The North Shore Sun is staffed with seasoned journalists who know how to make a quality newspaper.
Editor Grant Parpan began his career at the Sun in February 2006 as a news reporter. He then served as the Sun's sports editor, before moving back to the news side. He has been the paper's editor since September 2007.
Before coming to The Sun, Mr. parpan spent three years on the sports staff of The Signal, a daily newspaper in Santa Clarita, Calif. Mr. Parpan served as sports editor for The Signal from August 2004 to January 2006. In 2006, he and his staff were honored with a National Newspaper Association award for best sports series. In April 2005, he was awarded the Associated Press News Executives Council award for sportswriting, as well as accolades from the California Newspaper Publishers Association.
Since joining The Sun in 2006, Mr. Parpan has earned accolades from the New York Press Association for his coverage of education and column writing.
In January 2006, Mr. Parpan and his wife, Melissa, decided to leave their home in Los Angeles to return to Long Island where they were both raised. They recently purchased a home in Middle Island. A 1997 graduate of Longwood High School, Mr. Parpan grew up in RIdge.
Reporter Peggy Spellman Hoey joined The North Shore Sun's staff in October 2007. Ms. Hoey's prior newspaper experience includes stints with the Southampton Press, The Press of Manorville and Moriches and The Sag Harbor Express.
Earlier this year, Ms. Hoey earned accolades from the Press Club of Long Island for her coverage of the John White manslaughter trial. She had previously won awards from the National Newspaper Association and the New York Press Association.
Ms. Hoey has a degree in journalism from St. John's University.
She was raised in West Hempstead and is a graduate of Sacred Heart Academy.
Sports editor Joe Werkmeister is a 2006 graduate of St. Bonaventure University, where he was the sports editor, managing editor and ultimately editor-in-chief of the university's campus newspaper, The Bona Venture.
While at St. Bonaventure, Mr. Werkmeister earned a Jim Murray scholarship based on a national essay contest in honor of the late Los Angeles Times sportswriter, and earned honorable mention for the Jandoli Award for outstanding achievement in the print curriculum.
In 2007, Mr. Werkmeister was awarded the top prize for sports feature writing by the New York Press Association for his 2006 profile of former Major League Baseball player and Shoreham-Wading River graduate Keith Osik.
Under Mr. Werkmeister's leadership, the Sun's sports coverage has continued to be considered among the best in New York state.
Photographer Peter Blasl has worked with The North Shore Sun since 2005. He has consistently ranked among the top weekly newspaper photographers in the state, as is evidenced by the many awards he has garnered from the New York State Press Association.
In 2007 alone, Mr. Blasl earned seven awards for photographic excellence from NYPA.
He is a native of Riverhead, where he resides with his wife and two daughters.
With a full complement of local columnists and correspondents at the ready, The Sun's staff is committed to excellence. But the paper will not function at its best without involved readers. If you have a news tip, a story suggestion or a photograph, please contact us at (631) 744-0404, (Fax) 631-744-2640 or via email.
Comments or questions on the North Shore Sun website may be made to our webmaster.
