A rose to our local farmers’ markets — The Hitching Lot in Columbus and the Community Market in Starkville. While both markets have been open for a while, we note that the market “really” begins with the arrival of the first ripe tomatoes.
Saturday, we heralded the arrival of this summer delicacy. The farmers’ markets are win-win for all of us: Patrons are treated to locally-produced fresh fruits, vegetables and baked goods, along with a variety of other local products from area craftsmen, artisans and entrepreneurs while the money that changes hand stays in our community and strengthens the community.
A rose to Columbus singer/songwriter Shane Tubbs and the Shane Tubbs Band, which held a CD release event at the Rosenzweig Arts Center Friday. It was appropriate that Tubbs would choose the venue for the release of the CD, “Welcome to the Show.”
The Rosenzweig was where Tubbs first began performing publicly about 10 years ago. The success of those open mic appearances proved to be an incentive for Tubbs to continue honing his craft. Friday’s event not only shows how far he has come, but the role the Columbus Arts Council and the Rosenzweig play in promoting and supporting local artists of all kinds. We congratulate Shane, along with band members Shonda Williams and Ed Swan for Friday’s debut.
A rose to the city of Columbus, which is using teens employed in its summer jobs program to conduct surveys in the community to get feedback from residents on a wide variety of quality of life issues.
A similar survey is being planned in Starkville. Once the surveys are complete, city officials will have a better idea of what residents believe to be priorities and identify areas of needed improvement. We have long advocated city governments to engage with residents and listen carefully to their concerns. These types of surveys are an excellent way to reach out to residents and empower them in making our communities better places to live, work and play.
A rose to the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors, who are taking the initial step to consider the future of Oktibbeha County Hospital Regional Medical Center. Oktibbeha County supervisors unanimously began a process Monday to hire a strategic analyst and study OCH Regional Medical Center’s financial outlook and overall services in the coming months.
The process to select an independent, unbiased firm could conclude in late July or August, and an overall strategic analysis could be completed this fall. Public forums and discussions on the financial analysis and its recommendations are expected to follow. While we understand that this is an emotionally-charged issue, especially for those in the community who are strongly in support of the county maintaining the hospital, we see no harm in taking a hard, objective look at all options, including the sale of the hospital.
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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