NorthCountryNow.com has been recognized statewide for high levels of viewer participation.

Competing with websites operated by newspapers from the Hamptons on Long Island to areas west of Buffalo, NorthCountryNow.com received third place in the “Best Citizen Involvement” category in the New York Press Association “Better Newspaper Contest.” The award was announced last week at the NYPA spring convention in Saratoga Springs.

In selecting the St. Lawrence County website to receive the award, the contest judges cited the weekly NCNow Survey, a large number of viewer-submitted photos, the popular Sound Off viewer opinion column, free lost-and-found ads and free “Items Under $500” and “Items Wanted” ads. NorthCountryNow.com also encourages viewers to submit links to stories, blogs and local websites; engagement, wedding and anniversary announcements; letters to the editor; and contributions to a new feature, Pet Pix.

First place winner in the “Best Citizen Involvement” category was the Queens Ledger of Queens (http://www.queensledger.com ); the second place award went to the Pelham Weekly of Pelham (http://www.pelhamweekly.com ).

NYPA membership is composed primarily of paid weekly newspapers throughout the state, but free papers like North Country This Week of Potsdam, which operates NorthCountryNow.com, also belong to the organization. NYPA's database of newspapers includes 727 weekly community newspapers, 58 daily newspapers, and 147 culturally-specific newspapers.

The “Best Citizen Involvement” award was only one of four earned by North Country This Week.

The other awards included:

--Second place in the “Best Special Section-Advertising” category, for the colorful “Holiday Showcase” insert included in the Nov. 17 and Nov. 24, 2010 editions of North Country This Week.

-- Second place in the “Best Online Revenue Producer” for NorthCountryNow.com

-- Third place in the “Best Color Ad Created by the Newspaper,” for an advertisement for T & R Wines and Liquors, Potsdam, that ran in North Country This Week.