New director
Thumbs-up to the Southern Indiana Center for the Arts board for picking Seymour native and artist Darnell Dukes to be the new full-time executive director for the center. Dukes brings a longtime interest and passion in the arts and has been involved with the center, established in 1991, as a board member for years.
Higher education
Thumbs-up to adults who decide to go back to school to earn an Indiana High School Equivalency Diploma. It’s a move that can often change lives for the better.
To healthy living
Thumbs-up to those who attended a Jan. 22 workshop to learn more about a city-led project to map out the best bicycle and pedestrian routes. Those routes would connect neighborhoods and increase opportunities for outdoor exercise. The attendees and others who have completed surveys — either on paper or online — are providing a needed service because the city plans to use the data collected when applying for grants to help pay for trails and when marketing the project.
Top cheerleaders
Thumbs-up to Synergy Athletics All-Stars, a cheerleading program with Gymnastics Lane in Seymour, for winning the 2015 Jamfest National Finals held Jan. 16 to 18 in Indianapolis.
Patriots
Thumbs-up to members of the Indiana Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, including members of the David Benton chapter. The mission of the society is to promote and preserve the knowledge of the achievement of the American independence and to foster fellowship among its members. The David Benton chapter, which is Jackson County’s only chapter, acted as hosts for a society’s Winter House of Delegates. It’s also the first time such a meeting has been held in Seymour in recent memory.
Helping hand
Thumbs-up to the Community Foundation of Jackson County for providing $4,895.98 in grants to 21 area teachers. The grants allow teachers to buy items for their classrooms that they often spend their own money to purchase. Some of the teachers such as Amy Hartley used the funds to purchase items to make teaching and learning more fun and engaging.
Downtown investment
Thumbs-up to the businesspeople, both local and regional, who have decided to take a look at investing in downtown Seymour. The storefronts seem to be filling up a little quicker than they have in the past.
Damaged mailboxes
Thumbs-down to those who damage mailboxes along rural roads.