It's said that bad news travels faster than good news.
And, it sometimes appears that the majority of news in the forefront is bad, critical.
In case you haven't noticed, Pea Ridge has changed.
And, yet, it hasn't!
Some say the bad news is the traffic and the number of people here now. Some call that good news.
Numbers have changed. The number of people living here, the number of cars on the roads, the number of walkers and cyclists on the sidewalks, trails and roads, the numbers of houses where cow pastures once were, the number of students and teachers in the schools -- even the number of schools -- have changed.
But, the heart of the city, the community has not changed.
Daily, I hear of kind and thoughtful neighbors reaching out to others, lending a helping hand. There are many volunteers who work on the PTO, in the schools, in the city, in the civic organizations.
One of the worse tragedies to hit this town recently spotlights that. The county prosecuting attorney said he had never seen the kind of community involvement as he had during that summer morning in 2021 when Pea Ridge Police Officer Kevin Apple was struck and killed. In preparing for the trial, he said he watched videos of the incident, listened to 911 calls, heard the testimony of many people who were there either when it happened or immediately after. And many, many people stepped up to help in any way they could.
That is commendable. That is the heart of this not-so-small Ozark community that has been drawing people in for a couple of decades now.
The population explosion isn't due to a birth rate increase. It's from people moving here, wanting to make Pea Ridge their homes, to raise their children here, to be a part of the community. And, it's a good community of which to be a part.
Someone recently commented on the phrases "newcomer" and "old-timer" and the fact that some use the terms derisively. And, whereas there are people here whose great-great-grandparents farmed these hills and there are people here who are the first in their family to call Pea Ridge or even Arkansas "home," we each now call it home and have the opportunity, responsibility and privilege to make it a great place to live.
When I was young, I remember being told that it was futile to point out a problem unless you had a solution.
"Complaining about a problem without posing a solution is called whining," said Theodore Roosevelt.
"If you have no will to change it, you have no right to criticize it," said Mark Twain.
It's not necessarily true that one has to have a solution when one sees a problem, but, being willing to be teachable and helpful in finding a solution is a key that transforms the whiner and complainer into a problem solver.
Each of us -- which includes the many people currently residing in this city, working for the city, working for the school -- has a different perspective and a unique skill set. Each of us can contribute to problem solving if we're willing to cooperate with one another.
There have been some who have moved here who routinely referred to the methods of city or business management to which they were accustomed in a big city hundreds of miles away. The critic became so vocal that many people (behind his back) said that if he liked it so much, maybe he should go back there.
It takes tact and discernment to posit a problem and possible solution. People are resistant to change.
Every thing in life changes. Babies grow into toddlers who grow into teens who grow into adults.
Dirt roads get paved. Cow pastures become subdivisions.
What doesn't have to change in the midst of the changing circumstances and environment is our attitude. We each can choose to have a positive attitude and smile at one another and try to be kind and neighborly.
Regardless of the label someone may put on you -- newcomer or outsider or native, realize that they, by their critical spirit, reveal their own heart and you, by your gracious response, may possibly show them that neighborliness is not synonymous with the amount of years you've called Pea Ridge home.
To some, I'm an "old timer" having been here since 1980. But, to the true "old-timers," those who are third and fourth generation natives, I'm a newcomer, an outsider. For many of my first years here, that distinction was keenly felt, but now, with more and more people living here who don't have roots here, and having lived here now longer than I lived in my state of origin, I feel like an "old timer."
What's the point?
Regardless whether you were born here or moved here recently, we're all neighbors and have something in common -- we call Pea Ridge home. We each bring a different perspective, different skill sets and can use those attributes to work together to fashion our city into a place we're each proud to call home.
Editor's note: Annette Beard is the managing editor of The Times of Northeast Benton County, chosen the best small weekly newspaper in Arkansas for five years. The opinions expressed are those of the author. She can be reached at [email protected].