Sentinel earns multiple New England newspaper honors

May 2—BOSTON — The Sentinel's president and chief operating officer earned a prestigious lifetime achievement award, one of two dozen honors the paper won at the annual New England Newspaper and Press Association's awards ceremonies over the weekend.

NENPA is a trade association serving more than 450 newspapers in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and Rhode Island. The awards were given out during the organization's yearly New England Newspaper Convention, held April 29 and 30 at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel.

"We are delighted with the recognition received by our staff from the New England Newspaper and Press Association," Sentinel President and COO Terrence Williams said. "These are talented folks in our news, advertising, marketing, circulation and digital and design who really elevate the quality of our news organization and help us put our best foot forward for our readers."

On Friday, Williams was recognized with the Yankee Quill Award from the Academy of New England Journalists. Now in its 62nd year, "the Yankee Quill recognizes the lifetime achievement of those who have had a broad influence for good, both inside and outside the newsroom," according to the organization.

Williams joined The Sentinel in 2013, after more than 30 years as a reporter, editor and later publisher for newspapers including the Foster's Daily Democrat, the Lowell Sun in Massachusetts and the Telegraph of Nashua. At The Sentinel, Williams leads the niche publication, digital media, circulation, sales, graphics and print shop divisions, as well as the company's business development and marketing and events efforts.

"I have had a wonderful career in journalism, worked with hundreds of amazing journalists and have had the privilege of making some modest contributions," he said. "I am humbled by the award and thankful of so many people who have helped me along the way. My association and time with The Sentinel has been extraordinary and in so many ways a highlight."

In addition to Williams' Yankee Quill Award, The Sentinel won 11 journalism awards, which NENPA divides by the size of each newspaper's circulation. (The Sentinel is included in a division with newspapers with a daily circulation of less than 15,000).

Deputy local news editor Jack Rooney and contributing writer Meg McIntyre took first place in the best solutions journalism project category for Pandemic Parenting, which explored local approaches to the challenges faced by the child care industry during the COVID-19 crisis. Former assistant local news editor and senior reporter Paul Cuno-Booth took third place in the same category for his Better Judgement series on efforts to make the criminal justice system less punitive and more responsive to underlying issues like poverty and addiction.

In the spot news photo category, visual journalist Hannah Schroeder won first place for her coverage of last summer's damaging floods in Alstead. She also took third place in for general news photo with her images of 7-year-old George Iselin's day as Keene's Kid Mayor.

Staff writer Chris Detwiler nabbed second place in the best sports story category for his coverage of Monadnock Regional High School's Division III baseball state championship last June. In the science and technology reporting category, Rooney also took second place for his stories on Keene State's COVID-19 wastewater testing program.

Cuno-Booth and health solutions reporter Olivia Belanger took third place for best coverage of coronavirus for their story on the local impacts of India's COVID-19 crisis last spring.

Former staff writer Caleb Symons also earned third place honors for business and economic reporting for his story on the pay dispute that arose when Koffee Kup, which owned the Brattleboro-based Vermont Bread Co., closed last April. In the same category for weekly publications with a circulation under 5,000, current staff writer Ryan Spencer took first place for coverage from his last newspaper, the Mashpee Enterprise, of the pandemic's impact on the shellfish industry on Cape Cod.

The Sentinel also took top honors in three categories dealing with special publications and business initiatives. Monadnock Table, The Sentinel's magazine that focuses on farm-to-table and rural lifestyles, was named best niche publication; graphic artist Maryellen Gale won first place for best overall design and presentation of a special section for The Sentinel's Extraordinary Women section; and the paper earned first for NENPA's Innovator Award for its program that bundles locally produced goods from local businesses with a subscription to The Sentinel.

In NENPA's advertising, promotion, marketing and revenue awards, The Sentinel won 12 honors, including first place awards to the paper's staff for: best idea for generating revenue and best subscription sales promotion for The Sentinel's program pairing local goods with subscriptions (which also took 2nd place for best audience-building promotion), best subscriber retention program, best pure advertising in a niche publication for the 2020 Choice Awards and best business innovation for the Radically Rural remote summit.

Former events manager Gina DeSantis won best online/virtual event for that summit, which partners The Sentinel with the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship.

Sales manager Douglas Anderson took first place in advertising general excellence for his work on Monadnock Table.

The Sentinel's advertising staff also earned second place for best idea for generating revenue for the Everyday Heroes program, which honors local residents who work in health care, education and those who volunteer on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And Gale, the graphic artist, took home a pair of third-place awards, one for best local display ad in black and white, and one for best local online ad.