Feels like home.
Today marks my one-week anniversary here in Hot Springs and atThe Sentinel-Record My wife, Victoria, and I have lived in several places in our lives -- Jonesboro, Mississippi, eastern Tennessee, Delaware and most recently Searcy -- but I must say that we have never felt as welcome as we have here in Hot Springs.
Living in many places has allowed us to appreciate what it takes to make a great community. It boils down to the people of that community. Spending the last week meeting many great people here in Hot Springs, it is no surprise that the "Spa City" welcomes visitors from all over the world. The hospitality and charm of the city speaks for itself.
I grew up in a small town in Mississippi County and that is where I really first learned my sense of community. My hometown of Luxora was a great place to grow up. A place where you knew practically everybody and where people were always there to help a neighbor in need. That same helping spirit is what really impresses me about Garland County.
As I've met different people in the community, the thing I hear most often is that when something is needed, the people of Hot Springs are there ready and willing to do what is necessary. It is this strong sense of community spirit that makes this city unique. It is obvious to a new resident how friendly and open the people are and you can see that it is genuine and true. For me that sense of community and desire to help your neighbor makes Hot Springs feel like home.
I want to take this opportunity to share my commitment to Garland County, my new home. My commitment is to work with our talented staff to continue to publish a newspaper that informs and supports the region. The newspaper plays a vital role in a community, so the health and well-being of is important not only to me and our employees, but to our community.
Our job is to be a mirror that reflects the true sense of the community. That image may, at times, not be positive, but I can promise you it will always be truthful and fair. We will share with you the good and bad in hopes of continuing to improve our community. Think about it, if you don't know about something, how can you recognize and improve it. With our city, I'm sure the good will far exceed the bad and we want to continue to document all happenings so people can realize that Garland County is not only a great place to visit, but also an amazing place to live and work.
We hope to improve as your newspaper and it is to that end that I encourage each and every one of you to give us your feedback on what we can do to be a better newspaper for the Hot Springs area. Because when you think about it, The Sentinel-Record is constantly a part of your life. You're in the paper when you are born, graduate school, get a job, get married, have children and retire. We are even there to share the accomplishments of your life when you pass away. So we really are your newspaper and we want to hear from you. We encourage you to share items you believe are newsworthy and I'm not just talking about hard news. We want to hear ideas or suggestions you have to improve the newspaper. The Sentinel-Record essentially belongs to every reader and we want to make the experience with your newspaper the very best it can be. So please do not hesitate to call, write, email or message us with any thoughts you have to improve your newspaper. Or better yet, I extend an open invitation to everyone to pay us a visit and let's talk face to face about your ideas or opinions.
Finally, I want to thank the residents of Hot Springs for making my family and me feel so welcome. This is a special place and we are very proud to call it home.
Editorial on 07/09/2017