Thursday’s thumbs

Library’s kitchen sure to cook up something good

It’s Thursday, the day after Hump Day. The day before the day before the weekend. But if Wednesday can be celebrated as a milestone toward the weekend, why can’t Thursday? It’s actually one day better, right? Thursdays, as a matter of fact, could be described as just slightly less deserving of celebration than Fridays.

Really, though, a day is what one puts into it. Which is why we like to add a few editorial perspectives by way of the underappreciated thumb. Sure, other fingers sometime get more atten- tion. Ring fingers. The cutely named pinky finger. And … well, we could go on, but let’s turn our attentions to this week’s Thursday’s thumbs.

Probably every public library has books about cooking its users can check out, but we’re fascinated by the possibilities that lay ahead for the teaching kitchen that’s part of the Fayetteville Public Library’s expansion, which is expected to open in about a year. Cooking is indeed a lifelong skill and pursuit, one that’s been eroded by growth of the fast-food culture of the last few decades. Having a kitchen in a facility such as the library creates opportunities for people to explore a new and enduring relationship with food. Whether it’s educating high school students through joint programs with area schools or providing a venue for community lessons, this feature of the new library delivers exciting potential. The expanded library promises new experiences — it’s not just about taking a book home to read about cooking, but actually getting one’s hands on the food and equipment necessary to learn new skills. We’re looking forward to a new era of expanded minds at the Fayetteville Public Library.

Speaking of learning, anyone who has benefited from the work of a great teacher could appreciate the value of Springdale’s Joel Lookadoo, whose efforts earned him recognition as the 2020 Arkansas Teacher of the Year. The award was presented Tuesday at Lakeside Junior High School in Springdale. Lookadoo is credited with going above and beyond in pursuit of learning for his students, including his creation of programs designed to help students forge their own paths toward success. Congratulations, Mr. Lookadoo.

It’s just one more wrinkle in the fallout related to the mess created by state Sen. Jake Files and his business in Fort Smith. City leaders have put the 68 acres once envisioned as the River Valley Sports Complex up for sale, hoping to recover some of the money the city handed to Files’ company for development of the sports complex. Files and business partner Lee Webb approached the city in 2014 with the idea of a sports complex that could attract baseball and softball tournaments to the area. By early 2017, after a lack of adequate progress, the city was forced to withdraw from the deal. Files ultimately pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges. The community is without its park and is looking to recover some of its investment. It’s a sad but necessary move to account for the failed project.

Speaking of Fort Smith, it’s exciting and intriguing to see a town put up statues honoring figures in its history. Bronze statues of federal Judge Isaac C. Parker as well as Mother Mary Teresa Farrell and John Carnall recently went up at the new Gateway Park at Garrison and Rogers avenues. All three were leaders in the community, from the legal system to health care to education. We thought the days of bronze sculptures honoring historic figures in a community setting might have waned entirely, which would be a shame. There’s too much history in every community for anyone to turn his back on it.

The City Council in Rogers agreed Tuesday to spend $405,000 to install an updated version of the storm warning sirens the city already has. Not every town has such warning systems in place, but it’s nice when a town can play a more direct role in advising its residents and businesses when it’s time to hunker down. Still, here’s our own warning: Sooner or later, just about every community alert system suffers a glitch whether from a technical or human error. Residents are well advised to invest in the purchase of a relatively inexpensive weather radio (with battery backup) that delivers alerts directly from the National Weather Service. These are especially good for waking people up when a storm approaches in the wee hours of the night. Many smartphones also can be set to receive warnings.