Dateline: July 26, 2007

Enterprise wins first place plaques at WTPA

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

The Clarendon Enterprise won two first place plaques and finished third in the hunt for the title of the best small weekly newspaper in West Texas during the West Texas Press Association’s 2006 Better Newspaper Contest.

The awards were presented to the Enterprise during the WTPA’s 77th annual convention in Ruidoso, New Mexico, last Saturday.

In addition to the first place awards, the local paper received one second place certificate and two third place certificates in Division D (weeklies with circulations of 1,800 and below).

The Enterprise received first place in the General Excellence competition, and Roger Estlack was awarded first place in the Column Writing category for pieces on the birth of his first son and the death of his father.

Second place honors were awarded to the Enterprise in Photography and third place recognition for Editorial Writing and Feature Writing.

This year’s Division D Sweepstakes Award went to the Eldorado Success, and second place Sweepstakes went to the Big Lake Wildcat. Both papers are published and edited by outgoing WTPA chairman Randy Mankin.

“Randy puts out two quality newspapers, and he is an innovator in the newspaper business,” Estlack said. “He has been out in front of most papers in Texas in terms of digital delivery of the news, and he is very deserving of every award he gets.”

Accepting awards on behalf of the Enterprise were Ashlee Estlack and Anndria Kidd.

Also during this year’s convention, Roger Estlack was recognized for his work as the president of WTPA during 2006-2007 and was elected to serve as the organization’s board chairman for the coming year.

Earlier this month, Estlack was appointed to serve on the board of directors of the Texas Press Association by TPA President Phil Major of Henrietta.

Brownwood publisher Bob Brincefield chaired the Ruidoso convention and succeeds Estlack as president of the West Texas Press Association.

Attending this year’s convention and representing the Enterprise were Roger, Ashlee, and Benjamin Estlack; Anndria Kidd; and Michael Newhouse.