Newtown First Night claims national awards
Bucks County Courier Times, May 5, 2005

Newtown’s First Night is on top of the nation — at least for its buttons and Web site.

The organizers received first-place awards at a recent conference by First Night International, an umbrella organization that fosters the continuation of First Night celebrations worldwide.

Newtown took a firstplace crystal award in both the button and Web site categories, and a second-place certificate for its unique poster.

Known as the Prism Awards and sponsored by fireworks company Zambelli Internationale, more than 100 First Night cities competed for honors based on “uniqueness in graphic design and quality of production in capturing the First Night spirit on the poster, admission button and Web site.”

Newtown First Night executive director Wendy Lion was on hand in Delray Beach, Fla., to accept the awards along with her husband, Dick, and Web site designer Kathie Jankauskas.

“It was exciting,” said Lion, the first paid executive director of Newtown’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration. “We felt so honored.”

Jankauskas, who’s the owner of a local Web sitebuilding business, agrees and said that Newtown was vying against many large cities for the honors it received.

“That made it even more special,” she added.

Button and poster artist Liz Battaglia wasn’t available to attend the conference, but was excited that her designs had garnered national honors.

The major purpose of the conference is to distribute knowledge to First Night organizers on how to run a smooth and profitable celebration, Lion concluded.

First Night is a family oriented, non-alcoholic celebration of New Year’s Eve with more than 150 participating communities across the United States.