A rose to Columbus Ward 3 councilman Rusty Greene whose idea to hold work sessions prior to council meetings may go a long way in repairing the breakdown in communications that have recently sent meetings into a tailspin of acrimony resulting in a stalemate. Greene made his suggestion near the end of yet another bruising meeting on Wednesday that resulted in the council overriding Mayor Keith Gaskin’s veto involving a forensic audit and a reorganization of city administrative positions. The special call meeting quickly deteriorated into anger and frustration as the majority of the council sharply criticized the mayor for not communicating effectively with the council. Public work sessions would allow the mayor and council to share information without fear of violating Open Meeting Act regulations. We applaud Greene’s leadership in making this suggestion and hope the mayor and council will move quickly to make work sessions a regular part of their operation.
A rose to Shane Kinder and Salem Gibson, recently named co-directors of The Columbus Arts Council. Kinder, who has been with the CAC for six years, will be the creative director while Salem, who comes to the CAC after 14 years with The Frank P. Phillips YMCA will handle daily operations. This division of duties will allow both co-directors to focus their attention on what they do best. We congratulate Kinder and Gibson on their new roles and are eager to see what their collaboration will produce.
A rose to Columbus Christmas Parade organizers for their plans to make the 2021 parade in downtown Columbus both a celebration of the season and a milestone anniversary. The date of the parade will be Sunday, Dec. 5 at 3 p.m. to accommodate the Budweiser Clydesdales, who were a memorable part of the parade in 2013. The parade will also help celebrate the kick-off of the 200th anniversary of the founding of Columbus. The parade’s theme will be “A Hometown Holiday … Past, Present, Future.” Parade organizers want to celebrate the things remembered most when one thinks back on Christmas in Columbus through the years. Individuals, children’s groups and community organizations are encouraged to consider participating in the Christmas Parade, which will offer competitive and non-competitive categories.
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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