Thumbs column
May days continue to emphasize fun, festivals, and family get-togethers in and around the resort city. High school and college commencements give local denizens special reasons to celebrate.
Some Hot Springs residents may be taking advantage of the warmer, dryer weather to have major
“clear-outs” of their homes and storage areas while others may be getting to the
“nub of the matter” in planning those annual vacations or short getaways.
Whatever the case, we hope readers will take time to see what “digit doings” are on the minds of their fellow citizens.
First off, here is a “Thumbs-up” award to the construction workers on the Highway 70 east project.
It comes from Patti Nickles, who relayed her thanks via an email to this columnist, noting, “I travel that highway daily to get to and from my home. Not only does the project seem to be moving quickly, but the crews have been very considerate as they enter and exit the roadway.
“I dreaded having to navigate this daily road construction for months, but so far, it’s not been bad at all.”
Vicki Parker, Community Relations director for US Stations and member of the US97 Wake-up Crew, sent in the following “Thumbs-up” in recognition of an act of kindness.
In her email, Parker wrote, “I have a little grandson who is almost 2 and earlier this month, he was in the hospital for several days. It was a very stress-filled time. I was leaving the hospital one night and lost my footing. A sweet lady came across the parking lot to help me. She said, ‘Oh, honey, are you OK?’ I told her I thought so. She then said, ‘I just need to give you a hug.’
“It was like a hug from a dear friend. I wish I had asked her name. It had been a long couple of days and a hug from a complete stranger made it all seem bearable. Who- ever you are, you blessed me more than just helping me up to my feet. Thank you. You’re awesome.
“I have a saying that I always share and it is, ‘Be a blessing’ or B.A.B. for short. That lady certainly was.”
On the other hand, a local primary schoolteacher has a definite “Thumbs-down” to motorists who do not pay particularly close attention to pedestrians who are in the crosswalks of the heavily traveled downtown business district.
Around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 11, she and her husband were in the crosswalk that goes from Bathhouse Row to the north side of Central Avenue. “We were going to the parking deck to get our car, having just seen that five classes of third-graders were safely loaded on the school bus after a morning field trip,” she said.
“Several people, including an older couple, were crossing the street. They and we saw a car going very fast and we were concerned the driver was not going to be able to stop. The other couple moved along, apparently thinking the same thing. The driver slammed on the breaks and the older man yelled, ‘You need to slow down.’ The motorist got out of the car and the parties started yelling obscenities at each other.
“I am most thankful no one got hurt, but I’m also glad that none of the students saw or heard this terrible and angry exchange.”
Conversely, here is a “Thumbs-up” to the Jessieville Middle School cheerleaders who, during just two hours on May 5, collected 142 boxes of cereal at the Hot Springs Village Wal-Mart for the school district’s annual summer cereal drive.
The cheerleaders’ total will be added to boxes collected in each classroom on campus and the district will continue to accept cereal items and financial donations through May 30. Cheers to Jessieville students, faculty, and administration. And here is a “Thumbs-up” to several of the hometown newspaper’s letter writers whose contributions may be seen in the Viewpoints section.
Reader Louise Kettering gives a tip of the hat and a “Thank you” to George Lindholm, Mike Nunn, John Crawford, and Scott Ruff, and encourages them “to please keep up the good work.”