Thursday’s thumbs

Stay alert: Kids’ return to school demands vigilance

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

The same parents thrilled at the end of the last school year to have their youngsters home for the summer can’t be blamed if they’re a little excited that Monday marks the start of school for 2023-24. No offense to the kids, but there just comes a time when the less-structured days of summer must give way to the intentional academic pursuits of fall. We hope everyone gets off to a good start to what becomes a great academic year. And those without children in school have an important responsibility, too: Let’s all keep our eyes peeled as we travel around our communities. Be mindful of school buses picking up their young charges. Don’t dare pass a school bus displaying its flashing lights. Especially in these early days of the school year, keep in mind that kids can dart into the road from almost anywhere when a school bus is present. Go slow. And that goes for school zones as well. No appointment or event you’re headed to can possibly be more important than any of the young souls making their way to school in the days ahead.

In the huge Mega Millions lottery drawing Tuesday night, consider this: There had been 31 drawings (April 18) since anyone had won the jackpot. That’s how the prize grew to more than $1.5 billion (the amount if a winner or winners opted for a 30-year payout). Most people don’t take the extended payout. They want the lump sum up front, and that totaled $783.3 million cash. Let’s do some rudimentary math that admittedly doesn’t take into account all factors: At $2 per set of numbers, the cash value represents 391 million tickets purchased. And even with that many tickets (probably more), only a single ticket matched Tuesday night’s numbers. As with any form of gambling, the odds are stacked against everyone buying in. A simple $2 to get a chance to win such a huge amount could be considered cheap entertainment. Who doesn’t like to dream about what they’d do with such a windfall? But there are some folks who spend serious portions of their income on the chance to win big. It’s a foolish pursuit, as demonstrated by how difficult it is to even match two or three numbers.

Count us among the thankful for organizations that do the work necessary to respond to the needs of the poor and the homeless all year round, in weather both sweltering and bone-chilling. High temperatures of late pressed them into overdrive to come to the aid of people in need of respite from the harsh conditions outdoors. We’re talking about groups like the Salvation Army, 7Hills Homeless Center, the Micah 6:8 Initiative, and churches like Genesis and St. Paul’s Episcopal. Without them, circumstances for a population already facing hardship would be much less forgiving. Each of the organizations would undoubtedly welcome financial gifts that would amplify their compassion in making a difference in the lives of others.