A Mother’s Musing Rogers has become my hometown

By Lynn Atkins

Posted: November 25, 2009 at 6 a.m.

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ROGERS — It seemed like it would be easy to pick out the most memorable stories and columns over the past 10 years for my final column, but looking back on my career at the Hometown News, it’s not that simple.

All the stories seem to run together.

I’ve talked to hundreds of volunteers doing everything from sorting recycling to setting up parties. I’ve watched people hauling trash, sorting used clothes, hammering nails and teaching kids for free. I can’t say the woman who read to kids at a local elementary school once a week for 15years is more memorable then the woman who filled her home with stray animals so they wouldn’t be put to sleep.

It’s sort of like comparing Habitat for Humanity to Rebuilding Together. One organization builds new homes for needy people, the other renovates homes for people who managed to buy a home butcan’t keep up with the maintenance. Both organizations are wonderful and both are active right here in northwest Arkansas.

When you see the number of people who are giving up their free time for worthy causes, it’s hard to be pessimistic. I’ve also found it hard not to jump on the bandwagon. When I hear about a group that’s doing good work, I tend to get drawn in and I never regret it. Over the 10 years that I’ve been writing for the Hometown News, I’ve volunteered for numerous organizations and that’s been as rewarding as my “real” job.

Many of the stories I remember revolve around volunteers because the Hometown News has always been a features-oriented newspaper.

Bad things have happened in town over the last 10 years.

As a reporter, I’ve been on the fringes of tragedies that I can’t ever forget. I was happy to turn over those stories to the daily reporters and go back to the “good news.”

Our readers responded to the “good news” positively.

When I saw people around town, they seldom had complaints about the paper. (Except when my lack of spelling skills slipped by the editors.)People like knowing about the dog park built by volunteers and the big donation that paid for new playground equipment at Prairie Creek Recreation Area.

They were also happy to know that Pickin’ in the Park was still going on or that the Frisco Festival was still a mostly free event. Even the people who never go downtown are happy to know it’s there if they ever get around to going.

One thing that makes Rogers different from other places I’ve lived is the way “new” people have been integrated with the natives. I know a lotmore new people than natives, but it’s not always easy to tell the difference. My theory is that when people move to Rogers, they like it so much that want it to be their hometown too. And the natives have been gracious enough to let them.

I’ve enjoyed my years helping Rogers become a hometown to new people.

Even with my Yankee accent and a family that spent generations in one state, I’m proud to say Rogers has become my hometown too.

Reporter Lynn Atkins can be contacted by e-mail at lynnatkins@cox.net

Opinion, Pages 4 on 11/25/2009

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