When it comes to evaluating the developments that have made the biggest impact on Northwest Arkansas, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
The regional airport?
Interstate 540?
A winning season by the Razorbacks?
OK, sorry. That last one hurt a bit.
No, talk to some of the long-timers from these parts and they’llsay it’s the creation of Beaver Lake that takes the No. 1 spot for having the biggest impact on Northwest Arkansas’ ability to grow. It is, after all, far more than a place for a campout or water skiing. It’s where the vast majority of faucets in the region gets water. It’s what supported Northwest Arkansas’ capacity to support the tens of thousands of people who have moved here in the last 40 years and the companies that employ them.
One cannot discount, however, the lake’s critical impact on tourism. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates the lake and the campgrounds sprinkled around its shores that draw millions of visitors every year.
The corps, like so much of the federal government, has seen its budget shrink for Beaver Lake, so it was great news to hear the other day about the formation of a nonprofi t foundation to raise money for improvements at the lake. Still in the organizing stage, supporters say they’re getting close to a formal agreement with the corps so the two can work together for the betterment of the lake and its surroundings.
The currently small group of organizers hope to fund things such as the return of evening interpretive programs at corps parks, improving hiking trails and developing tours of Beaver Dam.
That’s great news for everyone who enjoy Beaver Lake and for those who see the value in drawing visitors there.
Government cannot do it all, and parks and recreational opportunities are often on the chopping block when budget cutters are sharpening their axes.
Yet again, the people of Northwest Arkansas are taking up the call to rely not on forces outside the region, but on ourselves to make the diff erence we envision.
CASUALTIES OF WAR To honor the men and women in our armed forces and remind our readers of their sacrifices, the Northwest Arkansas Newspapers are publishing Department of Defense announcements identifying Americans killed in active military operations.
U.S. Marine Cpl. Alex F. Domion, 21, of Richfield Springs, N.Y., died Oct. 31, as a result of a noncombat-related incident in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He wasassigned to 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew G.
Kantor, 22, of Gillette, N.J., died Nov. 1, while supporting operations in Zabul, Afghanistan. Kantor was assigned to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit in Virginia Beach, Va.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Dain T. Venne, 29, of Port Henry, N.Y.; Spc. Ryan P. Jayne, 22, of Campbell, N.Y.; and Spc.
Brett E. Gornewicz, 27, of Alden, N.Y., died of wounds suffered Nov. 3 when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device in Paktia, province, Afghanistan. They were assigned to the 178th Engineer Battalion, 412th Theater Engineer Command, Oswego, N.Y.
U.S. Army Pfc. Brandon L. Buttry, 19, of Shenandoah, Iowa, died Nov. 5, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.
Buttry was assigned to 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Opinion, Pages 5 on 12/03/2012