TKT: Sustainable Energy

Amber Kruth (TheKruthTalks@gmail.com)

The Arkansas Public Service Commission released a report revealing their intentions for increasing sustainability and energy efficiency in the state of Arkansas. Amongst the topics discussed were Smart Grid and Emerging Technologies, including refueling docking stations for alternative energy vehicles, increasing efficiency on the utilities side of the meter and incentives to reward more conscious methods of utilizing energy. A few big steps the Commission established were determining a target level of achievement to measure energy efficiency in Arkansas and a checklist to help base performance of the methods.

More Power To You

The University of Arkansas students are getting in on the renewable fun too with the help of a $3.9 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy to study and try to improve chargers for hybrid and electric vehicles. The silicon carbide-based battery charger will be adapted to improve the charging circuitry. The effects of this project may not only have profound effects on the performance of alternative energy vehicles, but also on the interest and purpose of energy enhancing jobs.

Head Hog

After a soft murmur of speculation that other SEC schools were seeking the acquisition of Razorback football head coach Bobby Petrino, our fears were put to rest with a grandiose signing of a seven-year contract. Climbing to one of the highest paid salaries for college athletics, Petrino earns $3.56 million a year for not only his commitment to our Hogskins and their youthful successors, but also for his community appearances and media obligations. The icing on the cake was an enormous $18 million buyout clause over the next two years which states if Petrino strays to another field that organization will have to foot the bill to buyout the UA.

The Kruth Talks Thoughts on Petrino

First, I don’t know the guy personally, so I’m just basing my reflections on the indirect consequence of his professional carriage.
My first impression was wary, but for reasons I cannot hold him to blame. He didn’t come in with a warm fuzzy, “I love the Hogs and have always wanted to be one.” I came from New York already in love with the Hogs and Corliss Williamson stole my 15-year-old heart during that championship year.
But back to Petrino … he was aloof and short with the media, an entity I also hold dear. But then his hard work reshaped the etiquette and work ethic of our Hogskins. As the season endured, we saw less of the fourth quarter exhaustion, less mental trips that carried over into repetitious hazards.
As fans, we can be more than impossible to please, but as parents we tend to notice the little things. The way the team didn’t hang their heads when faced with error or fierce competition; they raised them. The way that the Hogskins spoke about maturity and team effort. The way that Petrino speaks about the legacy of the Razorbacks, about recruiting our native Arkansans, about building state-of-the-art equipment rooms and stadiums and sharing that with our youth. The day that Petrino invited the Boys & Girls Club Youth Football league to play a competitive match on the Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium Astroturf was the day I became a fan of our coach Bobby Petrino. So go get that bonus and win us a bowl game, Coach!

▲ Amber Kruth provides a local perspective on news briefs from around Northwest Arkansas — tidbits that make you think and keep you informed. TheKruthTalks@gmail.com

Categories: Commentary