A rose to all those whose hard work in transforming a downtown Columbus building into “Whoville.” That effort was spoiled by the real Grinch – COVID-19. As a new twist on Main Street Columbus’s Wassail Fest, this year visitors were encouraged to visit “Whoville,” at the site of the old Fashion Barn at the corner of Main and Fifth streets. Volunteers, with the support of the building owners Homer and Joann Beatty, Zion Church, Vibrant Church, Lighting Unlimited and others, spent hours decorating the site, only to be notified that Friday’s event was canceled. The decision to cancel was a wise one based on new recommendations by the state health department. Still, it’s a disappointment that visitors weren’t able to enjoy the hard work of the volunteers. Perhaps as it was in the original story, when “Christmas came just the same,” all their hard work, while unseen, does not go unappreciated.
A rose to Visit Columbus, which was awarded Destination Marketing Organization of the Year by the Mississippi Tourism Association during its annual Governor’s Conference, held Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in Biloxi. This annual educational and professional development event brought together more than 120 tourism industry professionals from across the state as well as tourism partners from the surrounding region. The awards program gives MTA the opportunity to recognize the best of the best from their 200+- member organization. Visit Columbus, which has routinely been honored at the event, was recognized this year for “keeping their finger on the pulse of all community events as a tireless champion for all things tourism.” We salute the work Visit Columbus does on our behalf.
A rose to the Noxubee County Tigers football team, which fell just short of its goal Friday, falling to Magee, 42-26, in the Class 3A championship game in Jackson. It’s the second straight year that the Tigers have fallen one win short of the ultimate prize. Although the Tigers were prone to some uncharacteristic mistakes, no one could question their effort. While the sting of falling short will persist for a while, we are confident that Friday’s loss will only serve as greater motivation for a program whose history is measured in championships. We salute the Tigers for a game effort and a season that, despite the final outcome, would be the enjoy of most of their peers.
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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