A4

At the Desk
Greg Mulock

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Our newspaper is not only a voice of our region, but a mirror – one that reflects back the opinions, concerns, issues and values of those who live here, and shows the local goings on. It's not always pretty, but it's our reality, as seen through the filter of our journalists and photographers.

Those thoughts came to me while browsing through old copies of The Northern Light retrieved from the good people at the Smurfit-Stone Library last winter, when they were doing some housecleaning. Looking back at the news of yesteryear is always interesting, especially from a then and now perspective.

On March 30, 1983, I had written a story saying Bob Bouchard was appointed as city manager. Bob left that post more than a dozen years ago, and relocated to Moncton.

In July 6, 1983, there were front-page photos of not only the contestants for that year's Miss Bathurst Pageant, but also of the men in the running for the top honours in the 2nd Annual Mr. Bathurst-New Brunswick Pageant. I won't mention any names, but there were certainly some familiar ones.

In the Aug. 21, 1985 edition, then councillor Claire Wilt was up in arms over local nightspots apparently having to purchase their liquor from the outlet in Chaleur Centre. That liquor store is now long gone, and the mall itself is no longer focused on retail.

In August 31, 1988, we reported that a "decision on whether or not we get a civic centre in Bathurst now rests in the hands of city council, " given that council had received the report of the Bathurst Civic Centre Committee. Eight years later, in 1996, the doors of the K.C. Irving Regional Centre opened with a Sept. 28, 1996 concert by Sass Jordan among the first events. Jordan is best known now, of course, as a judge on "Canadian Idol"

Snapshots in time, and a reflection of what's going on in the community. It's what we do.