Have you guys seen today's Democrat Gazette? A nice editorial brags on Fort Smith's awesome history and about the students at Cook School who recently donated funds to a lot of charitable organizations, including about $1,200 to the Bass Reeves statue project.

For those of you who don't know who Bass Reeves was, here's an excerpt from the DemGaz piece:

He sounds like a character from a novel by Buddy Portis: A former slave turned lawman, a U.S. marshal for Hangin’ Judge Isaac C. Parker, a crack shot with at least 14 notches in his belt and more than 3,000 arrests in his career and, maybe best of all, a heck of a name: Bass Reeves. It may not be Rooster Cogburn, but Bass Reeves comes close. Can’t wait for the movie, right?

Only Bass Reeves isn’t a character from True Grit, but out of the history books. There actually was a man who lived and worked in Fort Smith who did all those things. And probably a heck of a lot more.

Read the entire piece here. Subscription required

The Bass Reeves Legacy Initiative is about a lot more than a statue in downtown Fort Smith. It's about law enforcement, civil rights, leadership, courage, literacy, and...well...legacy.

At the risk of violating copyright rules by citing too much of the DemGaz piece:

History isn’t just a set of names and dates in a book. It’s how we became who we are, and a guide to how we should conduct ourselves now and in the future. We ignore it at the peril of having to go through it all over again. Thanks, kids, for the lesson. And thank you, Bass Reeves, for your example. We’re so used to enjoying the peace you helped bring to this part of the world that we’d just about forgotten you. We need to remember the history you made. That statue will help.

And what's more, Fort Smith residents have long felt as if the rest of the state didn't respect who we are. We've felt left out and ignored. Well, friends, we're stepping out into the future with our past. And our fellow Arkansans are not only taking note, they're standing and applauding. In this case, our children AND our ancestors.

Ain't that a kick???