The Leelanau Enterprise won 50 awards and was named Newspaper of the Year for a seventh-straight year by the Michigan Press Association.
“I am so proud of the good work of the entire team at the Enterprise. Winning Newspaper of the Year is quite a complement to their work,” Publisher John Elchert said. “To now have earned the award for a seventh consecutive year is a testament to the dedication and ongoing good work by this team.”
Among Class B weeklies with circulations between 7,000 and 15,000, the Enterprise took 50 awards — 16 firsts; 15 seconds; 12 thirds and seven honorable mentions.
The Enterprise staff swept all three places for best column — first for retired Enterprise reporter Eric Carlson; a second was a column titled “Don’t rush to build juvenile detention center ” by reporter Alan Campbell. Editor Amy Hubbell took third with her “Confessions of a ‘true crime’ junkie” and Meakalia Previch-Liu had an honorable mention.
“Winning 50 awards across the news, advertising and design categories highlights the work and leadership of editor Amy Hubbell and creative director Mike Anderson. Their teams do a great job in producing a high quality paper each week,” Elchert said.
In the same category, Campbell won a first and second place for editorials written about closed-door talks in the fish industry and another about a dredging delay that resulted in limited ferry access to the Manitou Islands.
The importance of business and agricultural in the county is reflected on the pages of the paper each week. The Enterprise swept the business/ agriculture category.
Reporter Brian Freiberger wrote the winning story about how seasonal workers from abroad play a major role in the economy. Freiberger’s story about the pest samba wasp was third and a story about the closing of Tamarack Gallery, was an honorable mention for him.
Campbell had a second-place award for a story titled “Bluebird building to be razed.”
Two of three places in feature stories awards went to The Enterprise. Campbell’s story entitled “Rescue subject of No. 1 book,” and third place for his story about the passing of county icon, John “the barber” Smith.
Previch-Liu was given an honorable mention for “Singing, drumming for the community.”
In government/education news, Campbell earned at third place for “Fishing regulations in limbo.” He also earned a first place in news/enterprise reporting for his story about a local man saving a war correspondence. Hubbell had an honorable mention for a indepth story about school safety in the county.
Best news photo among the non-daily Class B were taken by Carlson and both involved fire at a Suttons Bay home and of firefighter Tate Hall at work. Frieberger’s photo of a Leland student cooling off during the final day of school won a second- place for feature photo.
The best photo stories were also taken by Enterprise staff. Previch-Liu had the winning submission taken during the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa PowWow. Creative director Anderson took second with”Polka Palooza” a spread with photos from the annual Cedar Polka Fest.
And Freiberger was third with his photographs taken during the Glen Lake girls basketball road to the state championship, including one of the new state championship title winners. A second submission, a picture taken of high school skiers on the slopes, was also a winner.
Frieberger took first in the spot news story on a Great Lakes rower who made a stop in the county. He was also recognized for a feature on retired major league baseball player, and county resident Jay Hook. A story entitled “Spears received 1975 Northport ‘Athlete of the Year’” placed second. Campbell had a third for a story about hunting woodcock.
The Enterprise staff all contributed to three special sections, which swept that category. The first-place went to the editorial, creative and advertising department for a summer Diversion section on “Unsolved Mysteries” in the county. Second was the staff effort to highlight “Leelanau on a Dime” and third went to the paper’s quarterly special Silver publication.
It was also a team-effort for the best special section — the Best of the Blotter, as well as the 2023 Visitors Guide, which placed third.
The creative staff of Anderson and Jason Plowman were also recognized for their efforts.
The best in house circulation had two winners: a second for Anderson’s “Day on the Beach” and third for “Gift of Leelanau.” He as also recognized with a second place in “best in house” content promotion for “Merry Leelanau Christmas.”
Best use of color went to Anderson for an advertisement for Nittolo’s Pizza and a second for a place for New Bohemian Cafe/Omena Bay Country Store.
Our Christmas services advertisement, compiled by advertising and creative staff was third in community business promotions.
Plowman earned a first-place ad for Furnace Street Distillery; third place in home services for “Mountain Stone” and a second- place for real estate advertising; “Our mission is to serve our communities with solid journalism and provide the news and advertising information readers want and need. To have our peers in the industry, this year from papers in Pennsylvania, judge our work to be some of the best is an honor. Everyone at the Enterprise is committed to continuing to provide a strong product to our local communities and readers.”
“Winning so many awards year after year takes a team effort. While their names may not be on any award certificate, it is important to recognize the office staff and our printing and packaging teams as well,” Elchert said. “They contribute equally to the camaraderie and productivity that is buildingwide … I am extremely grateful for and proud of each and every person on the Enterprise team.”
