HOW WE SEE IT: New Year Brings New Leadership

Happy New Year! Perhaps you’re reading this a little later than usual, having stayed up late to mark the changing of the year. May today be the start of an outstanding year ahead for all our readers and the communities we serve.

Today and tomorrow, in local government offices throughout the state, many new elected officials will take their oaths of office. Benton and Washington counties are by no means immune to the natural changes that come after every election season. For the most part, new blood is a good thing when it comes to government.

In our local judicial offices, new faces will look out from the bench to adjudicate the civil differences among people in our communities and the criminal charges that must be brought against those who run afoul of the law.

Judge Kim Smith in Washington County will leave the bench after 25 years, to be replaced by gubernatorial appointee Doug Martin. G. Chadd Mason returns to private life after an outstanding appointed term in the Washington County court that handles the alternative drug treatment program. Cristi Beaumont will take over for him after winning a hard-fought election battle this year.

Bentonville District Judge John Skaggs is retiring Wednesday after 26 years on the bench, to be replaced by Ray Bunch. Paul Bridges will take on the role of Rogers district judge. Gubernatorial appointees Jon Comstock and Mark Fryauf depart after the end of their stints as a Benton County circuit judges. Brad Karren and Tom Smith will put on the robes in those posts.

Of course, new state lawmakers, county quorum court members and aldermen will also be sworn in to start their two- or four-terms in office.

We commend all of the people who ran for these offices. They will hear often the gripes people have about government and the questions that come with any decision. Whatever they were in their lives before their election, they are now identified primarily by their public status. An alderman is an alderman 24 hours a day. When someone walks up to a member of the Quorum Court as he eats lunch to discuss a county ordinance proposal, he won’t be able to say “I’m oft the clock.”

None of these positions are particularly easy, so we appreciate the people who go through the sometimes tough campaign process for the right to wrangle about the issues and make diff cult decisions. It will, at times, seem like a thankless job. But we thank you in advance.

Our best wishes to you all.

To the public, we suggest getting to know who represents you at every level. When something comes up, don’t hesitate to call them with questions. It’s the job they ran for.

CASUALTIES OF WAR

To honor the men and women in our armed forces and remind our readers of their sacrifices, Northwest Arkansas Newspapers is publishing Department of Defense announcements identifying Americans killed in active military operations.

Army Staff Sgt. Nelson D. Trent, 37, of Austin, Texas, died Dec. 13 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division, Fort Worth, Texas.

Upcoming Events