Thursday’s thumbs

From bikes to books, a positive start to 2018

We caught a story the other day that described a relatively new malady gaining the name of “texting thumb,” as ridiculous as that may sound. It turns out some people are complaining of pain or soreness related, in theory anyway, to their frequent use of their thumbs for typing on smartphones. It’s sort of like the more traditional writer’s cramp, back when people actually took pen to paper to communicate.

Here’s a potential remedy that won’t require a visit to the doctor and requires no co-pay: Put the smartphone down. If you’re texting so much it’s leading to a repetitive motion injury, it may be a sign you’re texting too much.

We’re going to guard against it by putting our thumbs to other uses today. Up, down, up, down. We’re keeping ours in tip-top shape, ready to provide some digital feedback in the new year with our Thursday Thumbs.

Few things represent freedom to a kid more than a bicycle. At least once upon a time that was true. With so many people tied up with social media today, perhaps getting that first smartphone has become the standard. But we hope a bicycle and the ability it provides to broaden one’s world is still a desirable achievement in the lives of young people. With all the riding options, such as the Razorback Greenway and associated local trails, having a bicycle isn’t just about kids’ play, but about transportation and healthy living. So we applaud Pedal It Forward, a nonprofit organization started in 2014 in Bentonville. Through the efforts of donors and volunteers, the group has repaired and given away around 1,800 bikes and helmets to people of all ages. Development of a love of cycling can lead to a lifelong activity that promotes healthier lives. There’s no sense in bicycles being tossed aside as waste when they can continue having big impacts on people’s lives. This nonprofit group is putting a new spin on philanthropy.

The Creative Community Center in Fayetteville has gotten truly creative in its development of a mobile art studio. We’re not just talking paint brushes and canvases here. The specially designed Winnebago will feature nine pottery wheels and pull-down tables so that 500 to 600 people a year (at schools or other organizations) will get a chance to try their hands, literally, at making pottery and experiencing the creative process. The vehicle will be unveiled in April. Here’s hoping the opportunity it offers will help people give their creativity new form.

Speaking of learning new things, there’s great news coming out of Prairie Grove as the city prepares to buy a 15,000-square-foot former Walmart Express building on Buchanan Street from Harps Food Stores for $775,000 with designs to make it the new home for the Prairie Grove Library and its Children’s Library. Harps donated $125,000 back to the city. The move will put all library employees/ services under one roof, which is almost always a great step toward better service for customers. We have a feeling the latest chapter in the story of Prairie Grove’s library services will be a page-turner.

Did you see the story in the Business Section the other day about robots helping real estate agents to show houses for sale and rent in California? A real person connects remotely to a rolling iPad-carrying robot at a property for sale or rent, then the device escorts potential customers around the property while answer questions and providing helpful information. In larger communities, these robots can give real estate agents the ability to show many properties a day because they don’t spend as much time driving. It’s a great idea that mixes technology with human interaction and increases the level of service potential buyers get. It sounds great, as long as nobody comes down with “texting thumb.”

Plans for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission nature center in Springdale reflect the “showcase” mentality state officials have adopted when it comes to Northwest Arkansas’ next great tourism and education facility. An exhibit hall, a 200-seat theater, classroom and meeting space, offices, a gift shop and cafe are all part of the 61-acre site as is a building with indoor archery ranges. There will also be outdoor archery ranges. Northwest Arkansas is a natural for such a facility, which we predict will become a popular attraction.