Chronicle award list

occurred, including the removal of the children from motel room after the mother was arrested for a warrant involving methamphetamine use. The children, who were unable to attend school because of their situation, were sent to live with their father in Yakima.

Editors RaeLynn Ricarte and Mark Gibson also received a second place award in Best Lifestyle Coverage for Restoring hope, healing. The Nov. 22 article featured the work of Lana Jack of the Celilo-Wyam tribe to help break the vicious cycle of addiction in the Native American culture.

By meeting the basic needs of people, and giving hope about the future, Jack felt the first steps were being taken to change lives.

She was inspired to undertaken the mission by the death of her brother, Lonnie, at the age of 43 due to alcoholism.

Sports Editor Ray Rodriguez captured third place for Best Graphics with Big Sky’s All League Picks, which offered cut-outs of key players and featured their biographical information.

Over the court of a four-month basketball season, teams played three and four-games a week in their quest to win a state championship. The Sherman Huskies were able to celebrate a 1A crown, and 12 athletes were recognized on an individual basis, including Max Martin, named player of the year for Sherman.

The Big Sky signature page has been the Chronicle’s way of displaying pictures, statistics and comments about what transpired during the regular season.

Cecil was given a third place awarded in the Best Feature Story category for Remembering Okinawa, an interview with the late Leonard “Gus” Gustafson, 89, who has since died.

He recounted being present for 56 out of 82 days of brutal fighting on the Japanese Island during the waning days of World War II, in the spring of 1945.

Gustafson, who earned a bronze star for bravery during the battle, spoke of the horrors that never left his mind; particularly of women and children being killed after the Japanese used them as shields.

Another military story, this one written by Ricarte, also won third in Best Writing and was titled God Country and Corps. The article featured the experience of Hal Woods, a Marine veteran and firefighter/medic with Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue, growing up with a Special Operations Marine for a father who helped the Corps test new technology.

Levi “Lee” Woods died nine years ago, but left behind a legacy of achievement that has been chronicled in the book “Fortune Favors the Brave” by Bruce Meyers, in his own words in Gung-Ho Magazine and in newspaper reports.

He made Marine history by volunteering to be the first man plucked off the ground by a high performance aircraft in flight.

Although Hal said his father was a tough act to follow, their relationship deepened after the younger Woods also went to combat in the Gulf War. His father spent 20 years in the Corps and then retired due to injuries to become a law enforcement officer.

Ricarte won third place for Best Editorial for her column Mayor’s words raise red flags, a column taking on Steve Lawrence for an agenda being pursued outside of the public arena.

Gibson and Ricarte took third for Best Editorial Page, a conglomeration of opinion pieces that included: Mayor, give the chamber its due, a chastisement of Lawrence for his harsh treatment of Dalles Chamber Director Lisa Farquharson; Should Confederate flag be flown, a Crosstalk topic; and, Would you die for your country?, also an airing of differing viewpoints by Gibson and Ricarte.