Between Editions

The Junction City forum on the web site “Topix” — just Google it, because we don’t want to link to such trash here on Between Editions — has crossed the line.

Folks on there are spouting such utter bunk that I can no longer ignore it.

A gentleman inquired about El Dorado on the forum and asked members if there were any wrestling teams in our area — his son is on a team in Texas.

Many on the site responded with uneducated, hate-filled remarks about the man’s son. Some even went so far as to suggest that the boy might be a homosexual because he likes to wrestle.

These are the same people who are spreading lewd comments about those running for certain offices here in the county.

To these people I say this: It is so unfortunate that you are allowed to express your ignorant views on the Internet. You are not only doing harm to yourselves, but to our community as a whole.

What do you hope to accomplish by talking like a fifth grader who has just learned new words from a bathroom stall? Respond to that, dear Topix bloggers.

Hope everyone has a good one. See ya Monday.

We fooled everyone pretty good with our first installment of “Satire Wednesday.” By now, hopefully everyone realizes that Murphy Oil isn’t planning to construct a 150 story building in downtown El Dorado.

The structure, however, is very real. But it’s being built a half a world away in the United Arab Emirates.

This stunning glass tower is called Burj Dubai, and will top out somewhere over 150 stories. The actual height is a closely guarded secret. Never before has such a tower been built, and if you’re anything like me and love architecture, it’s an exciting thing to see.

I thought that everyone might like to know the real story behind the fictional Boomtown Tower. So click here for Burj Dubai’s official web site.

**NOTE** The web site is graphics intensive and may take a while to load, especially if you are on a dial-up connection.

It’s getting a little tiresome, all this political mumbo jumbo. Promises for this, pledges for that, but it all amounts to a bent fender on a ‘72 Buick. In other words, not worth much.

There is no way, for example, one particular candidate can change the way El Dorado does business, nor can they redirect tax money to a particular place. If elected, they can, of course, make suggestions, write proposals, and speak into their microphones at meetings in hopes that their ideas will pass muster.

It really bothers me how candidates have cute little tag lines like “I’ll change the world,” or “Vote for me because I’m the man who will bring you what you need.” These, of course, are facetious examples. I don’t want to single out any one person here.

Tip to politicians: Turn off the phony charm. Be real with voters. Don’t make promises you know are false and you know you can’t keep.

Instead of telling voters you will redirect something, say you will “work with other leaders to try and find a better formula.” At least that way you are covered. You can actually work with other leaders and try your best. You can’t do everything on your own, as your ads promise.

Another tip: No one wants to hear flowery superlatives in your speeches. They mean nothing. Adding that extra adverb just means that you spent time too much time writing your speech and not enough time figuring out how to better our state, county and city.

Keep it simple. Keep it real.

The El Dorado Promise now has its own YouTube channel, promoting the program that gives a free college education to students from El Dorado High School. Click here for access.

I’m told that there will be video updates featuring promise-related material. There are just two videos on the site now, both featuring signing day — the day when 281 EHS students signed their letters of intent to attend college.

Sorry for the sparse postings so far this week. It’s been pretty hectic. Know anything good? Please feel free to share it with us by clicking the comment box below.

Weather wise, today was horrific for Arkansas. Seven dead, scores more injured, and damage scattered throughout the state. Posts have been sparse today because I’ve been updating weather reports to give everyone the latest info as it becomes available.

It doesn’t appear that we will be seeing any significant weather today in Union County.

If you have something on your mind, feel free to let ‘er rip in the comment box below. This may be my last post of the day. In case it is, have a good weekend, and maybe I’ll see you at one of the many events going on this weekend in El Dorado.

Remember, the Mayhaw Festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow at the John Newton House, and Bugs, Bands & Bikes will be going on all day tomorrow downtown.

I created a special page, which you can access by clicking here, for Joan Hershberger’s Hawaiian vacation stories. Enjoy.

By Larry Singer
For Between Editions
On Wednesday, April 24, a photograph I took appeared at the top of the front page of the El Dorado News-Times. It featured an El Dorado police officer, Andrew Russell, checking on the welfare of a homeless man, Richard Smith, who was resting on the grass at the intersection of Washington and East Center.

The next day a letter from one of our readers, who was critical of the photo, appeared on the editorial page.

The reader felt that the photograph was inappropriate.

I am both grateful and honored that this reader (a) looked at the picture, (b) thought about the picture quite a bit and (c) was so affected she actually sat down and wrote my editor a letter about the picture.

I don’t agree that the picture was unsuitable or improper for several reasons.

As a photojournalist, I believe my job is to tell stories with photographs, and this picture really did tell a story.

While, at first glance, the image seems to show a police officer harassing a homeless person, nothing, as the caption explains, could be farther from the truth.

I had no idea Richard Smith was at the intersection until someone, who did not identify himself, called me and said a photographer from the paper really needed to capture Mr. Smith on film.

Shortly after I arrived, Officer Russell pulled up in his police cruiser, got out and, to my surprise, the first words out of his mouth were, “Hi Richard, how are you doing today?”

After a brief conversation, during which Officer Russell determined that Mr. Smith, who has chronic, long term physical medical problems, did not require transport to a medical facility, he told Smith to try and take care of himself and drove off to serve and protect elsewhere.

That was the story.

A kind, caring police officer took the time to care about someone who some might say has fallen between the cracks.

When I asked Richard Smith if he had any problems with his picture being in the paper, he said he did not.

While seeing a man laying in the grass on a rainy day may make some people uncomfortable, I believe the kindness shown by one human being to another far outweighs any possible discomfort some readers may feel about the plight of the homeless.

Pictures of the homeless are never fun to look at, but in this case, they can be really worthwhile.

Larry Singer is a photographer for the El Dorado News-Times.

It’s Wednesday, and what better day to introduce a new addition to Between Editions: Satire. I hope you enjoy our first installment, and for the future, every Wednesday we will feature some type of satirical article. The article will appear as a normal post, save for the ending, which will include a little tag line about satire, just in case some folks may think it’s real. Thanks, and enjoy today’s forthcoming satirical piece.

There haven’t been any blog posts today because I’ve been involved with the groundbreaking ceremony at the new TETRA Technologies calcium chloride plant in Parkers Chapel. Governor Mike Beebe drove down for the event, which was pretty well attended.

The plant will provide 50 permanent jobs and hundreds of temporary construction jobs. That’s definitely a good thing for Union County.

I also interviewed the governor about the future of Pilgrim’s Pride in El Dorado. What he said was encouraging. For more on that, look to Saturday’s El Dorado News-Times.

For now, I’m off to SouthArk’s lecture series, where Maria Haley, the state’s top economist, will be speaking at 7 p.m. More later.

Somehow this clip escaped me until today. It pretty much speaks for itself. Hillary is taking a shot of whisky. You go girl.

Completed your taxes yet?

I just wanted to take time to thank everyone who reads and contributes to Between Editions. We have really grown in a short amount of time, and that would not be possible without you.

Please feel free to click the comment link below any of our posts to put in your two cents. We want to hear what you are thinking; free debate is one of democracy’s best features.

Also, if you have any suggestions for the blog, or ideas you would like to see us cover, please let me know.

Thanks, and I hope you keep supporting Between Editions. — John Worthen

I’ll be filling in for Tia Lyons, our city reporter, on Thursday, which means I won’t be available to blog for most of the day. I’ll be inside the council chambers at city hall at 5:30 p.m. Feel free to join me. Also, keep your eyes and ears open for severe weather. Our forecast calls for possible strong storms on Thursday.