Back in 1977, Denver was booming. Thousands of Baby Boomers were fleeing the coasts, lured to Colorado by the climate, the scenery, the promise of endlessly flowing Coors. But with the deluge came a dilemma: so many young, active people--and so little to read that told them what was happening in their increasingly dynamic city. That's why Westword was born.

Today, Denver is again booming. Those Seventies pioneers have stayed, rehabbing inner-city neighborhoods or moving to the suburbs while moving up in their careers. One thing, however, remains constant: They still rely on Westword to give them the straight story every week. And now another generation is flooding the city, young adults lured by the climate, the scenery, the country's highest concentration of microbreweries. Westword captures the city for this group, too.

Since its purchase by New Times in 1983, Westword has grown into one of the largest alternative weeklies in the country--even though Denver is a major battlefield in a daily newspaper war. Every week, the new edition is eagerly snatched up in college classrooms, coffeehouses, corporate offices and at the State Capitol by faithful readers who appreciate hard-hitting, award-winning journalism.