Newspaper Chase XIV

When I first moved to New York City, I made a point of reading every local newspaper. While I've only maintained a daily subscription to the New York Times and recently canceled my Sunday Daily News sub, I continue to receive the Greenpoint Star every week -- for free.

I first received a free sub to the Star for identifying some Greenpoint graffiti as part of a weekly contest. It was supposed to last six months, but even though my mailing label indicates that my sub ends Dec. 31, 2004 -- !!! -- the paper keeps coming. And I keep reading.

Several things about the Star intrigue me. I love the Eyesore of the Week photography feature, which highlights examples of urban blight. I get a kick out of the relatively new Christa Cuts column, which introduces a much-needed sense of youth interest to the paper. I quite enjoy the Back in the Day feature, which regularly highlights local history. And little details -- like the headlines in the letter column -- occasionally amuse.

In the March 16, 2006, edition is a new detail that made me grin. On the front page, there's a six-column-inch squib headed "Choose Your Own D.A. Hynes Adventure #1." Basically a promo box for two inside features, the squib is written in the style of the classic Choose Your Own Adventure books.

I don't know who's responsible for these things editorially, but keep it up. There's not a lot in the paper, and the little details make a difference.