Happy I'm here, glad to help

 I’ll get right to the point. I’m Randy Foster, the new managing editor of the Sun Journal. I started about two weeks ago. 
    I’m in charge of the Sun Journal newsroom, including its dedicated and hard-working reporters, photographers and editors. If you have any comments, criticisms, tips, or just want to chat, give me a call at 635-5663 or email me atrfoster@freedomenc.com. 
    New Bern is new to me, one of life’s delightful surprises. My wife Sarah visited once or twice during her high school days; her perspective was from the viewpoint of a bright but distracted teenager passing through on a hot bus. My introduction came much later, in January, when we happened upon the annual Shriners’ parade. 
    Just weeks earlier we visited Charleston, S.C., and I was intrigued by the similarities — waterfront towns dating back to colonial days; heritage by the wagonload. I lost count of the roadside historical markers. 
   My previous gigs were at newspapers in Fayetteville, which is no stranger itself to colonial times. Though now bigger than New Bern, Fayetteville was just getting started by the time New Bern was celebrating its 25th anniversary. 
    What I lack in terms of New Bern experience, I hope I’ll make up for with newspaper experience — more than 22 years plus a BA degree in journalism. As a reporter I have covered every beat there is except K-12 education. I’ve been an editor at all levels, too, at daily newspapers in California, New Mexico and here in North Carolina. 
    Another thing I bring to the table is this: I’m a Marine Corps veteran. I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to go from an Army town to one so close to Marines. 
    As you know, the Sun Journal has undergone some major changes over the past month. Its compact format dictates how we cover the news — our front page is often more like a magazine cover; and we have shorter stories but more of them than we did under the old format. We also overhauled some of our content, including syndicated features. 
    The biggest controversy by far was over our new crossword puzzle, which many readers find too hard to complete. So starting this past Thursday, we brought back our old crossword puzzle, no doubt to the delight of many. 
    New starting in today’s edition is Parade magazine, the granddaddy of Sunday supplements. We are also continuing to include USA Weekend in our Sunday package, guaranteeing our position as part of your Sunday routine. 
    My column will also run on Sundays. I’ll be writing about a variety of things related to two of my favorite topics: New Bern and the Sun Journal. 
    My wife and I (and our five boys, two dogs and a bird) are looking for a place to forward our mail, so I can’t accurately say that I am a New Bern resident just yet. During our search for a new homestead, we’re finding something delightful at every turn. 
    I hope you’ll forgive me if I write about things you already know about. 
    Thanks for letting me take up a few minutes of your time.