We Survived 2009, Bad News and All
Washington PA Observer-Reporter
27 December 2009
Today's Observer-Reporter offers readers a look back at 2009, its high
and lows, its triumph and tragedy. It's an annual effort made by our
staff. Our reporters and editors nominate local stories and vote, the
result being top-10 lists for news in Washington County, Greene County
and sports.
When the ballots were tabulated earlier this month, the continuing saga
of Marcellus shale gas development was selected as the top story of the
year. Then, on Dec. 14, Pennsylvania's attorney general announced
charges against State Rep. Bill DeWeese and an aide in his Waynesburg
office for using taxpayer money to support political campaigning. So
much for that list.
The DeWeese story moved to the top of the lists for both Washington and
Greene counties, knocking all other stories down a notch. As a result,
the ballooning pension payments that busted the city of Washington's
budget - voted No. 10 - dropped off the list. These changes illustrate
the unpredictability of news; you never know when something big might
happen. And it is even presumptuous of us to publish our lists of the
year's top stories on Dec. 27, when there are still four days left in
2009 for something even bigger to occur.
Let's hope that's not the case, because 2009 was not exactly a great
year for good news, as a glance at our list indicates. As is usually
the case, our lists are dominated by crime and the economy.
Murders are an unusual occurrence in our corner of the state and thus
command much attention. We should be thankful that they are not an
everyday occurrence. It was bad news in Greene County when Carmichaels
suffered one of the worst fires in the borough's history, and when
aquatic life in 43 miles of Dunkard Creek was killed by an algae bloom
caused by a toxic mine-water discharge.
In a year mired in the worst recession since the Great Depression, some
of the big economic stories were also bad news: the departure of
bankrupt LandAmerica from downtown Washington as a result of the
nation's mortgage crisis, and the loss of three area dealerships
resulting from Chrysler Corp.'s financial problems.
But not all economic news was bad.
In spite of concern over the environmental effects of the boom in gas
drilling, the tapping of Marcellus shale deposits is having an enormous
effect on the area's economy - an effect that may eventually rival that
of the oil and gas boom here more than a century ago.
Meanwhile, The Meadows Racetrack & Casino has become one of the
county's largest employers, and together with Tanger Outlets has
transformed the tourism landscape of the area. And in Greene County,
after years of anticipation, the Wal-Mart Supercenter at Waynesburg
Crossing finally opened.
For many people reached by this newspaper's circulation, 2009 was a
year of job losses, plummeting retirement accounts and worry about the
future. A new president was inaugurated and his administration took
over the reins of government as the nation was mired in the worst
economic slump in generations.
Yet we survived 2009. It was not all bad news, and in some instances,
we triumphed, with a Super Bowl trophy and a Stanley Cup to show for it.
Lists like today's emphasize the big stories, the sensational ones.
Murders and the trials of the accused tend to dominate these lists, but
it is important for us to understand that for every murder story there
are a hundred others that describe charity and selflessness and heroism
and kindness and generosity. Those sorts of stories don't get big
headlines and don't make the Top 10, but they happen all the same.
And that's what we should remember now and at the end of years to come.