Opinion

Chris Claybaker said he isn’t retiring. “[Berryville Mayor Tim McKinney] fired me,” Claybaker said Friday during a retirement reception at Berryville City Hall, adding some levity to the proceedings. “He said I was getting too ugly in my old age and there wasn’t enough room for both of us.”

Regular readers of this column should be keenly aware of my appreciation for the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. It’s a powerful tool for journalists and citizens alike and an important safeguard to ensure government transparency.

Pamela Lowe Aesop has a fable that tells the story of two frogs that lived in the same pool of water. During the hot summer, the pool dried up.

Over the weekend, a reader sent me an email telling me how much they enjoyed one of my recent columns. “Enjoyed reading your breakfast article this month!” he wrote.

Next week in this space, I’ll give everyone an update on an ongoing freedom of information fight with the Eureka Springs city attorney. It’s a doozy.

It’s the time of year in Arkansas public schools when ACT Aspire test results are released. These tests no more prove that a child or teacher is doing their job and learning is taking place, than quarterly grades determine a child’s success in life. Grading can be subjective, and some children are not adept at test taking.

Can you believe it is just about the end of summer? If your kids are anything like mine, the battle cries of, “We are bored!” and “What are we doing today?” have started to fill the time between waking up and finishing my first cup of coffee.

The filing period for candidates seeking city offices begins Wednesday and runs for one week. It might be a very interesting week, especially in Eureka Springs.

We’re entering a dangerous time in our society when people with knowledge and experience are largely ignored and people with no experience are revered. Suddenly it seems everyone in the world is an expert and anyone with an opinion feels they are an authority.

Sometimes I feel like a walking contradiction. For instance, I love breakfast food, but I hate getting up early.