The Journal of the San Juan Islands won seven awards in the 2009 Better Newspapers Contest hosted by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association.

The awards included first place for the newspaper’s Friday Harbor Centennial special section published in February.

Winners were chosen from a total of 2,493 entries submitted by 80 member newspapers. The Pennsylvania Newspaper Association judged WNPA’s contest this year. Winners were announced at the Better Newspaper Contest Awards Dinner during WNPA’s 122nd annual convention, Thursday through Saturday, at the Red Lion Hotel in Olympia.

The Journal received the following awards.

— First place: Best Special Section — Special Events/Festivals (Friday Harbor Centennial), staff.

— First place: Best Crime and Courts Story (“Reaves: ‘I can’t bring my brother back'”), Scott Rasmussen.

— First place: Best News of the Weird (“Stoddard: ‘Salmon Yoga’ has serious message”), Richard Walker.

— First place: Best Use of One Spot Color + Black in ROP Ad (Mosquito Fleet Mercantile), Ron Bates and Rebecca Cook.

— First place: Best Use of Process Color in an Ad, Smaller than Full Page (Banana Belt), Ron Bates and Rebecca Cook.

— Second place: Best Use of Clip Art in an Ad (MarketPlace), Howard Schonberger, Rebecca Cook and Michael D’Abrosca.

— Third place: Best Breaking News Story (“Super centennial”), Richard Walker and Scott Rasmussen.