LITTLE ROCK — Acommentator whose name currently escapes mesaid several years ago that we used to come home and watch TV to escape the jerks and nincompoops we had encountered during the day. Now, we come home and watch these very same numbskulls and incompetents on top-rated reality TV shows. Hugely popular Web sites are devoted to videos of spectacular failures, eliciting either our guffaws or groaning winces. It's like The Three Stooges have somehow sired millions of minions who have infiltrated society, and, collectively, we can't get enough of it.
That's enough; time to change focus.
If you've had your fill of the doofi (isn't that the plural of doofus?) and want to read about people worthy of your time and attention, spend some time viewing the Fayetteville Schools Hall of Honor album at www.fayar.net/imagesFoundation/hall_of_honor_album.pdf. You'll meet individuals who have been influential in Fayetteville and around the world. You'll read about former students, for mer educators and friends of the schools who have achieved great things and who have been inspirational to those around them.
The latest membersof the Hall of Honor will be inducted Thursday night during the 13th annual ceremonies at the Fayetteville Town Center. Mary Ann Greenwood, Greg Lee and Frank Sharp will take their deserved places in this select yet diverse group whose membership includes an architect, a banker, a Broadway director, a bus driver, several businessmen, a chef, coaches, community volunteers, fundraisers, several lawyers, a librarian, a Marine general, a music producer and executive, an opera director, a photographer, physicians, a pilot, principals, professors, a rabbi, a restaurateur, school district administrators, school board members, a superintendent, several teachers and a universitychancellor.
Those members (and their FHS graduation years for the former students) are Alan Adams '53, Kathleen Dulan Alexander '65, Woody Bassett '70, Louise Bell, Frances Gibson Benton, Larry Bittle, Jim Blair '53, Oma Blackwell, Jerry Brewer, Jessie Bryant, Jack Butt '68, Tom Butt '62, Sarah Caldwell '39, Don Deweese '58, Tim Ernst '73, Rosemary Faucette, Joe Fennell, Dave Gearhart '70, David Hallin '63, Eileen Hendricks, Henrietta Holcomb, Joe Holt '51, Miles James '86, Jeff Koenig, Mitzi Kuroda '77, David Lashley '50, John Lewis '57, Laura Lieber '90, Dorothy Lindquist, Dr. James Mashburn '43, Clark McClinton, Jay Mc-Donald '62, Feriba McNair '38, Mary Lou Miller, Jason Moore '89, Gregg Ogden '80, Peggy M. Parks '45, Billie Jo Starr '50, Lt. Gen. Marty Steele '64, Julian Stewart '52, Dee Gibson Stokes '88, Loyd Thomas, Harry Vandergriff, Margaret Whillock '53 and Mark Wright '75.
In a world of naysayers and an apparent overabundance of those with feet of clay, it's heartening to remind ourselves that there are heroes among us and that good things are happening.
Alan T. Wilbourn is public information officer for Fayetteville Public Schools.
Academics, Pages 6 on 09/29/2009