A new orchestra strikes high note

Kansas City's cultural elite went into crisis mode when the city's famed old orchestra collapsed under financial pressure. A new group was rapidly put together, and an esteemed Kansas City daughter returned to lead its premiere.

This story wasn't particularly well-written, I see as I read it over today, but it did the job. It led the Saturday paper, the Times' biggest edition; it didn't publish on Sundays.

(Click images to enlarge)

Arthur Bryant: Barbecue king, philosopher

One of my favorite interviews ever, even though some brain-dead editor buried it on page 11 of the metro section, because of the richness of the quotes that glided so smoothly from the lips of Arthur Bryant, possibly the greatest name in Kansas City barbecue.  The master died not long after this -- the beginning of a string of deaths by notables soon after I'd interviewed them (Abbie Hoffman; Villanova coach Al Severance), causing my very witty friend Jon to dub me a name I wore proudly for awhile: "The Grim Reap-orter"