Greetings, Garland Countians.
It is now February -- the month of "hearts and flowers" -- and so, as a tribute to St. Valentine, we send out our sincere best wishes and several of those familiar upturned digits.
Starting off, here is a big "Thumbs-up" to Aaron Humphreys, Lighthouse Christian School student, who last month received the Boy Scouts of America Medal for Heroism.
Presented by Gov. Asa Hutchinson at the state Capitol in Little Rock, the medal honors Humphreys' heroism in saving the lives of two men on Lake Hamilton in 2019.
Aaron and his father, Joel, had been boating when the younger Humphreys noticed a young man struggling in the water and jumped in to help. It was then that he saw a second man under the water by the dock.
He and his father credit the Boy Scout training as key to saving these two lives.
Here is another "Thumbs-up" to Executive Director Ted Thompson and the Project HOPE Food Bank for the invaluable assistance this organization gives to all people in need of food aid throughout every month of every year, but especially during the difficult days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Thompson recently said via a news story in the hometown newspaper, Project HOPE serves nine counties with Garland County being the largest "and encompassing about 65% of the food it distributes."
Many thanks to Thompson, his dedicated volunteers, and the numerous nonprofits and individuals committed to the food program's vital work in our community.
By the same token, another "Thumbs-up" goes to Hot Springs resident Stephen Ezelle, president of the Southwest Arkansas Partnership Coalition, for his work with the Point in Time homeless count project that is critical to securing funding for the area's homeless resources.
Ezelle says that the ultimate goal of the count and subsequent funding is to help homeless families and individuals "get beyond this."
Such efforts as the count reflect the humanity of the Spa City and its desire to consider the well-being of all aspects of its population.
"Thank you, Stephen."
On the other hand, a double "Thumbs-down" is not enough to express the anger and dismay of area denizens at the January theft of the Alliance Rubber Co.'s large American flag that had flown alongside the King Expressway near the Carpenter Road on-ramp since 2015.
Still, we would be remiss in not commenting on how upsetting the theft and its attendant vandalism have been to the citizenry.
And to that we add our and others' ire at the recent theft of the American flag and the Arkansas flag from the Garland County Veterans Memorial/Memorial Park.
Such egregious acts are certainly affronts to veterans and everyone who respects the law and the property of others.
Finally, on a much lighter note, here is a cheerful red-and-white "Thumbs-up" to the No. 19 Arkansas' 90-87 upset win over the No. 3 UConn Huskies on Thursday, Jan. 28, in Fayetteville.
Behind senior guard Chelsea Dungee's 37 points, key rebounding, and consistently good free-throw shooting, Arkansas (13-6 SEC) executed Coach Mike Neighbor's game plan to perfection against one of the perennial powerhouses in women's basketball.
Cheers all around.
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 home address and telephone number for verification and contact purposes. This information is kept confidential.