2003 CWA Communications Contest
Muse Medallion^TM (*) & Certificate of Excellence Winners

The regular category entries below were scored independently by three CWA member judges who had no knowledge of who else shared their judging assignments. Each judge awarded points on a scale of 1-100, and forwarded the results to the Contest Chair. The three scores were then averaged by the Contest Chair to calculate the Certificate of Excellence winners and Muse Medallion^TM recipients.

In the past, the three to five highest scoring entries in each category automatically received a Certificate of Excellence award-but at times this meant recognition went to less-than-outstanding work. Therefore, the Contest Committee determined entries must reflect a certain standard of excellence to be mentioned as a finalist. The Certificate of Excellence citations below indicate the entry received an average score of 90 points or higher. Recipients of the Muse Medallion^TM (shown right) scored highest in this outstanding field of excellence and will be announced at the 2003 annual conference. Winners are indicated by an asterisk(*).

Congratulations to all of the winners!

Category I.    Magazines
Category II.   Newspapers
Category III.   Newsletters
Category IV.  Short Story, Poetry, Humor, Miscellaneous
Category V.  Books
Category VI.   Non-Print Media
Category VII.  Graphic Arts

Category I. Magazines

I.1: Yearbook or Annual

* Bridget C. Johnson - Kittens USA - Fancy Publications
     Judge's comments: "The articles were easy to read and understand, and very upbeat."

I.2: Magazine - National Circulation

* Bridget C. Johnson - Cat Fancy - Fancy Publications
     Judge's comments: "Overall this magazine is doing an excellent job of addressing its established audience and perhaps moving beyond."

I.3: Magazine - Regional Circulation

No entries

I.4. Magazine Article /Feature on Health Care

Marty Becker & Steve Garner - Out of Joint - Cat Fancy
Marty Becker & Janice Willard - Save Your Cat's Life - Cat Fancy
* Arden Moore - 9 Ways to End the Weight - Cat Fancy
     Judge's comments: ""Very relevant topic today with so many cats living indoors."
Arnold Plotnick - Fighting Feline Aids - Cat Fancy

I.5. Magazine Article/Feature on Training/Behavior

* Ron Bast - Playing for Keeps - Cat Fancy
     Judge's comments: "An extremely valuable article, as so many people still do not understand felines, and this article is just so good in terms of showing people how to work through the problems and not just hand the cat over to a shelter."

I.6. Magazine Article/Feature on Any Other Topic

Susan McCullough - Giving Spot Away - ASPCA Animal Watch
* Wendy Christensen - Cats and Humans: An Ancient Bond - Cat Fancy
     Judge's comments: "Beautifully written, fascinating account of the history of humans and cats. I didn't yawn once."
Wendy Christensen - Introduction to Felines 101 - Dogs in Canada
Susan Easterly - Feline Reprieve from Overpopulation - Cat Fancy
Christy Heiger-Casbon - Inside Is Paradise - Kittens USA
Bridget Johnson, Cats and War - Cat Fancy
Kim Thornton - Therapy With a Purr - Your Cat
Kim Thornton - Second Chance Cats - Your Cat

I.7. Magazine Column

Arden Moore - Unsung Hero - Cat Fancy
Karen S. Phillips- Cat Care 101 - Cat Fancy
Arnold Plotnick - The Vet Files - Cat Fancy
* Arnold Plotnick - Feline Frontiers - Cat Fancy
     Judge's comments: "He writes with a plain-spoken naturalness..his columns are lively, flavorful narratives that reflect a compassionate realism."
Sandy Robins - Book Reviews - Cat Fancy
Elaine Wexler-Mitchell - Ask the Vet - Cat Fancy

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Category II. Newspapers

II.1: Newspaper Article

Steve Dale - Cats May Help Us Learn More About SARS - My Pet World/Tribune Media Services
* Clea Simon - Cat Burglar - Boston Phoenix
     Judge's comments: "A sheer delight."
Stephanie Waite - Fixed to Be Free - Beaver County Times

II.2: Newspaper Column

Steve Dale - My Pet World - Tribune Media Services
* Amy D. Shojai - P'Etiquette - Sherman Herald Democrat
     Judge's comments: "She does have a knack of placing a lot of really good information into a restricted space, in a clear and concise manner."

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Category III. Newspapers

III.1: Newsletters: Breed Specific

* Evelyn Russell - Scottish Fold Association Newsletter
     Judge's comments: "All I can say is "Wow!" This newsletter should be the model for all newsletters."

III.2: Newsletters: Others, National Circulation (TIE)

* Arden Moore - Catnip - Tufts University
     Judge's comments: "The style is lively yet professional and easy to understand."
* Kris Rerecich - Alley Cat Action - Alley Cat Allies
     Judge's comments: "Was most consistent, concise and to the point."

III.3: Newsletter Article: Health & Care

Wendy Christensen - Feline Hypertension: A Silent Threat - CatWatch
Wendy Christensen - Hyperthyroidism - CatWatch
* Elissa Wolfson - The Skinny on Fat Cats - CatWatch
     Judge's comments: "The winner brought her subject home with inspired writing and quotes from cat owners."
Elissa Wolfson - A Finicky Feline: Coax-Feeding Your Sick Cat - CatWatch

III.4: Newsletter Article: Other Topics (TIE)

Bev Caldwell - Introducing Adult Cats - CatWatch
* Wendy Christensen - Copy Cat: Feline Cloning - Catnip
     Judge's comments: "The top articles took topics that are not particularly new and made them so."
Karen Commings - Doing What Comes Naturally - CatWatch
Rikke Jorgensen - Cardiac Kitties Melt Hearts - Our Animals
* Arden Moore - Love Medicine - Catnip
     Judge's comments: "The top articles took topics that are not particularly new and made them so."
Arden Moore - Scaredy Cat Syndrome - Catnip
Arden Moore - How to Solve Urine Marking - Catnip
Dusty Rainbolt - Troubleshooting for Kittens - Catnip
Kris Rerecich - Building the Body of Scientific Evidence that TNR Works - Feral Cat Activist
Elissa Wolfson - How to Help Homeless Cats- CatWatch