Kern County Family received five silver awards for editorial and design at the national Parenting Media Association conference and awards banquet in Chicago, which recognizes excellence among parenting publications from across the country. Submissions are judged by a panel from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, which looks for the best in local and regional parenting publications, special issues, websites, and social media. KCFM editor and staff are honored to receive recognition in various categories.

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Silver Awards

Design Category: Ancillary Cover: “2024 Holiday Fun & Games”; LJ Radon, Fran Sherman, James Jamot, and Roxanne Ricker

Judge’s Comments: “Cute and whimsical characters, including birds, a bear, a fox and even happy snow clouds sing a visual harmony that wonderfully complement the type and cover lines that are fearlessly creative and wildly appropriate. The style and quality of the wintery illustration is surreal, celebratory, exciting and fun. The cover is exciting, delightful and a noteworthy representation of holiday fun.”

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Design Category: Front Cover: Illustration: “December 2024 Holiday”; LJ Radon, Fran Sherman, James Jamot, and Roxanne Ricker

Judge’s Comments: “This cheerful cover takes readers on an illustrative journey through holiday themes. The hand-drawn style adds a whimsical, approachable charm that perfectly supports December’s content. Muted tones allow the masthead and teaser text to pop, with clean typography making it easy to navigate.”

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Editorial Category: Briefs/Short Stuff: “Refrigerator Door”; LJ Radon, Roxanne Ricker, and Vaun Thygerson

Judge’s Comments: “This collection of short news items keeps parents up to date while also celebrating the successes of local organizations. Each mini-story contains lots of relevant details.”

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Editorial Category: Non-Traditional Story Form: “Five Ways to Honor Veterans”; LJ Radon, Callie Collins, and Roxanne Ricker

Judge’s Comments: “This helpful article offers five nice ideas for teaching kids to honor veterans. The material is clearly organized and tightly written.”

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Editorial Category: Recurring Column: “Hello, Happy Mama”; LJ Radon, Callie Collins, and Roxanne Ricker

Judge’s Comments: “This column smartly showcases mothers in the community who are making a difference. Their stories are touching and meaningful, and the content provides a window into their experiences with which readers can easily relate. The writing is clear and concise while still being conversational for the reader.”