A rose to the city of Starkville, MSU’s Carl Small Town Center and participating restaurants for a creative way to adjust to the unique challenges of COVID-19. An outdoor seating and dining space will temporarily occupy nine parking spaces on Main Street between Restaurant Tyler and Moe’s Original BBQ, thanks to a 5-2 board of aldermen vote Tuesday. “The Streatery” will hopefully bring activity and “a sense of place” to a downtown that has been subdued by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Lynn Spruill said. The project will not use any city funds. The nearby restaurants will provide patio furniture, the city will provide its own planters and benches and the Starkville Main Street Association will provide plants, all as in-kind donations. The seating will be placed six feet apart in keeping with social distancing protocols. The Carl Small Town Center will spend $2,390 on the project, according to the budget provided with the meeting agenda. As the saying goes, “necessity is the mother of invention.” We believe The Streatary is a perfect example of this.

 

A rose to the Mississippi Legislature and Lowndes County Board of Supervisors for providing the $375,000 funds needed to repair the gym at the Crawford Community Center. The gym, badly damaged by the February 2019 tornado, is now open following six months of repairs and renovations. The Legislature provided $350,000, with the county supplying the remaining $25,000. The gym will be a key addition to the county’s recreation department and is particularly important to the town. In small, rural communities, access to quality recreational facilities is often difficult to find, so this isn’t “just another gym” for the folks in Crawford. To residents, it adds a safe, wholesome venue for its residents, especially its kids, to enjoy.

 

A rose to the cities of Columbus, Starkville and West Point, along with Oktibbeha County, for issuing face mask orders this week. Although it will be criticized by a vocal minority, the face mask requirement is a reasonable precaution as COVID-19 continues to spike in our state. Some day, we can have the debate about the mandate, but now, with cases spiraling, is not the time. We’ve already seen the impact. Area citizens seem to be adhering to the new mandates for the most part. We believe this order protects public health and is little more than a mild inconvenience. We applaud our local governments for acting decisively.