I love being lazy on Christmas morning. Still, I rushed downstairs to check my front porch to see if I had written a column today.
Phew! Well, I wasn’t that lazy.
Let’s face it. For most people, today isn’t a day for poring over the newspaper. It’s more for pouring a cup of joe and creating moments for our memories.
Having said that, for those who do find a few spare minutes to check us out, hey, I’m here! But what to do, what to do.
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Well, this is also the last week of 2010. And traditionally, newspapers like to draw up top 10 lists. The Columbian is no different.
So I figured I could give you a little sneak peek at our top 10 stories list. On Sunday, we’ll reveal all the details. Please remember to pick up the Sunday Columbian.
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I’m always fascinated on how folks define “top” when it comes to this kind of stuff.
Is it “best” stories? “Most important” stories? What about “interesting?” Is that the definition? And let’s not forget “bizarre.”
Which story would you pick as number one? Click here to vote.
This year the newsroom was asked to come up with a list of contenders. They nominated a couple of dozen stories. Then we voted.
Before you even see the list, do you have an idea as to what the top story was in 2010 according to the Columbian newsroom? Would it fall under the heading of most important, most interesting or most bizarre? Could it be a little of all three? I guess we’ll see.
One reason I’m fascinated with the results is because I wonder if our brains in the newsroom work differently than other people’s. I do have some anecdotal evidence that suggests our brains are mostly like yours. How can I say that?
On occasion, we’ve also asked readers to do a top 10 story list. Then we’ve compared the results with the newsroom votes. Usually, eight or nine of the stories the public picks also are chosen by the newsroom.
The order isn’t always exactly the same, but the top 10 are pretty close.
OK, so without spoiling the surprise on Sunday, I will go through a couple of things with you.
Earlier, I asked what you thought the top story might be, according to the newsroom. Here are four possibilities:
• The Jaime Herrera/Denny Heck race for the 3rd Congressional District seat. Herrera (who just announced she is now going to be known as Herrera Beutler) won this tough fight. (By the way, you’ve probably heard that Washington state is going to gain a House seat because of our population growth. How will that play out? Here’s my prediction: The new seat will include the Olympia area, and Heck — who lives there — will run and win it.)
• The local economic struggle. Our county was hit harder than most as unemployment spiraled out of control.
• Casino coming? Was it the best present ever or a lump of coal? Either way, a federal agency gave the OK for the Cowlitz Tribe to build a full-blown casino near La Center.
• Bethany Storro. This sad and unfortunate story made international headlines when this Vancouver woman claimed to have had acid thrown into her face by an unknown black woman. The hunt was on and the community came to her aid.
Later, Storro confessed and said she had done it to herself.
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OK, you’ve got the info. See if you can figure out the order before you look at Sunday’s paper.
Lou Brancaccio is The Columbian’s editor. Reach him at 360-735-4505 or lou.brancaccio@columbian.com.
