Village News Inc. wins seven Press Club awards

SAN DIEGO—Balboa Park’s Hall of Champions was again the venue for the San Diego Press Club’s 38th Annual Excellence in Journalism Awards banquet held on October 25. Freelance media professionals Nathalie Taylor and Christine Rinaldi took home a total of six awards and a release citing the Better Business Bureau won one award for items published in Village News Inc. products.

In the Restaurant Review category, Taylor took a first and second for articles published in the Village Lifestyle Magazine; and a third in the Food category for a Village News story, bringing her award total to 34 since 2004.

Rinaldi swept the Photography: Photo Essay category placing first, second and third for photographs published in the Village News.

The Fallbrook/Bonsall Village News also captured a first place journalism writing award in Community Service/Public Affairs Reporting with “How to spot the red flags of investment seminars scams,” published Sept. 23, 2010 that quoted the San Diego Better Business Bureau.

Nathalie Taylor

Continuing her tradition of writing excellence with the ability to make the reader visualize and almost taste the cuisine, Taylor’s first place award in the Restaurant Review category was for the Village Lifestyle Magazine article, “Charge up your Holiday Spirit with the flavor-drenched cuisine of Le Bistro and El Jardin,” published in the November/December 2010 edition. Taylor also took the accompanying photographs.

To describe Le Bistro’s Beef Wellington, Taylor draws on her experience of living (and dining) in Europe, “…The succulent, yielding texture of filet mignon provides an anchor for this dish. Pté lends a provocative flavor and the puff pastry wrap is delicate and flavorful. Le Bistro’s enchanting port wine reduction sauce ties it all together with a sweet balance to the savory.”

El Jardin’s Enchiladas del Mar is described with insight, “… The tortilla concoction is then topped with melted cheese and sour cream, which softens the flavor and yields a milder taste… The variety of flavors blend like old friends in a mix that tastes like it was meant to be together. Remove any one ingredient and it just wouldn’t be the same.”

Taylor’s second place Restaurant Review article is entitled, “1600 Degrees of Perfection at the Oak Room,” which was published in the August 2010 issue of Village Lifestyle Magazine and describes beef entrees and lobster tails served at the elegant Pala Casino restaurant. The review aptly highlighted the tastes, flavors, and appearance of the cuisine prepared by the master chefs.

For her third place award Taylor was honored in the Food category for a story about three local establishments, Aquaterra at Pala Mesa Resort, La Caseta and Swirlz, and their entrees/desserts made from avocados. The story is entitled, “‘Tis the season for AVOCADO!” and was published April 14, 2011 in the Avocado Edition of the Village News. Taylor also took the photographs for this story.

Taylor, who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, also sits on the Advisory Board for the university’s College of Liberal Arts. As the principal at Krona Publications, Taylor works in public relations and free-lance print media features.

Christine Rinaldi

Rinaldi, again showing her expertise in photojournalism, made a clean sweep of the Photography: Photo Essay category placing first, second and third.

Her first place photograph essay, “Americana Prevails at Fourth of July Event,” was published July 8, 2010 in the Village News. This series of photographs captured the celebratory essence of the event with action shots of kayakers and a rubber duck derby. Rinaldi balanced her action photos with shots depicting the respectful mood as the color guard squad marched through the grounds of the Grand Tradition.

“Dogs Just Want to Have Fun at Foundation for Senior Care’s Paws in The Park,” published April 28, 2011 was Rinaldi’s second place work. Rinaldi has exceptional insight when it comes to dog photography as she runs a breeding program of Labrador Retrievers with a focus on service. Her dogs’ puppies go to several organizations including Guide Dogs of America, Tender Loving Canines and National Search & Rescue. She used this insight not only to capture the mood of the animals she photographed, but the doting and exuberant dog owners as well.

A photographic essay entitled, “Celebrating Spring with Fun and Games,” published April 28, 2011 was Rinaldi’s third place work. Her series of photographs chronicling the Fallbrook Community Center’s annual Egg Hunt on April 23 captured the springtime flavor of the event. Especially striking was a photo of Ayleen Escobedo, after she tied for first place in the bubble

blowing contest.

Rinaldi earned a Bachelors of Science degree from the University of San Francisco in Information Systems Management after which she specialized in computer and data security, electronic voting systems, and healthcare computer systems. With a 30-year passion for photography, she has taken numerous classes in the art. Currently, Rinaldi works as a freelance photographer for the Village News.

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