A rose to all of the volunteers who continue to serve area kids through the Happy Irby Christmas program. It began in 1958, when George “Happy” Irby used the tips he collected as a bartender at the CAFB Officer’s Club to provide Christmas gifts for underprivileged children. The association with CAFB has been a constant presence through the years. This year, about 45 airmen and CAFB civilian workers wrapped boxes of clothing, enough for 350 kids. Under the direction of the founder’s son and namesake, George Irby, this year’s 67th event brought together volunteers from both the city and CAFB who helped to shop and wrap Christmas gifts for children selected from seven schools in the area, including New Hope, West Lowndes and Stokes-Beard elementary schools, among others. We thank everyone who volunteered to make the program a success.
A rose to New Hope Elementary School, Atmos Energy and Steel Dynamics Inc. for partnering to promote both literacy and good behavior in a creative and meaningful way. Through their collaboration, the school installed an Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine designed to help build a love of reading among elementary students. Students earn tokens by demonstrating positive behavior, participating in kindness challenges and performing good deeds. When a student redeems a token, they select a book from the machine and keep it as their own, reinforcing the idea that good choices come with lasting rewards. The initiative was inspired by a similar program at a school outside the area and brought to life through strong community support. Atmos Energy agreed to purchase and donate the vending machine, while Steel Dynamics committed to providing a year’s supply of books to keep it stocked. We commend the school and its partners for finding an innovative way to inspire students, encourage character development and nurture a lifelong connection to reading.
A rose to Golden Triangle industries as they rallied around the 100 employees who will be losing their jobs when Westlake Corporation’s polyvinyl chloride plant in Aberdeen closes at the end of the month. The PVC plant in Aberdeen produces an annual capacity of about one billion pounds of suspension PVC resin, which is commonly used in construction materials like pipes, fittings and vinyl siding. For a small town like Aberdeen, the loss of the plant is a stunning blow. Meryl Fisackerly, chief operating officer for Golden Triangle Development LINK, said industries in the region have already connected with the LINK, inquiring about displaced employees, which will go a long way in mitigating the unfortunate situation. Fisackerly said many of the technical skills held by plant workers could translate well to Golden Triangle industries. We wish all those affected by the plant closure good luck in finding new jobs and thank the LINK for facilitating discussions between employers and soon-to-be displaced workers.
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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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
