Village News affiliates collect five Press Club awards

Village News affiliates Christine Rinaldi, Nathalie Taylor, and Rick Griffin were presented with a total of five awards by the San Diego Press Club at its 39th annual Excellence in Journalism awards event held Oct. 23 at the San Diego Hall of Champions. The number of entries received by the San Diego Press Club this year was the third largest of club affiliates nationwide.

Rinaldi won a second place award in Still Photography and a third place in Photo Essay.

Her award in Still Photography was for sports coverage entitled “Warrior netters clinch league title,” published in the Fallbrook/Bonsall Village News on Oct. 27, 2011.

In reflecting on the tennis coverage, Rinaldi said, “Tennis is a very fast-paced sport. I have tried to play tennis in the past, so I can really appreciate the talent and skill displayed by the Warrior team. Photographing the team in action was a wonderful experience.”

Rinaldi was presented with a third place award in Photo Essay for her coverage of Stagecoach Sunday in 2011, entitled “Old west comes alive at Stagecoach Sunday,” published last year on Oct. 6.

The photojournalist said she thoroughly enjoyed shooting the event.

‘Stage Coach Sunday is a great event,” said Rinaldi. “The kids are excited about the day and the parents are very much involved with the kids and the activities offered during the event. My biggest challenge during the event was staying out of the path of the stagecoach and horses. I wanted to get close-up shots of the horses, stagecoach, and riders, and several times found myself jumping out of the way as the stagecoach passed!”

Rinaldi has worked for the Village News as an independent photojournalist since 2007.

“Fallbrook is a wonderful town and I have truly enjoyed all of my assignments,” she said. “The assignments have given me an opportunity to interact with the community and to enjoy the many events throughout the year.”

Taylor was honored with two third place awards by the San Diego Press Club in highly competitive categories. She also took the photographs published with each of these stories.

Taking third place in the ‘Arts & Entertainment’ category was her piece covering the Pasadena Rose Parade, “Stop and Smell the Roses,” published Jan. 19, 2012.

Taylor not only described the parade, “From exotic coconut to the sensuous red rose, these floral veneers never fail to captivate their annual audience,” but float preparation, as well, “…During his past twelve years of float decorating, Weaver has assumed some contortion-like positions in order to glue flowers on floats.”

Taylor also highlighted the pre-parade culture, “Hours before the first float rolls down Colorado Boulevard these vigilant ‘spectators in waiting’ have staked out their site. Cocooned in sleeping bags or heavy coats they huddle over ‘washing machine tub’ fires… Morning scents along Colorado Boulevard are an odd mingling of coffee, food, wood smoke, gasoline fumes and diesel fuel.”

In the ‘Food & Restaurant’ category Taylor placed third with her review entitled, ‘Pala Mesa Resort’s Aquaterra – A Stunning Palette of Flavors (and Views),” published Dec. 15, 2011.

She wrote: “Adjectives like ‘adventurous’ and ‘provocative’ alone cannot describe the cuisine at Pala Mesa Resort’s Aquaterra restaurant – a verb or two is indeed necessary. ‘Captivate’ and ‘charm’ will do just fine.”

Taylor described some unusual entrées including ‘Cornflake Crusted Frog Legs’: “The soft pulverized cornflakes lend a zesty flavor to the mild frog legs. But, let’s not forget the role that mustard greens play…wrapped in a sweet and spicy peach barbeque sauce with maple glaze…The chef created it to be blended so the flavors will mingle provocatively.”

Taylor, who holds a bachelor of arts degree in English from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, also sits on the advisory board for Cal Poly’s College of Liberal Arts. As the principal at Krona Publications, Taylor works in the areas of public relations and free-lance print media features. Since 2004, she has been honored with 37 writing awards.

The fifth Press Club award for an item published in the Village News in 2011 was presented to Rick Griffin.

Griffin collected a third place in non-daily newspaper Community Service/Public Affairs Reporting for “Avoid red flags to make 2012 scam free.” The consumer-oriented article was published on Jan. 12, 2012.

“The story quoted the San Diego Better Business Bureau,” said Griffin. This was the second consecutive year that the Village News received a San Diego Press Club award resulting from a story involving the Better Business Bureau.

This made the eighth consecutive year Griffin has won Press Club awards, and his 11th out of the

last 12 years.