff Sr., a past parade committee president and award winner. His father told him that as he marches through the streets on parade day, remember their ancestors who came to Holyoke and made a new life for themselves.
2011 Grand Colleen Meaghan A. Leahy gave her farewell address before Hegy announced the winner. She said riding along the parade route was one of her proudest moments. “I will never forget what this experience meant to me, and how it helped me grow into the person I am today,” she told supporters. She thanked the parade committee for their hard work and dedication.
Band Union Jack preformed during the evening. After the coronation, guests, dressed in formal wear, enjoyed a sit down dinner prepared by the Log Cabin. The 61st Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade is on Sunday, March 18.

Youth Commission seeks space

Youth Commission seeks space
Local businesses, offices encouraged to reach out

By Kristin Will
Staff Writer, kwill@turley.com

SOUTH HADLEY – The Youth Commission is looking for a place to call home outside of school.
Having since established itself within the past year, the Youth Commission has gown into a substantial group of nearly 20 youths. Currently, the Commission can meet in the South Hadley High School Library where Youth Commission Director Adam Roberts’ office is located. But the school is not generally open for long after the end of school, on weekends or even at all during the summer. For Youth Commission members looking to congregate in order to work on projects or brainstorm, they have been turning to one another’s homes as meeting places.
“We’re really lucky to have the high school,” said Roberts. “That’s definitely a space to see a lot of people. We’re just trying to start a conversation,” he said of other location options.
When polled, students said they would like a space of which they can take ownership, a space that is safe and free.
Within this wanted space, members would like to be able to collaborate on Youth Commission projects and plans. But they would also like to share the space, offering movie nights for students of all ages, perhaps certain classes, a health and wellness program, open mic nights and even homework help. The space would be bustling with positive, safe activities. It would become a destination for youths looking to connect with one another in healthy, constructive ways.
“It’s something that a number of Youth Commission members have been really interested in,” said Roberts. “We’re just starting the process of talking about it and envisioning what it could look like. It wouldn’t have to be a permanent solution.”
In conversations with the members about the sought after-space, Roberts found the youths are interested in taking responsibility over the space and fostering positive youth development with empowering activities. The Youth Commission members would like to offer specific programming regarding health and wellness and provide connections to other community resources.
“This could also look like a community center, if a few groups in town want to collaborate, ” said Roberts. South Hadley once had a similar center, called the Teen Center, which was located at St. Patrick’s Church. The Youth Commission would be interested in bringing something like that back.
“In terms of what we’re looking for is a free space, a safe space, a space that is for, and with, youth,” said Roberts. “I think there are definitely spaces around town, but very few that fit those three criteria.”
The Youth Commission is asking interested businesses or individuals with surplus retail space to get in contact with them. “We’re just interested right now in exploring possibilities for more youth spaces in town that fit those criteria. We’d love to work with a business or local organization that wants to help make this a reality,” he said.
South Hadley Police Chief David LaBrie and member of the Adult Task Force for the Youth Commission said “it might be advantageous for business owners to donate some vacant space for the Youth Commission to utilize,” as it has been suggested to the Youth Commission they gain non-profit 5013C status. “There are a few places around town that could be used,” he said. Any agreements between a donating space owner and the Youth Commission would require adult agreement, which would most likely fall upon the Adult Task Force.
For now, the Youth Commission has been allotted a space in town hall, where there is more access during the day following the end of school. At the very least, they can plan projects in that area.
Interested space owners can contact Roberts at aroberts@southhadleyma.gov or the Selectboard via email at selectboard@southhadleyma.gov or by phone at (413) 538-5017 ext. 135.
The Youth Commission meets once every two weeks, currently at Mount Holyoke College. The Youth Commission Adult Task Force holds meetings once a month in the South Hadley Police Station Community Room. Their next meeting is March 21 a t 7 p.m.

FY13 town budget shows $795,000 deficit

FY13 town budget shows $795,000 deficit
Department budget reductions on horizon

By Kristin Will
Staff Writer, kwill@turley.com

SOUTH HADLEY – A preliminary Fiscal Year 2013 [FY13] budget presented by Town Accountant William Sutton to the Selectboard during its Tuesday meeting reveals a $795,000 deficit in funds.
The preliminary FY13 general fund operating budget, which excludes school budgets and items such as health insurance, has an increase of 5.6 percent over last year’s budget. Essentially, town departments requested budgets large than for what the town can pay.
“There’s definitely going to have to be some work done to try and reduce this deficit,” said Sutton. His estimates are based on Governor Deval Patrick’s budget numbers for the state of Massachusetts and town department budget requests.
Town operating expense requests for FY13 total an estimated $27,691,478 – a total increase of $834,639 from FY12. The increases can be found in just about every department budget request, such as an additional $567,047 from the FY12 budget for the School Department, an additional $125,133 for General Government, $56,894 for Public Safety, $40,237 for the Department of Public Works and $19,403 for the Gaylord Library, among many others. It is not guaranteed departments will receive their requested budgets.
However, the town is expecting an estimated $718,517 in additional funds from the tax levy increase over FY12, totaling $21,801,743, and $56,887 in additional funds over the FY12 budget from the estimated amount of state aid, totaling $10,074,199 this year.
Sutton said town departments were also asked to produce budgets with a five percent reduction from their finalized FY12 budgets. While some complied, it must be noted the submitted, reduced budgets do not demonstrate a department’s ability to operate on that level. Boards that responded included the I.T/Technology department which would, if pressed, eliminate Munis training, freeing up $10,000. Zoning/Appeals would eliminate dues and subscriptions, which would free up $34. The police department stated an inability to fund such a five percent reduction. It’s no question finding non-essential funds to cut is extremely difficult.
“Obviously, reductions are going to have to be looked at, at some point in the game,” said Sutton. “There will be some work to do as we move forward.”
The numbers Sutton presented to the Selectboard Tuesday should be considered as preliminary. Official, final numbers must be ready by April. Additionally, Sutton used the budget figures presented by the governor thus far. It’s possible the numbers could change for the better.
The final Fiscal Year 2012 operating budget was $39,413,134 , which was $306,905 less than the FY11 final budget.

Firefighters rescue fallen young male from Bare Mountain

Firefighters rescue fallen young male from Bare Mountain
By Kristin Will
Staff Writer, kwill@turley.com

SOUTH HADLEY – Firefighters from Fire District No. 2 assisted Amherst fire and police departments for a report of an individual falling off a plateau on Bare Mountain last Wednesday night.
The incident occurred at 11:24 p.m. after a male and female ascended the Metacomet-Monadnock (M-M) Trail beginning at Bare Mountain along the South Hadley and Amherst town lines on Route 116.
It is unclear whether the 22-year-old male jumped or fell from the plateau, said Fire District No. 2 Chief David Keefe. He came to rest in the wooded area below.
Six firefighters from Fire District No. 2 responded to the scene in conjunction with South Hadley Police officers, Amherst Police officers, Amherst firefighters and a Department of Conservation and Recreation park ranger, all of whom set up camp in the parking lot of the Notch Visitor Center.
A search and rescue soon began. The female reporting party remained at the location from where the 22-year-old plummeted until the emergency responders arrived at the area. At midnight, a second group of eight emergency responders entered the woods with equipment to assist in the search and rescue, said Keefe. The pitch-blackness of the night proved difficult for the responders, who operated solely by flashlight.
The female reporting party described to responders the location from where the male had fallen. They pinpointed a possible area where he could have landed and implemented a rope rescue once locating him. He was found to be unresponsive on scene, said Keefe.
A total of 31 emergency response personnel were sent into the woods to transport the 22-year-old male. An attempt was made to call for a helicopter, said Keefe, because the extent of the male’s injuries were unknown at that time, however, there was not one available.
Six individuals at a time would carry the stretcher with the patient down the trail and after a few minutes would pass it off to another six individuals behind them. The first six would then walk to the back of the line of responders until their turn would again arrive to transport the patient down the steep, rocky trail. The condition of the 22-year-old male was continually monitored as he was transported to safety. Keefe said a number of the emergency responders suffered twisted ankles.
Once the team arrived at the base of the trail, the patient was quickly transported via a waiting ambulance to Baystate Medical Center. At the time of the ambulance transport, said Keefe, the patient was somewhat responsive.
“Because of where he was at the time, and because it was at nighttime, it was a big undertaking,” said Keefe. However, “It went pretty smoothly,” he said. Keefe credited the ability of Amherst’s technical rescue team. “They were able to, in the dark, work all that stuff out. They just know what to do,” he said.
The command was terminated at 3 a.m. Thursday morning. The current condition of the 22-year-old male is unknown as of press time.

Brunelle’s readies for popular plunge

Leapin’ leprechauns!
Brunelle’s readies for popular plunge
By Kristin Will
Staff Writer, kwill@turley.com

SOUTH HADLEY – Locals will again leap into the Connecticut River on Sunday, March 11 at Brunelle’s Marina for the third-annual Leprechaun Plunge.
Charities this year include the Dana Farber Jimmy Fund, the Springfield Shriners Hospital, the Donnie Baker Scholarship Fund, the Joe Kareta Scholarship Fund, South Hadley youth activities and the South Hadley Neighbors Helping Neighbors Food Pantry.
Co-organizer of the event, Luke Brunelle, said the marina hopes to raise $50,000 for the charities this year. In its first year running, the plunge awarded $18,000 to six charities. Last year, it nearly doubled that number. “It’s getting bigger and bigger,” he said.
It’s true – the initial event drew a crowd of 70 plungers and an equal amount of spectators. Word spread about the fun and festive event, and 145 brave individuals plunged last year. The crowd filled the marina’s parking lot and spectators willingly lined the edges of the plunging route, soggy shoes and all, to cheer everyone on. Brunelle anticipates more than 200 people to take the plunge next month.
Having gained such a strong following over the past two years, Brunelle and the Leprechaun Plunge committee are implementing improvements. For starters, two busses will shuttle spectators and plungers alike to off-site parking. In the past, cars lined Alvord Street for miles on the day of the plunge. This year, Ledges Golf Course and the Valley Christian School donated use of their parking lots. The shuttles will run throughout the event.
The plunging site will be moved to the marina’s main ramp, for ample viewing opportunities. Additionally, bleachers will be set up so all spectators will have great views.
“It’s a fun event,” said Brunelle. “It goes to good charities.”
The six charities benefiting from the plunge will have booths on site and will be able to accept direct donations. The Shriners Clowns are expected to make an appearance, as well.
For a $30 per person registration fee, plungers will be able to dive into the frigid water, will receive a t-shirt and will be given a ticket to the corned beef and cabbage dinner held inside the showroom following the plunge. For those who aren’t ready to take the plunge but still want to join in on the festivities, a $15 ticket will give access to the corned beef and cabbage dinner. To simply watch the event is free, of course. Live footage of the plungers will air on televisions in the show room and the plunge committee is working with the South Hadley Cable Studio to film and later air the event on the community access station.
One hundred percent of the proceeds raised by plungers goes directly to the six charities of the plungers’ choosing. The event runs solely on sponsorships and the entry fee, which is put toward the evening dinner.
And if that wasn’t enough, plungers have the opportunity to win one of five prizes.
The Grand Shamrock corporate prize is awarded to the top three fundraising business groups. Winners received a ride on the Lady Bea for 25 guests. Other corporate teams receive 10 Lady Bea passes each. To win, at least $1,000 must be raised.
The Pot of Gold prize of $500 is awarded to the top fundraising individual or group (not a business). It is sponsored by All Star Dairy.
The Lucky Irishman prize of $300 is awarded to the second-highest fundraising individual or group, sponsored by R&M Landscaping.
The Over the Rainbow prize of $100 is awarded to the third-highest fundraising individual or group, sponsored by 21st Century Pools & Spa.
Finally, the Hottie Leprechaun award is given to the most attractive male or female plunger. Center Day Spa will award him or her with a spa day.
New this year is the Pub Cup Challenge, in which local bars and pubs assemble teams of plungers to raise funds for a charity. One thousand dollars must be raised in order for a team to be eligible. All qualified teams will win 10 regular passes on the Lady Bea. The top fundraiser wins a private cruise on the lady Bea for 25 guests and the Pub Cup Challenge Cup to keep in their establishment for a whole year.
To register or learn how to volunteer, visit HYPERLINK “http://www.brunelles.com” www.brunelles.com. On the day of the plunge, Sunday, March 11, visit the marina’s show room for check-in at 11:30 a.m. There, participants will sign a waiver, turn in their donations, receive their t-shirt and their meal ticket. Participants will then be assigned to their plunge group. The Leprechaun officially kicks off at 1 p.m.
“I want everybody to pick a charity and come on down and plunge,” said Brunelle. “It’s a great event for the town of South Hadley, so come on down and have some fun!”

Award winning work

Town Reminder Editor Kristin Will wins NENPA award

SOUTH HADLEY – For her work covering the Phoebe Prince bullying case for the past two years, Town Reminder Editor and South Hadley resident Kristin Will was awarded by the New England Newspaper and Press Association with a second place award in Crime and Courts reporting in the Weekly Class 2 category this past weekend in Boston. The specific package of work she submitted can be found via these following links:

- One year later: Has South Hadley changed since the death of Phoebe Prince?

- Candlelight ceremony marks the one-year anniversary of Phoebe Prince’s death

-Where was their compassion? Anne O’Brien addresses actions of daughter’s harrassers

- O’Brien-Prince family credited with court resolutions

– Editorial: Bully hurts – compassion saves (pg. 6)

Town Reminder Editor wins journalism award

Town Reminder Editor Kristin Will wins journalism award
Turley Publications recognized four times

BOSTON – Three newspapers owned by Turley Publications received four awards last Saturday evening from the New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) for its distinguished journalism work during the past year, including South Hadley’s Town Reminder.
The awards, which were given out at a banquet dinner inside the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston, included first, second and third-place editorial awards and a first-place photography award. Town Reminder Editor and South Hadley resident Kristin Will took home a second-place editorial award in the Weekly Class 2 Crime and Courts Reporting category for her in-depth pieces on the Phoebe Prince high school bullying case.
Judges wrote, “The writer re-focuses on a subject that has already been covered and examined thoroughly by many larger statewide and national media outlets. Coming back and re-opening some of the important aspects of the one-year anniversary mark was an effective way to bring the community directly affected up to speed on the developments in the case – as well as to showcase some of the actions that resulted from this preventable tragedy.” To view Will’s award-winning work, click here. To read her perspective on the coverage, pick up a copy of the Feb. 24 edition of the Town Reminder for a Letter From the Editor.
Almost 3,000 daily and weekly entries were received from across New England for NENPA’s Annual Better Newspapers Contest. Expert judges chose only about 400 first, second and third place winning selections combined.
The Quaboag Current & Town Common, which cover Warren, New Braintree, the four Brookfields and Sturbridge, received first place in the Weekly Class 2 Special Award category for its special edition published just days after the June 2011 tornado ripped though its core coverage territory. Contributing on the ground to that edition were the paper’s Editor Tim Kane, Graphic Artist Stephanie Hadley, Palmer Journal Register Editor Douglas Farmer, Agawam Advertiser News Editor Jennifer Wroblewski, and Turley reporters Emily Thurlow and Jennifer Grybowski. That entire 32-page edition was devoted to tornado coverage. In comments on that specific entry, the judge wrote, “this is model coverage of when hell comes to town,” adding that “reporters, editors and photographers provided a public service to their readers.”
Coming in third place in a very competitive Weekly Class 1 Education Reporting category was Palmer Journal Register Editor Douglas Farmer for his coverage of Pathfinder Regional Vocational School’s annual robotics competition. The judge wrote that it was “great to give full coverage to students participating in a program other than sports.”
A photography first-place award went to Journal Register Staff Writer Emily Thurlow for her Weekly Class 1 Photo Series. Thurlow covered the tornado across multiple towns for months on end, and her photojournalism from that horrific event resonated with NENPA. Her judge wrote, “excellent tornado coverage.”