Charles Dickens had it right for this year in the opening lines in "A Tale of Two Cities."

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

As we reach the end of 2009, it might seem like we had more than our share of the worst times. Take the economy. Please.

But as you'll see in this annual photography retrospective, there were plenty of good moments to balance out the bad.

This year, we have covered stories that tear at the heartstrings and stories that uplift the spirit. There were moments of action, moments of quiet contemplation, moments that defined life in our community this year.

As it is with life, photographers often have had the best of opportunities and, frankly, some real challenges to come back with images that tell the story they are trying to pursue.

Time and again in 2009, our photographers have pleasantly surprised me.

On these pages, you'll see photos that we selected as some of our best of 2009. Many brought understanding, compassion, even laughs.

We hope you enjoy seeing them again. And here's hoping that next year will be the best of times for you and yours.

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