Times' DeGregory honored with national award

St. Petersburg Times staff writer Lane DeGregory has won the prestigious American Society of Newspaper Editors Distinguished Writing Award for Nondeadline Writing, the editors’ group announced today.

DeGregory, 41, won for a portfolio of five stories. Among them were a profile of daredevil Evel Knievel; a piece about Susan Stanton, the transgendered former Largo city manager; and a story about Pinellas School Board member Nancy Bostock’s decision to give up her adopted son.

DeGregory, who joined the Times in 2000, was a finalist in the ASNE contest twice before, in 2004 and 2006.

She will receive the award on April 14 in Washington, D.C.

You can read her winning entries here.

- Times staff writer

Comments

[Larry Wayne Williams]

was informed by Sen Martinez that since no issues were on the table of "discrimination in the neighborhood" we as a black race not appreciated, respected, welcomed in the community of Clearwater.

Larry W Williams
1339 Park St
Clearwater Fl 33756

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sex, national origin.
It is also illegal to discriminate in any aspect of employment.
This includes employment decisions based on stereotypes or assumptions about the abilities, traits or performance of individuals of a certain sex, race, religion, or ethnic group.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 prohibits employment discrimination against persons 40 years of age of older.

The Best Western Hotel, Gulfview Blvd., on Clearwater Beach has be a violator of these charges.

My first encounter in seeking employment was Monday August 6, 2007. I was never contacted by management so I basically gave in to the reality of there not hiring at that moment. I was told to return to the property in question on Wed. August 15,2007, due to the fact the son of the owner was interviewing qualifying applicants for employment in the areas of the restaurant and lounge. I once again made a trip with hopes of at least getting a chance to make a presentation. That was no to be either. I had resigned to the realization that I would never be a hire. I received an additional summons to make an appearance to said property on Monday, Sept. 17, 2007, because they had been interviewing persons for hire. I arrived on the property with a friend in tow. (Statement by Traci Erickson). I was told that they weren't hiring and that they hadn't hires anyone in three months. Meaning they had not hired any person in any position on the property of the Best Western Hotel on Clearwater Beach since June 17, 2007. OK? We left. On Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2007 we once again went to the hotel. Traci wanted me to go with her to put in an application. I asked about my application and was told by the restaurant that he was looking over the applications for possible hiring and again he said they had not hired anyone. As I looked around the restaurant and lounge I would swear under oath I saw unfamiliar faces from prior visit to the establishment. So I wondered if i was, as organizations that discriminate do, being lied to. Upon hearing allegations that the Best Western was hiring females only for the lounge, I as another friend(statement by Lara) if she would go there and inquire about a job. They wanted to basically hire her on the spot. She never went back because she knows they discriminated against her friend, me.
This is when I got mad enough to file charges with EEOC. It is appalling that these activities and practices are still being exercised by those in power like the Best Western Hotel on Clearwater Beach.