So . . . . Benton County has never had an earthquake, eh? Well, that all changed last Thursday, didn’t it? A 2.50-er centered somewhere in the Centerton/Bella Vista area.

Did anyone feel it in Gravette? I heard a report that some in the Mt. Olive area were “all shook up” and that Decatur rattled a little bit. Even saw a map suggesting Decatur may be over a minor fault line.

Anyway, Oklahoma City and points in mid-Arkansas need to move over, Benton County is coming through. Well, let’s hope not. Maybe after all the electioneering we can all settle down a bit. Do you suppose all that politickin’ could be the problem?

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So . . . . Gravette has never had a tornado? Well, probably not really, thank goodness. There have been some that skirted the town. One a few years ago did some damage in Old Town and sped over the hill where the new high school sits. And Beaty/Maysville/Mt. Olive areas have all had their little funnels or windstorms.

But what about that micro-burst (at least that’s what some speculate it was) that ripped shingles off several roofs in Westfield subdivision last Friday afternoon?

Houses shook and afterwards blue tarps and other rain coverings showed up on roofs. Fortunately that is all the damage reported. Let’s hope that’s the end of

P. S. Talking about the census reminds me: Have you sent us your guess as to what the population of Gravette will be in this 2010 census?

Write your guess on a postcard or slip of paper and mail or bring it to the News Herald (Box 604, Gravette) by the first of June. It will be severalthe windstorm stories for a long, long time.

P. S. I’ve wondered for many years why safe rooms were not built into our new school construction projects? Quite a number of schools in the central part of the state seem to be able to get some of those ever-flowing federal dollars for safe rooms in their buildings. Might be something to consider in future projects.

And speaking of federal dollars. Don’t hold your breath that any freebie federal funds will be found to help pay for the new sewer project in Gravette.

The feds are free with the mandates (and sewers are not the only ones) but the funds seem to be frozen.

Now on to something we can all sink our teeth into. Getting counted. The census is about over and follow-up visits by census workers are starting. We hope everyone will put aside any prejudices that have a lot to do with the horrendous census forms we all faced in 2000. The one this year is simple. And basically non-invasive.

We’ve harped before that the count will be what counts for the next ten years, so let’s make it as accurate as possible. If you didn’t mail in your form, when the knock comes on your door remember the person there is just doing his/her job. They just want all of us to be counted. And that’s what counts.

-Dodie Evans months before we’ll know who has the closest guess.

My guess is Gravette population will be 2,314. Also, I’ll repeal my prediction, first made after the 1980 census: The continental center of the U. S. population in 2050 will be located about 2 miles south and west and downtown Gravette. Check that out.

Opinion, Pages 4 on 05/05/2010