Some memorable events set 2006 apart for NEA
Jonesboro Sun
1/2/2007
One of the best things about being a journalist is being able to attend many important events of the time, often from a good seat. It may be a happy event; it may be a sad event. But it gives you a chance to watch history in the making.
As an editor, I don't report on many of these events any more, but part of my job is to offer comment and analysis of those events so I like to be there when something important happens. There is no substitute for first-hand observation.
My notebooks show a number of memorable events in 2007 in Northeast Arkansas, and I'll begin the new year with a few thoughts that come with the benefit of hindsight.
The signature event of 2006 was, of course, the official opening of The MALL AT TURTLE CREEK. That came on a clear, sunny morning of March 28. A big crowd had lined up, not so much for the ceremony but to shop. Developer Bruce Burrow stopped by the press-VIP area, obviously delighted that his longtime dream was coming true.
Before that, though, several preliminary events had built the sense of anticipation. Most important probably, the early opening of Target and J.C. Penney stores gave thousands of shoppers a sense of what the mall would be like.
It was even more than most expected. Dillard's hosted a press tour the previous week, and most people attending were awed by the bright, big and open store. (Actually, Dillard's also had a "soft opening" that Sunday.) Then the interior was opened for a mall walk two days before the opening. My impression was that The MALL AT TURTLE CREEK was bringing a metropolitan flavor to rural NEA. A black-tie optional party the night before the door-opening added a touch of class.
In the subsequent months the mall has changed the face of retail for Jonesboro, attracted many shoppers from a 3-state region and pumped new revenue into city and county government.
Two of the memorable news events I attended were funerals, and it seems I'm going to more and more of them. One was for veteran state Sen. Jerry Bookout, the other for longtime business and civic leader Lee Hummelstein. Each was remarkable as a celebration of the man's life, not only his accomplishments but also his good nature, thus overshadowing the sense of loss.
The Bookout funeral, held in a packed First Baptist Church sanctuary, was attended by what must have been a quorum of the state Legislature, as well as at least one future governor and numerous other dignitaries.
One of Lee's last projects was getting a transit system for Jonesboro. In his eulogy the Rev. Emil Williams quoted Lee's son Sam as saying: "He's in a better place now, and I hope there's a van he can drive so he can haul his buddies around. No chariot for him."
That transit system became reality with the "grand rollout" of the Jonesboro Economical Transit System in early May. The inspirational efforts of Lee Hummelstein and the late Flo Jones, who had been chairwoman of the JETS board at the time of her death in 2005, were obvious when the first buses rolled.
In April former Secretary of State Colin Powell made a visit to Arkansas State University for a public lecture and a session with students. Powell made a great impression, speaking for 75 minutes without notes, but he avoided talking much about his role in the buildup to the war in Iraq.
His handlers also imposed some severe restrictions on those attending the lecture and a pre-lecture dinner. Photographs, video cameras, tape recorders and digital recorders were banned. Cell phones had to be turned off before entering the Fowler Center auditorium. Those attending the dinner were warned not to take pictures or ask for an autograph.
The biggest event of the long poltical season was a hastily planned Democratic rally on the Friday before the Nov. 7 general election. Most campaign events are hastily planned, but this one came together well because several candidates on the state ballot had NEA ties and perhaps also because Jonesboro's Jason Willett is now chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party.
Attorney General Mike Beebe, an ASU graduate, wanted to make one last trip to Jonesboro before completing his campaign for governor, and his campaign was able to work out an appearance by former President Bill Clinton.
A big crowd gathered in an airport hangar for an event that had no official starting time (we were on "Clinton time"). Finally the campaign bus carrying Beebe and Clinton rolled up, and the rally began. By the time it ended shortly after noon, it was obvious the enthusiastic Arkansas Democrats were rolling toward a big victory, their first since 1992.
Before the rally began, though, Zac Wright, Beebe's spokesman, asked me if Sun representatives would like to meet with Beebe afterward. We agreed, of course, so as the crowd was slowly filing out, he led us to the bus.
There I met an old friend, Bart Handford. His family is related to the owners of The Batesville Guard, for which I was editor for 13 years, and we'd played softball together for several of those years. Bart had been in the Clinton organization and spent eight years working in the White House. Now he was working for Beebe, possibly to join the staff of the next governor.
We waited as Beebe worked the crowd alongside Clinton for a while, and then he came in and gave us plenty of time for questions. That meant I missed greeting my former Hot Springs High School classmate, but on this day Beebe was the news in Arkansas.
Quite a year, 2006, for NEA.
back to top