Thumbs Up! April 11

Created in 1996, the University System of Georgia’s Teaching Excellence Award goes to only the best of the best. Each year a review committee comprising faculty and administrators from across the University System meets to study nominations and finalize recommendations for the coveted award. By a unanimous vote, Dr. Sarah Kuck has been selected for the 2016 recognition. Committee members look at a wide range of areas in making their decision, from commitment to evaluations by students. South Georgia can be proud to know that this year’s award-winning instructor hails from Darton State College. Kuck is an associate professor of political science and an online instructor (a fine one at that). On April 29, Kuck will be honored at the annual Regents’ Scholarship Gala in Atlanta before more than 600 guests, including the Regents, institution presidents and peers. Congratulations!

Students from across the state, over 1,700 of them, recently attended the Georgia Family, Career, Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) State Leadership Conference in Athens. Pelham High School had two groups compete in the STAR events. Lizzie Kelly and Laura Watts competed in the Interpersonal Communications division, while Jada Barfield, Taylor Carr and Kaitlyn McKenzie competed in the Promote and Publicize FCCLA division. Both entries were so successful, outshining entries much larger schools, that they were chosen to move on to national competition. Five young Pelham High ladies will travel from Pelham, population less than 4,000, to San Diego, population around 1.3 million, for one reason only. They have proven themselves as leaders and have no direction to go but forward. Well done, and here’s hoping you have a safe and remarkable trip.

It is a simple fact that admission prices to the Albany Civil Rights Institute will never cover the cost of operating the facility and maintaining its wealth of artifacts. That said, it is of utmost importance for individuals, organizations and businesses to ensure that the doors remain open and programming continues. Albany’s MillerCoors brewery is one such business, and last week the local beer-maker presented the largest single donation it has ever made in Southwest Georgia. A check for $10,000 was presented to ACRI Executive Director W. Frank Wilson. MillerCoors has set the bar high for other corporate citizens in the community, and for this we say, “Thumbs up!”

Speaking of generous donations, one has also been made to the Albany Tech Foundation scholarship fund. The Albany Chapter for Women in Construction, a part of the National Association of Women in Construction, will soon close its chapter here and wanted the already-in-place scholarship fund to remain active for students majoring in construction-related programs. So the organization’s board decided to turn the entire remaining scholarship balance over to the foundation. And just how much was that amount, you may wonder? The check handed over to ATC President Anthony Parker was more than $37,000.

Albany City Commissioner and business owner B.J. Fletcher undoubtedly already knew that Albany is home to a high number of nonprofits and tax-exempt organizations. It took even her by surprise, however, to see the number “535” in an article in The Herald late last month. On that list are a number of entities that few have heard about, and then there are the ones that are on the forefront because of the volume of work done for the community’s needy. On the list are also churches, schools and Phoebe. Fletcher is rightfully concerned about just where all the money given to the nonprofits is going and why situations seem to stay the same or worsen for the very people that receive “help.” As taxpayers, citizens, neighbors and humans, we should all question and care as much as Fletcher does about this issue.