Bay Area print journalists, photographers, radio and television personnel and public relations professionals were presented with 165 awards of excellence at the San Francisco Peninsula Press Club’s 32nd annual Greater Bay Area Journalism Awards dinner tonight (June 6) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Foster City.


The winners were selected from 424 entries from media professionals in the 11 Greater Bay Area counties. Awards were presented in in 67 categories.Competition was for work done in 2008.

Entries were judged by the Bakersfield Press Club, Florida Press Club, Milwaukee Press Club, the Press Club of New Orleans, and the Press Club of Southeast Texas and the San Diego Press Club. The Print Photography dvision was judged by the Press Photographers outside of our region and coordinated by Paul Sakuma of The Associated Press.

A three-way tie with 14 awards each for the Daily News Group, San Mateo Daily Journal and the San Mateo County Times. In individual honors, the name of Dick Sparrer, Silicon Valley Community Newspapers, was on eight plaques. John G. Green, San Mateo County Times, took home seven plaques.

Chronicle columnist, CBS 5 and KCBS radio commentator Phil Matier delivered the keynote address.

Three scholarships in the name of the late San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen were awarded.

Two High School seniors at $1,000 each to Patricia Ho, Palo Alto Senior High School and Bongie Matudio, Jefferson High School, Daly City. A $1,500 collegiate award Suzanne Yada, San Jose State University.

Special recognition was given to the General Excellence winner of the press club’s High School Journalism Contest, The Eastside Panther from Eastside College Prep School in East Palo Alto. Francisco Tamayo, editor in dhief, and Angela Filo, adviser, accepted a plaque.

The complete list of Journalism award winners follows:

Daily NewspapersGeneral Excellence

First Place: San Jose Mercury News, Mercury News Staff
Second Place: Palo Alto Daily News, Daily News Staff
Third Place: San Mateo Daily Journal, Daily Journal Staff

Editorial

First Place: The Press Democrat, “Hasty Change,” Press Democrat Staff
Second Place: San Mateo Daily News, “The Sheriff Must Explain Brothel Visit,” Mario Dianda
Third Place: San Mateo Daily Journal, “A ‘Teachable Moment’ for School Administrators,” Jon May

Columns News/Political

First Place: The Press Democrat, “Columns by Paul Gullixson,” Paul Gullixson
Second Place: The Daily Post, “Diana Diamond Columns,” Diana Diamond
Third Place: San Mateo Daily Journal, “Columns by Michelle Durand,” Michelle Durand

Columns Feature

First Place: San Mateo Daily Journal, “Columns by Michelle Durand,” Michelle Durand
Second Place: Palo Alto Daily News, “Columns by LJ Anderson,” LJ Anderson
Third Place: San Mateo Daily Journal, “Columns by Jon Mays,” Jon Mays

Columns Sports

First Place: San Mateo Daily Journal, “Columns by Emanuel Lee,” Emanuel Lee
Second Place: The Press Democrat, “Columns by Lowell Cohn,” Lowell Cohn
Third Place: The Press Democrat, “Columns by Bob Padecky,” Bob Padecky

Breaking News

First Place: San Francisco Examiner, “Protesters Dodge Security for Risky Stunt,” Will Reisman
Second Place: San Mateo Daily Journal, “Mother Killed,” Dana Yates
Third Place: San Mateo Daily Journal, “Tragedy Strikes,” Dana Yates

News Story

First Place: San Jose Mercury News, “What’s Next?,” Mike Swift, Howard Mintz, Mary Anne Ostrom
Second Place: San Mateo County Times, “Education for All,” Neil Gonzales
Third Place: San Francisco Examiner, “How Many Homicides? / Arrests Lag,” Tamara Barak Aparton

Continuing Coverage

First Place: San Jose Mercury News, “Drunk in San Jose? Public Drunkenness,” Sean Webby
Second Place: San Mateo County Times, “Special-Education Instructors Fearing the Squeeze,” Neil Gonzales
Third Place: San Francisco Examiner, “Gay Marriage,” David Smith, Michael Aldax, Brent Begin

Series

First Place: San Jose Mercury News, “Broken Families, Broken Courts,” Karen de Sa
Second Place: San Mateo County Times, “A Changing Priesthood Series,” Christine Morente
Third Place: San Mateo Daily Journal, “Marriage Rights…and Rites,” Michelle Durand, Dana Yates, Heather Murtagh

Feature Story of Light Nature

First Place: San Francisco Examiner, “Colorful World of Stanlee Gatti,” Michael Aldax
Second Place: Palo Alto Daily News, “50 Jobs, 50 States, 50 Weeks,” Kristina Peterson

Feature Story of Serious Nature

First Place: San Mateo County Times, “Staging a Wildlife Revival,” Julia Scott
Second Place: San Mateo County Times, “Cats Struggle for Survival,” Julia Scott
Third Place: San Francisco Examiner, “A Legal Tour de Force,” Michael Aldax

Analysis

First Place: San Mateo County Times, “Education For All,” Neil Gonzales
Second Place: Palo Alto Daily News, “Profiling: Not All Black and White,” Will Oremus

Technology Story

First Place: San Jose Mercury News, “Will It Work? Microsoft + Yahoo,” Mercury News Staff
Second Place: Palo Alto Daily News, “Pilotless Acrobatics,” Will Oremus

Business Story

First Place: The Press Democrat, “Bad Loans, Big Losses,” Kevin McCallum
Second Place: Palo Alto Daily News, “Second Careers Just the Ticket for Aging Baby Boomers,” Will Oremus
Third Place: San Mateo Daily News, “Trotting into History,” Will Oremus

Entertainment Review

First Place: Palo Alto Daily News, “Faith’ Challenges Reason,” John Angell Grant
Second Place: San Mateo Daily Journal, “Print is Dead,” Cheri Lucas

Specialty Story

First Place: San Mateo Daily Journal, “No Rust on This Ironwoman,” Jon Mays
Second Place: Palo Alto Daily News, “Eyes on the Microscopic Prize,” Will Oremus

Sports Story

First Place: San Francisco Chronicle, “Asian Americans Remain Rare in Men’s College Basketball,” and “Meet Hell’s Trainer,” Bryan Chu
Second Place: San Jose Mercury News, “Rewind,” Daniel Brown
Third Place: The Press Democrat, “Running on Courage,” Bob Padecky

Sports Game Story

First Place: San Jose Mercury News, “18-And-No,”
Daniel Brown
Second Place: San Mateo Daily Journal, “Champs at Last,” Emanuel Lee
Third Place: Palo Alto Daily News, “Title Time,” Vytas Mazeika

Page Design

First Place: Palo Alto Daily News, “World Class,” Greg Frazier
Second Place: San Mateo Daily News, “Trotting into History,” Kevin Kelly
Third Place: San Mateo Daily Journal, “Daily Journal-December 23, 2008,” Daily Journal Staff

Headline

First Place: The San Francisco Daily, “Will Court Say ‘I do’?,” Jamie Morrow
Second Place: The Daily Post, “Condom Thieves Didn’t Get Lucky,” Jamie Morrow
Third Place: San Mateo Daily Journal, “Phony Psychic Has Charges in the Cards,” Michelle Durand

Non-Daily NewspapersGeneral Excellence

First Place: Los Gatos Weekly Times, Dick Sparrer, George Sakkestad, Judy Peterson, Marianne L. Hamilton
Second Place: Saratoga News, Dick Sparrer, Chris Vongsarath, Brian Babcock, George Sakkestad
Third Place: San Francisco Bay Guardian, Bay Guardian Staff

Editorial

First Place: San Francisco Bay Guardian, “An Economic Locavore Policy,” Tim Redmond
Second Place: Los Gatos Weekly Times, “Friends Take Los Gatos,” Dick Sparrer
Third Place: San Francisco Business Times, “California Feels Growing Pains as Prop. 13 turns 30,” Business Times Staff

Columns News/Political

First Place: The Commuity Voice, “Columns by Yiren Lu,” Yiren Lu
Second Place: Palo Alto Weekly, “Columns by Jay Thorwaldson,” Jay Thorwaldson
Third Place: San Francisco Weekly, “Columns by Matt Smith,” Matt Smith

Columns Feature

First Place: San Francisco Weekly, “Bouncer,” Katy St. Clair
Second Place: San Francisco Business Times, “Columns by Steve Symanovich,” Steve Symanovich
Third Place: Los Gatos Weekly Times, “Columns by Dick Sparrer,” Dick Sparrer

Columns Sports

First Place: Los Gatos Weekly Times, “Columns by Dick Sparrer,” Dick Sparrer

Breaking News

First Place: Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, “The 88 May Bag a Grocer,” Katherine Conrad
Second Place: Willow Glen Resident, “Authorities Link Rise in Stray Dogs to Housing Crunch,” Stephen Baxter

News Story

First Place: San Francisco Weekly, “He’s No Angel,” Karina Ioffee
Second Place: Palo Alto Weekly, “Will Palo Alto Sink or Swim?,” Sue Dremann, Jocelyn Dong, Arden Pennell
Third Place: Gilroy Dispatch, “Linen Employees Not Paid, Threatened to be Deported,” Nicole Baldocchi

Continuing Coverage

First Place: India-West, “Grounded: Flight School Goes out of Business,” Lisa Tsering, Som Sharma
Second Place: Almaden Reisdent, “Living Conditions in the Hoffman Via Monte Neighborhood,” Stephen Baxter
Third Place: Sunnyvale Sun, “Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum Coverage,” Cody Kraatz

Series

First Place: Cupertino Courier, “Cement Industry and AB32 Series,” Cody Kraatz
Second Place: The Commuity Voice, “The Story of Santa Rosa’s ‘Lost’ Chinatown,” Yanran Lu

Feature Story of Light Nature

First Place: San Francisco Weekly, “Drama Mia,” John Geluardi
Second Place: San Francisco Weekly, “Score!!!,” Lauren Smiley
Third Place: West San Jose Resident, “Bouncing Back,” Stephen Baxter

Feature Story of Serious Nature

First Place: San Francisco Weekly, “Stiffed,” John Geluardi
Second Place: Palo Alto Weekly, “Up a Creek,” Gennady Sheyner
Third Place: San Francisco Weekly, “Snitch,” Ashley Harrell

Analysis

First Place: San Francisco Weekly, “Party Crashers 08,” John Geluardi
Second Place: San Francisco Bay Guardian, “Resistance is Futile,” Steven T. Jones
Third Place: Palo Alto Weekly, “The Power of Food,” Sue Dremann

Technology Story

First Place: Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, “Proteus Biomedical Prescribes Smart Pill,” Lisa Sibley
Second Place: Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, “New Monitor May Save Lives on Fire Lines,” Lisa Sibley
Third Place: Los Gatos Weekly Times, “On the Air,” Marianne L. Hamilton

Business Story

First Place: San Francisco Bay Guardian, “Dirty Secrets Under the Big Top,” Steven T. Jones
Second Place: San Francisco Business Times, “S.F. Faces Silver Tsunami,” Sarah Duxbury
Third Place: Saratoga News, “Custom Eyes,” Marianne L. Hamilton

Entertainment Review

First Place: Palo Alto Weekly, “A Good ‘Game’,” Karla Kane
Second Place: San Francisco Weekly, “Taking it Personally,” Chloe Veltman
Third Place: Berkeley Daily Planet, “Scorsese, Stones Team Up For ‘Shine a Light’,” Justin DeFreitas

Specialty Story

First Place: San Francisco Weekly, “VooDoo on the Vine,” Joe Eskenazi
Second Place: Palo Alto Weekly, “A Brave Heart,” Sue Dremann, Norbert von der Groeben
Third Place: India-West, “Postpartum Depression: South Asian Moms Suffer in Silence,” Sunita Sohrabji

Sports Story

First Place: San Francisco Weekly, “Benched,” Ron Russell
Second Place: Los Gatos Weekly Times, “Different Strokes,” Marianne L. Hamilton
Third Place: Los Gatos Weekly Times, “Passing Fancy,” Dick Sparrer

Sports Game Story

First Place: Los Gatos Weekly Times, “Thrilling, Emotional Win For Cats In Finals,” Dick Sparrer
Second Place: Los Gatos Weekly Times, “Impey Field Goal Lifts Wildcats To Victory,” Dick Sparrer

Page Design

First Place: San Francisco Business Times, “Fast 100,” Craig Blanchard
Second Place: San Francisco Business Times, “Green Business Report – Mr. Green Jeans,” Craig Blanchard
Third Place: San Francisco Business Times, “From Potatoes to Plates,” Mitch Green

Headline

First Place: San Francisco Business Times, “Party Like It’s 1929,” Steve Symanovich
Second Place: Palo Alto Weekly, “Telling Tales to Wagging Tails,” Karla Kane
Third Place: Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, “Unlocking Retail Success with the Right Combination of Words,” Cromwell Schubarth

Magazines/Trade PublicatonsGeneral Excellence

First Place: Mills-Peninsula Health Services, “Healthpoint Magazine,” Mills-Peninsula Health Services
Second Place: Mills-Peninsula Health Services, “Peninsula Health,” Mills-Peninsula Health Services

Columns Feature

First Place: Gentry Magazine, “Columns by Glen Putman,” Glen Putman

Feature Story of Serious Nature

First Place: Wave Magazine, “Addicted to Altruism,” Traci Vogel
Second Place: Wave Magazine, “The New Downtown,” Mitchell Alan Parker
Third Place: Wave Magazine, “Co-working in Silicon Valley,” Mitchell Alan Parker

Entertainment Review

First Place: Wave Magazine, “2008/09 Performing Arts Preview,” Michael J Vaughn
Second Place: Wave Magazine, “Fall TV Preview,” Ed Robertson

Specialty Story

First Place: Wave Magazine, “Catch and Release,” Sharon McKinley
Second Place: Wave Magazine, “Fixated on Fixies,” Mitchell Alan Parker
Third Place: Wave Magazine, “Dome, Sweet Dome,” Jo Abbie

Editoral CartoonsEditorial Cartoons

First Place: Berkeley Daily Planet, “DeFreitas Cartoons,” Justin DeFreitas

Print PhotographySpot News Photography

First Place: The Press Democrat, “Daughter Shot by Police,” John Burgess
Second Place: San Mateo County Times, “Moss Beach flooding,” John J. Green

General News Photography

First Place: San Mateo County Times, “Veterans Day,” John J. Green
Second Place: San Mateo County Times, “Obama Wins,” John J. Green
Third Place: The Press Democrat, “Marine Rose,” Kent Porter

Feature Photography

First Place: The Press Democrat, “Artificially Inseminate,” John Burgess
Second Place: West San Jose Resident, “Fifteen Again,” Jacqueline Ramsyer
Third Place: Burlingame Daily News, “Bay Meadows Closes,” Konstandinos Goumenidis

Sports Action Photography

First Place: The Press Democrat, “St. Vincent Defense,” Crista Jeremiason
Second Place: San Mateo County Times, “Up for Grabs,” John J. Green
Third Place: Associated Press, “Shirt grab,” Paul Sakuma

Sports Feature Photography

First Place: Associated Press, “Boxing ring,” Paul Sakuma
Second Place: San Mateo County Times, “Celebraton,” John J. Green
Third Place: The Press Democrat, “Running Antlers,” Scott Manchester

Photo Series or Picture Story

First Place: Cambrian Resident, “Fifteen Again,” Jacqueline Ramsyer
Second Place: San Mateo County Times, “Day at the Races,” John J. Green
Third Place: San Mateo County Times, “Ordination,” John J. Green

RadioGeneral Excellence

First Place: KCBS Radio, KCBS News Team

Breaking News

First Place: KCBS Radio, “Tanker Fire,” KCBS News Team

Feature Story of Light Nature

First Place: KCBS Radio, “Water Cops,” Mike Sugerman
Second Place: KQED Public Radio, “Marketplace: Tinker Bell,” Rachel Dornhelm

Feature Story of Serious Nature

First Place: KCBS Radio, “Child Alzheimer’s,” Holly Quan
Second Place: KQED Public Radio, “Mercury in the Bay,” Andrea Kissack, Amy Standen
Third Place: KQED Public Radio, “Melamine Tainted Cookies for Sale in the U.S.,” K. Oanh Ha, Pat Flynn, Dan Brekke

Special Program

First Place: KCBS Radio, “Olympic Torch Run,” KCBS News Team

Documentary

First Place: KCBS Radio, “Frantic for Food,” Holly Quan, Ed Cavagnaro
Second Place: KALW-FM, “Prisons In Crisis,” JoAnn Mar

Use of Sound

First Place: KCBS Radio, “Barista,” Mike Sugerman
Second Place: KQED Public Radio, “Iraqi translator finds new home in America,” K. Oanh Ha, Ingrid Becker

TelevisionBreaking News

First Place: KTVU Channel 2, “U.C. Berkeley Tree Sitter Protest,” Kiley Riffell, Rachel Salazar, Tori Campbell
Second Place: KPIX CBS 5, “Hurricane Winds on S.F. Bay,” Don Knapp, Alex Montano

Public RelationsGeneral Excellence

First Place: County of San Mateo, “Public Awareness Campaign,” Marshall Wilson
Second Place: Singer Associates, “Christmas Day Tiger Attack at the San Francisco Zoo,” Sam Singer

Newsletter

First Place: National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, “Off Camera,” Bob Goldberger, Keith Sanders, Linda Giannecchini, Darryl Compton
Second Place: Broadcast Legends, “Broadcast Legends,” Jim Schock, Ed Vasgergian, Peter Cleaveland, Darryl Compton

New MediaGeneral Excellence

First Place: KCBS Radio, “kcbs.com,” KCBS News & Web Teams
Second Place: Great Schools, “greatschools.net,” Bill Jackson, Lisa Rosenthal, James Daly, Christopher Pickslay
Third Place: The Press Democrat, “pressdemocrat.com,” Press Democrat Staff

General News

First Place: Great Schools, “826 Valencia: A Great Example of Giving to Schools,” Marian Wilde
Second Place: Great Schools, “Press On or Give Up: Should You Let Your Child Quit?,” Lisa Rosenthal
Third Place: Great Schools, “Are We Stressing Out Our Kids?,” Marian Wilde

Multi Media

First Place: San Mateo County Times, “A Learning Experience,” Neil Gonzales