Honor a veteran
Dear editor:
On Memorial Day, May 27, at 11 a.m., we will be honoring our fallen heroes not just from Garland County but from all over the world who served in our armed forces. The Garland County Memorial and Military Park pays tribute every day to our veterans by honoring and recognizing their contributions to our freedom and democracy.
Family members and friends have made donations of $100 for a brick or $500 or $1,000 for granite pavers to pay tribute to their own fallen heroes. The military park has bricks and pavers and mementos and is open year-round. Many families come to enjoy the park on special holidays and birthdays to remember and thank our veterans for their service to us and our country. Our park is also an opportunity to educate future generations about the human cost of and for the defense of our country. Our newest addition is a 40-ton M-60 Army Tank courtesy of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Garland County Chapter.
To learn more come by the memorial at 118 Orange St., next to the Hot Springs Farmers & Artisans Market and Transportation Depot, or visit: http://www.gcvets.com
To order a brick or paver, pick up an application at the building at the park, visit our website, or call an officer -- Jo West Taylor Davis, chairman, 501-622-9745; Dick Holden, secretary, 501-627-8756; Walt Thrasher, chairman-elect, 850-624-0542; or Karren Blankenship, treasurer, 501-282-3365.
Deadlines each year are April 1 for Memorial Day and Sept. 1 for Veterans Day. Each year, the names of new brick and pavers are read during our services. You do not need to be a veteran to purchase a brick or paver; community leaders and businesses have purchased them in support of our servicemen and women and of our project to honor them.
Jo West Taylor
Chairman
Hospitality has an impact
Dear editor:
Every month, men who had entered Adult & Teen Challenge broken and addicted graduate from our program clean, sober, and with hope for their futures. They have worked hard to complete our four-month curriculum and made life changes that have put their lives back on track for themselves and their families. The morning after our inspiring graduation ceremonies, these graduates leave for the next phase of their recovery, which is in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Surrounding our monthly graduations is a tradition started by Rick Gale and his staff at the Colonial Pancake and Waffle House in downtown Hot Springs. Each month, they treat our graduates to a wonderful breakfast to celebrate this important milestone in their recoveries. This family owned business has been showing their delicious love and concern to our young (and older) graduates for the past 20 years!
Rick and the Colonial family, you have made hundreds of men -- men who once made terrible mistakes in the past -- feel special and wanted. Over these many years, I've heard our graduates say again and again, "It felt like we were having breakfast with Mom and Dad ... It was like a special holiday ... Our glasses and coffee cups would never go empty ... We were treated like royalty."
Thank you, Rick, for showing love, opening your hearts and doors to our graduates, and being a lovely example of what family is all about. You will probably never see most of these graduates again, but believe me, you have made a positive change in their lives and impacted them forever with your heartwarming and tasty hospitality.
Tim Culbreth, executive director
Adult & Teen Challenge of Arkansas
Editorial on 03/23/2019