Greater Bay Area reporters, editors and photographers were honored tonight at the Peninsula Press Club’s 20th Annual Professional Journalism Awards dinner.
The press club presented 58 Awards of Excellence in 29 categories to highlight its annual awards dinner at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Burlingame. First and second place winners received engraved plaques. The competition covered work published between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 1996
Leah Garchik, columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, was mistress of ceremonies.
Lorry Lokey, founder of Business Wire, received special recognition from the Peninsula Press Club for his 50 years of outstanding service to journalism and public relations in the Bay Area.
Winners of the Press Club’s Herb Caen Scholarship were introduced. Scholarships valued at $1,500 went to Elizabeth Brennan of Acalanes High School and Marcus Walton of San Jose State University.
A special $750 scholarship was awarded to Jennifer Paige of UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism.
The annual Bonnie Chastain Community Service Award was presented to Brian Sussman of KPIX-TV for his “Brian’s Kids” program which helps find suitable homes for youngsters in need.
Founded in 1972, the Peninsula Press Club is one of California’s largest nonprofit organizations for news media and public relations professionals.
The winners
Editorial
1st — Tim Redmond, Bay Guardian
2nd — John Diaz, San Francisco Chronicle
Column
1st — Dave Murphy, San Mateo Times
2nd — Joanne Jacobs, San Jose Mercury News
Spot News/Individual Effort
1st — Rob Shea, West County Times
No Second
Spot News/Team Effort
1st — Staff, San Francisco Chronicle
2nd Staff, San Jose Mercury News
General News/Individual Effort
1st — William Carlsen, San Francisco Chronicle
2nd — Lisa Reynolds, West County Times
General News/Team Effort
1st — Kristin Huckshorn & Tim Larimer, San Jose Mercury News
2nd — Susan Sward & Bill Wallace, San Francisco Chronicle
Feature Story/Light Nature
1st — Kenneth Howe, San Francisco Chronicle
2nd — Jill Kramer, Pacific Sun
Feature Story/Serious Nature
1st — Jim Doyle, San Francisco Chronicle
2nd — Jill Kramer, Pacific Sun
Series/Individual Effort
1st — Reynolds Holding, San Francisco Chronicle
2nd — Aurelio Rojas, San Francisco
Series/Team Effort
1st — Pete Carey & Esther Schrader, San Jose Mercury News
2nd — Melody Peterson & Rebecca Smith, San Jose Mercury News
Business Story
1st — Michael Lietke, Contra Costa Times
2nd — Ted Appel & Tim Tesconi, Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Feature Photo
1st — Kent Porter, Santa Rosa Press Democrat
2nd — Pat Tehan, San Jose Mercury News
Sports Photo
1st — Michael Rondou, San Jose Mercury News
2nd — Jim Gensheimer, San Jose Mercury News
Photo Series
1st — Kent Porter, Santa Rosa Press Democrat
2nd — Richard Hernandez, San Jose Mercury News
Best Photo/Weeklies
1st & 2nd — Maggie Heinzel-Neel, San Francisco Business Times
Entertainment Review
1st — Stephen Whitty, San Jose Mercury News
2nd — Karen Hershenson, Contra Costa Times
Page Makeup
1st — Bryan Monroe & Sue Morrow, San Jose Mercury News
2nd — Nan Williams & Jim Fremgen, Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Headline Writing
1st — Mark Sachs, San Jose Mercury News
2nd — Sal Pizarro, San Jose Mercury News
Specialty Story
1st — Joyce Gemperlein, San Jose Mercury News
2nd — Stephen Whitty, San Jose Mercury News
Sports/News Story
1st — Renee Koury & Sam Farmer, San Jose Mercury News
2nd — Jay Heater, Contra Costa Times
Sports/Feature Story
1st — Lowell Cohn, Santa Rosa Press Democrat
2nd — Tim Keown, San Francisco Chronicle
Sports Column
1st — Lowell Cohn, Santa Rosa Press Democrat
2nd — Mark Purdy, San Jose Mercury News
General News Stories/Weeklies
1st, Tie — Pia Hinkle & Savannah Blackwell, both San Francisco Bay Guardian
2nd — Lorna Fernandes, San Jose Business Journal
Feature Story/Weeklies
1st — Jill Kramer, Pacific Sun
2nd — Wendy Lapides, Pacific Sun
Page Makeup/Weeklies
1st — Staff, Bay Guardian
2nd — Mike Kimball, San Francisco Business Journal
Column-Editorial/weeklies
1st — Dick Sparrer, Concord Transcript
2nd — Bernie Silver, San Jose Business Journal
Light Feature/Magazines
1st — Anne Chappell Belden, Bay Area Parent Magazine
2nd — Kristin Garber, San Francisco Examiner Magazine
Serious Feature/Magazine
1st — John Hubner, West Magazine (San Jose Mercury News)
2nd — Mark Leibovich, West Magazine (San Jose Mercury News)
Spot News Photo
1st — Annie Wells, Santa Rosa Press Democrat
2nd — John Burgess, Santa Rosa Press Democrat