The Nelson Star has been nominated for three more community newspaper awards.
Staff received word Monday that reporters Megan Cole and Greg Nesteroff have received individual nominations, while the paper is up for best front page in its circulation category from the Canadian Community Newspaper Awards
“These awards are very well earned and well deserved,” said Star publisher Chuck Bennett.
“Our editorial team works very hard and are very talented and I am thrilled they have been recognized nationally. This was a very difficult circulation category to compete in, with many larger newspapers so this result is even more impressive.”
Nesteroff was nominated for best historical story among papers with circulations of 4,000 to 12,499.
He earned the nod for his story about Nelson’s Stanley Cup challenge, which chronicled how Nelson residents Lester and Frank Patrick tried to go after hockey’s holy grail in 1908 and 1909.
“It was an amazing, yet little known story,” he said after receiving word of the nomination. “Although the challenge didn’t come to fruition, it was remarkable they even contemplated it. Eric Zweig wrote about it for the Society for International Hockey Research’s journal in 2004, but probably not many locals saw it.”
Cole received her second nomination of the year for best spot news photo coverage for papers with a circulation of 4,000 to 12,499.
“I really had no idea when I went out to the Occupy Nelson Zombie Walk that I would come out with two award nominations,” said Cole.
Her photo, which appeared on the Star’s front page of November 2, has also earned a nomination for a Ma Murray 2012 Community Newspaper Award.
The Star is further up against the Prince George Citizen and Mission Record for best front page for papers with a circulation of 6,500 to 12,499 for its May 27, 2011 edition, which featured the aforementioned Stanley Cup story.
“As a team we work extremely hard to provide this community with a quality newspaper,” said Star editor Bob Hall. “We certainly don’t start each day thinking about awards and how we stack up against other newspapers, but that we are finalists in three different categories is pretty gratifying. It shows how lucky we are to have talents like Greg Nesteroff and Megan Cole at our little paper. I’m proud of the work they do everyday and they are deserve whatever credit comes their way.”
The paper is also a blue ribbon recipient in its category, which means the Star achieved a high level of excellence based on a point-scoring system.
The Grand Forks Gazette also received a nomination for best editorial page, circulation 2,000 to 2,999.
Winners will be announced April 26 at the Canadian Community Newspaper awards gala in Toronto.