In 2012 what captured our hearts, interests | Editor's Note

It’s a long-standing journalistic tradition, that year-end story listing the top stories of the year. Usually, editors and occasionally reporters ranked the stories; maybe the public had a say, too.

This year, the top stories are truly the people’s choice. We based the list on asking Google Analytics what stories got the most hits on our website.

A Boeing story topped the list, but it wasn’t about the 737, although I think if you added up all the hits for 737 stories, the 737 would have been our top story. No, it was about James Albaugh decamping to Seattle with other executives from the company’s Commercial Division.

Numerous stories about the slaying of Jessica Scholl made the list for the year. The grief of her senseless death in May touched so many lives in Renton. That grief brought together a crowd to Gene Coulon Park last month to mark her 18th birthday and to pay tribute to her life.

And we just can’t seem to avert our eyes from the police blotter, where we learn about all the dangerous and stupid things we do to each other.

Mary Clymer’s closure of her happydelusions downtown, as told by our columnist Carolyn Ossorio, made the list.  She brought smiles to anyone who entered her store.

And we all shared in the shock of the unexpected loss of Barbara Mitchell, a key executive at Valley Medical Center, and the death of Kaye Hall who died when a car crashed into the insurance office where she worked.

There’s a common theme of tragedy and loss running through the list. Of course, not on the list are stories of joy and accomplishment that are the daily underpinnings of Renton. Those stories are important, even if they don’t make some list.

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