The New York State Outdoor Writers Association presented the honorees of its annual writing and photography recognition program with carved duck decoy first-place awards and second- and third-place certificates and cash awards at the annual banquet of the organization sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation at the Peconic Sportsman’s Club in Manorville, N.Y., on Saturday, Oct. 6.
The organization of more than 80 professional communicators and several dozen supporting members from the outdoor and travel industry gathered in Long Island’s Suffolk County Oct. 4-7 for its annual conference. The Excellence in Craft writing competition and Janice M. Keesler Memorial Photo Contest, both co-sponsored by Ducks Unlimited, Redding Reloading Equipment and Sportsman Channel, were judged by highly regarded professionals from outside the organization.
Glenn Sapir of Putnam Valley, N.Y., received three first-place awards in the writing competition for articles published in 2017—Guide to Guiding New Hunters in Turkey Country’s July/August Issue, in the Magazine Feature category; Jim Zumbo’s New York Roots in New York Outdoors’ Feb. 24 edition, in the Newspaper Feature category; and Here and There, Now and Then: A Time to Take Stock in New York Outdoors’ Dec. 15 edition, in the Newspaper Column category. Other first-place honorees were Robert W. Streeter of Fonda, NY, in the Magazine Column category for his article, Profile: Ode to the Wulff, in the July/August issue of American Angler; Chris Paparo, Calverton, N.Y., in the Online Publication category for Hunting with Emmy the Red-tailed Hawk in the March 8 Northforker; and J. Michael Kelly of Marcellus, N.Y., for Trout Streams of Western New York in the biennial Book Category. Bill Hilts, Jr. of Lockport, N.Y., received first-place honors in the one-time topic category of New York State Outdoor Writers Association, created to present exposure for the organization during its 50th anniversary year. His article, State Outdoor Writers Group Celebrates 50 Years, appeared in the Buffalo News on Oct. 19, 2017.
Of the five photo-award categories, two members each took top honors in two categories. Paparo, in addition to his first place in the writing awards, received the first-place awards in the Outdoor Scenic and People photo categories. Leo Maloney of Sherrill, N.Y. had photos deemed best in the Wildlife and Outdoor Action categories. Richard Redman of Moriah Center, N.Y., was named first-place recipient for his Hunting & Fishing photo entry.
A complete list of first- to third-place finishers in both the writing- and photo-award programs follows.
Excellence in Craft Writing Awards
Magazine Feature: First place, Magazine Feature, Glenn Sapir, Guide to Guiding New Hunters, Turkey Country, July/Aug. 2017; Second place, J. Michael Kelly, Stream of a Lifetime, New York Game & Fish, June 2017; Third place, Robert W. Streeter,Hair Triggers, American Angler, March 2017.
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Magazine Column: First place, First place, Robert W. Streeter, Profile: Ode to the Wulff, American Angler, July/Aug. 2017; Second place, Robert W. Streeter, Conservation: Saving the State Fish, American Angler, July/Aug. 2017; Third place, Chris Paparo,Naturalist’s Logbook: Noisy Fish, On the Water, Aug. 2017.
Newspaper Feature: First place, Glenn Sapir, Jim Zumbo’s New York Roots, New York Outdoors, Feb. 24, 2017; Second place, Glenn Sapir, Wayne Trimm: A New York Treasure, New York Outdoor News, July 28, 2017; Third place, Angelo Peluso, A Dose of Wilderness Wisdom, New York Outdoor News, Feb. 24, 2017.
Newspaper Column: First place, Glenn Sapir, Here and There, Now and Then: A Time to Take Stock, New York Outdoor News, Dec. 15, 2017; Second place, Steve Piatt, Out There: Looking Back on That First Longbeard, New York Outdoor News, March 10, 2017; Third place (tie), Glenn Sapir, Outdoors: Celebrity Encounters in Unlikely Places, The Journal News, July 8, 2017, and Bill Hilts, Jr., Catch of a Lifetime Sparks Compassionate Gesture, The Buffalo News, April 6, 2017.
Online Publication: First place, Chris Paparo, Hunting with Emmy the Red-tailed Hawk, Northforker, March 8, 2017; Second place, Chris Paparo, A Monarch’s Journey, Northforker, Sept. 6, 2017; Third place, Charles Witek III, Commerce Department’s Summer Flounder Decision Undermines ASMFC’s Authority To Manage Fish Stocks, Marine Fish Conservation Network, July 18, 2017.
Book: First place, J. Michael Kelly, Trout Streams of Western New York, Burford Books, 2017.
NYSOWA: First place, Bill Hilts, Jr., State Outdoor Writers Group Celebrates 50 Years, The Buffalo News, Oct. 19, 2018; Second place, Bill Hilts, Jr., Outdoor Beat, LCTV, Nov. 15, 2017; Third place, Dan Ladd, NYS Outdoor Writers Group Here for 50thAnniversary, The Chronicle, Oct. 12, 2017.
Janice M. Keesler Memorial Photo Awards
Hunting & Fishing: First place, Richard Redman; Second place, Bill Hilts, Jr.; Third place, Chris Paparo
Outdoor Action: First place, Leo Maloney; Second place, Chris Paparo; Third place, Chris Kenyon.
Outdoor Scenic: First place, Chris Paparo; Second place, Chris Kenyon; Third place, Richard Redman.
Wildlife: First place, Leo Maloney; Second place, Angelo Peluso; Third place, Bill Hilts, Jr.
People: First place, Chris Paparo; Second place, Bill Hilts, Jr.; Third place, Dan Ladd.