Thumbs Up! Dec. 1, 2014

Albany Technical College held its annual awards banquet last week for nominees selected for the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL). From 13 nominees, four finalists were named. They are Elvin Mallory (Cosmetology), Jerri Jarrell (Medical Assisting), James Tillman (Design and Media Production Technology) and Benjamin Warren (Civil Engineering Technology). A final winner will be announced at a later date. Also at the banquet, the Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education (EAGLE) and the Rick Perkins Award (Instructor of the Year) were named. The winners were Lisa Riddle, an instructor in Hotel/Restaurant/Tourism Management, and Maleeka Stephens, respectively. This half-dozen folks, along with all the others nominated, are the cream of the crop in adult and technical education.

Dougherty County employees are fortunate to have a group of administrators who truly want to provide better morale. County Administrator Richard Crowdis recommended at the board’s Nov. 24 meeting that county employees, who will be off work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, get an additional day off on Dec. 26, a Friday. Commissioners who spoke up indicated it was a no-brainer. Expectations are that the proposal will easily pass the commission at today’s meeting. The extra day is a small but effective way to say “thank you.”

Georgia high school students must pass the Georgia High School Writing Test before they are eligible for graduation. It is a requirement that cannot be avoided. In 2013, Dougherty County first-time test takers (juniors) had a passing rate of 88 percent, compared to 94 percent statewide. This fall (2014), the statewide passage rate, again for first-time test takers, rose to 96 percent. The passage rate for DCSS increased to 94 percent, with all four schools showing improvement. That means Dougherty High improved its passing rate by 15 percentage points in only one year. Teachers have long understood the importance that such numbers hold and apparently have gotten the message across to students. Keep up the good work.

It would be impossible to name all the organizations and individuals who went the extra mile over the Thanksgiving week to provide food or prepared a meal for the less fortunate of Southwest Georgia. Among the many: Churches all across the area prepared and provided food. Richard Shiver, an 85-year-old Army veteran, donated 15 turkeys to the Salvation Army. Mt. Zion’s Willing Workers presented food baskets to be distributed at Alice Coachman Elementary. The Albany Police Department provided a meal, at no cost to taxpayers or diners, for several hundred in the community. Former Randolph-Clay High School standout and NBA player Donnell Harvey, on behalf of his Reconstructing Youth Foundation, drove around Shellman going door-to-door at homes and businesses giving away turkeys, his 13th year doing so. These people, and so many others like them, are reason aplenty to be thankful.

And last, but far from least, congratulations go out to the players, fans, coaches, teachers, parents and every supporter of the Sherwood Christian Academy football team. SCA took its first state football championship ever, capturing the inaugural Georgia Independent Christian Athletic Association’s Class AA title. Go Eagles!

— The Albany Herald Editorial Board