Thursday’s thumbs

The Waltons come through again

It’s Thursday and another chance to fire off a few up or down thumbs about some of thenews developments in our neck of the woods and elsewhere:

Sam Walton descendants Tom and Steaurt Walton announced this week they, through a holding company, will purchase the current Walmart Inc. headquarters and associated land in Bentonville, no doubt sparking a sigh of relief from a lot of folks in Bentonville. The retail behemoth plans to relocate to a shiny, new 350-acre campus now under construction in town, but the question of what would happen to the existing home office lingered. That question remains, but knowing it’s in the hands of two Sam Walton grandsons known for their ongoing investments in Northwest Arkansas’ business and creative economies no doubt removes visions of large, dormant properties in the middle of town. Their company has only said it will use the properties “to create spaces that enhance the Northwest Arkansas community.” Let’s hope some of those uses will be for-profit, tax-paying enterprises creating well-paying jobs for area residents, the kind of economic development made easier by the existence of nonprofit amenities created by the Walton family, such as Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and The Momentary. We appreciate those wonderful places and their positive economic impact, but local schools and government services also are helped when major commercial properties stay on the tax rolls.

The Northwest Arkansas National Airport in Highfill was built in the late 1990s seemingly out in the middle of nowhere for a reason: Cows don’t complain about noise from airplanes. The theory was over time that the airport could acquire and control enough land to avoid serious land-use clashes with its neighbors. To a degree, the airport is a magnet for development. So it’s good news that the airport’s board has agreed to buy almost 40 acres officials say they’ll need to ultimately build an additional runway. In addition, the airport is working with neighboring communities to promote zoning and development decisions that will be

compatible with the predictable uses of an airport. The airport is a huge piece of transportation infrastructure for the region. It makes perfect sense to protect the investment and position it to serve the region for many decades to come.

The suggestion we heard the other day — that a push to hire Spanish- and Marshallese-speaking poll workers for upcoming elections suggested noncitizens are voting — doesn’t hold up. First, under certain conditions, people who cannot speak English can qualify for U.S. citizenship. Beyond that, knowing enough English to pass U.S. citizenship tests doesn’t mean a person is fluent in English. Ask anyone who has learned an additional language and they will say situations can be less stressful if they can slide comfortably back into speaking their native tongue. Having some Spanishand Marshallese-speaking poll workers only reflects a desire to be customer service-oriented, much like area banks or other businesses. It’s the job of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to determine who can become a U.S. citizen. Once people become citizens, it’s not up to someone at the local polling place to put them to a new test. If they can prove their citizenship and their right to vote, having someone to speak in their native tongue isn’t acquiescence to a conspiracy to let noncitizens vote.

It’s welcome — and apparently unexpected — news that a federally funded, covid-related rental assistance program in Washington County got back up and running with receipt of another $1.7 million from the U.S. Treasury. The county had shut down the program April 1, leaving 1,229 people who had applied without rent assistance for March and April. Funding will go to those already approved, county officials said.