Thumbs column
Permit me if you will, dear readers, this opportunity to share one of my favorite quotes about the fifth month of the year:
“May is the month of expectation, the month of wishes, the month of hope.” — Emily Bronte.
That said, let’s start out today’s digit doings column by sending out a “Thumbs-up” and “Best wishes” to Wade Derden, who was recently named the new president of National Park College.
Having previously served as NPC’s executive vice president for advancement and government relations, Derden believes that “continued all-around collaboration will be a key for the college’s success” and in the transition process, he will strongly emphasize “student-college relations.”
NPC’s fifth president will take on his new role on July 1 and noted that his motivation to step into the job “comes from his deep love of the campus” and that one of his top priorities is identifying ways the college can help students in their transition, whether that be from high school to college or the transition into a career.”
Speaking of NPC, a “Thumbs-up” to its softball team which on April 18 had a “record-breaking defensive performance versus ASU Mountain Home, scoring 53 runs during a doubleheader.”
As reported by Braden Sarver of The Sentinel-Record, “In the first game, the Nighthawks had only 14 hits to get 29 runs, cashed in on 11 walks, four hit batters, and four errors to rack up the runs.” Both games were called after five innings “so the 53 runs were scored over just 10 innings.”
Congratulations to head coach Autumn Wyatt and her players for the amazing accomplishment.
Another “Thumbs-up” is due the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund that raised $16,607 via its annual spring style show at Vapors Life.
The event — highlighted by a parade of models wearing the latest spring fashions — also featured a silent auction, catered luncheon, and the personal stories of Katrina Sullivan and Mikki Yamauchi, scholarship recipients who told the attendees how the funds had impacted them and their children’s lives.
Malvern’s Brynn Hobbs, who has volunteered with the organization for more than five years, said, “At the end of the day, we want to be that person in their corner, their biggest cheerleader, their biggest ally, helping make sure that they reach the finish line.”
The ASPSF’s annual need in Garland County is $88,500.
A “Thumbs-up” for the good news that the United Methodist Outreach Thrift Store recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and also relocated to 116 Albert Pike Road where it offers a bigger parking lot for patrons.
The store’s proceeds are used to help alleviate hunger and is overseen by a board from several Methodist churches in Garland County. Cleo Kling, a volunteer, explained that the store accepts Department of Human Services vouchers that individuals can use to pick up boxes of food that come from the Project HOPE Food Bank.
Except for large pieces of furniture, donations of most items are accepted at the store from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Mondays and Saturdays and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Friday.
Another example of people helping people in our community.
And still on the subject of service to others, we award a “Thumbs-up” to the Garland County Library’s philosophy of “meeting patrons where they are.”
Jessamyn Carter, marketing assistant, pointed out ways the GCL’s Outreach Team does just that in the April 28 edition of the hometown newspaper’s Senior Scene.
Kudos to the team’s home delivery service, school visits program, donation drives, bookmobile’s pop-ups/visits, handouts of solar eclipse glasses, Send Some Cheer program, and Garland County Reads.
The Thumbs Column appears in The Sentinel-Record on the first and third Wednesday of each month. The newspaper welcomes readers’ comments and suggestions, which should be submitted in writing with a telephone number and home address for verification and contact purposes. This information is kept confidential.