MILWAUKEE - Boyd Sutton, of Siren, Wisconsin, took first place honors with his essay, "The Best of Times" in the Wisconsin Regional Writer's Florence Lindemann Humor Contest. Sutton's entertaining essay recounts a family 4th of July celebration that goes amuck.

Sutton was awarded the $50 first prize at the May 3 WRWA Spring Conference in Milwaukee. This year's judge, author Kelly Dwyer of Baraboo, said, "Sutton's sense of pacing and suspense, plus his dead-pan tone, make this tale of one calamity after another hilarious!"

The $30 second prize went to Rita Haag of Green Bay for her essay, "Ellery Celery: Private Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat." This amusing essay takes us into the life of a private eye, posing as an eye, ear, nose, and throat specialist.

The $20 third prize went to Margaret Young of Oconomowoc for her essay, "Variety," the author's comical recollection of her father's search for the fountain of youth as he embraces every popular health fad that comes along.

Certificates of Merit for Honorable Mention went to (1) Joan T. Zeier of Madison for her essay, "First Class Snoop," where the author vents her dismay over postal clerks who elicit more information than what their customers intended to share; (2) Peter Sherrill of Forestville, who tells how a father survived those "thorny adolescent problems" with automotive analogy in his essay, "Of Mufflers and Men"; (3) Thomas Manteufel of Hartland for his essay, "Today's Horoscope," where he presents a humorous look at the Zodiac Signs; and (4) Ruby Walton of Janesville, who recounts an 80-year-old woman's adventures in a tube pulled by a motorboat in her essay, "Tubing at 80?"

Barb Jensen of Portage was the chairperson for this year's contest in which 44 writers competed. Approximately 60 writers from Wisconsin and neighboring states attended the spring conference.