A rose to all those who made the 17th annual Market Street Festival in downtown Columbus a rousing success. Although rain interrupted Friday’s concert, the weather turned agreeable on Saturday as throngs of visitors participated in the day-long celebration. This year’s event attracted a record number 224 booths/vendors and while attendance figures are virtually impossible to calculate, it’s no exaggeration to say that the turnout was impressive. This was Barbara Bigelow’s first Market Street Festival as the director of Columbus Main Street and she acquitted herself quite well, by all accounts. A rose goes to Amber Brislin, too, who helped with the event even though she resigned as Main Street director in November. We’ll shower rose petals on all the vendors, entertainers, volunteers, police, firefighters and other city staffers who played their roles in what is usually the happiest day of the year in Columbus. Well done, all!
A thorn to the Columbus Municipal School District for its somewhat clandestine special meeting held on the morning of April 26. While the CMSD did not act illegally in failing to inform the media of the meeting, it’s worth nothing that the district has a full-time public relations officer who ensures the media is informed whenever there is a choral concert or sporting event on the schedule. Somehow, though, a meeting of the school board was not considered something the media should be informed about. The media is the means by which the public is informed of the school board’s actions. The board has an obligation to keep the public informed. When they hold meetings without informing the media it should arouse suspicion. What is it that the CMSD wants to hide?
A rose to all the folks who participated in Starkville’s American Cancer Society Relay for Life on Friday. Although rain forced the event into the Sportsplex, the event drew good crowds and generated lots of money for the fight against cancer. Rain may have dampened the attendees, but it didn’t dampen their enthusiasm.
A thorn to Starkville Ward 2 alderman candidate Lisa Wynn, who has consistently failed to make herself available to voters and the media during her campaign. Wynn was a no-show at last week’s GSDP candidates forum. She has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for interviews from the media. She also refused to provide information for the Election Guide, which appears in today’s edition of the Starkville Dispatch. For someone who says she wants to serve the public, she certainly has spent a lot of time avoiding the public. How big an issue is that? The voters will answer that question Tuesday.
A rose to Heritage Academy golfer Cade Lott, whose par on the third playoff hole Tuesday sealed medalist honors at the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA North State meet at Greenwood County Club. Lott and Madison-Ridgeland Academy’s Griffin Agent tied at 71 at the end of regulation, one stroke ahead of Pillow Academy’s Steve Pannell. Lott and Agent parred the first playoff hole and bogeyed the second playoff hole before Lott parred the third hole to take the crown.
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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