Ten Awards for The Star

The East Hampton Star took two first prizes, six second prizes, and two third prizes in the Long Island Press Club's annual Media Awards competition. The winners were named at an awards dinner last Thursday. The Press Club is the local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, the nation's largest journalism organization.

Amanda Star Frazer won first prize in the deadline news category for "Contractor Is Rescued from a 50-Foot Hole." Judges praised Ms. Frazer's "thorough coverage" in an "interesting story with a lot of legwork."

Robert Long's "Larry Rivers as Draftsman" won first prize in the reviews and criticism category. Mr. Long's "knowledge of his subject and the unforced way he communicates that knowledge" were praised.

"McMansions? No, Just R.V.s" won second prize in the features category for Russell Drumm, who "painted a realistic, humorous, interesting picture" of his subject, the judges said.

The Star deployed "impressive resources" when it assigned two writers, Joanne Pilgrim and Susan Rosenbaum, and an editor, Irene Silverman, to the story "Town Loses 26 Acre Park," which took second prize in government and politics. Ms. Rosenbaum also won third prize in the business-economic-financial category for "Insurance Hammers Builders," a story that "puts a face on the contracting business."

Second and third prizes for editorial commentary went to The Star for "Time for Dialogue on Housing" and "What Hamptons?" The writers were praised for use of "common sense and facts" and "interesting analysis." Karl Grossman, whose "Suffolk Closeup" appears in The Star, The Southampton Press, and The Shelter Island Reporter, won a second prize for a weekly news column.

Siobhan Fitzpatrick's "On Memorial Day" and Julie Aster Miller's "Montauk Fire Department High-Heat Drill" won second prizes for photography.

Other East End publications also fared well. Evan Tiska of the Independent won four awards in all - both first and second prizes in sports photography, first prize for an arts article, and second prize in the education category. Gordon M. Grant of the Independent won first prize for feature photography and third prize for news photography, and James J. Mackin won first prize for news photography and third prize for sports photography. The Independent's Kitty Merrill took a third place in the environment-science-technology category.

Dan Rattiner of Dan's Papers won second prize in the humorous column and nondeadline news categories, and Susan Whitney Simm of Dan's won first place in the feature category and a second place in reviews and criticism.