This week I would like to express to everyone my sincere thanks for all the wonderful comments you have made to me regarding my work at The Sun Times. Over the last month I have had at least eight hand written thank you notes (including five from Heber Springs JAG students) thanking me for the hard work I do for this community. I know no one can please everyone, but just receiving good feedback helps ease the sting when the rare email comes in from someone who hates everything I do or don’t do. Of course when I do receive a critical email, I try to consider what is said and what, if anything, I can do to make this person not feel this way. Sometimes, there is nothing I can do. I am only one person and I am the editorial department. This means I am the editor, reporter, photographer and photojournalist. While I try to attend as many events as I can, I can’t be everywhere. Nor can I be anywhere if I am not informed of the event happening. I hate it when people tell me, “It was on Facebook.” That is all well and good but unfortunately, with my schedule, I barely have time to keep up The Sun Times Facebook page, look at my personal one maybe once or twice a week so I rarely look at other pages unless I am tagged in it. Even then I am not always timely in checking them out. So, please, don’t depend on Facebook to inform me of what is happening. Feel free to call me or email me though if you would like me to cover your events in 2018!
Speaking of Facebook please feel free to send events to me to put on The Sun Times page, I have made it where visitors can post and as long as you aren’t attacking people in your posts they will remain. I know that this hasn’t been the case until I became editor. I want to know what is going on in the area so feel free to let me know!!
This weekend I will be back home to South Arkansas to attend the Gillett Coon Supper and Berry Pre-Coon Supper Reception. This will be my 5th year to cover these events I am doing double duty this year, covering it for the Stuttgart Daily Leader, as well as, The Sun Times. From what I gather there are also going to be some Heber Springs officials attending, about 14 I believe. It will be a fun night, seeing all my friends from Gillett (where I lived for three years) and seeing all the people I only see at the Coon Supper and/or Berry Pre-Coon Supper reception. I’m hoping for a visit with the love of my life, my grandson, Holden, as well.
As candidates for various offices and the school board begin filing The Sun Times will do our best to inform our readers of who is running for what and what their views are on various issues.
By the time you are reading this my first edition of The Sun Times on the Lake and River will have gone to the printer and should return around mid to late January. It features area students Savannah Decker of Pangburn, Savannah Henry of Quitman and Jacob Bremmon of Heber Springs as well as stories on the JAG students recent trip to Washington, D.C. to compete with Laura Leal Ortiz winning the National Math Championship and both Rose Bud and Pangburn’s Innovative programs to help students who may not go to college.
I hope 2018 will be the best year ever for all of us! Life is too short to be anything but happy and it is too long to be miserable!