Award winning series

Sturbridge's Great Ponds

BOSTON – Staff at the Town Common newspaper received a major journalism award Saturday, Feb. 6 during the Better Newspapers Contest run annually by the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA).
Involving most every daily and weekly newspaper throughout New England, the annual NENPA awards are a highly competitive process with more than 2,000 entries this year alone. Newspaper veterans from out of state judge the submissions.
The Town Common was honored with a second place award in the “Environmental Reporting” category for its in-depth series on the “Great Ponds” of Sturbridge. That series ran in the summer of 2008 and was written by correspondent Taryn Plumb, with editing and guidance by editor Matthew Bernat. Dozens of entries were place in this category alone, according to Turley Publications Executive Editor Tim Kane.
“Taryn’s series is exactly the type of in-depth enterprise reporting we are trying to offer our readers weekly,” Kane said. “This series was well envisioned and orchestrated by Matthew and Taryn. It exposed not only diverse recreational opportunities on our beautiful waterways, but also their inherent challenged from decades of abuse and neglect.”
Bernat accepted the award on behalf of his staff at the banquet Saturday held in the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. Readers can view the entire series below.
The Town Common is owned by Turley Publications, Inc. based in Palmer, Mass.