A rose to Andy Boyd, executive director of the Frank P. Phillips YMCA for meeting last week with patrons of the New Hope Y to explain the decision to close the facility.
Boyd said the decision was pretty straight-forward. The New Hope Y has been operating at a deficit for several years. Boyd spent 90 minutes listening patiently to pleas, suggestions and ideas from New Hope patrons. Those discussions are not likely to alter the plans, but we applaud Boyd for allowing members to make their cases.
A rose to David and Renee Owen, who this week became the first Columbus home-owners to install solar panels on their home.
While more than 1 million homes throughout the U.S. are now powered by solar energy, the Owens’ are leading the way in our community. We believe renewable energy is the energy of the future. Solar power is not only good for the environment but has become a economically viable alternative. We hope others will follow the Owens’ example.
Another rose to downtown Columbus, whose success has not gone unnoticed outside the city limits.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it appears several Alabama towns are taking notes. This week, Columbus hosted representatives from Jasper and Montevallo and the president of Alabama’s Main Street Association, who were anxious to see how Columbus developed its downtown lofts and apartments, something the visitors feel is an untapped new market for their downtown. Sometimes fresh eyes remind us of treasures we take for granted. This is certainly the case for our downtown.
A rose to Emmie Sheretz and Ryan Munson members of Columbus Action Together, a group that has set up a help-your-self mini food pantry on property Munson owns on Second Avenue North near the Hitching Lot Farmers Market.
The pantry, about the size of a double kitchen cabinet and patterned after the Little Free Library system, allows those in need and those who want to contribute to patronize the pantry anonymously.
“Maybe other people will see this and be inspired to put up pantries in other places,” Munson said.
We hope so. Sad to say, but food insecurity in our communities is need that receives too little attention.
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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