As May begins to wind down toward summer and the final days of school, students will get to give their fingers and thumbs a break from all that writing and arithmetic. Have a great summer, but let's keep putting those thumbs to good use:
[THUMBS UP] Not every ailment can be avoided, but many can. Did you know the Marshallese, which make up a significant population -- more than 11,0000 -- in Northwest Arkansas, have some of the highest documented rates of type 2 diabetes of any population group in the world? The great recent news is an award of $2.1 million by the Patient-Centered Outcome Research Institute to allow the Northwest campus of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to expand its research into effective ways to combat the disease among this population. The three-year award will allow researchers to study a culturally adapted prevention program focused on modest lifestyle changes. The project was born from discussions by researchers with the Marshallese to figure out what they most wanted help with.
Give’em a thumb
Want to give some brief feedback on news? Someone who deserves a pat on the back? An idea that needs a dose of common sense? Recommend a “Thursday thumb” by calling Greg Harton at (479) 872-5026 or by email at [email protected].
[THUMBS UP] Every now and then, we hear about a kindness that isn't surrounded by pomp and circumstance, that clearly wasn't done in pursuit of accolades. And isn't that a special flavor of kindness? Early this week, we got a call from a Northwest Arkansas gentleman who had gone grocery shopping a couple of days earlier. He wore a cap with the words "Semper Fidelis," the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps, which means "always faithful." This gentleman, who didn't want his name published, said he served in the Marines from 1964-68 and in the U.S. Army from 1972-88. He stood waiting as the cashier checked out the woman ahead of him. When it was his turn, the cashier wouldn't take his money. That woman, who had by this point left the store, had paid for his items. He assumes it had something to do with his military service. He quickly went to the parking lot, but the woman had vanished. The kind act deserves a big "thank you" this veteran did not get a chance to deliver. But the woman shopper knows who she is, and to her, a word of thanks from a grateful veteran. And us, too. It's in these kinds of small gestures a bright future, and a kinder present, will be ensured.
[THUMBS UP] It's a sad reality that the last day of school, a source of joy for many kids, can be the start of a summer of uncertainty for others whose families go from one meal to the next unsure of how future food needs will be met. Thanks to the efforts of local school districts, children will have opportunities to eat nutritious meals at designated sites. In Fayetteville, school officials are also experimenting with a mobile site for lunches and snacks at the Yvonne Richardson Community Center. Some districts also offer breakfasts. Hunger continues to be an issue in Northwest Arkansas, but efforts like these help out.
[THUMBS DOWN] What's it going to take to get a stable Quorum Court in Benton County? Last week, a justice of the peace resigned after about three months in the role because his company does work for the county, creating a high potential for conflicts of interest. Another resigned in April after just a couple of months as a justice of the peace because an appointment to the Rogers City Council became an option and he favored that public service. It's an unfortunate level of churn for the Quorum Court, which has important business to do. Hopefully, local Republicans can send to the governor a person ready, willing and able to give his full attention to county business.
Commentary on 05/25/2017