It's Thursday and time for our semi-weekly offering of mini-editorials on topics near and far, but before we get into our Thursday thumbs, a word about graduation.
Some area high schools have already had their graduation ceremonies. Others are getting under way today. Indeed, the next three days are heavy with commencement ceremonies at Bud Walton Arena: Fayetteville this evening, Rogers' two high schools in separate ceremonies Friday night and Springdale rounding out the festivities with two ceremonies on Saturday. Bentonville's two high schools plan to hold their ceremonies at their schools' football stadiums, weather permitting (and so far it looks like it will!).
We'd be remiss not to add our congratulations to the seniors of 2023, among the classes that were forced to navigate their high school years through the complexities of a worldwide pandemic. To say "You made it" really means something.
The region is full of parents, grandparents and others who will mark a major occasion in the lives of the young people they care about. Graduating high school is a real achievement as well as a major mile marker on this journey we call life. Every bit of pride being felt this week is well deserved.
Here's to the future, class of 2023. The tightly structured life of K-12 education now gives way to more freedom to do it your way and (don't groan) more responsibility for setting the course of your lives. May you live well, never forgetting that relationships matter more than money or stuff.
The world will try to hold you back. Real challenges lay ahead. Life isn't what happens after you've overcome them. It's what happens as you face them and what you make of those challenges. Never make the decision to do something important later "when things settle down." Things rarely settle down. Stay the course, whether on smooth seas or rough, but also remain open to a path you never even imagined existed. Those paths can be the most exciting, fun or productive, or all three.
Set expectations for yourself high and strive to live up to them, but don't get too tangled up in others' expectations. Listen to good advice, but always recognize it's your life to live. Live it to the fullest.
And now on to this week's thumbs:
[THUMBS UP] Who could ignore giving an upturned digit to the Scott family and their $10.35 million gift to the Amazeum announced recently in Bentonville. This is a continuation of the family's support for the 50,000-square-foot interactive museum that encourages creativity and curiosity in visiting children. The new money will help retool the Amazeum's outdoor space and add a 5,000-square-foot indoor gathering space. Lee Scott is a former CEO of Walmart. His family's generosity is an investment in young lives and minds.
[THUMBS UP] Kudos to the city of Pea Ridge, and other cities employing similar technology, for the addition of QR (quick response) codes to the signs placed on properties that will be the subject of public hearings. These are those square codes that are all the rage these days to help easily drive people to information. Use a smart phone camera to scan the code and voila! -- you've gained access to important details. In Pea Ridge, scanning the code will help people find information about what's proposed on a piece of property, whether it's a rezoning or a particular land use. Used correctly, these codes can save people a lot of time and make public information easier to access. It's a very public-oriented approach for a city government to take. "The main goal is to get information to the citizens faster," Planning Director Jessica Grady said. That's a great goal and a great strategy for achieving it.
[THUMBS DOWN] Call this a historian's lament: Demolition crews destroyed the building that housed the famed AQ Chicken House restaurant in Springdale. The restaurant recently closed down for good after more than 75 years feeding Northwest Arkansas customers and visitors. Crews used power equipment to bring down the building and make way for a car wash. While it's always great to welcome a new business, seeing a structure that's been part of the region for so long come down for a car wash feels a little heartbreaking.
[THUMBS UP] Speaking of new businesses, Lowell will be welcoming a new Costco store. The membership-based warehouse store chain, a competitor to Walmart's Sam's Club, will open its second Arkansas store on the southwest corner of Concord Street and Pleasant Grove Road. Having a Costco in the region has been mentioned as a desire by some people for a while now. It's a bit ironic that Northwest Arkansas is a big enough market for Costco in large part because of the influence of Walmart, which has its world headquarters in Bentonville. We're not too worried Sam's Club can handle the local competition.
[THUMBS UP] The ability of the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith to train more people in advanced manufacturing techniques, such as automation and robotics, will be bolstered by a $1 million gift from ABB, the Switzerland-based company focused on automation and electrification. ABB's NEMA Motors Division is based in Fort Smith, employee about 1,700 people in the production of electric motors. The assistance will further develop the workforce in Fort Smith and the surround area by expanding the training opportunities beyond a high school program to one on the UAFS main campus that people already out of high school can access.
Giveem 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].