West Lebanon
The press association confers four awards for Sunday newspapers based on circulation. The Sunday Valley News won among newspapers with a circulation up to 20,000. The runners-up were The Metro-West Daily News in Framingham, Mass., and the weekend edition of the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, Mass.
This is the third straight year that the Sunday Valley News has won the association’s Newspaper of the Year award. It was named a runner-up for the award in 2011.
“There are a lot of outstanding newspapers competing for this recognition throughout a six-state region,” said Dan McClory, publisher of the Valley News. “The fact that this is the third consecutive year we have received this award makes it very special.”
This competition is unique because the winners are selected by jury panels of newspaper readers, the press association notes on its website. The reader panel was instructed to evaluate each newspaper’s relative strength and weakness based on the quality of reporting and writing, the use of photographs, design, digital offerings, the publication’s overall value, and general impressions, such as whether the newspaper stood out as being special.
Newspapers were required to submit two complete editions from the contest period: one from a date selected by the press association and another of their own choosing.
The Sunday Valley News edition submitted by editors was from Nov. 22, 2015, which featured a Page One column by Jim Kenyon examining the firing of Dartmouth Outing Club leader Andy Harvard; stories by business writer John Lippman about the auction of Windsor water-filtration startup Seldon Technologies and the new owners of the Juniper Hill Inn; stories by staff writer Nora Doyle-Burr about smoking at the Lebanon American Legion post and how insurance costs were affecting the city’s school budget; a sports package about Dartmouth College winning a share of the Ivy League football title for the first time in 19 years that included stories by staff writers Tris Wykes and Josh Weinreb, photographs by Photo Editor Geoff Hansen and page design by sports page editor David Bailey; a commemorative page documenting the championship seasons of the Hanover and Newport high school golf teams; a Life & Leisure feature about Claremont’s animal control officer by photographer Jennifer Hauck and staff writer Aimee Caruso; a Perspectives feature about a member of the “Roaring 20s” generation by photographer Sarah Priestap and staff writer Maggie Cassidy; and an editorial about the future of Route 12A by Editorial Page Editor Dan Mackie.
“This is a reflection on our entire staff and the community we serve,” McClory said. “Without our loyal readers, advertisers and staff we could not produce a newspaper worthy of this tribute.”
Blake Hill Preserves has opened a new, $1.1 million production facility and retail store in Artisans Park in Windsor. The 6,000-square-foot facility was built by Springfield Regional Development Corp. with financing provided by the Vermont Economic Development Authority. The new plant will increase Blake Hill’s production capacity and give it its first direct retail outlet, the company said in a news release. Vicky Allard and Joe Hanglin founded Blake Hill Preserves in 2009. Blake Hill has been a U.S. Good Food Awards winner and finalist five times, has won five gold and three silver medals at the World Marmalade Awards, and most recently won a Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation award from the Specialty Food Association.
The Springfield (Vt.) Prevention Coalition board recently presented Retailer Recognition certificates to a collection of local retailers that passed alcohol compliance checks for not selling alcohol to minors. Black Rock Steakhouse, 56 Main Street, 371 Restaurant and Shaw’s Supermarket in Springfield received the certificates from coalition board members Alice Emmons, Charles Gregory, Tara Chase, Gerry Piper and coalition Executive Director Stephanie Thompson. Other retailers in Windsor County that recently passed these checks include the Brownsville General Store, the Sandri store in Ascutney and Windsor Wine & Spirits.
The Burlington-based law firm Sheehey Furlong & Behm P.C. has merged with the Woodstock firm Melendy Moritz. The merger allows the firm to expand its estate planning, trusts and probate practice group, according to a news release. Mark Melendy’s practice focuses largely on estate planning, business succession planning, estate administration and tax planning. Daphne Moritz’s practice focuses on estate planning, elder law, special needs planning, estate administration, and small business startup and succession. The combined firm will maintain its Woodstock office at 18 Elm St.
Items of interest to the local business community are published in the Business & Money section of the Sunday Valley News. Submissions may be sent by email to: biznotes@vnews.com (high-resolution photographs may be attached in .jpg format), or by mail to: People in Business, c/o Sunday Valley News, P.O. Box 877, White River Junction, Vt. 05001. (Photographs cannot be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope.) All items are subject to editing.