The Page One Awards

I have been involved in one way or another in the Page One Awards ever since it began. Last night was the 33rd ceremony honoring the top high school students and teachers in the area.

For me professionally, it's the best night of the year.

In the newsroom only Jenny Chandler and I have taken part in the awards show since the beginning now that Richard Hyatt retired. He was replaced this year by Tim Chitwood.

I've helped find judges. I've helped register students for their judging. I've been a judge. I've helped with registration the night of the ceremony. I've been the onstage wrangler, helping students get to where they're supposed to be. And I've been an onstage presenter.

I have missed only three actual ceremonies because of vacations. Once, I was in Florida, another time I was in Japan and the last time, in 2005, I was in Las Vegas. But even those years, I helped on judging day.

It's just the best night. The students are nervous and then when they win, they're so excited. One night, the girl who won in her category, was crying with joy. She said the money will help her go to college.

My friend Oz Roberts was a Page One nominee in art. He's now Aflac's second vice president in charge of special events. He's also the company's photo chief.

Every year, he complains to me that he'd like to be a judge but no one calls him. I told him he had to be in town to be able to judge! Maybe one year he can do that.

One of my favorite memories was the year that Chin Wang was a nominee. I worked with a lot of teenagers back in those days when we had a teen section and sponsored the Boy Scouts Explorer program for aspiring journalists. Chin was one of the kids who worked on the teen section. The ceremony was still in the Three Arts Theatre. She and her friend, Nami (I can't remember her last name) were in the lobby when I said good night to them. Nami was a nominee in the Foreign Language category.

I went on the after-party.

About 15 minutes after I got there, Lawrence Smith, who was the photo chief back then and organized Page One with Debbie King, walks in with Chin and Nami.

He asked me, "Do you know these girls?"

I said, "Of course."

Lawrence then said, "They're yours."

Huh?

Chin told me that Nami's parents thought that Chin's parents would take her home. Chin's parents thought Nami's parents would take her home. Both sets of parents left.

Lawrence, who was the last person at the theater, found them wandering around. And if you know that area, it's not a place for young girls at 10 p.m.

He asked them if someone would take them home. They said that I would!

Chin and Nami stayed and schmoozed with all of my colleagues and they were the hit of the party.

Of course, I took them home.

We don't have the after-party any more. Instead, we have a luncheon for the Ledger-Enquirer volunteers later in the month.

Like I said, it's the best night of the year for me.

Last night's ceremony was great. It was the first for our publisher, Valerie Canepa. She did a fantastic job! It was, as I said, Tim's first time as the "voice" of the show, and he did a great job, too.

But I miss Richard.

For several years, I wore a kimono for Page One. My sister would drop me off and Richard would drive me home. Believe me, it's difficult to drive a car wearing an obi.

One year, my mother asked Richard if he were hungry. Right. Richard not hungry? Never happens. She fixed him a dish that's often fixed for breakfast in Japan and he absolutely loved it. He asked for the recipe, which my mother gave him. Richard has told me that he still fixes it now and then.

For 33 years, I've had memories like these. And they'll last forever.

I'll see you there next year.