"Other than the Sept. 11 attacks, what local news story do you feel deserved more attention this year?"

ANSWER #1: "I think it's the whole jolt to our economy. A city that's been booming, almost overnight seems to be out of work. I think it's easily blamed on Sept. 11, but I think there's more going on there."

ANSWER #2: "Dignity Village. That's an important story. I was shocked by the attitudes that were exposed by that situation, and alarmed to hear people saying things like 'Yeah, there's a homeless problem, but if those people really wanted to work....' The Oregonian editorials, for example, displayed real venom."

ANSWER #3: "That gentleman killed by the cops after a routine traffic stop. He was unarmed and had no warrants out for him, but they shot him in front of his kids. The police should really answer for that. [Rodney Ray Layman, of Beaverton, was shot and killed Dec. 1 by a Washington County sheriff's deputy, following a short police chase.]

ANSWER #4: "Growth, and the Portland Development Commission. They're trying to achieve population density, which is a good thing. But I think they're going about it in a back-asswards way. Their decisions aren't made public enough to allow the public a say in them. Ever heard of 'Northeast Portland: The Soul of Portland'? PDC paid someone a lot of money to come up with that. But how about asking the neighbors what we want?"

ANSWERS: 1-D, 2-C, 3-B, 4-A

WWeek 2015