It's time for another round of thumbs on some of the happenings around Northwest Arkansas, and most of them are thankfully facing in the better direction.
(Thumbs Up) Phil Robertson of "Duck Dynasty" fame may be skilled at shocking the senses of some Americans with his odd and disturbing commentaries, but Willie Robertson, his son and the primary character in the A&E television show, deserves only kudos for his recent visit with Steve Swope, 44, of Rogers. Swope suffers from the debilitating effects of ALS. Mike Neill, a Rogers resident and a friend of Robertson's, helped arrange the visit in association with the ALS Association's Arkansas Chapter. When Neill learned Swope was a big fan of Willie Robertson, he sent his Louisiana TV star friend an email. "And within 30 minutes, he replied back and said, 'Let's make it happen,'" Neill said. At no cost to the associaiton or the Swopes, Robertson showed up and spent about an hour with his fan. Robertson certainly doesn't have to make such appearances. We credit him for his compassion and generosity with his time.
(Thumbs Up) The Springdale Kiwanis Club put its energy and money to work for the benefit of its community, approaching city leaders about partnering to build a new playground at Luther George Grove Street Park. The club's members raised about $100,000 for the project, which is expected to cost $249,701. The club committed to the project as a way to mark the 100th year of Kiwanis International. Organizations like this help make a community stronger.
(Thumbs down) Drivers who devote most of their attention to their smart phones rather than to the road in front of them have become one of the biggest dangers on our roads these days. Just glance over at other drivers occasionally (if you can take your eyes of your phone, that is) and you'll see heads bobbing up and down as they try to balance staying connected with moving a 2,000-pound vehicle down the road at 35 mph or faster. People who view drunk driving as a societal evil will nonetheless fly down the road trying to read a text message or a Facebook post, then try to respond. It's a deadly gamble, made worse by the sheer volume of people doing it. We're glad to hear some law enforcement agencies are participating in the "U Drive. U Text. U Pay" national campaign this week. Why not use those car trips to take a break from the constant connection the Internet offers? It will make everyone safer.
(Thumbs Up) The Benton County Cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, and it's worth a word of thanks to county employees and the Quorum Court. The costs of the cleanup have led to discussion about ending the twice-a-year events, but we're glad justices of the peace haven't yet pulled the plug. The event sends an important message that needs to be consistently reinforced: Cleaning up Northwest Arkansas is vital to its future.
(Thumbs Up) Arvest Bank signs up again as the naming rights sponsor for the ballpark Springdale built to lure a minor league baseball team to the region. The Northwest Arkansas Naturals will be playing in Arvest Ballpark at least another decade. The sponsorship, the team's presence and Springdale's support for bringing minor league baseball to the region gives Northwest Arkansas an outstanding amenity. With Springdale's recent adoption of development planning tools for the area around the ballpark, the city will start to see some of the economic payoff it had hoped for when its voters backed the ballpark's construction.
(Thumbs Up) OK, so we're selfishly tempted to give a thumbs down on the decision by Arkansas Razorbacks' Bobby Portis to forego his college eligibility and enter the NBA draft. But we just can't. We wish Portis well in his pursuits, and hope that they work out well for him. It's a big loss for the Hogs, but his presence, especially this last year, has been great for the program and fun to watch.
(Thumbs Up) News that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics had revised Northwest Arkansas' numbers for 2014 made great news out of good news. Its most recent revision showed the region gained 10,000 jobs last year, which is 7,000 more than originally believed. The number puts the region as the 26th fastest-growing job market in the country.
(Thumbs up) Arkansas is apparently the first state to nominate a phone booth for placement on the National Register of Historic Places, and this one is in Prairie Grove. The booth was recently restored after being damaged and after a public response to its temporary departure. We're not sure, however, we'd put a phone booth up there with, say, Mount Vernon as a historic structure. Maybe we need a pop culture version of the list of historic places. In any case, we're glad the phone booth is back and in working order. Rather than a thumbs up, maybe it just deserves our dialing finger.
Have a suggestion for awarding a thumb to someone? Email your nomination, with the subject "Thumbs," to [email protected] or contact Editorial Page Editor Greg Harton at (479) 872-5026.
Commentary on 04/15/2015