Remembering 2009, looking ahead to 2010, and a remarkable statistic

The reporters and photographer here at the Frontiersman have put together a montage of stories and images that reflect a portion of the stories we’ve covered in the past 12 months.

We’ve likely missed some stories readers enjoyed or maybe we’ve touched a raw nerve again that brings sorrowful memories back to the surface.

Mostly it’s just an annual effort by many newspapers, and television stations for that matter, to give our readers or viewers a snapshot of our community.

There are certain events or stories that will, unfortunately, be repeated in one story or another in 2010.

We can’t seem to shake the domestic violence/sexual predation crimes. Much is being done, but it would be a miracle of none of those crimes took place in the next 12 months. Drug and alcohol abuse won’t be conquered next year. We will have yet another election. High school sports will be played out with fervent attention by fans. Already, Mount Redoubt is grumbling again, threatening to spew ash and rocks as a welcome to the new year.

There was one fine anomaly from last year that should give us hope for the coming year: No murders in 2009.

There was one home invasion that resulted in death and criminally homicide charges against two people who allegedly conspired to rob a homeowner, but there were no premeditated homicides or crimes of passion that ended in death.

For a community estimated to be 80,000 in population, that’s fairly remarkable. There are plenty of opportunities to go violently wrong with all the drug transactions and alcohol abuse. This in a place that takes a lot of pride in gun ownership — though some might say responsible gun ownership is a reason homicides are down.

Even New York City is expected to have the lowest murder rate in 2009 since the city started counting in 1963. With 461 homicides this year, it would seem like the city still has a way to go, but it’s considerably better than last year when there were 516 murders.

So let’s hope the Valley’s death by homicide continues to be an oddity.

And let’s keep working on some of those previously mentioned problems. Maybe 2010, the start of a new decade, can lead to more positive results for years to come.