As I did for 2016 and 2017, I’ve compiled a list of Wallyhood’s top ten stories from 2018 using this site’s analytics. The stories below are ranked using page views, and while some of our forum posts are pretty highly viewed, I haven’t included them since they are not really stories. To qualify for this list, a story had to have been written in 2018, so older stories that may have gained a lot page views in 2018 don’t count.
In reviewing my lists from the past two years, I was surprised to note that crime stories have not figured prominently in the rankings. Not so in 2018. And while 2017 was quite a year for HALA and upzoning banter, only one HALA story made it into the top ten. What else besides crime were we talking about in 2018? Bikes. Or more specifically, bike lanes.
Here, then, are the top ten Wallyhood stories of 2018:
- Tragic News in Wallyhood (author: Ben, 24,059 page views) Our first report on the death of Lita Byrnes at her home in the 1300 block of 43rd St. This was quickly ruled a murder.
- Major police activity on 45th (author: Ben, 3288 page views) Reports of a man with a gun in the 200 block of NE 45th St.
- Guild 45th Closing Credits (author: Jordan, 3,553 page views) After closing suddenly back in 2017, the Guild was up for sale at the start of 2018. As far as we know, it’s still up for grabs.
- Candlelight Vigil for Lita Tonight (author: Jordan, 2,915 page views) Follow up to our top story about the death of Lita Byrnes.
- Bike Lanes Coming to 40th St (author: Jack, 2,879 page views) They were coming when this story was written. The city has since put the idea on hold.
- Wallingford targeted for more housing growth than most other urban villages under HALA (author: Susanna, 2,856 page views) Could we be nearing the end of the HALA debate? Last I heard, the city council is due to vote on the various upzoning plans in March of 2019.
- At Green Lake Way and N 50th, SDOT Is Planning Protected Bike Lanes That Serve Nobody (author: Eric, 2,077 page views) It’s a complicated intersection with equally complicated plans to accommodate the various types of traffic.
- Final Updated Restricted Parking Zones (author: Jordan, 2,069 page views) After many neighborhood meetings, and rounds of taking input, SDOT released its final plan for Restricted Parking Zones in our neighborhood. The plan includes adding two zones (one near I-5, the other near Stone Way), eliminating zone 5 near 45th and Meridian, and reducing the size of zone 22 at the south end of Stone.
- Wally Coyote Returns (author: Jack, 2,030 page views) This article grew out of a discussion that began in one of our forums. There have since been dozens of sightings.
- Arrest in Lita Byrnes Case (author: Jordan, 2,028 page views) The police arrested a man that Lita had been sharing her apartment with.