diff --git a/docs/now/2026-09-23-published-97-of-104-unused-locals-are-used-by-the-spec-bare-if-stateme.md b/docs/now/2026-09-23-published-97-of-104-unused-locals-are-used-by-the-spec-bare-if-stateme.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0aa567facc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/now/2026-09-23-published-97-of-104-unused-locals-are-used-by-the-spec-bare-if-stateme.md
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# NOW -- 97 of 104 unused locals are used by the spec: bare if statements were being discarded too (published 2026-09-23)
+
+## A bee's work on #2589, published from `queen-2589` (Closes #2589)
+
+- The branch changes 1 file(s): `specs/fpga/boards/arty_a7_integration.t27`.
+- `git diff --stat origin/master...queen-2589` reads: 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
+- This entry is written by the publisher, not by the bee. A pull request must
+  add exactly one `docs/now/` entry and a bee has no way to know that: its brief
+  names a boundary file and acceptance criteria, and `docs/now/` is neither.
+- What this entry does NOT establish: that the work is correct. The gates on the
+  pull request judge that, and they are the same gates every other change meets.
diff --git a/specs/fpga/boards/arty_a7_integration.t27 b/specs/fpga/boards/arty_a7_integration.t27
index 233d4eb576..2da7210ac3 100644
--- a/specs/fpga/boards/arty_a7_integration.t27
+++ b/specs/fpga/boards/arty_a7_integration.t27
@@ -83,10 +83,10 @@ module ArtyA7_Integration {
 
     fn verify_pin_config(pins : PinMapping) -> bool {
         var valid : bool = true;
-        if pins.clk_pin == "" { valid = false; }
-        if pins.rst_pin == "" { valid = false; }
-        if pins.uart_tx_pin == "" { valid = false; }
-        if pins.uart_rx_pin == "" { valid = false; }
+        if (pins.clk_pin == "") { valid = false; }
+        if (pins.rst_pin == "") { valid = false; }
+        if (pins.uart_tx_pin == "") { valid = false; }
+        if (pins.uart_rx_pin == "") { valid = false; }
         return valid;
     }