HOW WE SEE IT: Hernandez Good Pick For Quorum Court

Benton County has certainly become more diverse over the years, but sometimes it’s challenging to spot a reflection of that diversity on elected and appointed panels.

That became less so recently when Gov. Mike Beebe appointed Ray Hernandez to fi ll a vacancy on the Benton County Quorum Court. The former U.S. Marine has lived in the Rogers area since 1990, having moved here from Springfi eld, Mo.

He’s a native of El Paso, Texas.

This appointment is a good move for diversity of representation, and we don’t just meanbecause Hernandez is a Democrat. His Latino background will help make the face of the Quorum Court look like the community the public body serves. We believe that has value.

Hernandez said he wants to help manage the county’s growth to avoid problems in the future and in a combination of ways to reduce traffic, from public transit to encouraging carpooling.

It’s disappointing nobody with a Latino background has been elected to the body and it took an appointment to make it happen, but things change slowly. We’re just glad it appears the county got a common sense-type of justice of the peace who has been involved in the community.

Hernandez fills a vacancy left when Frank Winscott moved out of District 2 after he won re-election last November. So Hernandez has two years to serve before the person elected in November 2014 takes off ce. He’s ineligible to run for the position because he’s been appointed.

But we hope his service will demonstrate the value of having varied voices on the public bodies of Benton County.

CITY’S LIBRARY MAKES PLANS TO TURN PAGE How time flies.

It seems like only yesterday Fayetteville residents were celebrating the opening of the Fayetteville Public Library at its new location.

Compared to its former location at the Fulbright Building on Dickson Street, the new Blair Library seemed immense. Even today, its design seems to provide plenty of room for library operations.

But library leaders say the situation is getting cramped, and they need an expansion plan for the years ahead.

With that in mind, the board of trustees agreed last week to contract with the firm of the library’s principal architect for a study to evaluate space needs, where it could be built and how much an expansion would cost.

So far, expansion possibilities have included a new branch west of Interstate 540, an addition to the library’s existing building and a new facility on the City Hospital site, just south of the library.

At $100,000, the study seems very costly, but expanding library facilities in some form is, no question, a great investment for the future of the community. The library has become a major community center of sorts, with an estimated 67,500 people attending events there last year.

The facility, built when citizens agreed to tax themselves for it, is a major amenity and a part of Fayetteville’s self-identity.

The study will include public feedback sessions.

One of the concerns sure to be raised is the hours of operation, so we hope the board examines not just the availability of services but when they’re available.

This is the start of a lengthy process, but residents should put on their thinking caps so they can contribute well when the time comes.