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4A SUNDAY, JULY 30, 2000
?CUEVAS? QUOTES?
By Ellis C. Cuevas
When I made the announcement in early June that I would be stepping down as publisher of The Sea Coast Echo, one of the most asked questions was, ?Are you going to continue to write your column??
The answer, of course, is yes. I have been writing a column for over 20 years and plan on doing so, hopefully for many more years to come. The only difference is, it may be moved to another section of the paper.
As many of you know, I have been the newspaper?s publisher for over 23 years, and now I will maintain the title of Publisher Emeritus.
In my new position one of the biggest differences will be that I will be assisting new Publisher Randy Ponder with the administrative functions, instead of him assisting me.
Randy and I have worked together since 1971, when he joined the Echo?s staff as a pressman.
From there he moved up to general manager and advertising director. We have worked together with the exception of three years - when he was publisher of a sister publication in Bayou LaBatre, Alabama - which was sold. He returned to his old position at The Echo.
Now I do plan on cutting back on the days and hours a week I v^ork. I guess one is entitled to do that when one has worked over 43 years at the same business.
I plan on doing many of the things I have wanted to 'do, but have been unable to do so, because of time restraints.
One of the first projects will probably be reviving the past history column I did on years gone by from our archives.
Yes, it has been a hard decision on my part to step down, but Jane has a ?zillion? honey-do projects for me, and the list continues to grow each day.
Running here, there and everywhere over the years, I am thankful that Jane realized that this is what my job consisted of and what was expected from me. There were many nights and holidays when my time was spent at work when I should hav& been at home.
Looking back over the years, our community as a whole has been very good to me. I was given an opportunity, and I really appreciate the overwhelming support I received from so many loyal Sea Coast Echo advertisers and subscribers.
The Echo?s staff has been tremendous, because without a good staff, I sure would not have been successful.
Great things have happened in Hancock County since my tenure began at the Echo.
Just think, Diamondhead was just a pine forest, Port Bienville was a thicket on the edge of a marsh, Stennis Space Center was an assortment of rural communities such as Logtown, Santa Rosa, Napoleon and Gainesville. The county?s airport was a grass landing strip where the soccer complex is located and the local hospital had a few rooms located in a residence-type home on Carroll Avenue. Interstate 10 was nonexistent and Highway 90 was a single lane, and I could just go on and on.
The opportunities are now here for our future generations, and they are tremendous. Jobs were scarce as ?hens? teeth? as an old saying goes when I completed my three years of military obligation in 1957, before joining the staff of The Echo.
The vast majority of those wanting to get ahead in life had to pack their bag and head elsewhere. A few stayed in their family businesses, worked as fishermen or professional fields, such as lawyers and medical doctors.
Folks talk about the ?good old days.? I feel they are here today and not in the past. What has happened in the past cannot be changed. It is in the future where we can make a difference.