A Different Difference Day

Birthday wish: I’d like to take a quick column-inch to wish a Happy Birthday to Kim Scott! It’s my column and I can say what I want to … say what I want to … everybody now! Make your day amazing!

Local Make a Difference Day

Across the nation on Oct. 23, people will be living the 20th annual Make A Difference Day community projects initiation, but here in Hog country we will celebrate it on Oct. 16.
Nine hundred volunteers are expected to gather at the Arkansas Union at 9 a.m. for breakfast and a free T-shirt before cascading across the northwest to lend a helping hand. The union is located at 435 N. Garland Ave. on the UA campus.
Knowing Fayetteville, which changed the eve of trick o’ treating last year because of the Razorbacks football game, that is why here in Fayetteville we’ll be putting our community service in a week early.

Aww … Snap

An enlightened trend of home-grown nutrition fell into the federal food stamp basket when Downtown Bentonville announced the acceptance of EBT cards or WIC at the Bentonville Farmers Market. Participants can go to the Downtown Bentonville Inc. tent at the market and swipe their card for vouchers that several farmers have chosen to accept. Food stamps, which I recently learned don’t cover necessities such as diapers, are now extended to locally grown produce and goods. Hope this catches on like wildfire across the area!

Wilson Park Gets Lit

Have you noticed the orange barricades on the trail along Wilson Park? A new layer of asphalt is being laid to create a six-foot-wide trail, and LED lighting is being installed.
The current trail was laid in 1996 and repavement is due. Renovations are expected to be complete by April 2011.
This may bring up inevitable debate of how can the city justify installing more trail lights when in early spring we calculatingly turned off Scull Creek trail lights to save money. Well, open the mind to the thought perhaps that debacle was largely grounded in conserving energy, not just being able to afford it.

Skating Registration

The Lawrence Plaza ice rink has announced its grand opening on Nov. 20, the same day as the lighting of the square in downtown Bentonville.
The ice rink will serve as a splash pad in the summer and an outdoor skating rink in the winter. Skating is $3-$5 per person. Bentonville Parks and Recreation is accepting registration for ice skating classes now through Oct. 29. Classes begin on Dec. 4 and are on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Contact 464-PARK ext. 7275 or www.bentonvillear.com for more information.

Fayetteville Bulky Waste

Ward 1 is able to dump larger items that will not fit into the street-side trash can at Root Elementary this Saturday, Oct. 16. Nontoxic items that can fit into the bed of a pickup truck can be dropped off between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m.

We Try To Stay Hopeful

Last week a Rogers man made a phone call to 911, telling the operator to locate his family and prevent his wife and son from returning home until things were taken care of.
The police arrived and spoke with the 54-year-old man, learning he was distraught about life, depressed by financial woes and was struggling to find hope, answers and help.
After several phone calls, the man said he was going to walk out to his mailbox. He did so with a gun in his hand, which he is said to have raised and aimed towards the officers.
As investigations continue, one thing is certain: This man wanted to end his life. Unfortunately, it was from the bullet of an officer, who now lives with this man’s death. Deepest sympathies to all involved.