It’s beginning to look a lot like 2014.
Hopefully, our dear readers rang in the new year by counting down at home with family and friends, celebrated safely in crowds with other party-goers or simply got to bed early to let another journey around the sun start with a goodnight’s rest.
More than a few folks started 2014 with some resolutions. Do they work?
Regardless, there is some value in resolutions. They remind us to spendsome time examining ourselves and the world around us. They are an opportunity to recognize that no matter how the past turned out. there’s always a chance for renewal, for turning around circumstances that aren’t quite where we want them to be.
For example, Lt. Gov. Mark Darr should resolve to resign early in 2014. We learned in 2013 he is ethically challenged when it comes to money, having improperly spent campaign and public funds to his personal benefit. We wish him the best in his personal life, but he’s demonstrated that public service is not what he’s cut out for.
Arkansas football is another example where a New Year’s resolution might transition from a not-so-pleasant past to an improved future. One could say the football team resolved early on under Coach Bret Bielema to “never yield.” But, oh yes, they yielded. Improvement could come from resolve to win at least one SEC game in 2014, and a nice place to start is at Auburn in the season opener. We suspect Coach Bielema has resolved to do much more than that, and despite the outcome of 2013’s campaign, we believe he’s building a team that can turn resolve into performance, and performance into victories.
Residents of rural Benton County should use this first-of-year restart to resolve to live healthier lives. If the $85 ambulance fee passed by the Quorum Court last year is defeated at the ballot box in February, they just might want to do all they can to avoid the onset of health problems.
Are there any resolutions in Washington County? Perhaps to have a year in which no performance venues announce plans to move to Benton County?
No doubt Fayetteville off cials are resolving to have better traff c flow near the mall once a long-needed bridge from College Avenue to the Fulbright Expressway is complete. They hope more shoppers will resolve to spend their money in the retail area around the Northwest Arkansas Mall.
And the University of Arkansas gave up resolutions for 2014 in a cost-cutting move.
An audit determined the UA made too many resolutions in the last couple of years, leaving them with a deficit. Rest assured, however, all the past resolutions were about university business.
None were made for anyone’s personal gain, so nothing to see here, folks. No questions. Move on. COMPTROLLER, NOT TREASURER
In our Saturday editorial regarding the Benton County sherift’s overtime budget, we erred. We meant to refer to the county comptroller, Sarah Daniels, as the person who realized after the fact she should provide more detail to the Quorum Court about how money is flowing in the sherift ’s off ce.
The elected county treasurer, on the other hand, is Deanna Ratclifte and should not have been in the editorial at all. The comptroller reports to the Benton County judge.
Opinion, Pages 5 on 01/01/2014