A rose to the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science senior Leah Pettit and members of the school’s engineering club for a gift that not only entertains but inspires.
On Tuesday, Pettit and three other club members presented 359 toys the club made using 3-D printing technology to children at the Columbus Boys and Girls Club. The fidget-spinners and catapults were a big hit among the children, but long after those toys are forgotten, the message it sends to the kids is important: If these high school kids can be inventors, you can be an inventor too.
For the MSMS students, the toys were a means of turning their academic study into practical use. That really is the essence of education, after all. So we applaud the MSMS students for serving as an inspiration to younger children.
A rose to the people who bring Christmas, or at least the outward appearance of Christmas, to our doorsteps. Anyone who complains about how hectic the season is should consider the state of postal workers and delivery personnel. For them, the days leading up to Christmas are almost overwhelming. Across the country, these are the folks who work around the clock to make sure those presents arrive on time and in good condition. It is largely a thankless job, but there is little doubt how important their work is, especially at Christmas time. God rest ye, Weary Gentlemen and Gentlewomen.
A rose to Lisa McReynolds and her group, “Almost Like Home,” for their efforts in acknowledging another group of folks for whom Christmas is a time of service rather than relaxation. For the sixth year in a row, “Almost Like Home” will be providing Christmas meals for the on-duty first responders of Starkville. When we’re sleeping at night, they’re protecting us,” McReynolds said. “Even when we’re at Christmas events with our families, they’re at work.” Volunteers will gather at the Club 24 parking lot on Christmas Day at about 3:45 p.m. Different runners will have signs for the agencies they’re taking food, drinks, plates and other supplies to, and McReynolds said everyone will disperse at about 4 p.m.”
A rose to a Darwin and Lee Ann Turk and a small group of volunteers who devoted their time to cleaning up a long-neglected Columbus cemetery. The group turned out with chainsaws, mowers, shovels, rakes and wheelbarrows to bring Greenlawn Memorial Park, located on Highway 69 in east Columbus back to good condition. Before their arrival, the cemetery was in bad shape — headstones had sunk into the ground, obscured by crabgrass and weeds. Thanks to the volunteers, the headstones are again visible, choked walkways are passable, dead trees have been removed and at least some records seemingly lost, are being reconstructed. We often hear the phrase, “gone but not forgotten.” The Turks and their friends have given substance to that saying. Well-done!
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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