Coveted Community Service Award won by The Rochester Voice at NHPA banquet

Rochester Voice editor Harrison Thorp was honored with the coveted Community Service Award last Thursday at the New Hampshire Press Association Distinguished Journalism banquet in Manchester. (Courtesy photo)

MANCHESTER - A week ago tonight The Rochester Voice was honored with one of the most coveted and prestigious awards given to news organizations during the New Hampshire Press Association's Distinguished Journalism Awards banquet.
The banquet was held at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm's College where writers, editors, graphic artists and photographers from some 30 news organizations from across the state gathered to honor those chosen by judges - from other states - to have excelled in their craft.
The Rochester Voice received a first place in Community Service for its series of stories revolving around the city's flawed purchase of an East Rochester land parcel for a future third city fire station.
The entry, titled "Flawed city land purchase turned into a 5-alarm fire," comprised a series of five stories including a Rochester Voice editorial titled, "Keystone Cops? Devious skuldugery? Or a typical city at work on a Tuesday night?" and another article produced the day after the land purchase was OK'd under mysterious circumstances titled, "If at first you don't succeed ... have a secret meeting till you do succeed."
"We're proud and humbled all at once," said Rochester Voice editor Harrison Thorp. "There are so many great news organizations in this state I was overwhelmed when I heard The Rochester Voice named as the first-place winner."
"This is what The Voice is all about," added Rochester Voice President Martha T. Soto Galicia. "When government messes up they have to be held accountable. That's our job."
The Community Service Award "recognizes journalism that performs a public service through compelling coverage of a vital community issue or event, either by an individual member or by members who collaborated on a community service project," according to the NHPA Distinguished Journalism contest rules page. "Entries should be above and beyond routine coverage and should contribute substantially to understanding or solution of community issues. Entrants will also be judged to what extent they furthered the welfare and progress of their communities."
The Rochester Voice also won a second-place award for crime reporting for its coverage of the trial of a former Milton DPW chief found guilty of trying to bilk a Rochester woman's $2 million dollar estate following her passing.
Below are links to the award-winning stories that comprised the Community Service award entries.
https://www.therochestervoice.com/city-eyes-299g-parcel-in-east-rochester-for-site-of-third-rochester-fire-station-cms-18858
https://www.therochestervoice.com/if-at-first-you-dont-succeed-have-a-secret-meeting-till-you-do-succeed-cms-18908
https://www.therochestervoice.com/longtime-real-estate-agent-city-councilors-mayor-likely-flipped-over-lawsuit-threat--cms-18925
https://www.therochestervoice.com/keystone-cops-devious-skullduggery-or-a-typical-city-at-work-on-a-tuesday-night--cms-18943
https://www.therochestervoice.com/beaudoin-citys-flawed-purchase-and-sale-agreement-tied-councils-hands--cms-19148