BAR HARBOR – The Maine Press Association has chosen Sun Journal crime reporter Mark LaFlamme as Journalist of the Year, and the Sun Journal’s Sunday edition repeated as best weekend newspaper in the state.

The selections were announced at the association’s annual banquet Saturday night at the The Atlantic Oakes Resort and Conference Center.

“I was completely taken by surprise,” said LaFlamme after the banquet. “I did not see that coming. It’s the only time in my journalistic career when I felt like crying. I was thrilled, and I still haven’t come down off that high. It was remarkable. A very strange and satisfying moment.”

When his name was announced there was a standing ovation, said Sun Journal staffer Mari Maxwell.

LaFlamme seemed overwhelmed, she said. “He was blinking his eyes pretty rapidly.” LaFlamme was speechless, something out of character.

City Editor Karen Kreworuka classifies LaFlamme as an adept juggler.

“When Mark is on the cop beat, we are confident that whatever happens, he can handle it with aplomb,” she said.

In addition to spot news, LaFlamme writes features, enterprise stories and a column, “Street Talk,” in which he shows us what it is like to be human in any walk of life.

“His depth of feeling for his subjects and his fertile imagination give us a glimpse into street life that is not all grit and gloom,” Kreworuka said.

In his nomination letter to the judges, co-worker Christopher Williams described LaFlamme’s Street Talk columns as a collection of weird, usually side-splitting and always riveting observations about cops, firefighters, EMTs, street people, transients, bad guys and alien sightseers.

“We’ve all have heard stories about people who live their jobs. Mark is that person,” Williams wrote. “I can’t think of a single person working at a newspaper in Maine who defines the role of reporter the way LaFlamme does. He deserves this honor.”

Executive editor Rex Rhoades was delighted with the Sun Journal winning the general excellence weekend award.

“We have a great staff, and great owners of our paper that support the newsroom providing us with the resources to do a good job,” Rhoades said. “Everyone on the staff contributes. It’s a total staff effort. I’m very proud of everybody.”

Judges comments for the general excellence weekend award were that Maine is “blessed to have two strong papers, the Sun Journal and the Maine Sunday Telegram. They are both high quality and difficult to chose between. Approaching the task as a reader, the Sun Journal seemed more friendly, connected well with the reader, and is easier to navigate,” the judges wrote.

The Sun Journal’s Sunday edition not only repeated last year’s top honor, but it was the third time in four years the paper has been named Maine’s best. The Biddeford Journal Tribune was selected as the state’s best daily newspaper.

In addition, a first-place honor was awarded to the Sun Journal for its request to the Department of Health and Human Services for data on the number of welfare recipients employed at Maine’s 50 largest companies.

DHHS, daytime managing editor Judith Meyer noted in an editorial, did all it could to discourage – downright block – the Sun Journal from obtaining the data. Meyer and the Sun Journal persisted, stating that the public had the right to know how public money – their money – was being spent.

Regional reporter Donna Perry received a first-place award for her coverage of the rescue of a toddler at Smalls Falls, north of Phillips, and a third place for the photograph she took along with it. The 3-year-old went over the falls from an upper pool of water and then down to a second pool. Nighttime managing editor Keith Hagel noted Perry’s initiative and dogged persistence to get the story. Perry took off to the remote area, climbed up a steep, rough side of the falls and immediately began taking photos from all angles. One would be the stunning rescue shot on A1 that later would win AP Photo of the Month in Northern New England, an extraordinary honor for anyone, much less a reporter.

Kelly Morgan, the paper’s “b” section reporter, also received a first place award for spot news for her dramatic coverage of a drowning when a vehicle went through the thin ice on Sabattus Pond in Wales.

A year-long project, Following the Freshmen, won first place in the continuing story category. The Sun Journal followed five incoming college freshmen living in its circulation area. Another 10 freshmen blogged answers to questions posed to them about college life.

Enterprise editor Mark Mogensen called the project a way to give readers a closer look at what it’s like to be a freshman in college from Maine. Feedback from educators, parents and readers showed the students’ willingness to share enlightened many, but most importantly encouraged other younger people to pursue a postsecondary education.

A six-month investigation into the lingering crack cocaine problem in Lewiston won a first-place award for investigative reporting. Reporters Lisa Chmelecki and Kathryn Skelton uncovered a thriving drug culture personified by Lisa Hanson, an unrepentant addict serving time for dealing

“The reporters combined vivid storytelling with detailed research to show that the use of crack and cocaine – while waning in most areas – was still destroying lives in Lewiston,” said Kreworuka.

First-place awards

• Amber Waterman, News Photo Weekend, “Guidance”

• Russ Dillingham, Scenic Photo Weekend, “Rockin’ and rollin’

• Daryn Slover, People Photo Daily, “Loving the rainy day”

• Jose Leiva, Illustration Weekend, “Tired of being tired?”

• Douglas Van Reeth, Feature Photo Daily, “Walking in a winter wonderland”

• Amber Waterman, Sports Photo Weekend, “Got it!”

• Kathryn Skelton and Lisa Chmelecki, Investigative Report Weekend, “Face of crack”

• Newsroom Staff, Continuing Story Weekend, “Following the freshmen”

• Kalle Oakes, Sports Feature Weekend, “Becoming a man, competing as a woman”

• Kalle Oakes, Sports Column Daily, “The Hot Corner”

• Steve Sherlock, Bill Foley, Tony Blasi and Pete Gorski, Sports Story Weekend, Oct. 12, 2005.

• Sun Journal Newsroom Staff, Freedom of Information Daily

• Donna Perry, Spot News Story Daily, “Rescue at the falls”

• Kelly Morgan, Spot News Story Weekend, “Man drowns in pond”

• Jesse Richter, Campaign or Series Daily, “Following the freshmen”

• Jennifer Gendron, Best Supplement Cover Daily, “Holiday gift guide”

• Michelle Pushard, Local Ad Black and White Weekend, “Great Falls Federal Credit Union”

Second-place awards

• Jose Leiva, News Photo Daily, “Murder suspects in court”

• Amber Waterman, News Photo Weekend, “Final salute”

• Russ Dillingham, Spot News Photo Daily, “Getting treatment”

• Pete Gorski and Paul Wallen, Illustration Weekend, “Space invaders”

• Douglas Van Reeth, Feature Photo Daily, “Part of Bates Mill fades away”

• Kathryn Skelton, Investigative Report Weekend, “Court insecurity?”

• Kathryn Skelton, Analysis Weekend, “Big rigs in Maine”

• Newsroom staff, Continuing Story Weekend, “Working and poor”

• Justin Pelletier, Sports Story Weekend, “Just ‘tri it out”

• Kalle Oakes, Sports Feature Daily, “Speaking volumes”

• Steve Sherlock, Tony Blasi and Paul Wallen, Sports Section Daily, Dec. 27, 2005

• Christopher Williams, Spot News Story Daily, “Gunman surrenders”

• Jesse Richter, In-Paper Circulation Promo Daily, “12 days of Christmas”

• Jennifer Gendron and Michelle Pushard, Sponsorship Page Daily/Weekend, “Blue Devils”

• Advertising Staff, second place, Advertising Layout Daily/Weekend, Nov. 20, 2005

• Michelle Pushard, Local Ad Black and White Daily, “Furniture wholesalers”

• Lindsey Montana, Best Supplement Cover Weekend, “Wedding guide”

• Ursula Albert, Specialty Page Design Daily, “Marsden Hartley comes home”

• David Farmer, Editorial Weekend, “Railroad jumps track with charge”

• Sun Journal Staff, Front Page Design Weekend, “Final salute”

Third-place awards

• Russ Dillingham, News Photo Daily, “Disorder in the court”

• Russ Dillingham, News Photo Weekend, “Fryeburg Fair”

• Donna M. Perry, Spot News Photo Daily, “Rescue at the falls”

• Russ Dillingham, Feature Photo Weekend, “Little gems”

• Amber Waterman, Sports Photo Weekend, “It’s all over”

• Kathryn Skelton, Investigative Report Daily, “Working, on welfare”

• Christopher Williams, Analysis Weekend, “Pay, pot and politics”

• Kathryn Skelton, Spot News Story Weekend, “Dube caught at N.H. campsite”

• Corey LaFlamme, Best NIE Idea Daily/Weekend, “2006: A sports odyssey”

• David Farmer, Editorial Daily, “Findings tough to overcome”

• Sun Journal Staff, Front Page Design, “Praying for the pope”