TOLEDO, Ohio — The Press Club of Toledo on Monday announced recipients of the Community Touchstones, and WTOL 11 reporter emeritus Dick Berry is among five people being honored.
Berry is receiving a Golden Touchstone for a lifetime of excellence in journalism.
The Press Club said that Dick "is well-deserving of this recognition. He spent 40 years as a reporter at WTOL and his work was an essential part of our region’s story over those four decades."
Berry won an Emmy for his coverage of the all-Ohio space shuttle crew.
In total, it is estimated that Dick Berry covered over 20,000 stories during his career. It is hard to imagine any reporter covering a wider variety of stories than he did, ranging from roller coasters to a popular “Day Trippin'” series. He interviewed Jerry Mather and covered the arrest of serial killer Alton Coleman on the same day. And he is the only known member of the local media to appear on stage with Ozzy Osbourne.
"On his retirement, his colleagues remarked on his professionalism and commitment to quality reporting. The Press Club thanks Dick Berry for his many years of journalistic excellence," the Press Club wrote.
Other honorees are:
- Lifetime Achievement Award - Bob Savage Sr., chairman emeritus of Savage and Associates
- Golden Touchstone - Mary Alice Powell, food editor for The Blade for 41 years
- Touchstone Contributor - Wendi Huntley, Esq., executive director of Connecting Kids to Meals
- Touchstone Contributor - Dr. Romules Durant, superintendent and CEO of Toledo Public Schools
The Touchstone Awards will be held virtually on Oct. 21.