A rose to everyone who made this year’s Relay for Life in Columbus a success. Cities all over the country participate in the national campaign, which raises money for cancer research, and Columbus organizers staged another successful event Friday at Columbus High School. We offer special roses to chair-persons Mott Ellis and Tina Perry and to all of the volunteers, businesses and residents who, through donations of time, talents and financial contributions guaranteed the event’s success.
A rose to the morning shift at Hardee’s Restaurant on Highway 45 in Columbus. This from a reader: “Every time I go to Hardee’s to pick up breakfast on the way to work, I always leave smiling. The crew there goes out of their way to greet everyone with a warm smile and a genuine ‘good morning.’ It may seem like a little thing, but it’s a wonderful way to start my day. They’re great.”
A rose to the community, which always seems to be at its best when the need is greatest. This week, when the Salvation Army turned to social media to announce that its food bank was desperately low on food, regular people responded in a big way. Within a few days, those empty shelves were full once more. Whether it’s the Salvation Army or Relay for Life or any number of other charity efforts, our community always seems to be ready to help a worthy cause.
A thorn to the miscreant who called in a bomb threat at Columbus High School on Friday morning. It is a pointless, mean-spirited, ignorant act. Columbus schools have been victimized by a rash of similar bomb threats this year, but this one was particularly galling since it forced a halt in preparations for the Relay for Life, which used the Columbus High soccer field for its event.
A rose to Linda Massey who, after 21 years at The Commercial Dispatch, has retired. Linda was hired on the spot after her interview with the advertising department on May 26, 1993 and started work that day. Through the years she handled multiple tasks at the paper, though most recently, she handled classified ads, secured national and political ads and scheduled inserts to run in the paper. Linda was one of those rare employees who always looked out for the best interest of the company. Her playful — sometimes blunt — personality and her attention to detail will be sorely missed.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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