THIS week's walk down memory lane takes us back 15 years — when rampaging vandals had trashed a school classroom.
Yobs broke into Port Glasgow’s Slaemuir Primary and smashed up the room — causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.
The thugs broke in through a side window and destroyed a hi-tech white board, rifled through drawers and left a trail of pupils’ work and teachers’ belongings strewn over the floor.
It was the second time the school had been targeted, as raiders had broken in and taken a computer the night before.
READ MORE: Greenock Telegraph Retro: water supply woes at the Oak Mall
Inverclyde Council education director Ian Fraser condemned the break-ins, and said at the time: “It’s disgusting and it is an insult to the hard work of pupils and teachers.”
Meanwhile, a courageous Greenock man had dedicated his life to people with spinal injuries after cheating death in an horrific road accident.
Dougy Johnston, from Morris Street, was thrown from his motorbike at Parklea roundabout in 2000.
The former Compaq Electronics employee was for Spinal Injuries Scotland, supporting people who had been affected by spinal injury.
He was so good at his job that he had just secured a promotion.
Elsewhere, a dump site in Greenock had been transformed — and the public was being asked what should be put there.
The stretch of wooded hillside between Wren Road at the top and Grieve Road at the bottom was a favourite spot for vandals pushing stolen cars that often burst into flames and set fire to trees.
Lower Clyde Greenspace spent £22,000 tidying up the site, and the council was pursuing other funding to get more work done to it.
Councillor Iain McKenzie, deputy council leader, said at the time: “This hillside lies between two new Oak Tree housing developments being built at Wren Road and Grieve Road.
“We didn’t want an unsightly jungle of rubbish and debris scattered all over the hillside, so we arranged for funding to get it cleaned up, including removing the cars, thinning out damaged trees and collecting litter.
“Now a public meeting is being planned to ask people what they would like to see done with it.”
In other news, carers across Inverclyde were gearing up for National Carers’ Week, with a packed programme unveiled to mark the event.
It was set to run from 9 until 15 June — and support organisations were to provide a whole host of practical help for carers during the week, with a busy schedule on offer right across the district.
In sport, Morton had just three games to make up three points on Clyde and escape the relegation playoffs, but they had a tough task looming at McDiarmid Park.
The bookmakers had St Johnstone as clear favourites in the looming clash.
The Ton put up a brave fight, fighting back to 2-2 despite going down 2-0 in the first half, but an 86th minute strike from Kevin James meant they left McDiarmid Park without points.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here