PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
Keith Thorpe has been selected as the Peninsula Daily News” Employee of the Year for 2004.
Thorpe, a photographer and creator of many of the local news graphics used in the PDN, received the award at the newspaper’s annual holiday party, held in newly restored Elks Naval Lodge in Port Angeles on Friday night.
“There are many stories of above-and-beyond accomplishments at the PDN, but Keith has been particularly outstanding in how hard and diligently he works, said John Brewer, PDN editor and publisher.
“In addition to being an excellent photographer — and well-known for his self-deprecating wit — Keith taught himself the FreeHand graphics program in 1999.
“Since then, he has created scores and scores of locator maps and other news graphics on deadline that have allowed the PDN to educate and illuminate readers.”
Thorpe was picked as Employee of the Year in a vote by the PDN’s department heads.
He joined the newspaper in November 1996 after working as a writer and photographer at newspapers in Iowa, South Dakota and Kansas.
More than 170 PDN employees, spouses, columnists and retirees attended the annual party.
The newspaper is one of the largest employers in Clallam and Jefferson counties.
Other award winners:
* Carrier of the Year: Leslie Holmes, Route 4016-1366 in Port Ludlow area.
“Serving just over 200 PDN subscribers as well as handling our largest Wall Street Journal distribution route (PDN carriers distribute the Journal to its subscribers in Clallam and Jefferson counties), she’s been at it day by day since April of last year, achieving an outstanding service level of .24 complaints per thousand deliveries in an area with some of our most difficult deliveries — and our most demanding subscribers,” said PDN Circulation Director Dave Jacobsen.
* 2004 Diogenes Award (Newsroom Staffer of the Year): Barbara Parks, copy editor, headline writer and paginator.
“This staffer has been a member of the PDN family since February 2000, taking time out in 2001 to start a family,” said Executive Editor Rex Wilson.
“Now a mom with two wonderful children, she returned full-time to the copy desk in July, continuing her role as a critical link in our evening news production staff.”
* Rookie of the Year, honoring an outstanding new staffer: Linda Haller, credit and collections manager.
“The first goal that Linda planned and achieved was the systemization of our approach to our collection processes,” said Bonnie Meehan, PDN director of business and finance.
“Within the first few months of beginning her employment, she had already developed a schedule for reporting, collection calls and follow-up letters.”
* Edward Barton Webster Spirit Award: Holly Wickersham, Classified Advertising sales representative.
“Holly certainly embodies and dignifies the spirit of E.B. Webster,” said Brewer.
“She has been an outstanding PDN staffer, and it’s been my pleasure — indeed my honor — to work with her.”
The award is named after the man who founded the Port Angeles Evening News — predecessor to today’s PDN — on April 10, 1916.
“The author of four books, businessman, well-known naturalist, editor and publisher, E.B. Webster relished people, and it was said that the twinkle in his eye could be seen in the words he set in print,” said Brewer.
“An ardent supporter of the North Olympic Peninsula, his writings were credited with influencing the establishment of Olympic National Park.
“When he died in 1936, William Welsh, managing editor of the Port Angeles Evening News, wrote that ‘the community mourns a man who left it far better than he found it.”‘