WE CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE MARION JOHN, WHO HAVE SPENT THE PAST 3 DECADES ON YOUR TV.
>> THINK ABOUT IT. 30 YEARS OF
TELLING YOUR STORIES AND
SHARING WHAT WAS GOING ON IN
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS. 4 JAX
REPORTER SCOTT JOHNSON SAT
DOWN WITH THESE 2 TO LET THEM
TELL THEIR STORIES.
>> CAPSULE WAITING 30 YEARS OF
HISTORY IS NOT EASY,
PARTICULARLY WHEN THESE 2 HAVE
BEEN DOCUMENTING HISTORY FOR
ALL THAT TIME. SO LET’S START
BACK IN 1992 WHEN MARY BARON
JOHN GAUGHN JOINED THE CHANNEL
AREA 05:30PM, ANCHOR AND
HEALTH REPORTER AND JOHN, THE
WEEKEND WEATHER MAN WAS THAT
HARD TO MOVE IS A NEW MOM TO
DO THIS?
>> I YOU I WAS SO YOUNG THAN I
FEEL LIKE NOW. IT WASN’T HARD
AT ALL. I WOULD JUST PACK UP
THE CAR. COME ON. LET’S GO. I
MEAN, WE LIKE WAS WE’RE READY
TO START A NEW LIFE. AND I
SERIOUSLY FELL IN LOVE WITH
THIS PLACE. I HAD NO IDEA. TOM
WILL SET YOUR IDIOT SAND IN
YOUR SHOES. YOU’RE NOT GOING
LEAVE AND I’M LIKE, YEAH,
YEAH, BE HERE. I’LL BE HERE,
YOU KNOW, LEARN A LITTLE BIT
AND GO BACK TO OREGON WHERE IT
CAME FROM. GETS MY SHOES FOR
DAYS AFTER I’M ACTUALLY MOVED
HERE.
>> AND THAT WAS IT. I WAS I
WAS HOOKED. THE PEOPLE ARE
AWESOME CITIES AWESOME.
EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS
COMMUNITY JUST KIND IN MY MIND
HAD EVERYTHING THAT WE WANTED
AT THAT TIME. THE 2 KNEW
LITTLE ABOUT JACKSONVILLE FELL
IN LOVE WITH THE CITY AND
NEVER LEFT.
>> MARY EVENTUALLY TOOK OVER
AS CHANNEL FOUR’S LEAD ANCHOR
IN THE EARLY 2. THOUSANDS
FOLLOWING THE DEPARTURE OF
DENVER GIANOLA U.S..
>> AND JOHN TOOK OVER FOR
LONGTIME CHIEF METEOROLOGIST
GEORGE WINNER LONG AFTER HE
RETIRED EVERGY NO LESS GEORGE
WINNER. HUGE TALK TO ME ABOUT
THE SHIFT IN YOUR CAREERS ON
LIFE.
>> WHEN THEY BOTH LEFT, YEAH.
A HUMBLING. YEAH, IT WAS RIGHT
BECAUSE YOU’RE STEPPING INTO
SOME HUGE SHOES.
>> YEAH. IN BOTH CASES FOR
SURE, FOR SURE. AND IN THE
CASE FOR AS I JUST LISTED,
THESE 3 OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAD
BEEN IN THE EVENING SHIFT
>> WE ALL KNEW GEORGE IS GOING
TO WIND IT DOWN. THE 2 SAY
THEY HAVE BEEN PART OF HISTORY
FOR DECADES FROM THE FORMATION
OF THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS.
>> TO THE MASSIVE IMPACT OF
HURRICANES LIKE IRMA WHICH
DECIMATED THE CITY. JUST
REMEMBER THIS ICONIC MOMENT,
THOUGH.
>> ON SET WITH TOM WELLS. AND
AND HE JUST STOPPED
EVERYTHING. AND JUST GOT
EVERYONE’S ATTENTION THAT THIS
IS A LIFE-THREATENING EVENT.
AND I REMEMBER AND I KNOW I
REACHED OVER AND TOUCHED HIS
ARM AND THAT TOOK OFF LIKE
LIKE IT JUST I SAW IT
EVERYWHERE AFTERWARDS. IT WAS
SO CRAZY. BUT IT WAS THIS. IT
WAS THIS MOMENT. AND I MEAN, I
GOT TEARS IN MY EYES THINKING
ABOUT IT WAS IT WAS JUST I
MEAN, SCHOOLS TO BE THROWN
INTO THE STORM. BUT WE HAVE
BEEN. WE’VE HAD SOME NEAR
MISSES. WE HAD HUGO AN 89. WE
HAD FLOYD IN 99.
>> AND SO IT SEEMS LIKE EACH
TIME THE STORMS THAT COME BY,
THEY GET CLOSE. WE GET A
LITTLE WIND, A LITTLE TREE
DAMAGE AND NO BIG DEAL. BUT
NOW WE HAD ONE A CATEGORY 3
HURRICANE COMING RIGHT UP THE
COAST. THE 2 ARE EMBARKING ON
THEIR NEXT CHAPTERS IN LIFE
FOR MARY. SHE’LL CONTINUE WITH
THEIR LOVE FOR HORSES. AND
JOHN.
>> IS LOOKING TO FOCUS ON
ANYTHING BUT THE WEATHER. I’M
REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT
ANIMALS AND CHILDREN KIND OF
TIED THAT INTO SOMETHING THAT
I HOPE TO TAKE. AND I AM
TAKING WITH ME INTO MY NEXT
CHAPTER.
>> OF MY LIFE. IT’S CALLED
GRACE UNDER THE OAKS AND IT’S
THERAPEUTIC RIDING PROGRAM. WE
CALL ADAPTIVE WRITING AND IT
HELPS SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN
AND ADULTS.
>> GET ON THE BACK OF A HORSE
OR OR BE ON THE GROUND WITH
THEM AND HE’LL FROM WHATEVER
THEY THEY DEAL WITH. THERE’S
ONE THING ABOUT TELEVISION. I
DON’T KNOW HOW MARY FEELS
ABOUT THIS, BUT
>> YOU ARE SOMEWHAT PIGEON
HOLED THE BEING A CERTAIN
LOOK, CERTAIN PERSON, A
CERTAIN WAY. AND I’M KIND OF
LOOKING FORWARD TO KIND OF
BREAKING AWAY FROM WHAT I HAVE
BEEN OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS.
YOU BETTER BE PREPARED FOR THE
COMMENTS OF THE GROCERY STORE.
>> YEAH. DIDN’T YOU USED TO BE
SOMEBODY?
>> YEAH. BUT YOU SAID
SOMETHING. THEN YOU’RE GOING
TO DO HERE
>> WERE JOKING YEAH, IT’S
GOING TO LET MY HAIR LOVE.
>> IS IS JUST THE QUEEN OF
CALLERS. EXACTLY. SHE GETS,
YOU KNOW, GETS A LITTLE
PROBLEM THAT WAY THING JUST
YET.
>> SO THE HESITATING HERE TO
TELL YOU A KIND OF A TOUGH
STORY MY MOM HAS HAS DEMENTIA
AND SHE DOESN’T RECOGNIZE MAY
WITH WITH DARK WITH LIGHT
HAIR. SO I’M THINKING ABOUT
COLORING IT SO THAT YOU’LL
RECOGNIZE ME AGAIN. SO I’M
MAKING A BIG TRIP AFTER THIS
WEEKEND. AND I’M GONNA GO SEE
MY MOM AND FAMILY. THAT’S
THAT’S A TOUGH SITUATION. WE
ALL LOT OF FAMILIES DEALING