Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Aitkin Independent Age Entry Title: Columnist, Kat Robb Entry Credit: Kat Robb Judge Comment: Kathy Robb's essay on suicide started with the emotionally-charged account of the death of a teen, the daughter of a close friend. Robb went on effectively combine other personal accounts, data, a plea for understanding and ways to get help. In a separate columns, she offered a tribute to her late stepfather who died unexpectedly as well as a fun trip down memory lane and her love of Stephen Perry and Journey.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Ely - Ely Echo Entry Title: Tom Coombe Entry Credit: Tom Coombe Judge Comment: Tom Coombe offers a charming column about filling a pandemic-empty weekend with ... a coloring contest. Another column focused on visits to a senior center with warm accounts of residents and staff then tempered by sadness as COVID-19 virus ripped through.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Sauk Rapids Herald Entry Title: Expressions by El Entry Credit: Ellarry Prentice Judge Comment: Ellarry Prentice writes from the heart in columns about the death of a close friend, two men she's not related to by blood but nonetheless celebrates Father's Day with (her stepfather and a stepgrandfather) and an older brother trying to stay sober.
Competition Comment: Very tough category with at least five columnists in contention for the top three spots. Each were excellent storytellers in their own ways, using humor or heartfelt writing to tell their tales. First place winner Kathy Robb's essay on suicide started with the emotionally-charged account of the death of a teen, the daughter of a close friend. Robb went on effectively combine other personal accounts, data, a plea for understanding and ways to get help. Another winner is a charming column about filling an empty weekend with ... a coloring contest.
