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Published Thursday November 27th, 2008
NEW BOOK BY NEWSMAN TELLS IT THE WAY IT WAS
Fred Hazel - People and places
You think it's something new for the newspaper and Saint John Common Council to be at odds over certain issues? Well, think again. A classic example of the age-old confrontation has just been chronicled by former Saint John newsman David Williams, in his crisply readable new book, "When Headlines Spoke In Capital Letters."
This is a really refreshing stroll down a memory lane which I know all about. I was there in those days. And Dave Williams was there, as a reporter and commentator whose thoughtful and insightful coverage of City Hall and civic history from the 1960s through the 1990s is reprised in this illustrated volume. I found I just couldn't put it down - even though I'd read every one of those stories before.
An interesting aspect of this book is that it isn't a re-write revision of history. Dave Williams decided to present his reports exactly as he wrote them and exactly as they were published in The Evening Times-Globe and the Telegraph-Journal in the eras in which he wrote them. The result is an enchantingly pristine reflection of a 40-year period when Saint John was making that history.
You'll revisit the 1962 amalgamation angst, when some Parish of Simonds residents were balking at becoming part of Saint John. You'll stand atop the girders of the not-yet-finished Harbour Bridge with reporter Williams as he interviews bridge engineer A.J. (Smokey) Callaghan - while not looking down.
Readers can revisit the 1964 mission of evangelist Billy Graham; meet rising television stars like Tommy Hunter and Don Messer; recall the early days of "Aware House," a haven for homeless youth pioneered by one David Lutz, who went on to become a prominent regional lawyer.
Malcolm Bricklin, Pierre Trudeau, K.C. Irving - they all appear in this collection of stories of the past.
There's lots of City Hall stuff, about times when Common Council was even more fractious than it has been of late. There's allegations of liquor fuelling some disputes and a reported punch-out outside the august chamber.
Perceptive readers can see an evolution of writing in this book - from a careful young reporter detailing the stories he is covering in the 1960s - to a more mature columnist adding the shadings of his considered interpretation in the 1990s. It's really a classic example of honest journalism at its best. Referring to council secrecy in 1995, Williams notes that he had been writing weekly "about the amount of business that Common Council does behind closed doors. Our aim has been a simple one - to inform the public about the large number of items done in secret and to persuade council to reduce it. This is based on a straightforward principle: The public's business must be dealt with in public. But it is one that council seems to have difficulty grasping." Sound familiar?
David Williams, who still writes a stamp column, went on to become city editor, editorial writer and associate editor handling letters to the editor in his 39-year career. This collection of stories, available for $17.95 at Coles, Indigo and UNB's Imprint bookstores, or online at davidwilliamsreports.com, is an ideal Christmas gift for those who enjoy comparing the present with the recent past.
Fred Hazel is a retired editor-in-chief of this newspaper. His column appears on Thursday.