Dateline: April 11, 2002

Enterprise wins top regional press awards

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

The Panhandle Press Association awarded top honors to The Clarendon Enterprise during its 92nd annual convention Saturday in Amarillo.

The Enterprise received the General Excellence award in the 2001 PPA Better Newspaper Contest in the Division I category. The Canadian Record placed second, and the Quanah Tribune-Chief was third.

The contest was judged by members of the Gulf Coast Press Association.

“The PPA contest keeps us on our toes as friendly rivals try to best one another each year,” said publisher Roger Estlack. “This was a good year for us, but we couldn’t do it without our dedicated staff and the support of our readers and advertisers.”

The local paper received first place plaques for News Writing, Best Editorials, Best Humorous Columns (Christi Ross), and Front Page Layouts; second place plaques for Headline Writing and Society/Lifestyles page; and third place awards for Advertising Initiative and Feature Photos. The Enterprise also was given Honorable Mentions for Sports Writing and Best Serious Columns (Cynthia Hall).

Judges said Enterprise news stories were well written and held reader interest. Local editorials were also called well written with lots of detail backing up valid points.

Christi Ross had judges laughing out loud with articles about dying her hair (or trying to), a less than thoughtful gift from her sister, and a relative’s “silicone twins.”

The Enterprise’s front page layout was called “outstanding,” and the society page was praised for its range of articles, effective design, and good writing.

“The society page is a group effort,” Estlack said. “We rely on our regular columnists - Cynthia Hall, Gail Shelton, and Peggy Watt - as well as our guest columnists to put it all together.”

The Enterprise also brought home the Ken Towery Community Service Award for its coverage of the 2001 Donley County Turkey Strut and the humorous events of the Turkey King election.

The Towery Award is named after former Floydada publisher Ken Towery, a man who was devoted to community journalism during his career. Each year the PPA Board of Directors selects two recipients of the award, one in the weekly division and another in the semi-weekly/daily division. The winner receives a plaque and a $250 cash award.

The Enterprise also received the Towery Award in 2001 and in 1999. Clarendon’s paper last received the General Excellence award in 2000.

Also during this year’s convention, the Enterprise’s Carrie Helms was selected as one of three young ladies to receive PPA Scholarships. The $500 award will be matched with an additional $500 from the Texas Press Association.

In other PPA news, three journalists were inducted into the PPA Hall of Fame. Those honored were the late Buford Davenport of the Abernathy Weekly Review; W.H. “Hop” Graham of the Lovington Daily Leader, the Farwell State Line Tribune, the Stratford Star, and The Bovina Blade; and Tom Higley of the Childress Index, the Sayer Journal, and the Holis News. Higley also served in the early 1970s as the manager of the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce.