A rose to all those who participated in Sounds of Summer concert series at the Columbus Riverwalk on Thursday. A large crowd turned out on a picture-perfect June evening to hear the music of The Juke Joint Gypsies, mingle with friends and take in the views. The event, sponsored by Columbus Main Street, provides us with a chance to come together as a community. Events such as this build bonds and strengthen our city.
For those who missed it, there are more Thursday evening Sounds of Summer concerts scheduled — June 18, July 9 and July 23. The event runs from 7-9 p.m.
A rose to the city of Starkville, which quietly approved up to $3 million in general obligation bonds to provide the city’s police department with an adequate facility. The board unanimously passed the proposal during its Tuesday meeting, a major step in settling a matter that has been an often hotly-contested issue that has been raged for more than 20 years.
The bonds will be used to renovate and expand the current city hall building, which has been home to both city government and the police department.
The city will move into its new facility at the old Starkville Electric Department building in November. In choosing this option, city leaders have struck a balance between providing the police department its much-needed facility and keeping the cost to the taxpayers as low as is practically possible. It was a solution a long time in the making, and we commend city leaders for working together to make it happen.
A rose to the Columbus-Lowndes United Way, which awarded $30,000 in grants to encourage and assist area community service organizations under its umbrella in developing new programs to address problems in our community. In this, the inaugural year of the program, the United Way has presented seven grants of various amounts to organizations who will use that money to develop and implement programs that may turn out to be a new approach to an old problem or a response to an emerging problem. We believe these grants will encourage our community organizations to be more innovative in their approaches to the issues they are committed to addressing.
A rose to Helping Hands, another of our vital community-service groups, as it kicks off its annual “Fan Drive.”
With assistance from the United Way of Lowndes County, Helping Hands has for more than nine years provided fans for residents whose lives could be endangered during the sweltering summer months.
“Donating a new fan will give relief to a family or individual during our grueling summer heat. This is a great group or family project to implement in your home, school, or business,” Patricia Brock, executive director of United Way, said.
Anyone wishing to donate a fan can drop it off at Helping Hands at 223 22nd St. N. between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Call 662-328-8301 before delivering a fan. Due to safety concerns, used fans will not be accepted. Last year, Helping Hands collected 82 fans. OK, Columbus: We can do better than that, can’t we?
A rose to the Columbus-Lowndes Habitat for Humanity as it kicks off its major fundraising campaign – The Great Tombigbee Duck Race. The event will be held June 13 at the Columbus Riverwalk.
Habitat officials hope to sell all of 5,000 plastic ducks that will be offered to the public. Each duck costs $5. The first duck to make it to the finish line trap wins a grand prize of $3,000 for the individual who bought — or adopted — it. Second prize is $1,500. A “lame duck” prize of $500 will be awarded for the last duck to finish.
The money raised may go to a pair of current projects or set aside for construction of a new home. Since its founding in 1989, the local Habitat organization has built 44 new homes in the county and refurbished many others. Ducks are available for purchase as stores and businesses throughout the county. We encourage everyone to buy a duck and help a worthy cause.
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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