Thumbs up
Building bridges
Thumbs-up to the Medora High School seniors for the work they put into helping improve the Knobstone Trail in Jackson County. The group recently met at the 8.5-acre county park at Sparksville and installed a 16-foot footbridge over a 6-foot ravine at the edge of town, cleared a quarter-mile of trail and erected a commemorative bench. The Knobstone Trail Hiking Association relies on volunteers to help maintain and improve the 150-mile trail. A related thumbs-up to the Community Foundation of Jackson County which recently awarded $457.74 to help with another trail project to be completed by Medora High School juniors this spring.
Three-time champs
Thumbs-up to the Brownstown Central High School boys basketball team for winning the school’s third Graber Post Buildings Classic championship Dec. 30 at North Daviess High School at Elnora. The Class 3A Braves beat the Class 2A No. 1 Barr Reeve Vikings 53-48 in the championship after beating Evansville Reitz 106-104 in the first round and host North Daviess 61-51 in the semifinal.
Delivering Christmas meals
Thumbs-up to the volunteers who prepared and delivered more than 900 hot meals on Christmas Day to Jackson County residents in need. It was a record-breaking year for the community project, first organized by two Seymour businesses, The Brooklyn Pizza Co. and Bubba’s Place, five years ago. Brooklyn Pizza owner Shawn Malone and Bubba’s Place owners Brian “Bubba” and Jessica D’Arco have sponsored the event, but it’s the support of those who donate and volunteer that make the day a success.
Prepared for spring
Thumbs-up to the organizers of the annual downtown Seymour Cars and Guitars show, who recently gave the city $25,000 to purchase new playground equipment for Kessler Park. The equipment has been installed and is ready for play when it warms up.
Thumbs down
Foot loose
Thumbs-down to those who continually have trouble keeping their horses, cows and other livestock penned up. Animals that have gotten loose and wind up on roads create a risk for motorists and can be costly to the owners if they are injured or killed by a vehicle.
Neglected
Thumbs-down to those who leave their pets without good shelter and food and water, especially at this time of year.