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-Issue Number 200	Thursday, December 1, 2005	Page 4

Only the name has changed – the stories remain just as good.

First issue, October 3, 1997.

July 16, 1999.

THAT WAS some year, that was ... It was the hottest ever recorded, as El Niño in the eastern Pacific kicked off massive changes to the world’s weather ... In Scotland, scientists cloned a sheep called Dolly ... Eighteen years of Conservative rule came to an end in Britain – and so did British sovereignty in Hong Kong ... Fashion designer Gianni Versace was gunned down outside his Miami mansion by homsexual serial killer Andrew Cunanan ... Princess Diana died with her lover Dodi Fayed in a Paris car crash that carries strong reverberations to this day ... Five days later Mother Teresa of Calcutta died from natural causes, though her death was barely noticed beneath the continuing outpouring of grief for Diana ... On October 3 the world stood amazed as, for the first time in history, the sun rose in the west.
The year was 1997 and it marked the birth of The Western Sun, a smallish newspaper publishing on the west coast of Tenerife
Since then the newspaper has grown to cover the entire south and west of Tenerife, even expanding its distribution into Puerto de la Cruz and along the island’s east coast. It was the newspaper’s popularity for its keen news sense that drove the growth, both in terms of papers printed and area covered. Today, though, marks the end of The Western Sun. There will be no more.
In its place is the paper you have in your hands, The Tenerife Sun, a name that more properly reflects the island-wide nature and coverage of the newspaper. The change comes as we celebrate our 200th edition and look back on the stories and issues that have captured the interest and imagination of our readers. Some of them, in a pretty random sweep through our front pages, are highlighted around this page. We hope they will stir some memories.
We’ve tackled stories that delight you and, yes, some that annoy you. We’ve tackled issues – and people – that deserved to have the spotlight of publicity shone upon them. We’ve picked up on the mistakes of others and, yes, made a few ourselves.
But, through it all we’ve remained true to our intentions, to produce good, honest journalism as set out in that very first issue. What has not changed is the ideals and the motives underlying the decision to publish a newspaper on the island.
We said then: ‘If you are resident here we hope to strike up a strong and lasting acquaintance that will build in confidence and shared interest as the region continues to develop. ‘If you are a regular visitor we look forward
to your company each time you arrive and to bringing you abreast of changes in your absence.
‘If you are just passing through, then we are happy to meet you and hope we can be of service and interest during your stay. ‘It is our firm belief that all who live, however temporarily, in this sun-blessed corner of Tenerife will share our interest in its continued development and prosperity. ‘This applies equally to the native islanders, expatriates of whatever nationality and the holidaymakers. ‘Our main motivating force will be to bring together the various communities to develop that interest in every way we can. ‘In doing so we aim to be fair, impartial and accurate in our reporting, telling the news as it is without regard to pressure from any vested interests.
‘Above all, this paper is yours, to enjoy, to trust and to treasure as just one more of the many existing contributions to the developing life of the island.’ As we expand with this issue into the 48- page The Tenerife Sun we remain true to those aims and hope readers will continue to derive the same pleasure from each new edition as they always have