Plenty of people in Bella Vista don't see eye-to-eye on plenty of topics, but after nearly half a decade reporting on the city I can't recall meeting anyone who doesn't like it here.
It's not really a shock, there's a little something for just about anyone in this town. If you like the outdoors there's plenty of it and no shortage of activities. You can hike, mountain bike, swim, play a round of golf, play tennis and go fishing or boating -- all more than likely within a mile or two of your home.
If someone would rather stay home and work on some sort of art, put their car back together or just kick back and watch some movies or something, it's probably nice and quiet.
There are places to eat and socialize, places to take your dog and no shortage of great scapes and models for a photographer -- frankly, it can be hard to take bad pictures around here.
But the thing that really sets this community apart is the people. I've met people who are into every single thing that just got mentioned, but almost none of them have had a bad attitude.
You go out and talk to anyone about anything and, assuming they have time, the vast majority will be willing to share their thoughts -- which sure makes my job easy.
And if you need an expert on any given topic, with all the retirees around here, it seems like everyone knows someone who knows someone.
If someone needs volunteers, they get the word out and people show up to get stuff done. It's that easy.
City staff and officials are easy to get a hold of and almost always eager to answer questions. If someone can't for whatever reason, they're a lot more likely than not to explain why.
That one's especially rare. I've done stories with other governmental bodies and police agencies that took two weeks of daily phone calls to answer simple questions. Bella Vista usually gets back to me the same day.
And speaking of stories, believe it or not sometimes there isn't anything obvious going on -- but if I ask around someone's always willing to point me toward something worth covering.
Bella Vista people are friendly, helpful and often interesting.
As pretty a place as this is, as lovely as all the activities and amenities are, Bella Vista wouldn't be what it is without its community.
-- Keith Bryant is a reporter for the Weekly Vista. He can be reached at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.