A rose to the organizers of Friday’s “Salute to Lowndes County’s Finest” luncheon at the Trotter Center. For 15 years now, these informal group of volunteers and business owners have been treating law enforcement, paramedics, firefighters, 911 dispatchers and relief organization employees to a lunch as a means of showing appreciation for the vital services they provide our community. The organizers, led by founder Mark Smith, are an ad hoc group of citizens which was formed exclusively to stage this event. Friday, the group fed more than 200 people. We, too, salute our “Finest.” We also salute the saluters.
A thorn to the person or persons responsible for the theft of $2,000 in power tools from the storage trailer at the Starkville Habitat for Humanity on Wednesday. We cannot imagine that any appeal to decency would prick the conscience of someone who would commit such a crime against an organization that does so much good for the community, especially folks who are trying to secure a home and a better future. Starkville Habitat builds two houses a year for people who have proven they can be responsible home-owners, but need some help to achieve that dream. Habitat has already replaced the stolen tools, but every dollar it spent on replacing the tools was money that would have otherwise gone to building a home. Our best response to this sad incident is to make an extra donation to Starkville Habitat. We encourage you to do so.
A rose to the nine citizens who have stepped forward to serve their neighborhoods and their city as candidates for the Ward 1 city council seat left vacant by the death of Gene Taylor last month. The candidates — Trent Bush, Patrick Holmes, Tommy Jackson, Nedra Lowery, Adrienne Morris, Anthony Sanders, Carolyn Sherrod, Ethel Stewart and Liz Terry — all have deep ties to Ward 1 and the city and bring a broad range of experiences to this race. Tuesday at 6 p.m., the candidates will meet at Townsend Community Center for a candidates forum. It will an excellent chance for voters to get to know the candidates before they go to the polls on Sept. 24. We encourage all Ward 1 voters to attend.
A rose to Main Street Columbus, for adding a bit of whimsey and a whole lot of color to what had been mundane objects.
Main Street director Barbara Bigelow and project coordinator Amber Brislin solicited local artists to apply their talents to painting the utility boxes that are scattered throughout downtown. One by one, these gray metal boxes are being transformed into works of arts, each a unique expression of the artists’ creativity. What was once a drab, albeit necessary, part of our city-scape is now art, further enhancing our downtown for both residents and visitors alike. There are still plenty of boxes ready for a makeover and Main Street is soliciting more artists to complete the project. We love the idea, the whimsey of it, and the message it conveys to all who visit downtown.
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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