Results of all of December’s unscientific local polls are linked here.
The Columbian released its list of the Top 10 local stories of 2010 Sunday, and area residents offered their reactions online and in person Monday.
Southwest Washington’s economic struggles topped the list both in print and on the minds of residents. So too did the case of Bethany Storro, who made up a story about acid being splashed on her face. But The Columbian’s other top picks — such as the Cowlitz casino, the congressional campaign between Denny Heck and Jaime Herrera Beutler, and the hospital merger — just weren’t at the forefront of reflective minds.
While visiting with a friend at the Main Street Starbucks Coffee, Vancouver resident Pat Weinkauf thought The Columbian’s number-two pick, the Storro case, deserved the top spot on the list because of the lasting memory the story had in the minds of locals and people throughout the nation.
As for The Columbian’s top pick of economic struggle, Weinkanf thought that was old news, and the top story needed to be something fresher.
Monica Jochim thought the challenges of modern parenting should have topped the list.
“We were talking about how hard it is to be a parent,” Jochim said while discussing the topic with a friend at Starbucks. “Maybe not just in 2010, but certainly in these recent years with so much out there that makes kids susceptible to bad decisions.”
At The Columbian’s website, online readers’ opinions on the top local story were in line with The Columbian staff’s picks. The economy led the poll with 39 percent, followed by Storro, the Cowlitz casino and the congressional campaign.
Off the bench
Comments posted on the poll advocated for Vancouver City Councilor Jeanne Harris’ outburst to top the list. The Harris story came in fifth on The Columbian’s list.
Other comments posted online mentioned as top stories Tony Golik’s election to prosecutor and Washington’s new congressional seat. One reader pointed out that the four remaining days of 2010 could turn out a Top-10-worthy story.
What do you think was the top story of 2010? Weigh in at http://www.columbian.com.
