Acorn photographer wins CNPA first place
Also received honorable mention

TOP PRIZE- Jann Hendry's CNPA-winning photo shows second-graders Emily Demsetz and David Huang of Lang Ranch Elementary School in Thousand Oaks taking part in a school geography bee. Expression tells it all.

Jann Hendry, photo editor for the five editions of the Acorn, received first place honors last weekend in the California Newspaper Publishers Association's Better Newspapers Contest.

Hendry's picture of two second-graders reacting with glee to their win over older children in a school geography bee was published March 23, 2006 in the Thousand Oaks Acorn. The winning shot was the only black-and-white photo entered in the Breaking News category.

Hendry, who has been with the Acorn newspapers for three years, attended the CNPA's July 14 awards presentation in San Francisco. She had been notified that she was among the finalists for first place.

She also recently received honorable mention certificates from the publishers' association for Spot News, Features and Sports photos taken last year for the Simi Valley and Camarillo Acorns.

Newspapers compete with other CNPA member publications in similar circulation ranges.

More than 1,000 entries were submitted to the contest this year. The entries are judged by panels of CNPA members.