Ah, yes.
April has, at last, arrived in the Spa City, which is abuzz with a range of sports, entertainment and educational activities sure to please locals and visitors alike in the days ahead.
On that note, let's start off this digit-doings column with a "Thumbs-up" to the management and staff at Country Club Village for last month jump-starting the celebratory mood by treating its residents to a "Kicking COVID to the Curb" carnival.
The clubhouse social featured face-paintings, various games, hot dog and funnel cake treats, and most importantly, recognized the fact that more than 95% of the retirement complex inhabitants had been fully vaccinated.
Here's a "Thumbs-up" to Hot Springs artist Carole Katchen, who created nine new party scene paintings during the COVID-19 pandemic and introduced them to the public at last Friday night's Gallery Walk at Legacy Gallery.
Over the years, Katchen has delighted art lovers with her bright and cheery social scenes and undoubtedly these new offerings will elicit smiles from everyone who stops in to view them at Legacy Gallery.
Thank you, Carole, for again sharing your gifts with our community.
By the same token, here's another "Thumbs-up" to Mid-America Science Museum for expanding its slate of summer in-person camps.
Casey Wylie, MASM"s director of education, recently announced plans to hold seven learning camps, each of which will have a maximum of 15 students who will be split into age groups for 6- and 9-year-olds and 10- and 12-year-olds.
The seven full weeks of camps begin the second week of June and are $200 each for museum members and $225 for nonmembers. Reservations are required and Wylie noted persons who are interested in participating should get on the lists soon.
Meanwhile, "Thumbs-up" to the good news from Bill Solleder, director of marketing for Visit Hot Springs, that there are plans to hold monthly events similar to the community-wide game of catch held April 1 at the Baseball Trail Park on Whittington Avenue.
Organized by the Hot Springs Parks and Trails Department, the Majestic Park baseball complex, and Visit Hot Springs, the "big catch" happening was in commemoration of Major League Baseball teams visiting Hot Springs as early as 1886 for spring training.
A grateful Resort City resident, Sunny Evans, sends out her "Thumbs-up" and a "Thank you" to her hairdresser, Jeff Grant, who called to tell her that when he added up his receipts, he thought she had given him an extra $100 bill.
Via email to this columnist, Evans wrote, "I had cashed a check and the bank gave me new bills and evidently, they had stuck together. I had not noticed and probably would not have noticed. Isn't that the most honest thing? Thank you again, Jeff."
Finally, here's a "Thumbs-down" to the NCAA for giving short shrift to the women's basketball teams participating in March Madness 2021. The athletic association's "oversights" included providing paltry workout equipment, different on-court markings, inconsistent meal services, and virtually ignoring No. 3 seed Arizona in a Final Four promotional video.
Arizona got its due, however, upsetting No. 1 seed Connecticut, 69-59, in the national semifinals, and coming within one basket of besting the overall No. 1 seed Stanford in the championship game.
The Thumbs Column appears in The Sentinel-Record 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 contact and verification purposes. This information is kept confidential.