As some of you know, I’m a music lover. Mother Hayes saw to that. She played piano,¹² sang in church choirs and regularly hummed a merry tune while in the house. Dad was sort of techie, so we always had a pretty nice stereo. I recall well the first Marantz³ receiver and turntable at Casa Hayes. I also recall my parents hollering at me and Pete (my ne’er-do-well brother) to “Turn it down! The neighbors are listening!” Family fun. Now my grandparents in South Carolina had one of the all-in-one cabinet jobs. Seems like it was a Zenith⁴ or a Magnavox.⁵ Maybe an RCA.⁶ Those were the big names. I want to say it had the TV built into it as well. That piece of furniture commanded the room. Particularly so when The Lawrence Welk Show⁷ came on. “An’ a one an’ a two….”⁸ So many of you good readers are way too young to remember that one.

While Mother Hayes and I share some musical genre loves, we also differ on some things, like say…rock ‘n’ roll!⁹ My brother and I have both have heard variations on this: “If that’s what passes as music these days, I want no part of it!” And my favorite: “Why are they screaming and why so loud?! Turn it off!” Mother Hayes is something to behold. Where was I? Oh yeah, music. While I never saw The Police¹⁰ in concert, I’ve been a fan for many years. When they broke up in 1983, the three musicians went separate ways but remained friends. Sting¹¹ (real name: Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner) became a solo hitmaker. One of my favorites of his songs is “All Four Seasons” from the album Mercury Falling.¹² That song always reminds me of our state, even though the song is about a romantic relationship. Here’s the lyric that gives me that thought: “She [Arkansas] can be all four seasons in one day!” Yep, Arkansas can and recently has been all four seasons in a very short span of time. We had 10 inches of snow the week before Winter Conference. Thankfully the roads were clear and temperatures rose as we gathered for our annual winter meeting. However, it didn’t take long for us to get walloped by an arctic blast. We had sub-zero temperatures, heaters on high and, I’m sad to say, a few busted pipes. After that it didn’t take long for the sun to come out to let its rays give us some relief. As I’m writing this, we’ve had sunny skies and temps in the mid to upper 60s. It was 72 one day! Pretty close to all four seasons in less than a three-week span.

Come to think of it, our big winter meeting also covered the four seasons of municipal government. See what I did there? The song and then the meeting. I’m now getting the stare from the Local Controller. She’s not speaking but I can hear her. “Stop this. Just stop. Get to the point. These folks are busy, and your quirky messaging is keeping them from working.” Or something like that. Moving on. We gathered January 15-17 for the 2025 Winter Conference in Little Rock. Its theme: Called to Serve: ’25. We had over 750 city officials and employees in attendance. In total, counting all attendees, exhibitors and the like, we topped 1,300. Absolutely astounding! From all the feedback we’ve received to date,¹³ it appears the meeting was very successful. President Parnell Vann, mayor of Magnolia, lead us through two-and-a-half days of education, entertainment and motivation. We covered the universe of municipal issues. From First Amendment auditors to disaster preparation, cybersecurity and grants, and anything and everything in between. We learned from Doug Griffiths¹⁴ that there are 13 definitive ways to kill your community. Conversely, there are 13 ways to have a great community. Doug was engaging, funny and down to earth. I have no doubt we all learned some valuable lessons to make our cities and towns better.

Let’s pause here for a moment of reflection. LC ain’t havin’ it. “Get crackin’ big boy.” Okay, here’s what I mean. Being in municipal government is a calling. Each of you were called to serve and you do so day in and day out. Ten inches of snow? No problem. There’s work to be done and it doesn’t stop because of inclement weather. Take a good look in the mirror and take pride in the fact that you’re making a difference every single day. Be inspired by that.

Speaking of inspiration…again, see what I did there? The groaning from LC can no doubt be heard in your neck of the woods! Onward and forward. Our last event on Friday, the Inspire Breakfast, was incredible. My good friend Judge Joyce Williams Warren¹⁵ delivered a message encompassing life and leadership lessons that covered every “municipal season” I can think of. She spoke to us in a real and direct manner, touching on so many things city officials face every day. She gave us sage advice from her mother: “She said, ‘Sometimes it’s best just to keep quiet. Don’t open your mouth and say one word. Bite your tongue. Bite it off if you have to.’ Those simple yet powerful words have served me well in countless situations.” The Judge reminded us that truth should win the day regardless of how difficult it may be to speak it. Staying true to oneself is always a good plan. Even when the winds of change create four seasons in one day.

Her message reminded me of this lyric:

When the map you have leads to doubt
When there’s no information
And the compass turns to nowhere that you know well
Let your soul be your pilot.¹⁶

She also reminded us how important it is to keep learning. Hopefully each of you took valuable information back to your hometown. After all, how many days in the life of a municipal official are the same? I’m gonna go with zero! Stay on your toes, listen and learn. Always keep learning.

As we run toward spring at what seems like light speed, so many things are happening. Our legislature is in session, spring storm season is approaching, and each of you is trying to navigate a new budget in a world where money isn’t easy to come by. Not to mention that there’s a lot going on in Washington that may or may not affect your town. There’s so much more, of course, but I’ll stop here because I think I’ve made my point. In case not, here it is: Your world is hectic and ever changing. Since you literally are where the rubber meets the road¹⁷ you must adapt, and you do. Please know that the League staff is shifting gears as fast as we can to keep you well informed and to allow your public service to be productive and efficient. Your success means Arkansas succeeds. Regardless of the weather, figuratively and literally, you do the job. There’s true good in that.

Until next month, peace.

Mark Hayes
Executive Director, Arkansas Municipal League

1
Two things of note. First, I kick myself for not paying closer attention to piano lessons and for not seeing the joy in practicing. Maybe I’ll take it up in retirement. And just like that the Local Controller has found laughter in my musings. Secondly, when we joined the First Presbyterian Church in Racine, Wisconsin, the minister was a feisty and funny man by the name of Howard Staton. While giving the family a tour, including the church’s catacomb-like basement, he stopped next to a black grand piano and asked if any of us played. Mother Hayes spoke up. He gave her the piano and she had it moved to our home on Wolff Street.
2
The piano was (and is—it still exists) a Knabe. Wilhelm Knabe was born in Germany in 1803. He was an accomplished musician who immigrated to Baltimore, Maryland. He partnered with a gent named Henry Gaehle to make top-notch pianos of all varieties. Get this! Francis Scott Key, yes he of Star-Spangled Banner fame, had Knabe build a massive and ornate piano for his home. Think rosewood case and legs, hand carved with mother of pearl inlay. Key used the piano until he died in 1843. Get this part two! According to the company’s website, that very piano resides in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel in Memphis! armuni.org/3CMEpHN Go see it when next you cross the mighty Missisip!
3
Saul Marantz, an electrical engineer living in New York City, created the Marantz Audio Company. Its first location, his kitchen table. I wonder what his Local Controller thought about that. Heck, his stuff was so good it was somewhat modified and used by NASA in the Apollo Space Program! armuni.org/42JnmRB “Mark! First a trip down memory lane to a basement in Racine, Wisconsin, and now stereos and the space program. You’re killing me and your readers. Move along!” The Local Controller has a real gift for gab. And now, some info on other Hi-Fi producers of the time!
4
Incorporated in 1923, the Zenith Radio Company was founded by Ralph Mathews, Karl Hassel and Eugene F. McDonald. Interesting factoid: Zenith invented the remote control! armuni.org/42Pj6A6
5
Magnavox has a bit of a complicated history. Suffice it to say, it was created in 1917. While a search on my Google machine indicates the presence of a website, when clicked this message appears: “We’ll be back soon.” armuni.org/42MyYTI
6
RCA was founded in 1919 as a patent trust owned by General Electric, Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and the United Fruit Company. I have no clue what that last one was! Something about fruit I’m guessing. Oh boy, major eye roll from LC. armuni.org/4hQqMGp
7
Welk was born in 1903 and was an accordionist. His wholesome, clean-cut variety show aired from 1951 to 1971.
8
Welk spoke that line every time he cued up his orchestra. It was so famous that it is recorded and on file at the Library of Congress! armuni.org/4190t91
9
Here’s a shocker. There’s massive debate about when rock ‘n’ roll came into being and who coined the phrase. Too much to get into here (you should hear LC right now!) but there’s a ton of literature on the subject. armuni.org/3QcN35m, armuni.org/3Q8zEeT and armuni.org/42NfDlm
10
Surprisingly, the band was originally together for only six years, 1977-1983. Yet in that time frame they had multiple hit singles and albums. They’ve sold over 75 million records, making them one of the best-selling musical artists of all time. Although that sounds kinda puny when compared to the Beatles at 600 million! The Police was the trio of Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers. armuni.org/4jPAafi and armuni.org/3QbXS84
11
The nickname Sting was bestowed on him because of a yellow and black striped sweater he was wearing. A member of the Phoenix Jazzmen gave him the moniker. armuni.org/4b9y4Df
12
Mercury Falling and Ten Summoner’s Tales are two of my favorite albums. Rolling Stone wrote of Mercury Falling: Sting stayed true to “…his pensive nature while injecting healthy doses of levity into the mix.” armuni.org/3QanRfT
13
We want to hear from you! Fill out the survey, send us an email, write a letter or send a telegram. Your feedback makes these big meetings better. So, bring it on. The good. The bad. And the ugly!
14
Doug is a Canadian with experience serving as Minister of Municipal Affairs for Alberta as well as being an author and speaker. 13waysinc.com/about
15
LC loved Judge Warren’s speech. She’s a member of the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame. The judge, not LC. Although I’d vote for her! LC, not the judge. The judge is already in, and if I coulda, I woulda voted for her. Geez, please keep up. If you’d like to know more about the judge, click here: armuni.org/40RWjAV.
16
The song “Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot” is also from Sting’s album Mercury Falling. It too is one of my favorites. Here are the full lyrics: armuni.org/3Q9H4OQ
17
This is the last footnote, I promise! The idiom “where the rubber meets the road” has its origin in the world of advertising. From what I can gather it originated, like lots of advertising slogans, in New York City in the 1950s. armuni.org/3CIJNf0.