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thedrifter
09-28-03, 08:43 AM
Twenty years provide much to write about
September 28,2003
BONNIE THROCKMORTON
DAILY NEWS STAFF

It was 1983. Ronald Reagan was president, Sally Ride became the first woman to fly in space, the Soviet Union shot down a civilian jetliner which it claimed strayed into its airspace and our Marines were serving as peacekeepers in Beirut, Lebanon. And a young military wife, whose five-year old daughter was just entering kindergarten, approached the publisher of the Daily News with an idea - a dream if you will.

She believed the newspaper should reach out to readers who were experiencing consumer problems. With a sales pitch long on passion and high on hope, she persuaded the publisher to give the column a try.

She would later learn the editor had some serious concerns - not about her ability to write, she was already a published writer - but more about how angry she was likely to make certain segments of the community. In those days, consumer advocates were viewed as commie-pinko liberals. But, to his credit, he agreed to support this experiment. The first column appeared Sept. 23, 1983.

In those days, filing a column was a complex process. It was written in long-hand on a yellow legal pad. This was followed by a typewritten draft used for editing and finally a typed copy which was hand-delivered to the newspaper for publication. Desktop computers were still in their infancy but few homes were without a trusty typewriter. Within a few months, the column found its niche.

Though the writer expected to confine herself to consumer-related topics, world events would quickly change this perception. Exactly one month after the column began, our community was rocked back on its heels when word arrived of a massive bombing in Beirut.

A lone, suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden truck into the Marine Barracks at Beirut International Airport. It was serving as home to hundreds of Camp Lejeune Marines. Within the next few weeks, we would mourn the loss of 241 of our Marines and the consumer columnist would find her words on the editorial page. Neither she nor this community would ever be quite the same again.

To gain perspective on those days, consider this. The Jacksonville Mall had only been in existence for two years. There was no Western Boulevard Extension, just a stand of trees-no big box stores, no traffic, no road at all.

Since 1983, the nation has held five presidential elections and is gearing up for a sixth. Our county has seen numerous boards of commissioners elected and tossed out as their various actions either pleased or piqued voters. In one election, the incumbent slate died at the hands of property re-evaluation, while many others fell to the simple winds of political change.

As the old saying goes, all politics are local. The city of Jacksonville has seen many candidates come and go and was required to subject its electoral process to the whims and wishes of the U.S. Department of Justice. It angered some citizens with beautification efforts, yet few can deny how much these efforts have improved the aesthetic appearance of the area. Downtown redevelopment moved from DRAB to BOLD as sleazy strip clubs were replaced by a beautiful park and community entertainment.

The schools were so over-crowded in 1983 that several hundred students were using a single set of restrooms and mobile classrooms abounded on every campus. Since then, several construction bonds were passed and the county now has some 33 schools with still more on the drawing boards - yet mobile classrooms still abound.

Technology has certainly changed our lives. We saw the break-up of Ma Bell, the triumph of the space shuttle program, computers in virtually all businesses and personal computers in many homes. We are now wired wherever we go and there's a cell phone seemingly in every pocket.

Perhaps the greatest change came when we shared both triumph and tragedy. The Beirut bombing forever altered the face of civilian/military relationships; the area cheered when Jacksonville became an All-American City-we already knew that. We've weathered the winds of hurricanes and the horrors of helicopter crashes.

We've seen our nation come under attack by terrorists in a manner unthinkable before September 11, 2001. We've sent our military forces off to two major wars and dozens of minor conflicts around the globe.

Back home, we've done what this area is famous for - we've supported, survived and loved each other through ups and downs, trials and tribulations, great joy and deep sorrow.

And this writer has had the privilege of viewing these 20 years as a columnist and op-ed writer for this newspaper. Today, I write my columns on my home computer and, with a few keystrokes, send them to the newspaper in mere seconds.

It has been a truly humbling experience that so many people in the community have been so supportive of these columns. It is with deep gratitude that I look forward to my next decade.

Thank you for sharing this ride with me.


Onslow County resident Bonnie Throckmorton is consumer affairs columnist for The Daily News and frequent contributor to the op-ed pages. Readers can contact her via e-mail at: bonnie@jdnews.com


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Sempers,

Roger
:marine: