In a community like Blytheville, there's a unique relationship between the city's newspaper and the city's mayor. Some might even call it symbiotic -- an interaction between two entities in close association, typically to the advantage of both. Then again, perhaps the term "antibiosis" -- an antagonistic association between two entities, in which one is adversely affected -- might be more appropriate, at least at times.
Whatever term you want to use, for my entire tenure at the Courier News, it is a relationship we've had with only one person -- Barrett Harrison.
My point here is neither to laud Harrison for his successes, nor to lampoon him for his failures. Indeed, he's had both -- as anyone would, after holding a job for 12 years.
Instead, my point is merely to note the ending of an era, and acknowledge the changes that are in store as a new regime begins.
In many ways, I've always kind of felt that Harrison and I have had parallel roles over the past decade or so. Harrison came into office in early 1999. I arrived in Blytheville late the same year. Over the years, we've both done some things pretty well; other times, we've both made decisions that were rather bone-headed. There's been times when we've gotten along well; other times, we've no doubt had a few choice words we would have liked to have shared with one another. That's the normal association for a newspaper editor and a city mayor.
Mayors and newspaper editors have some things in common. Both are relatively public positions, and in both cases, your shortcomings are well-publicized. Those who hold either job can always count on large segments of the population complaining about you. And that's why I've always had some degree of empathy for Harrison when he's come under fire (sometimes even from me). The mayor's got a tough job, and it's always easier to tell someone like that what they're doing wrong, than to actually do the job they do.
I'm a believer that public administrators -- be it a president or a governor or a mayor -- deserve the credit and the blame for the good things and the bad things that happen when they are in charge. It's not hard to find folks more than willing to let you know what Harrison deserves to be blamed for, so I'm going to leave that one alone for today.
Instead, I want to consider Harrison's legacy. When he was campaigning for Arkansas Senate, Harrison lauded his record on jobs creation as part of the county's economic development team. It's been a worthy performance, to be sure.
But for me, personally, Harrison's greatest legacy will be the Blytheville Youth Sportsplex. From early spring until early summer, I am at the Sportsplex several times a week to watch my kids -- and hundreds of others -- play baseball and softball. In the fall, the same thing happens down on the soccer pitch. In between and during all of that, I am a frequent user of the magnificent walking/running trail, which encircles the entire facility. It's one of the best things that Blytheville has going for it; and while there are surely a number of people who are responsible for its construction, Harrison was the guy in charge when it happened. When I think of the administration of Blytheville Mayor Barrett Harrison, the Sportsplex will be at the top of the list of things I think about.
I look forward to working with the new mayor, James Sanders, but it will be strange. Whenever I've thought of the leadership of the city of Blytheville, I've thought of Barry Harrison. Indeed, the words "Harrison" and "the mayor" have been synonymous. But now, for the first time since I've lived in Blytheville, "the mayor" will be someone different. It will take some getting used to.
I think anyone who subjects himself to 12 years as mayor of a community of any size deserves the gratitude of his or her community. And so Barrett Harrison has mine. He has worked for a dozen years to make his hometown a better place, and though it's fair to question his results -- as it is for any public official -- nobody should question his efforts.
aweld@blythevillecourier.com