A rose to the organizers of Seventh Avenue Heritage Festival and Roast n Boast, two events that made Columbus a busy place this weekend. Featuring food, live entertainment and a gospel showcase, the Seventh Avenue festival has been a local feature for over 30 years and draws thousands. Saturday morning, downtown Columbus was filled with the sound of the Alcorn State Marching Band as they began a parade route ending on Seventh Avenue North, a historically black business and cultural center of Columbus. Across town on Highway 69 South, Roast n Boast drew crowds with live entertainment and a BBQ cooking contest. The two are evidence of the diverse events our area offers throughout the year.
A rose to Yokohama Tire Co., for continuing to demonstrate its commitment to being a good corporate neighbor. Saturday, company officials kicked off a project to plant 2,000 new trees as part of Yokohama’s “Forever Forest” initiative. This year marks the 10th anniversary of that initiative which has a goal of planting a half-million new trees at the company’s 18 world-wide facilities. In West Point, the company’s 300 employees are participating in the effort. Later this month, a new playground will be built in Marshall Park, courtesy of a grant from Yokohama. We applaud Yokohama Tire for its commitment to a healthy environment and the city of West Point.
A rose to Oktibbeha County supervisor Marvel Howard for putting together a Thursday night informational session to allow citizens to share their opinions and ask questions about the possible sale of Oktibbeha County Hospital Regional Medical Center. Supervisors reviewed bids from two prospective buyers – North Mississippi Medical Center and Baptist Hospital Systems – last week, but few details were made public. Although much remains unknown about the proposals, Thursday’s event was an opportunity to discuss the issue in general terms. We applaud Howard for arranging the event because we believe our elected officials should take every opportunity to hear from their constituents. The Nov. 7 election which will determine whether the hospital can be sold, so these sorts of sessions are helpful as voters weigh the merits of that vote. The Greater Starkville Development Partnership will host a forum Wednesday night on the topic.
A rose to Aurora Flight Sciences, which is in the process of being sold to Boeing, the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer. Aurora has been in the Golden Triangles since 2003, and has been located at the industrial park for 12 years now. The company has been a pioneer and industry leader in unmanned aircraft. Boeing said in a news release that Aurora will remain an independent operation, which hopefully means job security for the company’s roughly 100 employees. The new ownership may open up new opportunities for growth, given Boeing’s world-wide reach. It’s a win-win situation and we are eager to see what the future holds.
A rose to Tractor Supply Company, which is in the middle of Paper Clover Fund-raiser campaign benefiting area 4-H Clubs. The campaign started Wednesday and will continue through Oct. 15. Customers can purchase a paper clover for a dollar (or more, if the spirit moves you). The clovers will bear the name of the donor and be displayed the store’s windows. Tractor Supply Co. manager Mandy Schaub hopes to raise $1,000 to $1,500 for 4-H to use on the club’s various projects. During the campaign, individual 4-H clubs often participate on site by holding bake sales, car washes or bathing pups, as Lowndes 4-H members did this past spring. We believe in the mission of 4-H as we realize the importance of teaching our children the important of sustainable, healthy lifestyles. We urge the public to visit the store, located on Highway 45 in north Columbus, to help this fund-raising effort.
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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