I started this blog so many months ago just to point out what I thought about the goings on of my city. Until this week, I fumbled along almost completely unnoticed. I appreciated the blogs that brought attention to this humble effort. My eyes lit up when I saw the page views after this website was mentioned on the Arkansas Times blog. In just a few short days, the number has dropped nearly to what it was for most of those months. I have failed to draw an audience with my ramblings, but those readers I have are apparently from one of the newspapers and hurling accusations at old employees, oddly from both papers. Many included details that shouldn't have been told to a complete stranger, so it appears they would prefer to conduct a witch hunt than actual discuss the merits of what I say. As this is simply an anonymous webpage that is so easily overlooked, I would have encouraged them to ignore me rather than try to place blame, even misguidedly so. Whether the newspapers intend to improve, who knows. At this point, I have given up hope, and I will do what is my right to do and cancel my subscription. Maybe I will find new purpose for this place, and maybe not.

Read in order

As a standalone piece, the story about Tuesday's Committee of 13 meeting highlights the confusion inherent at the county administration, but combined with other recent stories, it paints a drastically different picture.

News slowing for the week

Thursday is Thanksgiving, which means the cities, counties and businesses are slowing work on their noteworthy projects. For the most part, they want to hit a milestone when they can keep working at a decent pace instead of stopping for a holiday. It also means the news stories are slowing.
Tuesday's paper did feature a story about the county mayors sounding off against County Judge Dave Bisbee. The story is fine, but it's just more quotes added to the sentiment in the original story. Extended holiday periods, especially Thanksgiving week, Christmas/New Year's week and Easter week, prove difficult to beat reporters, but when reporting is not an option, writing shines. Look for the features this week to allow any writers left to shine.

Wonder why ...

The online edition of the Rogers Morning News includes 10 pages. The online edition of the Daily Record has 9 pages. The difference is Page 8, missing from the Record. It's the comics, crosswords and Dear Abby. It's just as well the Record does not have it, as the Morning News page does not allow anything to be magnified large enough to be read. I know the subscription price for online is less than for the print product, but I thought that was due to lower material costs, not a reduction in content.

When I'm wrong ...

I had previously decried the work of CEI on the Lake Atalanta project as self-serving and self-promoting. I actually still believe that. But I would like to change my position on one aspect. In the prior post, I criticized a number of Lake Atalanta proposals, but the one in question here is a waterfall that I described as unnecessary and exorbitant. I said it had no purpose.
I was, however, presented with a possible explanation today. A waterfall would churn the lake, helping keep it cleaner looking and lowering the temperature, which would allow for stocking of fish. I can understand that. Of course, I look forward to seeing this explanation coming from CEI, but I'm taking the waterfall off my list. The paddle boats and splash pad, in case you were wondering, are still making me scratch my head.

What took so long?

I've never been a fan of commentary on pages reserved for news, but if it's appropriately marked, so be it. But if you're going to do it, at least have some conviction.

Quick thoughts

Somehow Jeff Mores has seemingly increased his production of Crystal Bridges stories since his departure. Those who have paid attention to the paper probably noticed the lack of live coverage from Mores, but that did not stop him from getting in just one more last story about Alice Walton's huge pat on the back. You have to wonder when they'll end.
But while the Daily Record continues destroying its reputation by printing each and every one of these stories on the front page, the Morning News found a proper location for it, page 12. Sadly, even though Mores no longer works for Northwest Arkansas Newspapers, he remains one of its best reporters.
Happy reading.

A little fact checking goes a long way

On Friday, Arvest Bank became the first bank, according to Lana Flowers of the Morning News, to offer an iPhone application specifically for its own customers. That impressive bit of news comes as a shock to the Bank of America customers who have been using an app specific to their bank for the better part of a year.

Quick thoughts

The Daily Record has 13 pages in its online "replica edition." For those who didn't understand last time, a newspaper cannot have an odd number of pages, as they print on both sides. The Morning News, however, has only 10 pages, but that probably has something to do with it being last Saturday's issue.

Support your local whiz kid

Scott Bedwell, a senior at Bentonville High School, has created an iPhone application. It's a product most of you probably won't use, as it automatically skips from one song in your iPhone library to the next prematurely. The kids are loving it, but it's not going to be popular with adults, but only because they won't get it.

One of these things is not like the others

I can add. You can add. Why can't the newspapers add?

Quick thoughts

Daisy has been headquartered in Rogers since 1958. There have been 16 annual Daisy International BB Gun Championships. All of them have been in Bowling Green, Ky. It's about time they figured out what it means to give back to the community. You may say, "Welcome to Rogers." I say, "What took you so damn long?"

Taxing less to take more

County Judge Dave Bisbee is apparently hoping everyone is so happy about their millage decrease that they don't look deeper into the where the money they are still spending will go. But this isn't just an anti-Bisbee story. This is a problem that started well before Judge Black retired.

Quick thoughts

The online "replica edition" of Thursday's Rogers Morning News contained nine pages. Just think about that for a little bit.

A familiar song

There was a familiar tune playing across the front page of the Morning News Thursday. 

MAJORITY IS DONE: Work Nearing Completion

Then, in the subhead: "Veterans Park Improvements Almost a Year Behind Schedule."

Somehow, I feel like someone is playing a joke on us all.

What to make of Colton's

The headline said it all. Colton's Doing Its Part For Sharing And Caring. That's it. Not going above and beyond, not doing the extraordinary, just doing its part.

School haze

Rogers Public Schools is changing its curriculum. Yup, that's it. That's about all we know about this subject. Let's hope they do a better job teaching their students than informing the public.

More than a balanced budget?

Why is the Daily Record wasting front page space on the Bella Vista Property Owners Association, an organization that made itself nearly irrelevant in its own boundaries, let alone in Benton County, but still has not comes to terms with it. And for what? Well, it's the ultra-exciting demand by its members that the budget "break even."

Quick thoughts

Maybe this means nothing, but for the first time I've noticed, the Daily Record's sports section has been relegated to the final two pages of the newspaper, the pages previously reserved for comics (I still gag over that) and weather. I don't know that this means anything, but I thought it worth noting in case I eventually determine some relevance. Anyone with any insight is welcomed to comment.
Happy reading.

Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs

As predicted, the downtown intersection replacements have been a bit of a nightmare for many of the local merchants. The detour signs, supposedly, are deterring would-be customers. Well, the city hopes to change the merchants' fortunes by changing the signs.