For the second straight year, Scott Brinton, senior editor of the Merrick, Bellmore and East Meadow Heralds, scored a hat trick, grabbing first place in the Non-Deadline News and the Environment, Science and Technology Reporting categories for his 25-part series "Parkway wasteland," as well as a first place in the Editorial Writing category for "State Legislature back in the U.S.S.R."
For the "Parkway wasteland" series, Brinton examined the vandalized woodlands surrounding the Meadowbrook, Southern State and Wantagh parkways.
Judges wrote, "Scott Brinton showed admirable persistence in his coverage of the issue of unprotected government-owned property turned into wastelands through vandalism and neglect.
"In a textbook example of advocacy journalism, Brinton sided with local environmentalists in refusing to accept a situation that is too common in many heavily developed areas -- the wasting degradation of the no-man's land that is neither protected nor marked for development.
"His dogged pursuit of the story led to scoops like the unauthorized dumping of road waste and the illegal clear-cutting of public land. ...This piece deserves congratulations on using journalism for the betterment of the community."
Judges wrote of Brinton's editorial, "Well-supported, well-reasoned, well-written."
Bellmore Herald reporter Howard Goldstein was named one of the press club's two Cub Reporters of the Year.
Cris Italia, editor of the Oceanside Herald, took first place in the News Column and third place in the Non-Deadline Reporting categories. Judges didn't offer comments about the column, "From the depths of Ground Zero."
For Non-Deadline Reporting, they wrote of Italia's piece "Escaping death twice: WTC executive director reflects on 9/11," "Well-reported year-after profiles of two World Trade Center workers -- one who escaped on 9/11 and one who died a hero."
Karen Rice, reporter for the Nassau Herald, won first place for Education Reporting. Judges wrote of her story "Crackdown on illegal students," "Reporter tells harrowing story about how some students are weeded out of district. Well-wrought." And Cindy Roth, former Bellmore Herald reporter, now editor of the Village Herald, took third place in Education Reporting.
