A rose to Main Street Columbus for staging today’s Christmas Parade, which rolls downtown beginning at 3 this afternoon. The theme of this year’s parade is “A Hometown Holiday … Past, Present, Future.” Parade organizers want to celebrate the things remembered most when one thinks back on Christmas in Columbus as the city celebrates its bicentennial. The parade also features the return of the Budweiser Clydesdales, who will be in the staging area of the parade at the Hitching Lot Farmers Market at 2 p.m. for those who want a closer, longer look at these majestic animals. It’s certain to be a great event, and we encourage everyone to come out for the parade. We also encourage parade attendees to bring canned goods to the parade. Cub Scouts Pack 2 marching in the parade will collect canned goods along the route. Everything collected will be donated to the local food pantry. We’ll see ya at the parade!
A rose to the Columbus Redevelopment Authority for the demolition work on CRA-owned property across from The Magnolia Bowl. The former Chevron station and the small building immediately north of it — formerly a tattoo parlor — are being demolished and will be maintained as a green space until a developer can be found. Long-vacant buildings communicate a negative image, especially in the heart of the city. Well-maintained green spaces, by contrast, add a pleasing aesthetic. As the CRA continues its efforts to revitalize this important and long-neglected area, we believe the demo work is a tangible sign that those efforts have not been abandoned. If undeveloped sites are seen, we prefer them to be green.
A rose to Kristie Williams, who notched her 300th win as the Starkville High School girls basketball coach last week. While longevity is always required to amass this kind of win total, we note that there’s far more to it than simply staying put. Williams’ record at SHS stood at 301 wins and 132 losses going into the week, which translates to a winning percentage of .695. While 20-win seasons are a notable achievement at many schools, William’s teams have averaged 20 wins over her 15-year-plus tenure. To the surprise of no one who knows her, Williams credited her coaching staff and the players she coached over the years for allowing her to reach the 300-win mark. We don’t doubt those contributions, of course, but players come and go and this sort of sustained success is a testament to Williams’ leadership. We congratulate Coach Williams and are certain other milestone wins will come her way.
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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