Column: Weekly rewards

Thumbs-up to organizers of the second annual Scoop the Loop in downtown Seymour. The event included The TOG Band and countless cars, trucks and other modes of transportation, as folks gathered to enjoy the evening and renew old friendships. The event pumped a breath of fresh air into the downtown on a Saturday night. It also brought added revenue to some downtown businesses.

Thumbs-up to Seymour Noon Lions Club for staging its second annual Pig in the Park tractor show and hog roast at Gaiser Park in Seymour. The daylong event raised money for the food pantry operated by Community Provisions of Jackson County, a food pantry that serves area residents. Other food pantries in the community include one operated by Anchor House, the county’s family homeless shelter, and another operated by Human Services Inc. of Jackson County. We also give a thumbs-up to the folks who displayed their tractors, businesses that supported the Lions and, of course, the folks who showed up to check out the tractors on display, partake in the hog roast and support Community Provisions.

Thumbs-up to area football coaches and high schools that are taking seriously the threat of problems resulting from concussions. Former sports editor Arv Koontz offered readers a look at the issue in a recent story. Coaches Reed May, Brownstown Central, and Jeff Richey at Seymour High School appear to have the situation in hand, taking proper precautions and looking for the best equipment to protect their young student-athletes.

Thumbs-up to motorists who obey traffic laws governing school bus stop arms. And that means, of course, there’s a thumbs-down for those who ignore the laws and put area children at risk as they board and get off their school buses. Motorists must pay close attention to those big yellow buses and act accordingly when their stop arms are extended. They mean just that — stop.

Thumbs-up to organizers of the annual Hayden Festival in Jennings County. The Hayden Historical Museum and its volunteers do a great job of mixing up the program to stir interest in the area’s past and draw people to the small community for its version of a homecoming.

Thumbs-up to the Indiana State Police and Indiana Department of Transportation for honoring the memory of former Trooper Earl L. Brown. The state recently added the honorary name of Trooper Earl L. Brown Memorial Mile to a stretch of State Road 11 in Jackson and Bartholomew counties. Brown was shot and killed in the line of duty at the county line on Aug. 31, 1955, while investigating a disturbance on what was then known as U.S. 31A.

You can submit your own thumbs-up as letters to the editor. Send your comments to ddavis@tribtown.com.