Northwest Arkansas has a lot of positive activity going on, so it's no wonder our semi-regular review of the news produces more upturned thumbs than not. There's a lot of great things going on. Take a look:
(Thumbs up) Benton County planners denied a gun range's request to stay open well into the evening. We've got nothing against a gun range -- indeed, there aren't enough outdoor range options around these parts -- but this proposal simply didn't fit the location adjacent to the Centerton city limits and near residential areas. Who can blame the business for asking? But the county Planning Board respected the needs of neighbors in denying evening hours for the gun range operations.
(Thumbs down) Our Congress is at it again. Faced with a Highway Trust Fund that's a money-losing proposition because its revenue comes from gas taxes, Congress needs to work out a way to shore up this critical funding for the nation's highways. The folks in Washington just approved a two-month patch of the trust fund so that current projects won't be disrupted, but one gets the sense Congress is a far cry from finding a real solution. The nation needs a long-term highway funding bill that will allow states to move ahead with important projects. These temporary fixes don't allow that. Arkansas has placed millions of dollars worth of projects on hold, waiting for solutions from Washington. That may be a long and winding road.
(Thumbs up) Did you see the size of that striped bass from Bulls Shoals up in Missouri? It's almost unbelievable at 65 pounds, 2 ounces and 49 3/4 inches long. And he caught it on 20-pound line. While we prefer our bass from the Arkansas side of the border, we must say we're impressed with such an amazing catch.
(Thumbs up) The Walton Arts Center continues to drum up major support for expansion and renovation of its Dickson Street theater. The most recent major contributor to the effort was Tyson Foods Inc. The Springdale-based meat producer gave $500,000 to the center's 30,000-square-foot addition.
(Thumbs up) Speaking of nice contributions, we appreciate the work of Vested Interest in K9's, PetArmor, Walmart and Sam's Club in making three police dogs in Bentonville are better protected as they are out serving the community. A grant of $2,580 provided all three with protective vests that are lighter and cooler than their predecessors. The vests protect the dogs from the impact of a bullet but also punctures as they're out working on patrol, tracking, drug or explosives detection. These vests protect the dogs, which allows them to also protect Bentonville officers. We hope these canine law enforcement officers never need these vests, but we're glad they've got them.
(Thumbs up) Benton County Judge Bob Clinard is searching nationally for an engineer who can handle the specialty job of answering questions about the limits of what the War Eagle Bridge can handle as far as future traffic and what options the county has for keeping the bridge structurally sound. Preserving the bridge and ensuring safety are not one and the same. We appreciate the strides Clinard is going through to make sure the county knows its options and its limits for planning the future of the historic bridge.(Thumbs up) The city of Springdale plans a meeting on June 1 to discuss potential changes -- more stringent regulation, no doubt -- to the city's sign ordinance amid concerns the city's cluttered look is harmful to the overall feel of the community. Smart regulation of signs is going to be necessary to "clean up" Springdale's cluttered feel on major routes of commerce, but the challenge will be how to implement changes without being too burdensome on local businesses. If signs are a subject you're interested in, Monday's meeting might be worth a visit.
(Thumbs up) Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has asked grocery suppliers to improve animal-welfare practices and reduce the use of antibiotics in livestock that find their way as products onto the retailer's shelves. Animal advocates call it a game-changer because of Wal-Mart's size. As part of its announcement Wal-Mart pledged support for the "Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare." Those include freedom from hunger and thirst; freedom from discomfort; freedom from pain, injury or disease; freedom to express normal behavior; and freedom from fear or distress. Those are admirable goals and we commend this retailer for providing leadership that others will notice.
(Thumbs up) Here's a fine example of needed work supported by a fee most people never realize they're benefiting from. The old C&L Landfill in Fayetteville, which operated in the early 1970s, is part of the 200-plus acres Fayetteville plans to convert into a regional sports/activity park. It needs remedial work, however, to ensure its contents continue to be safely entombed. The landfill will be the first recipient of funding from the Landfill Post-Closure Trust Fund administered by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. People dumping waste in Arkansas landfills have, since the early 1990s, paid $1 per ton into the post-closure fund specifically for such remedial work. Rather than this landfill's condition being an unfunded crisis, Arkansas' planning has paid off.
(Thumbs up) Kudos to the Bentonville School District and the Boys & Girls Club of Benton County for developing an agreement that will continue transportation services for students to go to the club for after-school activities. The club, which previously paid nothing for the bus services, will now pay $25,000 a year.
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 05/28/2015