Dateline: June 28, 2001

Enterprise wins award for community service 

Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

The Texas Press Association recognized The Clarendon Enterprise for its community service efforts during the TPA’s 122nd annual Summer Convention last Saturday in El Paso.

The local newspaper won the Community Service Award in the weekly division based on its coverage of the restoration of the 1890 Donley County Courthouse.

The contest was judged by the New Mexico Press Association. Other winners for community service were The Madisonville Meteor (second), the Westlake Picayune (third), and the Hansford County Reporter-Statesmen (fourth).

“We were very pleased to receive this award,” said publisher Roger Estlack. “Our paper remains dedicated to seeing the courthouse restored to its former glory, and we want to thank County Judge Jack Hall and the commissioners for their dedication to this project and for working with us to communicate the news to local citizens.”

Previously, the Enterprise has been recognized by Preservation Texas and the Panhandle Press Association for its work on the courthouse project.

The local paper was also recognized in four categories in Division 8 of the TPA’s Better Newspaper Contest. The Enterprise received second place in Advertising and fourth place in Feature Writing, News Writing, and General Excellence.

Division 8 includes papers with circulations between 1,201 and 2,000. Last year, the Enterprise competed in Division 9 for papers with circulations of 1,200 or less.

“As our paper grows, the competition gets stiffer,” Estlack said. “We’ll just have to kick it up a notch to keep bringing home the state awards.”

More than 180 newspapers submitted 1,078 entries in this year’s Better Newspaper Contest. The top newspaper in Division 8 was the Benbrook Star.