WW YEAR IN REVIEW
Birthday Bash
We're spending our birthday with Lon Mabon, the King-56 widows, Phil Knight and other people we've covered during the past year.
Navigate Year in Review:
IntroductionWould You Trust this Man with Your Daughter?
The Education of Brandon Brooks
Saving the World One Cat at a Time
All Cracked Up and No Place to Go
As we get older, we approach birthdays differently. The preadolescent excitement over cake and ice cream is replaced by the thrill of legal booze. Then, at some point, reflection--rather than intoxication--seems in order.
So in this issue, to celebrate WW's 24th birthday, we look back at some of the most important stories we covered during the past year--and we do so with pride.
We try to practice journalism that makes a difference. In some of the articles that follow, you'll find that not much has changed with the stories. But in other cases, our reporting has had results.
Our story on prep hoop star Brandon Brooks, for example, led to tougher academic standards for Portland high-school athletes. Our reporting on the new wave of title-loan lenders in Oregon has prompted a legislator to push for controls on interest rates. Our news-breaking cover story on Tom Curtis and Ethan Thrower led to a mid-summer media blitz about the Grant High bandits. And our ongoing analysis of the Air Force's flawed investigation into the King-56 plane crash helped prompt a Congressional inquiry and subsequent probe into the tragic flight.
As we enter our 25th year, following up on the stories that define this city will continue to be an important part of our mission. The recent arrest in the Starry Night murder case (a story WW broke in 1990) illustrates that many stories go on for years; our goal in sticking with them is to provide our readers with an intelligent, enduring connection to what really matters in Portland.
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Willamette Week | originally published November 4, 1998
