The bird
Thank you for Leslie Newell Peacock’s informative and entertaining article about the ivory-billed woodpecker. I read the whole thing to my husband the other night. We both laughed out loud. I loved the structure of the piece and the wonderful details. Your piece is the best I’ve seen since the big announcement.
Brenda Tremblay
Rochester, N.Y.
The article was terrific. Such a joy to have Arkansas go beyond Razorbacks and Bill Clinton and add something new and beautiful to the essence of Arkansas. Perhaps it will be remembered as a new symbol of the peace that is emerging worldwide.
Jean Whitehead
Little Rock
Leslie Peacock writes so well when she says “grown men and women weep at the news.” That is exactly what happened to me when reading my first article on the web weeks ago.
I don’t know what it is for me. I have such compassion for something I know so little of. An extinct bird having returned in tough political times seems like a “Lord God Bird Send” of hope. This bird is knocking on humanity’s door, almost asking us to be aware of your surroundings, and to help where you can. Keep up your good work.
Richard Fiorita
Montana City, Mont.
Questions
Perhaps you could find answers to questions I have directed to President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Senators Lincoln and Pryor and Representative Ross. At this time, I have no answer in any form from any of them. The talk of closing military bases makes my desire for answers stronger.
What is the cost of the 14 bases being built by Halliburton in Iraq? Is this for the short or long term?
How are they keeping our troops safe, with more than 1,500 killed and 10,000 wounded?
Who’s in charge of the money spent in Iraq? Where do I get an accounting?
What avenues do I have for contacting my representatives that will bring a response?
Bev Quinlan
Camden
Remembrance
Shortly before he died, I learned the extent of the cruel damage a stroke had visited on my friend — our friend — Bill Shelton.
Bill Shelton, city editor of the Arkansas Gazette when it was the honored and beloved newspaper of so many of us.
Bill Shelton, who had joined us in snowball fights and foolish, exuberant marches around our living room to the militant strains of Berlioz and who had roared with laughter with the rest of us as we listened countless times to the Limelighters singing “Have Some Madeira, My Dear.”
Bill Shelton, who served on the Pulitzer Prize committee and strolled down our driveway shortly after his return from New York with a length of clothesline for a belt.
Bill Shelton, who taught me that a retraction was never a good idea, as it served to seat the original error more firmly in the public mind.
This man of words, holder of two master’s degrees, pallbearer for my husband had lost the ability to communicate.
The night I learned this, Larry King was asking Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton if the horrors of the tsunami in Southeast Asia had made them question their faith in a loving God.
Bill Shelton, deprived of words, of his very being, put my own faith to the test. But I knew that Bill would, if he could, have found words to straighten me out.
Helen F. de Noble
Farmington
Incisive
I look forward to Warwick Sabin’s incisive commentary every week. He is one of the state’s treasures.
Bill Sayger
Biscoe
Honors
Thanks for the May 5 Honors section. I often feel sad when I see articles in the news about youth who are in trouble. The daily paper is most often the one that prints that.
But Honors breaks the mold. It highlights families who are doing positive things. The articles did not only highlight the all-A “nerds,” but also pictured regular kids and the runners-up in many events. They are the average kids who will make it in this world. They need to be made to feel special.
I like these headlines: “PCSSD students stood out”; “Television students sweep awards”; “Fed team places second.” These headlines represent good that is not out of the reach of the average good kid.
Keep up the good work. Kids of all levels want and need recognition.
LaVerne W. Feaster
Little Rock
Entertaining
I’ve been planning for a long time to write about what an entertaining writer Bob Lancaster has become. I just wanted to encourage him to continue his outstanding writing.
Hal Moody
Little Rock

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