A rose to the family who wishes to remain anonymous who recently donated a concert piano to East Mississippi Community College, Mayhew campus. The piano, a Knabe Concert Grand, has a storied history. Acquired in 1958, by the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, later the Mississippi Symphony, the instrument has been played by Henry Mancini, Robert Goulet, Dudley Moore and Awadagin Pratt.
A March 17 dedication concert at the school featured area vocalists and instrumentalists and the newly formed EMCC choir. Congratulations to EMCC for the acquisition and thanks to the family whose generous gift will enrich the education of future generations of students.
A thorn to District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks, whose challenge of an election opponent’s residency deteriorated into little more than public shaming Tuesday evening. The Lowndes County Democratic Executive Committee, comprised in part of Brooks’ allies, ruled against challenger Marty Turner, saying Brooks had proven his case that the Columbus city councilman did not live within the District 5 boundaries and was therefore not eligible to run against Brooks, a five-time incumbent. Brooks’ attack went far beyond matters of residency, however, bringing up embarrassing details of his challenger’s private life that had nothing to do with the matter in question. Turner has appealed the ruling and if successful, it should be up to the voters to decide if he is fit for office. No matter the outcome, Brooks’ stature has been diminished by his conduct during this despicable episode.
A rose to singers Priscilla Barker and Qassim Middleton who captured the nation’s attention during this season’s American Idol competition. While Barker, from Amory, bowed out of the competition last week, Middleton is still in the running for the coveted prize. Middelton grew up in New York but his mother, Toni Seawright, is a former Miss Mississippi and MUW graduate. These two entertainers are a reminder of Mississippi’s well-established legacy of producing talented singers, songwriters and musicians.
A rose to organizers and participants in The Big Read, which concluded two months of programs with a drum circle at The Rosenzweig Arts Center on Tuesday. The Big Read was the first National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) Big Read in the Golden Triangle and the only one awarded in Mississippi for the NEA 2014-15 year. The program was centered around Thornton Wilder’s 1927 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, “The Bridge of San Luis Rey,” set in 18th Century Peru. The Columbus Arts Council organized a series of events that shed light on Peru, its culture and history. C.A.C. Director Tina Sweeten said 619 people participated in 16 events. We applaud all effort to encourage reading and particular thank the Columbus Arts Council for helping bring Wilder’s novel to life through numerous companion programs and events.
A rose to the Starkville High boys basketball team, which claimed the Mississippi Class 6-A championship with a hard-fought 43-40 overtime victory over Madison Central Saturday, a week ago. It marked the Yellow Jackets’ first state title in five years. A rose, too, for the Starkville girls basketball team, which fell in the state semifinals, and to the SHS football team, which made as far as the state semifinals in November. All things considered, it has been an exceptional season for Starkville High Athletics, as its swelling trophy case now clearly demonstrates.
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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