MADISON - A touching reminiscence about "Life Around The Kitchen Stove," which is set during the Depression, won first place for Les Goplen, in the Al P. Nelson Feature Writing Contest sponsored by the Wisconsin Regional Writers' Association. The contest judge, Paul Salsini, Milwaukee, a writing instructor at Marquette University and former writing coach of The Milwaukee Journal, said:

Goplen was awarded the $75 first prize at the May 5^th WRWA spring conference held at the Edgewater Hotel in Madison.

The $50 second prize went to Jo Stewart, Solon Springs, for her creative presentation of "Solon Springs - Small Town With a Large History."

The $25 third prize was awarded to Barb Jensen, Portage, who wrote a thoughtful article on church gifts, entitled "Relinquish the Gift."

Honorable mention certificates of merit were awarded to John Campbell, Brookfield; Jo Bartels Alderson, Oshkosh; and Donald Derozier, Oshkosh.

This is the seventh annual Al P. Nelson Feature Writing Contest, which is named after the longtime Delafield freelance writer and University of Wisconsin Extension writing instructor. Nelson died in 1994, and his family set up a fund to launch the contest.