The end of the year always brings lists, lists and more lists. This year we have to contend not only with end-of-the-year lists, but end-of-the-decade ones as well.
Sorry, I’ve got the list fever, too.
Since I don’t see anyone else doing it, I have compiled what I believe are the top 10 news stories to come out of Benton County in 2009. Feel free to disagree. Without further ado:
10. The great Bella Vista geese debate. Shoot them? Oil their eggs? Bring in dogs to harass them? Or just let them do their thing? The debate didn’t start this year, but it certainly got heated in February when the Property Owners Association approved a plan to shoot up to 100 geese that are seen as a menace to society — er, golf courses — in beautiful Bella Vista. The City Council promptly rejected that idea, but it generated much controversy.
9. Schoolhouse discovered in Bentonville. Just as it was about to be torn down to make room for a parking lot, a little house on Northwest Second Street got a second chance. A group of historians investigated the home and discovered that inside its walls, it contained a brick schoolhouse that dates back to the mid-19th century. The Peel House Foundation stepped in and bought the house from the city. A nice save by all involved.
8. Developments at Crystal Bridges. Construction continued on the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art just north of downtown Bentonville. Meanwhile, the museum announced the departure of director Bob Workman and the arrival of new director Don Bacigalupi, who previously had led the Toledo (Ohio) Museum of Art. Also, the Crystal Bridges Trail — a great place for people to walk, run or bike, not to mention get a panoramic view of the museum construction site — opened over the summer. Oh, and the museum acquired Norman Rockwell’s “Rosie the Riveter.”
7. Newspapers merge. Hard for me not to include this one. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, along with its sister papers in Northwest Arkansas, joined forces with The Morning News to create one company called Northwest Arkansas Newspapers. Announced in early September, the merger went into effect Nov. 1, shortly after the U.S. Department of Justice signed off on the deal. In a related note, I feel fortunate to still have a job.
6. The death of Casey Russell. Russell, a junior and an offensive lineman at Gravette High School, died unexpectedly on Sept. 23 from complications stemming from a staph infection, two days before the team’s homecoming game. The death of No. 56 profoundly impacted not only Russell’s teammates, but the entire school and even the town of Gravette.
5. New chiefs in Rogers. New leaders started at the Rogers Police Department (Steve Hamilton) and Fire Department (Tom Jenkins). Both came from outside the city: Hamilton after a long career in Springfield, Mo., and Jenkins after some time in Sand Springs, Okla. Interestingly, Jenkins became chief at only 27 years old.
4. The Veterans Park fiasco. Over and over again, we heard that the new baseball and softball fields being built at Veterans Park in Rogers were coming. Originally we were told that the $2.1 million project would be done last January. One delay led to another — and another and another. Bossler Contracting, the firm originally put in charge of the project, defaulted on the contract and declared bankruptcy. Only this month did officials declare a state of “substantial completion” for Veterans Park.
3. Layoffs at Wal-Mart. Between 700 and 800 people lost jobs at Wal-Mart’s Home Office early in the year. For a company that was thought to be doing very well, it came as a bit of a surprise.
2. Dave Bisbee’s first year as county judge. Lots of news items big and small fit under this category — Bisbee’s handling of the ice storm cleanup, the fuss over the emergency notification system, and his idea to build a new juvenile detention center in southwest Bentonville. “Eventful” is probably the best way to describe Bisbee’s year.
1. The ice storm. A nobrainer for No. 1. Everyone was affected by January’s monster ice storm in one way or another. In fact, I think some people are just now getting their power restored. That’s a joke, of course. What’s not so funny, however, is that as I write this (on the afternoon of Christmas Eve), another winter storm is poised to strike Northwest Arkansas. Depending on how it turned out, feel free to add the Christmas storm to this list.
I’m outta here. Have a happy and safe 2010, everyone.
DAVE PEROZEK IS AN EDITORIAL WRITER FOR THE BENTON COUNTY DAILY RECORD.