Lupa Jernigan and Lisa Morton proudly display Robert’s award.
Photo by Adrian Gilmore
By Lisa Morton
The legacy of The Advocate’s late Editor in Chief, Robert Morales continues with honors this past weekend by the Texas Press Association in their 2016 Texas Better Newspaper Contest, (TBNC). Acknowledgment in Editorial Writing is what an Editor hopes for when being judged by his peers. Robert’s time on earth ends with this prestigious footnote of a first place award in this category. “I remember the Op/Ed,” said Lupa Jernigan, a former contributor of The Advocate and a third place winner herself. Ms. Jernigan’s winning article was on the recent controversial proposed nuclear waste site that ultimately died on the vine in Culberson County.
Robert’s editorial about the State Legislature included this bold comment, “We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, it’s time for the Texas Constitution to opt for a full-time legislature, a well-paid legislature that doesn’t depend on wealthy persons who can stay away from their jobs and their towns for more than months”.
A fourth place award in Feature Writing, was awarded for an article written by Lisa Morton, “ Juarez – a City Trying to Come Back.” A critic from an Oklahoma Press Association said that he liked how the story was told through the eyes of the writer, who was also a tourist. Robert’s feature on Shane and Lacrecia Grubb, a human-interest story about their opening of L & S Supercenter was also praised, with the judge remarking that the piece was “fun to read with an interesting man to write about.”
“I am very happy that my brother’s work was validated by his peers, but saddened that his life was cut short before reaching the apex of his potential,” said Gilda Morales, The Advocates’ inherent Editor. Gilda adds, “We will strive to maintain the higher bar he has set.”
Congratulations to our neighbor far West Texas publishers for their awards in the contest, recognizing their consistently outstanding work.
