Publisher David Cutler was inducted into the association’s Hall of Fame at a dinner Friday night at the Boston Park Plaza and Sports Editor Mike Halloran was recognized for outstanding weekly spors section.

Cutler was one of three to receive this year’s honor, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the industry and the community.  

For 38 years, Cutler has served as an owner, publisher, editor and reporter - skills he first developed at the family dinner table where the Clipper was published in its early years.

In 1972, he founded Mariner Newspapers, which grew into a multi-million dollar, 15-town newspaper group.  He sold the company in 1989 to Capital Cities/ABC Inc.

In addition to his role at the Clipper, Cutler is currently co-owner of Stonebridge Press, a group of six papers in central Massachusetts, and Salmon Press, a group of nine New Hampshire newspapers.

Cutler lives on Surplus Street with his wife, Catherine, and nine-year-old daughter, Rebecca.  His son Josh currently serves as the Clipper‘s editor.

The Clipper also received a second place prize for “Best Weekly Sports Section” at an awards ceremony Saturday night.  The judges recognized the section’s use of featuring athlete’s faces in its coverage, the “excellent” reporting of editor Mike Halloran and DHS Athletic Director Tom Holdgate’s column as an “excellent touch to bring the school’s perspective to the community.”

Halloran, who has written and produced the Clipper‘s sports section for eight years, said that the recognition is wonderful, especially coming from his peers.

“When you sit and write, you think what you’ve written is good and that you’ve gotten the story across, but you are not sureÖso this has confirmed those thoughts for me,” he said.  “To have professionals assess my work and comment like they did on it is an honor.”

Halloran also credited those around him each week for helping him earn the achievement.

“You can’t win something like this without a great staff who helps me put the paper together, including our publisher and editor who have given me free rein [on the section’s content].”

NEPA serves more than 700 newspapers throughout New England and beyond.