A rose to Main Street Columbus and the Columbus Arts Council for another successful Art Walk. Thursday evening musicians, photographers, painters and sculptors displayed their talents at various downtown businesses, and for two hours downtown Columbus hosted what was in effect, a street festival. The result was delightful. “It gives the artist an opportunity to expose their work to a diverse population of people,” said Ralph Null, a community arts advocate who displayed his paintings of flowers and gardens in The Paint Store. Null deemed the event “a good community mixer.” The creative energy provided by the arts can have a transformative effect on communities. We’d like to see more of it in ours.
A rose to West Point, a community that has long recognized the power of the arts. Saturday thousands turned out for its venerable Prairie Arts Festival, the 37th, and on Friday the Black Prairie Blues Festival memorializing the life of Clay County native, blues legend Howlin’ Wolf, drew blues enthusiasts to Mary Holmes College. We have long admired West Point’s community spirit. While it might be a stretch to call downtown West Point the Triangle’s best-kept secret (the word is already out), the place is full of unexpected delights with its lovingly preserved historic architecture and interesting shops. Go ahead, take a field trip and see for yourself.
A rose to Dr. Bob Howland, the Columbus urologist who is retiring after tending to area residents for 44 years. In a profession where oversized egos are a common occupational hazard, Howland was notable for his humility, empathy and willingness to hear his patients out. Practicing in a field that increasingly relies upon the latest whiz-bang technology, Howland understood the power (and the efficacy) of listening to his patients. And, they loved him for it. The 77-year-old physician says he’s just going to take a deep breath and see what happens. We wish him the best.
A rose to Greater Starkville Development Partnership CEO Jennifer Gregory for her efforts to form a business improvement district for Highway 12. The proposed public-private partnership, combined with expected Mississippi Department of Transportation improvements, has the potential to transform the heavily used commercial corridor with sidewalks, landscaping, crosswalks and traffic-calming devices. Downtown business owners are reaping the benefits of a previous financial pledge to help beautify and maintain the downtown area. We remain hopeful the property owners along Highway 12 will choose to support this initiative.
A rose to the memory of Terry Brown, who died one year ago this past Friday. The gregarious state senator with his aw-shucks demeanor was an effective legislator who wielded his oversized personality for the benefit of Lowndes County and the Golden Triangle. “We really miss Terry’s influence down there,” Rep. Gary Chism, a colleague, said last week. “He loved the process, and he would drag people together, who needed to talk.” Were there more people like Brown “dragging people together,” who need to talk, the world would be a better place.
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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