BJ NAMED BEST WEB SITE IN OHIO AND MUCH, MUCH MORE

 

BJ wins 26 state awards

The BJ won 26 statewide journalism awards, including 11 first-place honors, as BeaconJournal.com was named the best website in Ohio.

The print edition was 2nd for best daily newspaper in Ohio for those under 75,000 circulation.

 

The awards were presented Friday for the All Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards sponsored by the Cleveland Press Club at the House of Blues in Cleveland.

 

First place went to Stephanie Warsmith, who covers courts and crime, as best staff reporter in Ohio.

 

Consumer columnist and medical reporter Betty Lin-Fisher won 3 first place awards in the multiple stories category. And 3^rd place for public service by addressing racism as a public health issue.

Photographer Phil Masturzo won two first-place awards for general feature photo.

 

First place also went to photographer Jeff Lange in the portrait and personality category, reporter Doug Livingston for analysis, reporter Jennifer Pignolet for General News/Single Story, reporter Nate Ulrich for personality profile feature.

 

Reporter George Thomas placed third for reviews and criticism and placed second in entertainment writing.

 

The remaining awards included by BJ staff:

 

Page design, Rob Backus, second place.

 

Medical/health writing, Amanda Garrett, second place.

 

Business department, second place, worker shortage and higher prices.

 

Sports department’s Marla Ridenour, features/personality profile, third place.

 

Photographer Karen Schiely, general news, third place.

 

Mark J. Price, humor writing, third place.

 

Seyma Bayram, multicultural writing, third place.

 

Rob Backus, Sydney Clark, front page design, third place.

 

Mike Cardew, photojournalism, third place for election photo.

 

Karen Schiely, general feature, third place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2022 All Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards 26 for BJ

 

 

 

Beacon Journal wins 26 awards, including best Ohio website

Akron Beacon Journal USA TODAY NETWORK

Akron Beacon Journal staffers won 26 statewide journalism awards, including 11 first-place honors, as BeaconJournal. com was named the best website in Ohio on Friday night.

Judges praised BeaconJournal.com for achieving a “balance between serious stuff and innovative ways of attracting the more casual reader.” The print edition also placed second for best daily newspaper in Ohio for those under 75,000 circulation.

The awards were presented for the All Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards sponsored by the Cleveland Press Club at the House of Blues in Cleveland.

Reporter Stephanie Warsmith, who covers courts and crime, was named best staff reporter in Ohio for what judges described as “excellent storytelling.”

“(She) puts a human face in the forefront of some very heady stories.

See AWARDS, Page 9B

Continued from Page 1B

It’s a fascinating portfolio, so much so that I wanted to read more.”

Consumer columnist and medical reporter Betty Lin-Fisher won three firstplace awards for her coverage of Baby David’s kidney transplant in the multiple stories category; “Finding my voice amid Asian American hate crimes and violence“ in the essay category, and “Never been so scared: Stow mom recounts baby’s life-threatening CO-VID-19 infection“ in the COVID-19 category. She also received a third-place award for public service for her project addressing racism as a public health issue.

Judges described Lin-Fisher’s essay as “beautifully written piece and a very brave effort.”

“Journalists are told not to reveal what is inside, but this writer knew she had to set that aside and add her voice to the community as uncomfortable as it may have been for her,” they said.

Photographer Phil Masturzo won two first-place awards for general feature photo for “Shaving Cream Fight” and studio photography for “Black Fig Stuffed with Ohio Goat Cheese.” He also placed second in general news photo for “Family Calls for End to Gun Violence.”

Other first-place winners included:

h Photographer Jeff Lange in the portrait and personality category for “8-year-old CEO uplifts kids like him with Our Brown Boy Joy.”

h Reporter Doug Livingston in the Analysis category for “Why isn’t the local labor market working? The answer is complicated.“ h Reporter Jennifer Pignolet for General News/Single Story: “Akron Asian Americans reflect on racism in wake of Atlanta shootings.“

h Reporter Nate Ulrich for personality profile feature: “How Browns rookie Greg Newsome II, Northwestern basketball star Veronica Burton lift each other.”

Reporter George Thomas placed third in the Best in Ohio category for reviews and criticism while earning a second in entertainment writing for “There’s reason to hope Black filmmakers and movies will have sustainability.”

The remaining awards included:

h Best in Ohio page design, Rob Backus, second place.

h Medical/health writing for “‘It was so quick.’ The story behind Stow-Glen Retirement Village’s abrupt, chaotic closure,” Amanda Garrett, second place

h Business: “Fewer workers, higher prices, less stuff: Shortages are changing lives in Northeast Ohio,” staff, second place.

h Features/personality profile: “Golfer Ivana Shaw hits balls in Mumbai,” Marla Ridenour, third place.

h General news photo: “Student speaks up for wearing masks,” Karen Schiely, third place.

h Humor writing: “Akron flashback: Cruising around in a Chevy Nova,” Mark J. Price, third place.

h Multicultural writing for “‘I want to see my future’: What the shooting of Ma’Khia Bryant reveals about Black girlhood,” Seyma Bayram, third place

h Front page design: Rob Backus, Sydney Clark, third place.

h Photojournalism: “Inside an Election,” Mike Cardew. third place.

h General feature photo: “Firestone Sign.” Karen Schiely, third place.

 

ELAINE GUREGIAN'S RETIREMENT HURRAH IS A BIGGIE !!!

 

Former BJ classical music and dance critic Elaine Guregian went out with a bang, retiring after bringing Northeast Ohio Medical Center THREE Cleveland Press Club’s Best in Ohio awards and 4 other awards for the NEOMed Ignite Magazine she produced as its editor.

Richfield-based David Szalay was among those who illustrated the articles.

Elaine quipped:

“I retired this week, so now someone else will have that fun!”

 

Michigan high school teachers Lionel Guregian and Carol Florence House, both deceased, provided Elaine with siblings Sally Guregian Witte of Northbrook, Illinois, and Mary Guregian Jenkinso of Hingham, Massachusetts.

 

Elaine moved to NEOMed in 2015. Before that she did markingeting/pr for the Cleveland Orchestra, grant writing/corporate fundraising for the Summa Foundation.

She was at Ol’ Blue Walls for 18 years, leaving 44 E. Exchange Street in 2008 when 18 walked out with a combined 273 years of service. Elaine was classical music and dance critic at Ol’ Blue Walls before expanding into arts and culture to add theater to her coverage.

 

 

 

MARK DAWIDZIAK'S WIFE, SARA SHOWMAN, PERFORMS IN MENTOR ON JUNE 7

 

Sara Showman, former BJ and PD pop culture critic Mark Dawidziak’s wife, will star in “Under the Skull and Crossbones: A Pirate’s Life for Me,” which Sara wrote.

 

It will blend history, humor and song.

 

Mark will be playing second banana in this one, as he put it, “one of the crew.”

6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, in Mentor Public Library. Another Largely Literary Theater Company production.

MICKEY PORTER MEMORIAL FEATURES TALES OF HIS LEGENDARY BJ DAYS

 

Porter memorial recalled Mickey’s glory days

Former BJ columnist and Features writer Bill O’Connor reports on the memorial event for the late legendary BJ columnist Mickey Porter at Bill’s Bath Township home:

There were a half-dozen or so Beacon people - Mike Needs and Kathy Fraze, Jane Snow, Karen Lefton, a couple of Mick's care givers (he was bedridden the last year or so), Mick's sons Mike and Ben Porter and grandchildren, a few people from Mick's neighborhood.

 

Mick's son Mike gave a little talk, and there were quite a few stories, all of them funny, about the long-ago days when Mick prowled the newsroom, resplendent in bright green, draw-string pants and a long-sleeve, yellow tee shirt with his watch worn over the sleeve.

 

Farkle was there. She's as bright and lively as she ever was.

 

Bill

 

As I’ve often said, Farkle put the sparkle in the BJ newsroom and at later reunions over the years. For newcombers that’s the nickname the Composing Room gave Sharon Shreve Lorentzen, married to Paul Lorentzen. Sharon also has writing skills, which she displayed in a reply to me years ago that was so eloquently and well written that I ran it verbatim.

 

In that epic, she wrote this about Mickey:

 

Mickey Porter - the best there. I worked for him for about 3 months, when he was at his peak. Funny, sardonic, so intelligent. He was ahead of his time. And a pretty good bowler, too.

 

 

She also was talented with a dulcimer and a bohdran, an Irish drum. And rode a Harley motorcycle trike to a passel of states in eastern America.

 

Sharon started the Family Council at Rockynol with a primary goal of helping seniors with dementia. She did that for 11 years. And is unofficial secretary for the Prostate Cancer Support & Education Group that meets every month. With her husband Paul, a retired architect, they were Mr. and Mrs. Claus year after year at local churches and restaurants.

 

Sharon put the sparkle in our lives, and of a multitude of othes, in so many ways. She began at the BJ in 1969, in the phone department, then came being a copy kid because she hoped would lead to a reporting job but wound up being an obits writer who went the home of the bereaved to get a photo of the recently dearly departed.

 

That was followed by doing rewrites from notes that reporters called in for articles. Later a weekly column about the happenings around town. She fetched the legendary De Nobil cigars for State Desk editor Pat Englehart and lunch for nationally renow newspaper group (NOT chain, he insisted) owner John Shively Knight, who had the corner office at 44 E. Exchange Street in the warmer months and at the Miami Herald with a view of the bay in the colder northern months.

 

Sharon worked the Sports Department phones which got REALLY busy when Mohammad Ali had a title fight.

 

A memorable phone call was photographer Don Rose calling from Kent State on May 4, 1970 and announcing “They’re shooting here!” The Ohio National Guard killed 4 students and wounded 9 others.

 

She went to John Knight’s home, by appointment, and got his permission to use the name Ladies of the Knight for the BJ women’s softball team. JSK liked the name so much he bought their uniforms. Unlike the Beacon Bombers, the men’s team, Ladies of the Knight actually won the championship in their third season in the league.   

 

Farkle has a resume with a LOT of sparkle!

MEMORIAL EVENT FOR DAN LIAS ON SEPTEMBER 3

 

September 3 Honor & Remembrance

For former BJ Circulation’s Dan Lias

From: "Melissa Lias"
To: jo4wvu@neo.rr.com
Cc:
Sent: Wednesday May 25 2022 3:37:39PM
Subject: Daniel Lias Honor and Remembrance Event Scheduled

John,

 

Good afternoon.  

 

Please feel free to post this information on your ABJ retirees blog:

 

Daniel J. Lias Honor and Remembrance Event

 

Noon-6 p.m. Saturday, September 3

 

Wingfoot Lake State Park

Dogwood Shelter

 

Reply to Melissa Lias

(330) 550-9161

 

Or email

melissalias040@gmail.com

 

Melissa is Dan’s daughter. Dan once was BJ Circulation home delivery manager before heading off to Houston.

 

Dan’s widow is Susan Lias. Melissa Lias and Kevin Lias are Dan and Susan’s children. Brooklyn Rose is his granddaughter. Dan was United Way drive chairman for the BJ for 8 years (2002-2010).

 

After the BJ Dan went to the PD and then the Houston Chronicle.