Opinion

To whom it may concern, It’s no secret I haven’t been the biggest fan of President Trump. You could probably discern that from reading my published work or my diary, so I might as well put that out there immediately. Sure, I don’t like Trump’s policies regarding immigration, taxes, national security and the environment, but that isn’t stopping me from reaching out to you today...

When I heard of Police Chief Thomas Achord’s resignation, I was set aback and had to take a pause and reflect. I truly appreciated what our police department had become since 2014 and that is a remarkable local police force that cared about the community. ...

“To do nothing, is to be complicit.” Those are words attributed to the great Albert Einstein, words prompting me to take action. To that end, I will be actively involved in voter registration to get folks signed up to participate in the upcoming Nov. 6 General Election. The deadline to register is Oct. 8...

Over coffee on a recent morning, my wife and I found ourselves talking about our family roots. My ancestors - rigorously investigated by a distant cousin - were Ulster-Scot and Welsh farmers arriving decades before the American Revolution. As they slipped southernly down the Appalachians, more than one Cherokee grandmother (of the Eastern Band in North Carolina) came to populate my family tree...

I became a Chicago Cubs fan 36 years ago, during the summer of 1982. Like a lot of 12-year-old boys, then and now, I was in love with the game of baseball. And that summer I fell in love with the Cubs for the simplest of reasons: Day baseball. The Cubs played their home games — just as they still do today — at Wrigley Field. ...

Why is this happening? Have the AR DOT people looked at this nine-mile stretch of road between Eureka Springs and the Missouri border? It is recently been asphalted and lines painted. It is one of the best roads to drive on in NW Arkansas.  There are no cracks to fix between Eureka Springs and Holiday Island. They are going to ‘chip and seal’ over the asphalt?... ...

Ms. Jones, The recent asphalt that you mentioned was placed as a leveling coarse that restores the roadway to its original typical section by restoring the crown and removing ruts. Typically this layer averages one inch in depth and adds no structural value to the road. Since we experience crack propagation of about an inch a year and the surface under the leveling coarse was cracked and in need of a surface treatment, the district will typically level a roadway one year prior to sealing it...

It’s not that you need a prescription for insanity, but here’s a certain one nonetheless: Find something that is wrong in the world, but something you can’t do anything about. Obsess over it, never letting it go. Rail against it, though your demands can’t be heard. Grab that problem by the throat and keep shaking it like a terrier with a chew toy. You’ll end up embittered, joyless and more or less madder than a hatter...

About a year ago, I decided I would learn how to juggle. It didn’t take long to find a so-called easy tutorial on Youtube, so I set my computer on a table and grabbed some oranges. While the video did not recommend using fruit, I figured it would up the stakes a bit and I could have a sweet treat once I was done. It was a win-win, right?...

Many years ago I found myself standing in a San Salvadoran “chatarrería,” a junkyard. I was flanked by the now late Michael Bonderer, a nicotine-addicted, four-letter-word-dropping, endless-coffee-drinking, recovering alcoholic who had stumbled his way into leading a faith-based NGO, putting roofs over the heads of Central America’s poor...

Everybody’s got some talent. Even those of us who feel woefully untalented can do something better than somebody else, whether it’s singing opera, designing a beautiful flowerbed or unloading the dishwasher in less than two minutes. For me, one thing has always come easy. I can confidently say I’m clumsier than almost all of you...

Being a teacher, I had the luxury of taking my kids to school and then taking them home after school. I remember seeing the large group of staff getting the kids off the bus or out of the cars nearly every morning. I also had bus duty where I put the kids on the bus or watched them as they made their way off the school grounds toward home...

Americans are ferocious individualists. We glorify the single, the personal and the independent. And while there is no “I” in “team,” we don’t seem to care about this. We prefer the pronouns of “me” and “mine” over “us” or “ours.” This has been true of the American psyche from the beginning...

Like many hard-working Americans, I spend an inordinate amount of free time watching horrible reality TV shows. Rock of Love, Married at First Sight, The Bachelor and all its spin-offs … you name it, and I’ve surely seen it. Recently, I’ve discovered The Proposal, an hour-long program that always ends in a proposal...

A man is walking through the grocery store with a screaming, flailing toddler in his shopping cart. The child is inconsolable, and the man is quietly repeating phrases like, “Shh…Keep calm, Charlie. Don’t get excited, Charlie. Don’t make a fuss, Charlie. It’s going to be OK, Charlie.”...

At the beginning of this year, I told myself it would be the worst year ever. I didn’t have any expectations for 2018, besides hopefully seeing the end of it. Frankly, 2017 ended on a sour note and there was no way 2018 could be a new year. It’s mostly been a continuation of the same old stuff … heartbreak, existential crises and loneliness...

Dear Carroll County News Editor, Congratulations on your newspaper being named the best weekly newspaper in the state, not just once, but for the second year in a row. This prestigious honor for overall excellence presented by the Arkansas Press Association is the direct result of the consistent hard work by you and your fine team of journalists and photographers, who capture that elusive hometown feeling Berryville residents enjoy...

Unaccompanied Alien Children. That’s the official nomenclature assigned to some 12,000 minors held in custody by the United States Office of Refugee Resettlement (O.R.R.). And make no mistake about it: They are in custody, and are not being actively resettled anywhere except repurposed Walmart stores across more than a dozen states...

Rob Hiaasen. Gerald Fischman. John McNamara. Rebecca Smith. Wendi Winters. Those five names might not mean anything to most of you reading this column, but they mean a great deal to me. Those five individuals were the people who were senselessly murdered last week at the office of the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Md. ...

Imagine that tomorrow you awake to find $1,440 deposited into your bank account. That’s not enough to make you rich, but it’s a nice chunk of change. On the following morning — and the morning after that — you discover the same windfall again. After a week of such deposits you would have more than $10,000...

Before I became friends with Melody Rust, I hated summertime. The heat, the bugs, the humidity … I couldn’t find anything good about it. To be fair, I grew up in Texas where you can boil an egg on the sidewalk in June. The heat became my adversary early on. I spent June through August indoors for most of my life...

Sheldon “Shel” Silverstein had one of the more extraordinary literary, music and art careers you will ever read about, though many people will not recognize his name or face. He was the eccentric, artistic combination of country music legend, composer, cartoonist, author of children’s books and columnist for Playboy magazine...

When President Donald Trump ran for office two years ago, he promised he would build a wall between the United States and Mexico to prevent illegal immigrants from coming to our country. We don’t have that wall just yet, probably because it would be expensive and unnecessary. It doesn’t matter, anyway — between April 19 and May 31, the Trump administration has separated 1,995 children from their caregivers in an attempt to crack down on illegal immigration...

We all want the best for our communities, our county. We aspire to have excellent schools, accessible healthcare, and satisfying job opportunities. To see these aspirations become reality, we need reliable data that shows us where we have been, where we are now, and what direction we should go to become a better place for everyone to work, live and learn...

Near Rochester, N.Y., a prominent, cliff-like ridge erupts from the landscape and runs west for hundreds of miles: through New York, across parts of Ontario, into the upper peninsula of Michigan, hugging the coastline of three of the Great Lakes, and finally terminating in Wisconsin, just north of Chicago...

We have lost some of our most beloved celebrities to suicide, from comedy genius Robin Williams to rock legend Chris Cornell. Just last week, fashion designer Kate Spade wrote a letter to her 13-year-old daughter before hanging herself with a scarf at her home. ...

Carroll County Sheriff’s Office would like to give their sincere thanks to everyone for assisting with Carroll County Law Enforcement Appreciation Week. The outpouring of support and donations was amazing. So many times our law enforcement goes unrecognized for all they do and how they put their lives on the line daily for the Carroll County community...

When Jesus spoke to his disciples for the last time, he spoke to them about the Kingdom of God, the reign of God’s love in the world. True to form, they misunderstood him. Their thoughts went immediately, not to love, but self-preservation. “Lord, has the time come for you to free us and restore our kingdom?” they asked...

By the time most of you read this column, I hope to be away from the office with not a single thought of work in my head as I enjoy some quality time with my oldest son. Ronnie and his family live in North Little Rock, and we don’t get to spend as much time together as I would like. But he’s due in Berryville later today and I am looking forward to his arrival...

Dear Carroll County Newspaper, Thanks to you and your donation of a free listing, Carroll County Law Enforcement Appreciation Week was a complete success. So many times, our law enforcement goes unrecognized for all they do and how they put their lives on the line daily for the Carroll County community...

Dear Editor, There is a new top dog in my house named Frankie who insists on twice daily walks. This mandate has caused me to discover and use Berryville’s city parks. It has been a happy discovery, especially the Mill Creek Wildlife Park adjacent to the Berryville Community Center...

This first week of June the Eastern Orthodox Church will celebrate the annual Feast Day of St. Philip the Deacon, also known as Philip the Evangelist. He was an influential and powerful leader in the early church, and is most often remembered for his role in the conversion of an individual known simply as “The Ethiopian Eunuch.”...

Each year on Memorial Day, I attend American Legion Post 9’s morning service. The service has got to be one of the most patriotic events in our county, featuring a rifle salute, performances of patriotic songs and guest speakers who know what they’re talking about...

Tuesday’s primary results I believe were pretty mixed but sent a clear message about Arkansas politics. Voters of this state would rather the establishment continue to lord over them rather than have the courage to choose someone who would give them the freedom to live their lives with minimal government interference.  While the tax happy corrupt governor won by a landslide, sending a clear message to border states like Missouri and Oklahoma that their businesses are safe because citizens of this state will continue to pour across their borders in search of lower taxes and costs.. ...

Twelve Step programs use a terrific phrase that I have adapted for my own spiritual journey. It is found in Step Three: “I make the decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of the God of my understanding.” If Meister Eckhart is correct (and I think he is) that the “only spiritual discipline is surrender,” then this deliberate act of “letting go” holds the key to our personal well-being...

A few weeks ago, I interviewed some Eureka Springs students involved in the high school’s Rotary Interact Club. All three were seniors, and I knew each of them by name. I have worked with them over the past four years, covering school plays, choir performances and countless special projects...