Opinion
COMMENTARY Chasing Pumpkins On Hillcrest
Posted: November 7, 2009 5:25 a.m.First I must tell you about lawyer John Baker of Little Rock and the woman named Shalah to whom I am wed. They’re filled with this positive, can-do, ain’t-life-great spirit. You name it and they’ll say sure. They’re liable to suggest in midride to a movie that we run over to Mars for a second to see if there’s any sign of water. Several years ago Shalah was chairman of the tour of historic homes in Little Rock. She got the idea that the ticket booths from the State Fair would be ideal to install at the tour’s entry stations in the Quapaw Quarter district. Somehow she wrangled permission. She and Baker, who was some kind of subcommittee chairman, informed me of this arrangement early on the Saturday morning of the tour. That is to say I found myself unsuspectingly and disagreeably en route with them to heave these outsized, severalton wooden structures onto the back of Baker’s or somebody’s pickup, surely to crush the shocks and drive the frame nearly to the pavement along hilly Roosevelt Road — this as we cre
Casualties Of War
Posted: November 7, 2009 4:55 a.m.To honor the men and women in our armed forces and remind our readers of their sacrifices, The Rogers Morning News is publishing Department of Defense announcements identifying Americans killed in active military operations. Seven soldiers died Oct. 27 in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Killed were Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, 27, of South Ozone Park, N.Y.; Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, 24, of Alamo, Texas; Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, 29, of Terre Haute, Ind.; Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, 27, of Plattsburg, Mo.; Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson, 24, of Broussard, La.; Spc. Jared D. Stanker, 22, of Evergreen Park, Ill.; Pfc. Christopher I. Walz, 25, of Vancouver, Wash. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
PUBLIC VIEWPOINT Hospice A Blessed Gift To A Giver
Posted: November 7, 2009 4:55 a.m.During my many travels from Arkansas, where I reside, to my hometown of Mooers, N.Y, to visit family and friends, I’ve had the opportunity, along with my dad, to participate in Hospice of the North Country in Plattsburgh, N.Y. I feel twice blessed because I’m a volunteer at Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale. I’ve come to realize that neither the name of the town nor state makes hospice what it is. Hospice is people, people with caring and compassionate hearts. People who have faith not only in God but also in themselves. Knowing that by reaching out to someone else, even a total stranger, that they can make a difference. Caring people who help make a difficult time in another person’s life a little more comfortable knowing there’s a caring soul. Hospice is the extended hand. People who are willing to sit quietly by a bedside, hold a hand, wipe a tear or just listen bring comfort. People involved with hospice can find strength and satisfaction by caring for another human being. The rewards are beyond compre
HOW WE SEE IT A Second Look At A Serious Investigation
Posted: November 7, 2009 4:55 a.m.Special prosecutor H.G. Foster has two serious questions to settle in his review of rape allegations against University of Arkansas basketball players. The first is whether a young lady was raped. The second is whether the University Police and local authorities treated the accusation lightly. The family of the young lady sought a special prosecutor shortly after Washington County prosecuting attorney John Threet decided against pressing charges. We commend Threet for joining that request for an independent review. He. A cynic could argue Threet had no real choice. We disagree. Threet could have delayed the review by at least a few days without much effort. This would have made a successful challenge of his findings more difficult. “Nothing that a prosecutor does gets better with time,” said Foster, who will start as soon as next week. He is right.
HOW WE SEE IT: Arkansas 211 Shutdown A Big Loss
Posted: November 6, 2009 5:25 a.m.During its all-too-short life, Arkansas 211 racked up some impressive numbers. According to executive director Nathan Cook, the service, which helped connect Arkansans with social-service providers across the state, received more than 150,000 calls after it began in May 2007. Add in all the e-mail messages and the visits people made to the program’s Web site, and more than 350,000 folks have contacted 211.
COMMENTARY: Reform Meeting Worthless
Posted: November 6, 2009 5:23 a.m.U. S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln and President Barack Obama met on health care for a half-hour in the Oval Office on Tuesday afternoon. You wonder what in the world could have been said. There’s not a position on a health care detail between them.
PUBLIC VIEWPOINT: Ode To Annie, Loving Dog
Posted: November 6, 2009 5:21 a.m.Some four years ago our son, who is a family practice M.D. on the West Coast, phoned home with a message for his mother. “Mom,” he said, “I generally suggest to my older patients that they get a dog for a pet and companionship.” Marki went out that very afternoon, visited the Springdale Animal Shelter and found a young, half-grown beagle/ Shar pei mix. Marki and the hound were immediately attracted to each other.
HOW WE SEE IT: Rec Center Exciting Development
Posted: November 5, 2009 4:25 a.m.PUBLIC VIEWPOINT: Carter Leaves Legacy Of Love
Posted: November 5, 2009 4:22 a.m.The city of Bentonville, Benton County, the state of Arkansas and the nation lost one of the most outstanding men I have had the privilege and honor to know. Paul Carter was a man of strong conviction, superior intellect and an exceptionally caring heart. A man of faith, Paul lived the virtues delineated by the apostle Paul in Chapter 13 of his first letter to the church at Corinth. As the apostle defined love, so Mr. Paul Carter exemplified. He was the quintessence of patience, kindness and trustworthiness. Paul was never self-serving nor arrogant; never unbecoming or begrudging; always gentle and encouraging.
There Ought To Be A Law
Posted: November 5, 2009 4:20 a.m.Washington County will consider limits on the number of animals that can be spayed or neutered under a well-meaning, low-cost option offered by that county. The program ran out of money in 2008 because a few parties claimed as many as 60 vouchers each.
COMMENTARY Governor Should Use Clout
Posted: November 5, 2009 4:05 a.m.It may well be Gov. Mike Beebe’s chance to do that which no other governor has done — a veritable Nixongoes-to-China moment.
HOW WE SEE IT: The More The Merrier?
Posted: November 4, 2009 4:51 a.m.How many justices of the peace does it take to run a county? And how many is too many?
State, County Doing Inmate Shuffle
Posted: November 4, 2009 4:50 a.m.The backup of state prisoners into county jails will continue without any immediate financial relief to the counties.
PUBLIC VIEWPOINT: Details On Health Care Plans Needed
Posted: November 4, 2009 4:47 a.m.What in the world is wrong with us Americans? I just had a call from one of Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s survey groups informing me that I was to be connected to Mrs. Lincoln’s office so that I could tell her that I am totally against the health care plan. What plan is this?
Casualties Of War
Posted: November 4, 2009 4:45 a.m.To honor the men and women in our armed forces and remind our readers of their sacrifices, the Northwest Arkansas Times is publishing Department of Defense announcements identifying Americans killed in active military operations. Sgt. Eduviges G. Wolf, 24, of Hawthorne, Calif., died Oct. 25 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suered when insurgents attacked her vehicle with a rocket propelled grenade. She was assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. Spc. Joseph L. Gallegos, 39, of Questa, N.M., died Oct. 28 in Tallil, Iraq, in a noncombat-related incident. He was assigned to the 720th Transportation Company, New Mexico Army National Guard, in Las Vegas, N.M.