|
WINNERS
1.New figures show the state's
teenage pregnancy rate fell to 17.2 per thousand in 1998,
saving a lot of young women from a life of poverty
and saving Oregon taxpayers millions of dollars in
health and welfare costs.
2.Talk about dodging a political
bullet. Sen. Gordon Smith got elected by promising
that his personal views (on abortion) wouldn't control the
way he voted. He belongs to a party that's theoretically in
favor of individual rights, states' rights and smaller government.
But last week, after turning his back on the majority of voters
who have twice voted in favor of assisted suicide, the Pendleton
pea-packer wins applause in the press for following his conscience.
3.It took a while, but Oregonian
business reporter Jeff Manning's dogged pursuit of
the truth about the relationship between fallen money managers
Andrew Wiederhorn and Jeff Grayson dispelled many misperceptions
created by the paper's previous coverage of Wiederhorn's once-brilliant
career.
|
|
LOSERS
1.Further proof that living
in Oregon is rough for kids: A report issued last
week said child abuse reached a 10-year high in 1999, with
11,000 reported cases including 18 deaths.
2.State Sen. Marylin Shannon and state
Rep. Juley Gianella found a new way to get endorsements:
They made them up. Although more than a dozen groups say
their endorsements or ratings were misrepresented or fabricated
in a mailer, Shannon says she and Gianella won't stop sending
it out.
3.Runoff from a newly painted roof gave a stretch
of Johnson Creek an unwelcome silvery new look last
week. Authorities say the creek will recover, but it's hard
to believe the fish were all that psyched to be swimming
in reflective paint.
|
