Don Palabraz

One week ago the Orange County Press Club held its annual awards gala in Newport Beach. There were numerous categories and my colleague Gustavo Arellano of the OC Weekly submitted our 2009 cover story “Muder Was the Case” for the Real O.C. award. The word “real” has been used to describe our county’s housewives and Laguna Beach on television shows. The journalistic award, on the other hand, has nothing to do with such synthetic notions and instead honors a story that tells the ‘for real do’ OC. I am happy to report from last Wednesday’s awards gala that our story on the Black Panther Party in Santa Ana, a police slaying that shifted race relations there, and the Orange County Human Relations Commission that sprang forth from all the turmoil won!

Unfortunately, my co-authorship was not initially recognized until I petitioned the OC Press Club for my due inclusion. The website listing of the winners was promptly updated. I don’t know why the gaff happened, but it made my contribution invisible when publications – including the Weekly – wrote a roundup of the awards and those who won them.  I’m still in the process of getting the award itself to go with the distinction, but I promise many more in the future!