Appearing each Saturday," All Thumbs "is The Benton County Daily Record's take on the people, events and issues deserving a "thumbs up "for a noteworthy accomplishment or good deed or a "thumbs down "for magnificent failure or just general stupidity.
Thumbs up to Bella Vista for recently being ranked one of America's Top 10 Best Healthy Places to Retire by U. S. News & World Report.
The places were ranked according to the number
of places there were to exercise, whether the community promoted strong social support and whether it encouraged healthy lifestyle habits, the magazine article said. The article, which includes a story on and photos of Bella Vista, is in U. S. News & World Report's current issue. Congratulations, Bella Vista, on the recognition.
Thumbs down to the closing of the Bentonville Kennametal manufacturing facility, which has been around for nearly half a century. Kennametal, based in Pennsylvania, announced Tuesday its decision to close the plant by the end of the year.
We understand the reasons behind the move. A Kennametal spokeswoman said this is part of a companywide restructuring effort intended to make the company, which specializes in metal cutting, milling and turning, more competitive. In difficult economic times, a company has to do what a company has to do.
Still, it's a blow for Bentonville and the 120 people who work at the plant. We don't know how many of those workers will be able to find jobs at one of Kennametal's other facilities. The good news, at least for our area, is that Kennametal's Rogers facility, which employs 520, will remain open.
Thumbs up to the University of Arkansas for establishing RazALERT, an emergency alert system that aims to reach the school's 19, 000-plus students by cell phone, text message, e-mail and home phone within three minutes. Recent college campus shootings (Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois ) have prompted colleges and universities across the country to institute systems such as RazALERT, named after the Arkansas Razorback. The system needs to be tested, and who knows whether it can deliver all messages within three minutes when an actual emergency strikes. But at least the system is in place.
Thumbs down to those who mess with meth. Last week, narcotics investigators from the Benton County Sheriff's Office arrested two men and one woman in connection with a methamphetamine lab that allegedly was being operated in a Benton County home near Lowell. It was the 17 th meth-lab seizure by the Sheriff's Office this year.
Meth is dangerous stuff that destroys people's lives. We applaud law enforcement's work in trying to eliminate the drug from our neighborhoods and for attempting to spread awareness of the problem. October happens to be Methamphetamine Awareness and Prevention Month in Benton County.
Thumbs up (or paws up, in this case ) to the Bentonville Bark Park Committee on breaking ground this week to create the city's first off-leash dog park.
The first phase of the project will take about two months. All but $ 10, 000 of the $ 110, 000 needed for the first phase has been raised, thanks to the donations of individuals and companies. Fundraising will continue for the second and third phases, which will include trees and other plantings, benches, separate areas for small and large dogs, relief and water stations, and more.
The dog park represents a place where dogs and the people who love them can get together to socialize, thus adding to the quality of life here for both species.
Thumbs down to Horace Engdahl, the top member of the Nobel Prize jury, for saying that U. S. writers just don't measure up to others, particularly those in Europe. The Swedish academy is on the verge of deciding this year's winner for literature.
"Of course there is powerful literature in all big cultures, but you can't get away from the fact that Europe still is the center of the literary world, … not the United States," Engdahl said. He added that America is "too isolated, too insular. They don't translate enough and don't really participate in the big dialogue of literature. That ignorance is restraining."
Well, at least he's not biased, right ?
We're willing to concede that America might not be the center of the literary world, but come on, Mr. Engdahl. We have some pretty good writers in this country. Your committee has been accused regularly of snobbery and political bias, and these comments aren't helping your cause.
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