By Jyoti Thottam
The Astoria Times, the newest member of the Times/Ledger Newspapers chain, won third place in the Inland Press Foundation's “Best in the Nation” competition for 1999.
The Inland Press Foundation recognizes excellence in writing and design among non-daily newspapers throughout the United States. The Astoria Times, the 13th paper in the Bayside-based newspapers chain, covers Astoria, Long Island City, Sunnyside and Woodside and was launched in the fall of 1998.
Judges for the annual competition evaluated the paper based on the quality of writing, story selection, design and presentation and its focus on community news.
The three Astoria Times issues entered in the contest reflect the enormous diversity of the challenges facing the community.
“Since Astoria is the gateway to Queens and New York City for immigrants, the ethnic diversity of the community is a frequent theme running throughout our coverage,” said Times/Ledger managing editor Roz Liston.
An issue from February 1999 explored the changes wrought by an influx of young Manhattanites to the area in search of lower rents. The April 1999 entry detailed the struggle between Queens educators and the Board of Education over securing capital funds for new school construction.
“Education is an important issue for Astoria readers since some of the most crowded schools in the country are in western Queens,” Liston said.
The Astoria Times was also recognized for the final issue of 1999, which included a special pull-out section for the millennium. The section included stories from all over Queens, ranging from environmental issues to the impact of immigration on the population of the borough to a feature on one of the oldest living residents of the borough.
About 250,000 people live in the neighborhoods covered by the Astoria Times, with immigrants accounting for nearly half of the total, according to 1990 U.S. Census figures.
“We're honored to receive the award from an organization where we were competing with newspapers from across the country,” said Steve Blank, publisher of the Times/Ledger Newspapers. “It's a reflection of our commitment to high standards and the quality and dedication of our staff.”
Blank bought the Times/Ledger newspaper chain in 1989, when it had only two papers, the Little Neck Ledger and Bayside Times. Since then, the chain has extended its reach throughout Queens, adding papers that serve Whitestone, Flushing, Fresh Meadows, Glen Oaks, Queens Village, Jamaica, Laurelton, Forest Hills, Richmond Hill and Ridgewood.
Like its 12 sister papers, the Astoria Times paints a total picture of the community it serves, covering local schools, police, business, civic associations and local government.
The Astoria Times will be honored by the Inland Press Foundation on Feb. 25 at the group's national convention in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
