Silver Quill presented and nominated by Michelle Molyneux

Kerry Anderson’s career started in 1977 with a photojournalism course at SAIT. Upon graduating he worked at the Claresholm Local Press, Sedgewick Community Press and Coronation Review before becoming a partner in the Wainwright Star Chronicle in 1985 at the age of 26 with Gordon and Monte Keith.

Upon dissolving that partnership, Kerry moved on to work for Rick Truss and became partners with him at The Community Press in 1989. Since then, Kerry has bought out Rick and has purchased The Community Press, Viking Weekly Review, Tofield Mercury, East Central Times and just last Oct. 2005 started up the Lamont Leader. Kerry works as publisher for all four weekly publications and the monthly shopper.

Through the years his papers have won awards for Best News Story, Best Editorials, Best Advertising Award, Best Arts Coverage and numerous Fire Prevention Week Awards.

Kerry prides himself as a tireless worker, and aside from usual management duties and sales, his love of sports came out by writing a popular sports column for 20 years called “From The Stands,” where he commented on national sporting events and promoted local sports teams and noteworthy individuals.

A volunteer in the community, Kerry has been an Active 20/30 Club member at the youngest possible age and was publisher of the club’s bulletin. He coached baseball for 12 years and was a Lions Club member for over 20 years where he served as president and secretary and was on too many committees to name. While Lions Club president in Killam, Kerry was also serving as president of that town’s Chamber of Commerce. Only a couple of years later he was elected president of the neighbouring Sedgewick Chamber of Commerce as well.

Kerry’s volunteer work has gone beyond local towns, as he has been recognized by the Canadian Red Cross for raising funds and supplies for Manitoba flood victims, Kosova refugees, Tsunami relief, Hurricane Katrina and much more — all initiated through newspaper campaigns.

Inspired by his mother’s successful fight with breast cancer, Kerry works as a volunteer for the Canadian Cancer Society. Just in 2005 the Canadian Cancer Society in their newspaper recognized Kerry and me, as their active media liaisons. We distribute filler ads and news releases to all print media in Alberta for The Society.

Now 47 years old, Kerry is proud of his 19-year-old son Eric who is assistant manager at the Sedgewick location, where he has worked his way up learning every aspect of the business since in school.

Kerry and I live happily on an acreage west of Tofield with our young son, Brennan.

Good evening everyone.

I have the great pleasure of presenting Joyce Webster, owner of the Coronation Review, with her well-deserved Silver Quill.

You always hear about people in this great industry who have ink in their veins. Well, Joyce is a farm girl and rancher and is the owner of a quarter-section of land in Coronation. Is it ink in her veins or … something else?

Twenty-five years ago, once her older boys were settled into grade school, Joyce decided to get off the farm in search for an additional challenge. One of the few jobs available back then was an opening at the Coronation Review as a typesetter, bookkeeper and receptionist.

Knowing how to type, plus having done the farm books and of course, being able to talk on the phone, Joyce figured this job would be a good start to pass the time while her boys were in school.

She was hired for the job and continued to work in this position until 1985 when the owners approached her about buying the paper. At first Joyce figured all she could do was type, answer phones and record numbers. She couldn’t possibly run a business and a newspaper business at that. Or could she?

With her sense of adventure, and a little fear, she took up the challenge and has never looked back. In her first year of owning the Review, Joyce increased sales by 38% and circulation was up 21% within the first five years.

Since then she has continued to increase the size of her business adding a Regional product. It started out as a quarterly product in 1996 and has grown into a twice a month publication.

Almost immediately after purchasing the newspaper, Joyce was elected to the AWNA board of directors and remained on the board until 2005. During that time she served as corporate secretary, chairman of the membership committee, chairman of the membership review committee which was instrumental in setting out the guidelines for all member papers, guidelines we still use today. She was also a member of the executive committee and was elected president of the association in 1990.

In 1996, Joyce was elected to the CCNA board of directors. While on the board she served on many committees including convention committees and the VC committee. From 1998 she was on the executive committee and became president in 2003. She was past-president and chairman of the CCNA board from 2004 to 2005.

In 2004 when her term as president with CCNA came to an end, Joyce received her Gold Quill award. She is one of a very few who have received a Gold Quill before she received her Silver one.

Despite her involvement in the associations, Joyce’s paper has continued to win editorial awards including the best local editorial award three years in a row. Her paper has also won several general excellence and individual awards over the years.

Joyce herself was honored in 1997 with the AWNA “Bill Draayer Award” for outstanding personal contribution to the progress and development of the Alberta Weekly Newspaper Association.

Joyce has not only been busy with association business, she has also kept very busy in her community. She was a member of the Coronation Economic Development Board, president of the Coronation and District Chamber of Commerce and a member since 1985, chairman of the Tourism Action Committee, president of the Castor Rising Stars Toastmasters Club, and a member of Coronation & District Health Care Complex Foundation board, Battle River Tourist Association and the Coronation and District Historical Society,

Joyce and a friend also spearheaded the "Ladies' Night Out" in her community and together they have  raised close to $20,000 for local community projects.

And … She still had time to be a Laybencher with the Alberta Law Society for six years and was an appointed member of the RCMP Complaints Commission for another six years.

She shares all of this and more with her partner, Tracy, and their four boys, Brady, Jordan, Colin and Nolan.

Joyce may not have started out in this industry with ink in her veins, but what there is now is much better -- dedication, enthusiasm, commitment, eagerness and devotion to this great industry.

Thank you, Joyce.

Note to the reader. This is the speech that I gave at the Radission Hotel in Calgary on Sept. 16 in making the presentation of the Silver Quill Award to George Brown, the publisher of The Devon Dispatch News and The Beaumont News.
By Hugh Johnston
As we get set to honour George Brown, I should point out that as a former reporter, editor and publisher, I decided to undertake some research before attempting tonight's task. Anthony Kovats, as one of George's colleagues in the early years, proved invaluable in providing me with information.

George's newspaper career really began when he was just a little kid growing up in Napanee, Ontario. He delivered papers for the Toronto Star, Kingston Whig Standard and the Toronto Telegram. He was quick to pick up on the fact that the dailies ran mostly the same lead stories but that they were told from a different point of view. The Napanee Beaver on the other hand, where his aunt was production manager, was the only paper that focused mainly on the Napanee area, something that also would stay with George.

In 1979 George decided to head west young man, where he enrolled in the two-year Journalism course at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton. When I was on the Alberta Press Council one of my colleagues was Adrian Kennedy, who was one of George's instructors. In 1998 I would be asking him for a reference on George who had applied for the job of editor at our two papers in Devon and Beaumont. He described George as a tenacious reporter who liked doing things himself and had the drive of a perfectionist. He was determined like a bulldog in pursuing what he wanted, I recall Adrian saying.

Upon graduation in 1981, George had a brief stop at The Lamont Triangle and then it was on The Sylvan Lake News where he got the prime compliment that an aspiring journalist could receive. He was referred to as "disturbing influence."

George's next stop was Wetaskiwin, where with The Times Advertiser he racked up many awards for his newspaper and his staff. From special sections to hard-hitting front page stories or biting editorials, the paper was on the march.

One of his charges at the time was Anthony Kovats, who would soon refer to George as a mentor. “It wasn't easy to work for George but if you bought into his ideas, which meant total commitment and discipline, you would succeed,” Anthony said. “We called ourselves the DOGS, which stands for Disciples of George.” Many of George's former reporters are now editors are larger newspapers.

In 1998 Mary Ann and I decided it was time to hire a full-time editor. After 13 years of laying out the paper, covering stories, writing editorials and leading the news staff, it was time to bring in something different. It wasn't that easy for George at first because coming from a larger paper like Wetaskiwin and then Strathmore, ours was rather different. Two reporters, two newspapers that are definitely different, and one editor. Once he made the adjustment, he started to put his own imprint on the newspapers.

Together George and his significant other, Julie Anne McRae, who became our production manager in 2001, reshaped the look of both papers with a dramatic new layout including the flag, masthead, column sizes, photo credits, type styles. It was an instant hit with both the readers and the publisher. George was quite the taskmaster and he drove the news staff hard. But the person he drove the hardest was himself. He would be one of the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at night. I used to have a helluva job every year getting him to take holidays. He was a stickler for accuracy and hated to be beaten on a story, which didn't happen often.

He also believed in being connected to the community and served as vice-president of the Devon and District Chamber of Commerce for five years, and now sits as vice-chair of the Devon Economic Development Board. Last year he was elected to the AWNA board where he has served as symposium chairman, and has judged better newspaper competitions for papers from other provincial and foreign jurisdictions. He was also elected as the second vice-president and corporate secretary of the AWNA.

George also joined the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors, which has members all over the world. Once a year they have a competition and the top 12 entrants get recognition from their peers at their annual conference. George's editorial on the monarchy and its future made the Golden Dozen, which means his work ranked with the top 12 in the world; quite an achievement for a small pair of Alberta weeklies.

In the fall of 2002 Mary Ann and I decided to move to Victoria, B.C. to see what the island was like as a possible retirement location. We stayed 3 1/2 years and in our absence we appointed George and Julie Anne as co-managers. I was still in daily contact by either phone or email and would return for a visit about once every six weeks. We never skipped a beat mainly because of the management skills of both George and Julie Anne. So when we sold the papers in May I wasn't surprised when they appointed George publisher.

He was ready to move up. He is quite the sports fan and despite living in Alberta, still stubbornly cheers for the Blue Jays, Maple Leafs and Argos. One day I noticed this small football on his desk that was coloured orange and brown. "What's with the ball?" I asked. "Hey, it’s my team, the Cleveland Browns,” said George Brown. Well all of your teams have a lot in common; they tend to lose.

Twenty-five years of service is a major accomplishment in any occupation but it is an even greater challenge in the newspaper business. George was an excellent employee and even though we would have our share of healthy arguments, they were always for the good of the newspaper and I truly believe that we always respected the other's point of view.

It is time to salute the Old Brown Dog and you know the year 2007 just might be the one where the Leafs win the Stanley Cup.

Jack Murphy didn’t realize he was setting the course for his life’s work that day in 1968 when he contacted The Macleod Gazette about a job in the front office.

Jack wound up with more than a job 38 years ago. He found his life’s calling as an employee, partner and the eventual sole publisher of his home town’s newspaper.

Jack was just 19 and boxing groceries in the White Hall Grocery Store when his former math teacher let him know about an opening at The Gazette. That former math teacher, Marg Moses, had an "in" at the newspaper. Her husband Cliff just happened to be the editor.

Perhaps Marg Moses saw the same things in the young Fort Macleod man that high school counsellor Roy White had recognized. He told Murphy he would be good at either journalism or accounting.

The newspaper proved a good fit.

A lifetime resident of Fort Macleod, Jack had tried the University of Lethbridge after graduating from high school. He had designs on studying journalism, but his studies didn’t last long; something about a small town boy not finding a comfortable fit in a big university.

Following his counsellor’s advice, Jack had passed the entrance exams to become an accountant. But he didn’t follow through. That proved to be Fort Macleod’s good fortune.

Jack worked as a bookkeeper at the beginning of his career at The Macleod Gazette. But it was the goings-on in the back of the shop that clinched his love affair with the newspaper that he grew up reading.

The clatter and clanking of the linotype, and the smell of the ink and melting lead proved too enticing for the young man, who soon migrated to the back shop from the front office and found himself setting type for the newspaper and commercial printing jobs, and hand-feeding paper into the presses.

Cliff Moses was a willing teacher and became Jack’s mentor. Like Jack’s high school counselor, and like math teacher Marg Moses, Cliff must have seen something in the young man because in 1975 he approached Jack with the idea of buying The Macleod Gazette from the Jessup family in 1975.

With ownership, the newspaper became an even bigger part of Jack’s life as Cliff continued to mentor his young partner. As the newspaper business changed Jack took on the roles of ad salesman and eventually began writing stories. Cliff kept putting responsibilities on the end of the table and Jack kept walking by and picking them up. The two shared a laugh about that some years later.

Cliff and Jack worked shoulder-to-shoulder at The Macleod Gazette, leading the paper through the technological changes that saw hot type giving way to cold, and Compugraphic machines surrender to Macintosh computers and desktop publishing.

When Cliff died, far too early, Jack carried on in a partnership with Cliff’s daughter Allison, and then later as the sole owner of The Macleod Gazette, which holds the title as the longest continuing published newspaper in Alberta, having started in 1882.

Through the years Jack wrote for the paper, chasing fire trucks, attending council meetings and writing any stories that needed telling. He said this about his reporting career: “There probably wasn’t much I didn’t write. They were all good stories, and I never tired of writing them.”

Jack’s philosophy of newspapering – to chronicle every little piece that went on in town, all the little triumphs and tragedies – stands today as excellent advice for the latest generation of newspaper men and women.

Fort Macleod had its share of big stories – such as the opening of the UNESCO world Heritage Site, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump – but Jack believed that every story was important.

In fact, when pressed to recall some of the stories he covered in his years at The Macleod Gazette, Jack’s mind turned to some of the more tragic ones – the deaths of some of his town’s young people. Those were not the recollections of a hard-nosed newspaperman in love with sensational headlines to help sell papers. They were the recollections of a man who loved his community and the people in it, and felt every success – and every tragic loss – very personally.

When Jack decided to “downsize” himself and sell the paper to spend more time with his wife Florence and their family, he said what he would miss the most about the newspaper business was the connection to the community that it brought. Jack took with him a lifetime of good memories about The Macleod Gazette and its role in the community.

When he looked back in 2001 on his career after selling the paper, this is what Jack said: “The town has to have a paper, and if the only legacy that I leave is the paper was still running when I sold it, I could go to my grave happy.”

Well, despite his modest claims, Jack left a much bigger legacy, one that includes:

Dedication and selfless service to his home town.

A commitment to editorial excellence, the proof of which lies in the esteem in which Jack has held by the people of Fort Macleod and the many awards the Gazette won during his tenure.

And finally, an example of commitment to community that stands as an example for the rest of us in this business.

We owe a debt of gratitude to men and women such as Jack Murphy, who led by example, who showed grit and determination to keep putting the newspaper on the street each week, and who set the bar high for the rest of us.

Ladies and gentlemen, please join me tonight in celebrating one of the last of that rare breed of home town newspapermen, Jack Murphy.

In 1969 Diana Walker and her mother, Helen Ball, purchased the Oyen Echo and have operated it since. I’m not sure which of these ladies I should talk about first, as both have been life-long contributors to their community.

Helen Ball was born to English immigrants, November 14, 1924 at Oyen. Her mother had been a schoolteacher and fostered a love of literature in Helen at an early age. Her father and brother were musicians, so Helen grew up in a musical atmosphere. She completed her High School in Oyen and on December 18, 1944 was married to Jim Ball. Among her community endeavors she held various executive positions with the Oyen Home & School, Oyen Flying Club, East Central Riding & Roping Association, Kinette Club, Legion Auxiliary, United Church, Big Country Tourist Association, and the Oyen Public School.

Helen and Diana purchased the Oyen Echo from Bunny and Dave Snideman in 1969. They continued to operate the advertising circular until 1974 when they sold to Holmes Publishing of Medicine Hat. They hired on as co-editors beginning a weekly newspaper on April Fool’s Day of that year. Since then, the circulation and staff have grown. Coincidentally, in the 1980s, Helen found out that her father and her uncle had been Printer’s Devils in England before coming to Canada.

Helen accompanied Jim and his band to hundreds of dances that he played for during the years, while also keeping the books for his farming and construction business. She received the honor of being named Citizen of the Year by the Oyen Lions Club in 1985. She is still active in the community —- a mother of three and grandmother of nine who goes to work every day at the Oyen Echo.

Diana (Ball) Walker was born December 21, 1947 at Oyen and is the youngest daughter of Jim and Helen Ball. She received her schooling in Oyen and went on to the University of Calgary. From a young age she enjoyed meetings, and would play games with her little friends organizing them into a “club” and charging a few cents' “dues” for their treasury. In fact, she came up with all kinds of diversions, being the ring leader of some less desirable endeavors, as well! She was active in her school years, sitting on the Students Union and other groups. She wanted to pursue many avenues such as hair stylist, taxidermist, teacher. The University in Calgary told her she had a high interest in everything and a specific interest in nothing — good grounding for the newspaper business.

Her recreation time was spent riding horses, halter breaking colts and chasing cows. In winter she loved figure skating. With her marriage to Fred Walker on October 22, 1966 she found a kindred spirit with as great a love of horses. Their first years together were spent at One Four, near Manyberries where Fred worked at the Experimental Station. In 1969 they moved back to Oyen to help Diana’s dad with the cattle and horses and this was the year that she became editor of The Oyen Echo.

Following her mother’s lead and love of music, Diana studied music, specifically piano and joined her dad in the band. She also devoted her talents to many clubs and organizations. She has served on the executive of the Oyen & District Chamber of Commerce for many years, the Meals on Wheels program, moderated political forums, became a life member of the Big Country Agricultural Society, Fair Convener, booking clerk for the Crossroads Centre, active in 4-H, was assistant leader of the Bindloss Multi-Club before organizing and leading the Thundering Hooves, member and founding president of the Oyen Lioness Club, member of Communities in Bloom, representative on the Big Country Recycling Council, serves on the Alberta Weekly Newspapers Associations’ Education and Scholarship Committee, and this evening was installed as a Director of the AWNA.

Diana and Fred have five children, some of whom are here tonight to see her accept this award, and Lee Ann will accept for her grandmother. They also have six grandchildren and over the years opened their home to six foster children. Diana is supportedly whole-heartedly in all her endeavors by her husband and is devoted to her family, her friends, colleagues and community.