I can't speak for other editors in the business, but I always feel a bit uncomfortable writing about newspaper awards. While I hate to admit it, it's probably a symptom of age, a hangover of sorts from my early days when being part of the story -- any story -- was an absolute no-no.

If that weren't enough, I've always had a difficult time gauging how readers react to these kind of stories. Do they dismiss them as shameless hype? Or do they generally respond a bit more warmly, particularly if they know some of the recipients or at least recognize their names.

So at the risk of offending some of you, here is the story that first appeared earlier this week in The Sunday Telegraph. If you must, you can chalk it up to a proud editor wanting to bring a little much-deserved recognition to his dedicated staff.

BEDFORD -- The Telegraph was recognized with 23 awards -- including first place for general excellence in the Sunday category -- at the New Hampshire Press Association's annual awards banquet Friday night at the Manchester Country Club.

Overall, The Telegraph received 16 first-place awards, five second-place awards and two third-place awards in the writing, photography, design and advertising categories. One of the second-place awards was for general excellence in the daily category.

"There's no doubt that behind this paper is a newsroom hard at work, especially when it comes to breaking news and developing enterprise stories," the judges wrote on the Sunday entry. "Two enterprise pieces, one on property taxes and the second on local gangs, were ambitious."

First-place awards were presented to:

• Education reporter Michael Brindley in the education story/series category for a story on the city's English as a second language program.
• Sports reporters Gary Fitz, Tom King, Pete LeBlanc and Brian Miller in the sports feature category for the "Building an Athlete" series.
• Sports Editor Alan Greenwood as sports columnist of the year for a series of his columns.
• Emily Vaccaro as high school writer of the year for a series of columns.
• Photo Editor Don Himsel in the spot news photo category for a photograph of a barn fire in Lyndeborough.
• Sunday Editor Marty Karlon for front-page design.
• The sports staff for sports section/pages.
• Encore Editor Jen O'Callaghan for arts and entertainment section/pages.
• The staff for newspaper design.
• Jenn Fair for local advertising (black and white).
• Scott Blanchard for local advertising (color).
• Matt Demers for sponsorship page (black and white).
• Dan Medico for ad supplement cover for Summer Guide '05.
• Diane Stangroom for ad supplement for the Community Guide.

The Telegraph also was awarded the prestigious Dennis Joos Memorial Award for its series of stories on the city's property tax assessments, the sixth time the newspaper has been so honored in the past eight years.

The NHPA presents the award for "a unique journalism effort in covering an event or issue of unusual significance to the newspaper's readers."

The award is named after the Colebrook News and Sentinel editor who was killed in August 1997 when he tried to disarm Carl Drega, a Columbia man who also killed two state troopers and a judge before he was shot to death by police.