With Carol White’s entrance into the Blytheville mayoral race last Friday, it’s safe to say that what was already an interesting political year just got a lot more interesting.
To date, White is the only announced candidate for the position, expected to be vacated by Barrett Harrison, who is running for the Arkansas State Senate. Current Mississippi County Sheriff James Sanders, a former Blytheville city councilman, has also publicly expressed interest in the position. There have been other rumored candidates of interest, and it’s a reasonable assumption that several more names will be thrown into the ring by the time filing opens in August.
And so, in a year which is already seeing vibrant campaigns for county judge, state senator, U.S. congressman, sheriff and justice of the peace, we can look forward to a vibrant Blytheville mayoral race as well.
It’s been 12 years since Blytheville saw an open race for its mayor. In 1998, with the retirement of Joe Gude, four candidates faced off. The slate included Harrison, Gary Hughey, Gene Henton and Lewis Richardson. That race came down to a runoff between Hughey and Harrison. Hughey, who was the administrative assistant to the mayor at the time, was essentially the status quo candidate. Harrison, interestingly enough, was the candidate “for change.”
This time around, it’s White who’s recycling the “change” message. And one thing’s for certain — with White in the race, it’s not likely to be boring. Since her appointment to the City Council last year, White has made a reputation for herself as a rouser of rabbles. Whether she can muster enough rabbles to mount a competitive campaign remains to be seen.
White reminds me a lot of Ross Perot, the former presidential candidate. Perot burst onto the scene back in 1992, and at first glance, came off as the fresh voice of reason — a common-sense guy with the intelligence and know-how to reform Washington. But as time went by, it became apparent that Perot wasn’t exactly playing with a full deck. Nonetheless, he rallied enough support to make a lot of noise in the ’92 campaign, and a little bit more in ’96. It seemed that as time went by, Perot had an increasingly smaller, yet increasingly more devout, group of followers. I could kind of see White following a similar path.
But I’ve always believed that there’s a place in the political process for mavericks and gadflies. Government leaders who always agree with one another are probably not serving the people. So I think it’s good that Carol White is running for mayor. This will be the first time that she’s run for elected office, and it will be useful to see how her ideas, positions and personality fare in the political marketplace.
That’s the same reason it’s good that there’s so many competitive races this year. Citizens of our community deserve a choice. Elections shouldn’t simply be coronations. They should be a chance for citizens to discuss what we want our community to be, where we want our community to go, and then make an intelligent choice for who is going to lead us there.
May there be more interesting candidates throwing their hats in the rings.
———
You can tell it’s an election year by the proliferation of yard signs across the community. So far, it looks like most candidates are sticking to the red-white-and-blue theme. It will be interesting to see if anyone tries to distinguish himself or herself with signs of a different color.
One candidate has distinguished himself with shape — going with a diamond, rather than the traditional rectangle. It has worked well.
Another candidate, meanwhile, has clearly stolen the design for his signs from former presidential candidate John McCain. But I’m going to guess McCain’s not going to be in Mississippi County anytime soon to complain.
I’m not going to say I would ever base my voting decision on the quality of a candidate’s yard signs, but I can tell you that I’ve been turned off a time or two in the past by less-than-professional yard signs. So far this year, however, most of the candidates are looking good.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
The irregularities of modern nomenclature
What year is it?
That's easy, you say. It's 2010.
Indeed it is. But how did you say that year? Did you say, "twenty-ten," or did you say, "Two thousand and ten"?
I hope you said "twenty-ten," as I'm a firm believer that it's time we move past this "two thousand" nonsense that has thus far dominated the new millennium.
That's been one of my biggest pet peeves about the dawn of the 21st century. For hundreds of years, we of Western civilization had a perfectly good way to state the year. We broke it into two parts — the first part, identifying the century; the second part, the year. From almost a thousand years, it's worked perfectly well, providing names of years that were easy to remember and even had a catchy cadence to them.
But all that changed in 2000. Admittedly, saying "twenty hundred" would have been a bit weird. Same goes for "twenty oh-one" or "twenty oh-two."
But we can't keep this up forever. I mean, in 25 years, do we really want to be saying "two thousand and thirty-five," when "twenty thirty-five" rolls off the tongue so much better?
With 2010, we've begun a new decade, and it's a perfectly good time to get back to calling the years what they should be called. "Twenty-ten" can be the start of that new era.
———
Speaking of confusing names for things, the nomenclature of some of our local roads leaves much to be desired.
Take the road that runs around the perimeter of the Arkansas Aeroplex. On the east side, near the water tower, it's called "June Gosnell Drive." But the very same road, when turning into the Aeroplex via the gate across from Otto's is marked "Louisiana Avenue." Yet talk to folks around town, and you'll hear it referred to "Perimeter Road."
So which is it?
I haven't a clue.
Perimeter Road is the most descriptive, but it's boring. Louisiana Avenue is the old Air Force name, but many of those have been changed. June Gosnell Drive has the most character, but it may only refer to the section between the Youth Sportsplex and the hospital.
It would make things a lot simpler if the powers that be picked one modern, interesting name for the entire stretch.
———
For that matter, the powers that be also ought to look at Blytheville's east end for road names. Anyone who lives in Blytheville can tell you that McDonald's and Burger King on are the same road. But guess what? They're not!
According to their addresses, McDonald's is on East Main, but Burger King is on East Highway 18. I think the way it goes is that Main stops at the interstate, and though the city limits continue for several miles, anything east of I-55 is just "Highway 18."
Isn't it about time to update this, and designate this road as Main Street until it leaves the city limits? Perhaps. But then again, I think it would be odd to think of places like Pathway Church or the Hard Hat convenience store as being located on Main Street.
That said, some clarification is needed. After all, the sign marking the interstate exit refers to this road as "Armorel/Huffman Road." While the description is reasonably accurate, I've never once heard anyone call it that in my more than a decade of living in the Blytheville area.
———
Speaking for those who are easily annoyed by trivial nonuniformities, I can say that we clearly need to pay a little more attention to the way we are naming things.
That's easy, you say. It's 2010.
Indeed it is. But how did you say that year? Did you say, "twenty-ten," or did you say, "Two thousand and ten"?
I hope you said "twenty-ten," as I'm a firm believer that it's time we move past this "two thousand" nonsense that has thus far dominated the new millennium.
That's been one of my biggest pet peeves about the dawn of the 21st century. For hundreds of years, we of Western civilization had a perfectly good way to state the year. We broke it into two parts — the first part, identifying the century; the second part, the year. From almost a thousand years, it's worked perfectly well, providing names of years that were easy to remember and even had a catchy cadence to them.
But all that changed in 2000. Admittedly, saying "twenty hundred" would have been a bit weird. Same goes for "twenty oh-one" or "twenty oh-two."
But we can't keep this up forever. I mean, in 25 years, do we really want to be saying "two thousand and thirty-five," when "twenty thirty-five" rolls off the tongue so much better?
With 2010, we've begun a new decade, and it's a perfectly good time to get back to calling the years what they should be called. "Twenty-ten" can be the start of that new era.
———
Speaking of confusing names for things, the nomenclature of some of our local roads leaves much to be desired.
Take the road that runs around the perimeter of the Arkansas Aeroplex. On the east side, near the water tower, it's called "June Gosnell Drive." But the very same road, when turning into the Aeroplex via the gate across from Otto's is marked "Louisiana Avenue." Yet talk to folks around town, and you'll hear it referred to "Perimeter Road."
So which is it?
I haven't a clue.
Perimeter Road is the most descriptive, but it's boring. Louisiana Avenue is the old Air Force name, but many of those have been changed. June Gosnell Drive has the most character, but it may only refer to the section between the Youth Sportsplex and the hospital.
It would make things a lot simpler if the powers that be picked one modern, interesting name for the entire stretch.
———
For that matter, the powers that be also ought to look at Blytheville's east end for road names. Anyone who lives in Blytheville can tell you that McDonald's and Burger King on are the same road. But guess what? They're not!
According to their addresses, McDonald's is on East Main, but Burger King is on East Highway 18. I think the way it goes is that Main stops at the interstate, and though the city limits continue for several miles, anything east of I-55 is just "Highway 18."
Isn't it about time to update this, and designate this road as Main Street until it leaves the city limits? Perhaps. But then again, I think it would be odd to think of places like Pathway Church or the Hard Hat convenience store as being located on Main Street.
That said, some clarification is needed. After all, the sign marking the interstate exit refers to this road as "Armorel/Huffman Road." While the description is reasonably accurate, I've never once heard anyone call it that in my more than a decade of living in the Blytheville area.
———
Speaking for those who are easily annoyed by trivial nonuniformities, I can say that we clearly need to pay a little more attention to the way we are naming things.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Old Man Winter headed for the exit
Is it too early to sound the all-clear on winter 2010?
Probably. March is a volatile month, even here in the mid-South. And there’s a decent chance that Old Man Winter will rear his ugly head at least one more time before he fades into an unpleasant memory.
All the same, it’s a safe bet that the worst of winter is behind us. While the first official day of spring is still 17 days away, meteorological spring began Monday.
And there are other signs of spring. The Blytheville Baseball/Softball Boosters have been signing up kids for this year’s league for the last couple of weeks. And over at the Walmart Supercenter, I spotted stacks of landscaping bricks, soil and fertilizer making an appearance in the parking lot outside the lawn and garden side of the store.
Needless to say, spring is almost here. It’s a welcome time of the year.
I’m not a fan of February. It’s a weird month. It’s got an irregular number of days, and it’s hard to spell (why is there an “r” in the middle of it?). It’s a month without a redeeming value, and any politician who will promise to propose legislation to simply outlaw the month has got my vote.
The worst of winter always seems to come along in February. More cold days. More winter precipitation. More days of school canceled. Face it: February is a mess. I’m happy to see it go.
That said, I’ve tried to be patient this year. Usually by this time, I’ve written two or three “longing for summer” columns. But events in the past year have taught me that it’s best not to rush these things. Time will inevitably pass, and there’s not much sense in hurrying it along. After all, while there are some bad things we’d like to get rid of sooner, there’s also some good things we’d like to hold onto longer.
So that’s how I’ve found contentment this past winter season. I’m not claiming to be a fan of cold winds and slick roads, mind you — I’m just saying I had a pretty strong inkling such things would eventually fade away. And it looks like I might have been right.
I think this time of year — the cusp of spring — is a good time to take stock in what we want to accomplish in the warm months. On my list this year are a number of things. I already have a big family vacation planned — a trip that will include my extended family. I plan to keep running, with a new challenge on my agenda for June. I also to intend to savor every minute I can watching my kids play baseball and softball, no matter how or hot and humid — or windy — it might be.
I think it’s good to make lists like the one above because it’s too easy to let spring (and the summer that follows) slip by without doing all the things you meant to do. When you’re standing on March 3, the months of nice weather look like a vast, endless slate. But just like the winter that may soon be behind us, the coming season won’t last forever. As for me, I want to cherish as much of it as I can.
The latest forecast I’ve seen calls for temperatures close to 60 by this weekend. That’s what I call “spring weather,” and I’m looking forward to getting outside to enjoy some of it. But I’m also realistic. I’ve lived in the central United States long enough to know that the road from winter to spring is a rocky one.
But I’m just happy to be on the road and moving along the way. We’ll get there eventually. Let’s enjoy the ride.
Probably. March is a volatile month, even here in the mid-South. And there’s a decent chance that Old Man Winter will rear his ugly head at least one more time before he fades into an unpleasant memory.
All the same, it’s a safe bet that the worst of winter is behind us. While the first official day of spring is still 17 days away, meteorological spring began Monday.
And there are other signs of spring. The Blytheville Baseball/Softball Boosters have been signing up kids for this year’s league for the last couple of weeks. And over at the Walmart Supercenter, I spotted stacks of landscaping bricks, soil and fertilizer making an appearance in the parking lot outside the lawn and garden side of the store.
Needless to say, spring is almost here. It’s a welcome time of the year.
I’m not a fan of February. It’s a weird month. It’s got an irregular number of days, and it’s hard to spell (why is there an “r” in the middle of it?). It’s a month without a redeeming value, and any politician who will promise to propose legislation to simply outlaw the month has got my vote.
The worst of winter always seems to come along in February. More cold days. More winter precipitation. More days of school canceled. Face it: February is a mess. I’m happy to see it go.
That said, I’ve tried to be patient this year. Usually by this time, I’ve written two or three “longing for summer” columns. But events in the past year have taught me that it’s best not to rush these things. Time will inevitably pass, and there’s not much sense in hurrying it along. After all, while there are some bad things we’d like to get rid of sooner, there’s also some good things we’d like to hold onto longer.
So that’s how I’ve found contentment this past winter season. I’m not claiming to be a fan of cold winds and slick roads, mind you — I’m just saying I had a pretty strong inkling such things would eventually fade away. And it looks like I might have been right.
I think this time of year — the cusp of spring — is a good time to take stock in what we want to accomplish in the warm months. On my list this year are a number of things. I already have a big family vacation planned — a trip that will include my extended family. I plan to keep running, with a new challenge on my agenda for June. I also to intend to savor every minute I can watching my kids play baseball and softball, no matter how or hot and humid — or windy — it might be.
I think it’s good to make lists like the one above because it’s too easy to let spring (and the summer that follows) slip by without doing all the things you meant to do. When you’re standing on March 3, the months of nice weather look like a vast, endless slate. But just like the winter that may soon be behind us, the coming season won’t last forever. As for me, I want to cherish as much of it as I can.
The latest forecast I’ve seen calls for temperatures close to 60 by this weekend. That’s what I call “spring weather,” and I’m looking forward to getting outside to enjoy some of it. But I’m also realistic. I’ve lived in the central United States long enough to know that the road from winter to spring is a rocky one.
But I’m just happy to be on the road and moving along the way. We’ll get there eventually. Let’s enjoy the ride.
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