Weekly rewards

Thumbs up to poll workers for this week's primary and school board elections in Jackson County. They worked a long day and kept their heads with a higher-than-normal turnout and, for some, the problem of running out of Democratic ballots.
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Thumbs down to folks too obstinate to use the touchscreen voting machines when casting their ballots Tuesday. While we realize that wasn't an option when the machine broke down at the Jackson 5 North precinct, using the devices could have saved some time while counting ballots.
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Thumbs up to the candidates - those who won and those who lost - in this week's primary and school board elections. It takes courage to toss your hat in the ring and your name on the line in an attempt to serve your community.
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Thumbs up to members of the Seymour Civil Air Patrol. The young people involved with the program are learning valuable skills that could someday be used to serve their community in the time of a disaster.
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Thumbs up to the 21st Century Business program for bringing area businesses and others together for the recent Real World Seymour Career Day. The event allowed students an opportunity to check out possible careers and learn more about the jobs that area businesses have to offer.
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Thumbs up to music teachers in Seymour elementary and middle schools for bringing area students together for the annual Choral Festival at Seymour High School. The concert was an enjoyable program for parents, friends and the community in general.
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Thumbs up to the 30 volunteers recently recognized by the Schneck Medical Center Guild. Volunteers logged 19,601 hours of work in 2007. Among those honored was Elvira Preuss, who was recognized for providing 10,000 hours of service to the hospital. She's been a volunteer member with the guild for the past 18 years. The guild has 140 volunteers of all ages.