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The end of the line

Well this is it, the end of 16 plus memorable years as the editor of your newspaper.

Well this is it, the end of 16 plus memorable years as the editor of your newspaper.

And, demanding as the job often was, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

There are so many memories and so many people to thank.

Roma Burnett, our most prolific letter writer, for the many chuckles she gave me.

And all the other letter writers who took advantage of the fact that a major job of the Northern Sentinel is to give its readers a voice.

Anne Bunn who phoned me at least once a year to slap my wrist over my performance, but who also phoned to give me a bouquet when she felt I had earned it.

Everyone who, recognising we can’t be everywhere, submitted write ups and photos to help us tell people what was happening on our community.

Columnists Allan Hewitson, Dennis Horwood, Clint Magnus and Walter Thorne for their unstinting and I believe valuable contribution to your paper.

Reporters like Derrick Penner (now with the Vancouver Sun), Richard Macedo (ace reporter for an oil patch publication regarded as the industry bible) and Cameron Orr who is already settling in as my successor and will do an excellent job.

All the great staff at the Sentinel that I have had the privilege to work with over the years.

The guy who buttonholed me early in my time here and asked if I wrote this column. And when I said yes, asked me why I didn’t sign my name to it.

The convention at the time was editorials were not signed. But I thought about it and couldn’t come up with a good reason not to.

It was probably one of the smartest decisions I made during my tenure because from that moment on I got lots of feedback.

Which admittedly made grocery shopping take longer as people stopped me to offer their reaction/suggestions, but that was fine by me.

A tip of the hat to 16 years worth of council members - yes, I am actually saying nice things about politicians - who, despite the numerous times I hauled them over the coals, never held it against me.

And the same can be said of Skeena MLAs Helmut Giesbrecht (NDP) and Roger Harris (Liberal) when I beat up on their respective governments - although Roger’s leader, Gordon Campbell, was not quite so

forgiving.

I even have a nice word for ex-municipal manager Trafford Hall. After all, his antics over the years inspired me to write a couple of award-winning editorials.

And thank you to all the people who, since my retirement was announced, have taken the time to wish me well.

Just one more thing, this old soldier isn’t going to simply fade away.

From time to time you can expect to once again see my purple prose grace the pages of your newspaper when events result in the irresistible urge to put in my two cents worth.

 

So until the next time...

Malcolm Baxter