Until three months ago, Springvale resident Carol Webb had never written a letter to the editor.
Now she's a regular Chronicle scribe, standing up for what she sees as the maligned arts community.
Ms Webb was a journalist for many years, a career which precluded her from writing letters.
"I've been a journalist since I was 19, and journalists don't take positions."
She was born and raised in Gonville and was offered a cadetship by Wanganui Herald editor George Abbott. She later became chief reporter of the paper.
In 1970 she left Wanganui and worked as a writer, subeditor and editor on a range of newspapers, including the Taupo Times, Dominion, Christchurch Press and the Nation, in Bangkok.
Her CV also includes working for magazines such as NZ Farmer, a technical writer, producing websites and a stint in corporate communications.
She returned to Wanganui from Wellington last year, buying Victoria Ave business Blind Boutique, which she operates with her brother, Richard.
"I've totally reinvented myself now." She said she was having a huge amount of fun and enjoying the customer contact.
Ms Webb said a pivotal moment in her decision to return to Wanganui was watching the Ucol mid-year graduates' capping procession and knowing the regard in which its courses were held internationally.
"Gee, Wanganui's really come of age, and it's a place I could come back to," she thought.
She described herself as "a fairly low-key supporter and enjoyer of the arts".
It was what she saw as Mayor Michael Laws' attack on the arts community that prompted her to start writing letters to the editor.
"I felt it was such a difficult position for artists and the Sarjeant to be put in, and if I could help get their message out there ? that they are not elitist, not bludgers ? then I was suddenly in a position to do that because I didn't have ties to any news organisation."
Ms Webb admitted she voted for Mr Laws last October... "Which is why I have to work so much harder to atone for my stupidity."
She does the communications work for the Save Our Sarjeant (SOS) lobby group. It had moved on from the stalling of the gallery extension and was now focused on democracy, she said.
"We're talking about the need for a council that listens to the citizens, treats them with respect."
SOS had a database of more than 130 people, about 100 of which were in Wanganui. At its last meeting about 40 people attended, which was a "really low turnout".
She had discovered some SOS members were not involved in any 1960s or Springbok protests, but now found themselves as democracy advocates.
Most of them had come to Wanganui for the quiet life, as she had.
Good letter writing was a balancing act. "It must acknowledge what has gone before and draw on lessons of the past, while at the same time moving the debate forward and always giving readers something to think about and hopefully act on."
Chronicle letters to the editor were very widely read and people had told her they learnt something every day from the letters.
+ Today we end our summer Scribe series. Thank you to all the letters-to-the-editor writers who agreed to be interviewed.
Scribe: Journo reinvents herself
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