WESTSIDE — There was just too much weather for a “Cuff” last week, so you’ll have to endure a catch-up edition this week.

First ... hat’s off to the city, county and state crews who worked diligently to make roads as passable as possible, as quickly as possible - and to the emergency crews, police and fire departments who are always here/there responding as they always do, and to the service personnel who are always on call.

It is great to live in an area where we are able to take these services for granted. Do we show our appreciation often enough?

Let us not forget the sanitation workers who braved sometimes zero-degree weather in their efforts to catch up from the backlog created by those two blizzards over which they had no control.

We would certainly be remiss if mention wasn’t made of the countless - and countless is correct - examples of acts of assistance given by residents as they looked out for and assisted neighbors and strangers in coping with the winter weather. No matter how large the assistance, or how small, each of those kind acts helped solve a problem andmade whatever crisis was occurring more bearable. Such is the Good Samaritan Syndrome that always comes to the fore when its need is evident.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

That is the sound resonating from the population explosion that has occurred in northwest Arkansas during the past decade. The sound reverberates throughout the state. We all realize the area has grown. But to see the figures posted in black and white, to read the headlines, and to realize that our area really is blessed, is quite an eye/ear opener.

Last May 5th in the “Cuff” I asked readers to guess what Gravette’s 2010 population would be, officially. I also included my own prediction.

Since the Gentry, Decatur and Gravette papers had not combined at that time, therewas no contest for all three towns. But readers in all three Eagle Observer towns, and I’ll bet in every town in the state, have had their own local census population predictions. Were your guesses close?

As you saw the figures published in last week’s Eagle Observer you know the populations of your towns. Gravette’s is 2,325. Not as high as it might have been had the city been successful with annexations during the past decade. Every person counted means dollars in the till to help cities provide services, not only for their residents, but also to neighbors living nearby. City growth and expansion is something to keep in mind before the 2020 enumeration.

Anyway, when I dug out the guesses for Gravette the number closest to the 2,325 figure was 2,3l4; the guessby - would you believe it? - by the old Off the Cuffer himself. Most guesses were in the 2,400 range and one topped the 2,500 mark.

The real winning guess was sent in by ... drum roll ... Virginia Rowland, a native of Maysville who now lives in Bentonville. Her guess was 2,353.

Now it’s time to try and imagine where all of our towns would or could or should be 10 years from now. It’s also time to go to work to make sure that good things happen in each of our hometowns during the coming 10 years.

Back to the snow and cold. It was, as it always is, very pretty, pristine and pure. Looking out over the snowwhite carpet in the back yard, I noted a hammock filled with fluffy flakes; an empty humming bird feeder capped with a white crown; a couple of lawn chairs inwhich huge mounds of snow were relaxing. It was a contented, comforting, down-home picture.

But wait. What else caught my eye? Covering the mounds of white were what appeared to be tiny licorice specks. What could they be? I ventured out. Yes, you guessed it: sweet gum balls. They were forming their own carpet as if trying their best to cover the whiteness with pesky brownish, blackish spheres. Cuff readers are familiar with my sweet gum ball problem.

A glance up into the tree revealed hundreds, yes, thousands of those hard, prickly balls waiting - just waiting. Is there no end in sight?

Dodie Evans is the editor emeritus of the Westside Eagle Observer and may be contacted by e-mail at [email protected].

Opinion, Pages 8 on 02/23/2011