Bono & Comment

The one constant in the Toronto Sun since the 1970s has been the writing of Mark Bonokoski, mostly in column form highlighted by a photo of a mustachioed Bono.

Well, there was that brief time in the late 1970s when the iconic moustache was shaved off, but that is another story.

Back to the words of a wordsmith extraordinaire. They have, except for a stint at the Ottawa Sun in the 1980s, been a force in the Toronto Sun for almost four decades.

Backyard perverts, child molesters, criminals on the run and other people who have raised the wrath of Mark Bonokoski have felt the jabs of his pen.

But more often than not, his award-winning columns have helped right the wrongs endured by seniors, soldiers, police officers, aboriginals, tenants, taxpayers and others in need of a listener who cares.

In our books, four of the Toronto Sun's greatest news-oriented story tellers on various playing fields have been Paul Rimstead, Jerry Gladman, Mark Bonokoski and John Downing.

Paul and Jerry left us too soon. Mark is still on the job and John is now a blogger.

Which brings us to a Page 2 story in the Sunday Sun announcing Mark is taking a "hiatus" from the news pages this summer to write national editorials in the Comment section four times a week.

First, Andy Donato cartoons on Sundays only during the winter months and now no Mark Bonokoski columns for the entire summer?

They are messing with the tabloid masters.

James Wallace, editor in chief, calls it a hiatus, which is defined as: "A gap or interruption in space, time, or continuity; a break."

We can only hope it is strictly a brief break from columns and not a sly attempt by the Fox News North recruiters to corral his talents.

We wish Mark well writing editorials during the summer months, but come September, we're sure all of his faithful column readers will want him back in the news section doing what he does best - touching readers with words from the heart.