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The new edition of our excellent neighborhood newspaper, The Hollywood Star, has arrived, and it looks different. The word "Hollywood" is being played down, and the word "News" has cropped up, as big as "Star":
The old masthead logo looked like this:
So what does it mean? Too much confusion with the other Star, down in the more famous Hollywood? More emphasis on news? Ambitions to expand its coverage territory? (Already it covered a larger area than the Hollywood District.)
Inside, Star owner Mary DeHart assures us that it's a matter of design and format, rather than content. They've moved the heart of the paper -- the neighborhood news column written by Lee Perlman -- back to page 6 rather than page 2, and they've moved some features up front. I think there are more photos than before. All in all, the changes seem quite benign. It's still a great resource, and we're lucky to have it. (Alas, no serious web presence, but it seems to be thriving without it.)
Comments (9)
It really is a great paper. Always a satisfying and informative read. The new masthead, however, is hopelessly poor quality. I hope the next time they redesign they hire a designer.
If I lived one block to the south, I'd get the Star in the mail. If I lived three blocks farther east, I'd receive the Mid-County Memo. Instead, I always make sure to pick up copies at the Gregory Heights branch of the Multnomah County Library. Both papers are examples of good "community journalism." Unpretentious. A little quirky. Perhaps too boosterish, but committed to their audience and full of information unavailable anywhere else. Such papers are well worth reading and supporting.
At least they retired that bad, bad, way-overused Algerian font (the face that the word "Star" was set in) in favor of Gill Sans, which is starting to see a little overuse itself, but it such a classic it can take a bit of overuse.
Actually the whole layout shows a certain maturity of design that is quite pleasing. Even though the big word "NEWS" looks a little funny so highlighted, it does fit in with the grid (notice how the yellowish background to that word aligns with the picture below). They've got a good solid grid there and they're designing to it, and for a general interest publication like that you can't go wrong doing that.
For those of us who don't need to be educated about taste and style, the redesign is entirely devoid of interest and personality. It's a blown opportunity. Though, yes, it certainly may win awards for fitting a solid grid.
It's just more of the same: ubiquitous. tired, standard-issue template design. Aside from laziness and ugliness, there's nothing wrong with that. But it certainly isn't good work.
I commend Lee Perlman for writing in-depth, thoughtful news about neighborhoods, and especially simplifying land use issues that the average Joe can understand. Sometimes he may miss the nuance of a complicated issue, but he comes very close (or it is editorized or shorten for brevity). Thanks Lee for your service to this city.
Charamba, Douro 2008
Horse Heaven Hills, Cabernet 2010
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills Pinot Grigio 2011
Avignonesi, Montepulciano 2004
Lorelle, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011
Villa Antinori, Toscana 2007
Mercedes Eguren, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Lorelle, Columbia Valley Cabernet 2011
Purple Moon, Merlot 2011
Purple Moon, Chardonnnay 2011
Abacela, Vintner's Blend No. 12
Opula Red Blend 2010
Liberte, Pinot Noir 2010
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Indian Wells Red Blend 2010
Woodbridge, Chardonnay 2011
King Estate, Pinot Noir 2011
Famille Perrin, Cotes du Rhone Villages 2010
Columbia Crest, Les Chevaux Red 2010
14 Hands, Hot to Trot White Blend
Familia Bianchi, Malbec 2009
Terrapin Cellars, Pinot Gris 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2009
Campo Viejo, Rioja, Termpranillo 2010
Ravenswood, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2010
Waterbrook, Reserve Merlot 2009
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills, Pinot Grigio 2011
Tarantas, Rose
Chateau Lajarre, Bordeaux 2009
La Vielle Ferme, Rose 2011
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio 2011
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir 2009
Lello, Douro Tinto 2009
Quinson Fils, Cotes de Provence Rose 2011
Anindor, Pinot Gris 2010
Buenas Ondas, Syrah Rose 2010
Les Fiefs d'Anglars, Malbec 2009
14 Hands, Pinot Gris 2011
Conundrum 2012
Condes de Albarei, Albariño 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2007
Penelope Sanchez, Garnacha Syrah 2010
Canoe Ridge, Merlot 2007
Atalaya do Mar, Godello 2010
Vega Montan, Mencia
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir, Marlborough 2009
Portuga, Rose 2011
Revelation, Chardonnay, Pays d'Oc 2010
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 2005
Monte Alto, Tinto Reserva 2005
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Cabernet, Indian Wells 2009
Espiral, Vinho Rose
Vin-Koru, Pinot Gris 2011
14 Hands, Hot to Trot Red 2009
Rodney Strong, Cabernet, Sonoma 2009
Abacela, Vintner's Blend #11
Portuga, White 2010
La Bourgeoisie, Red 2009
Januik, Red 2009
Three Rivers, River's Red 2008
Kirkland, Alexander Valley Merlot 2008
Muga, Rioja Rose 2010
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2009
Mauro Molino, Barbera d'Alba 2009
Garda Chiaretto Rose
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Vineyard 10 White
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley 2009
L'Hortus, Rose de Saignee 2010
Maculan, Pino & Toi 2008
McKinley Springs, Bombing Range Red 2008
Trader Joe's Pinot Gris 2009
Montes Alpha, Cabernet 2007
Gran Sasso, Sangiovese, Terre di Chieti 2009
Garda, Classico Chiaretto Rose
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1999
Picos del Montgo, Tempranillo 2008
Chateau de Montmirail, Vacqueyras 2008
La Granja 360, Syrah 2009
Montgras, Carmenere Reserva 2009
Lange, Pinot Gris 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet 2008
Kirkland, Pinot Grigio 2010
Trader Joe's Coastal Syrah 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 2008
Trader Joe's Coastal Chardonnay 2009
Vieux Papes Red
Domaine de l'Aujardiere, Chardonnay 2009
Santa Rita, Cabernet, Medalla Real 2007
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Guild, Red, Lot #02 2008
Dievole, Dievolino Sangiovese 2008
Laforet, Burgogne Chardonnay 2009
Columbia Winery, Merlot 2007
Bonterra, Cabernet 2008
Elk Cove, Pinot Gris 2009
Maquis Lien 2006
Scott Paul, Pinot Noir, Le Paulee 2007
The Occasional Book
Hope Larson - A Wrinkle in Time, the Graphic Novel
Rudyard Kipling - Kim
Peter Ames Carlin - Bruce
Fran Cannon Slayton - When the Whistle Blows
Neil Young - Waging Heavy Peace
Mark Bego - Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul (2012 ed.)
Jenny Lawson - Let's Pretend This Never Happened
J.D. Salinger - Franny and Zooey
Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol
Timothy Egan - The Big Burn
Deborah Eisenberg - Transactions in a Foreign Currency
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Slaughterhouse Five
Kathryn Lance - Pandora's Genes
Cheryl Strayed - Wild
Fyodor Dostoyevsky - The Brothers Karamazov
Jack London - The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii
Jack Walker - The Extraordinary Rendition of Vincent Dellamaria
Colum McCann - Let the Great World Spin
Niccolò Machiavelli - The Prince
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus - The Nanny Diaries
Brian Selznick - The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Sharon Creech - Walk Two Moons
Keith Richards - Life
F. Sionil Jose - Dusk
Natalie Babbitt - Tuck Everlasting
Justin Halpern - S#*t My Dad Says
Mark Herrmann - The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law
Barry Glassner - The Gospel of Food
Phil Stanford - The Peyton-Allan Files
Jesse Katz - The Opposite Field
Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited
J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
David Sedaris - Holidays on Ice
Donald Miller - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith
C.S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun
Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
James McManus - Positively Fifth Street
Jeff Noon - Vurt
Road Work
Miles run year to date: 29
At this date last year: 66
Total run in 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269
Comments (9)
It really is a great paper. Always a satisfying and informative read. The new masthead, however, is hopelessly poor quality. I hope the next time they redesign they hire a designer.
Posted by skyview satellite | December 30, 2006 4:04 PM
So all the news is given less importance while puffy features are moved up? And yet the design says "NEWS" more prominently?
Posted by Matt Davis | December 30, 2006 6:10 PM
What they really need is a blog with some swear words and porn.
Posted by Jack Bog | December 30, 2006 6:17 PM
If I lived one block to the south, I'd get the Star in the mail. If I lived three blocks farther east, I'd receive the Mid-County Memo. Instead, I always make sure to pick up copies at the Gregory Heights branch of the Multnomah County Library. Both papers are examples of good "community journalism." Unpretentious. A little quirky. Perhaps too boosterish, but committed to their audience and full of information unavailable anywhere else. Such papers are well worth reading and supporting.
Posted by Eric Berg | December 30, 2006 6:50 PM
That picture looks like a Village People photo op...
Posted by Jon | December 30, 2006 8:04 PM
So all the news is given less importance while puffy features are moved up? And yet the design says "NEWS" more prominently?
Posted by Matt Davis | December 30, 2006 6:10 PM
What they really need is a blog with some swear words and porn.
Posted by Jack Bog | December 30, 2006 6:17 PM
-----------------------------
Some pigs head salad recipes would be nice too.
Posted by Ed | December 31, 2006 12:39 PM
At least they retired that bad, bad, way-overused Algerian font (the face that the word "Star" was set in) in favor of Gill Sans, which is starting to see a little overuse itself, but it such a classic it can take a bit of overuse.
Actually the whole layout shows a certain maturity of design that is quite pleasing. Even though the big word "NEWS" looks a little funny so highlighted, it does fit in with the grid (notice how the yellowish background to that word aligns with the picture below). They've got a good solid grid there and they're designing to it, and for a general interest publication like that you can't go wrong doing that.
Posted by Samuel John Klein | December 31, 2006 5:48 PM
For those of us who don't need to be educated about taste and style, the redesign is entirely devoid of interest and personality. It's a blown opportunity. Though, yes, it certainly may win awards for fitting a solid grid.
It's just more of the same: ubiquitous. tired, standard-issue template design. Aside from laziness and ugliness, there's nothing wrong with that. But it certainly isn't good work.
Posted by skyview satellite | January 1, 2007 1:09 AM
I commend Lee Perlman for writing in-depth, thoughtful news about neighborhoods, and especially simplifying land use issues that the average Joe can understand. Sometimes he may miss the nuance of a complicated issue, but he comes very close (or it is editorized or shorten for brevity). Thanks Lee for your service to this city.
Posted by Jerry | January 1, 2007 6:38 PM