This issue is the first of our second decade as a weekly newspaper. On June 10, 1992, the Private Eye became Private Eye Weekly when we made the transition from a biweekly newspaper. Prior to that, we were but a monthly newsletter. No, we’re not going daily despite the constant urgings to do so from the far right. Other than our name change to Salt Lake City Weekly—also five years ago this week—we’re quite content just the way things are. Outside of not having Deedee Corradini to kick around anymore, that is.
Except at weddings (I mist up just looking at the ads for Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, for cryin’ out loud), bumping into old friends, looking at baby pictures and listening to ’60s-era music, I’m not typically one to wax nostalgic. So this occasion doesn’t prompt me to ponder the deeper meaning of what we’ve done. Every issue is just another issue—and one more chance to get it right and one more chance to kick some pompous ass right in the ass. I’ll always enjoy that.
I suppose by writing those words, I’m indeed waxing nostalgic. Please excuse me, but it has been enjoyable, this past decade. This “little” newspaper has certainly won its share of battles, toppled its share of egocentric scoundrels (financial and political), and exposed more than one hypocritically flawed exploiter—usually a person using faith as superficial evidence of moral superiority. Meanwhile, this “little” newspaper has also propped up many an individual or enterprise that otherwise would not have gotten the attention or notoriety otherwise. I’ll always enjoy that, too.
Tom Walsh wrote our first weekly cover story, “The Spooky Past of Bob Bennett.” He, Diane Olson Rutter, Sandra K. Poole, J.R. Ruppel, Kim Gregory, Jan Snyder, Jack Elmer and myself were basically the staff back then. Tom’s now the editor of the Sacramento News & Review. Diane’s made a nice career for herself at Catalyst. J.R. (our first RM hire) ran SLUG for years and now beats the bass for Jerry Joseph & The Jackmormons. Sandra and her husband run Big City Soup and Kim’s selling ads for the devils over at the NAC. I’ve lost track of Jan and Jack.
Our freelancers included the likes of KUED’s Mary Dickson (among my favorite people ever), Ben Fulton, John Harrington, Junior Grieder, J.P. Gabellini, Barry Scholl and Ron Yengich. Barry’s at Utah Business Magazine now. Junior and J.P. are still in the biz, too—pen names for better-known local journalists. John and Ron, well, I just don’t know, except to say those guys were once very passionate advocates and I’ll leave it at that. Only Ben and myself remain.
Each of the above helped build the foundation of this newspaper, now numbering 26 employees, another twoscore freelancers and distribution drivers, and now printing 60,000 papers every week. We were and are forever independent.
I’m not nostalgic, I’m thankful.
