Well-wishers and gawkers braved a chilly day in northwest Arkansas to see President Clinton, who hasn't visited his home state since his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky became public.

Clinton was here to dedicate the new Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, a much-anticipated, sometimes criticized project he helped see to completion."We had bipartisan support for this airport, and bipartisan opposition to it," Clinton said. "The truth is, it's a good thing and it needed to be done."

Folks in this hilly, rural area about 30 miles northwest of Fayetteville say they are pleased to have the airport, but their opinions on the president are mixed. When Air Force One landed right in front of everyone, thousands cheered and yelped "Sooey!" - the battle cry for the Arkansas Razorbacks, who are playing Ole Miss today at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Mary Shollmier drove from Little Rock to see Clinton, whom she says she spilled blueberry cobbler on when he was governor and she was a waitress.

"I wanted to see the president and see Air Force One," she said. "I'm disappointed in him, maybe, but I still support him."

But many local residents stayed home or gathered in their usual spots to grumble about Clinton.

"I can't go, I've got a Mary Kay party to host," said Dorothy Miller, who lives just a few miles from the airport. "Besides, I moved out of Arkansas because of him being governor, and then they elected him president."

Northwest Arkansas is the fastest growing part of the state; Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods, and J.B. Hunt Trucking are based here, and were responsible for pushing the airport project. It is also the most Republican part of the state, so Clinton's native appeal wears thin here.

At the Cave Springs General Store, a group of retired men who gather daily and call themselves the L&L Club, or Loafers and Liars, was smoking and drinking coffee and having a lively discussion about Clinton as they watched the line of cars crawl toward the airport.

"I had three steak dinners bet on him getting impeached," said Eugene Cole. "I guess I lost those."

"They don't call him Slick Willy for nothing," said Brent Holland, shaking his head.