Thumbs Up! Aug. 29, 2016

Outdoor activities will pick up again as the weather begins to cool in Southwest Georgia. An event planned for October 1 is sure to be one of great fun, appropriate for all ages and is expected to raise in the neighborhood of $10,000. Presented by the Dougherty County Medical Society and Darton State College, the Riverfront Run will kick off with a one-mile fun run at 8:30 a.m. Shortly after, at 9:00 a.m., will be the 5K run. Awards will be presented to the top three finishers, men and women, in categories ranging from 9-under to 80-older. Anyone, regardless how long it takes, who crosses the finish line will be eligible to win door prizes. All proceeds from the Riverfront Run go toward scholarships in Darton’s Allied Health Program which includes dental hygiene, respiratory care, emergency medical services and many other fields of study in health sciences. Whether a runner or not, this will be a great way for the family to spend a fall Saturday morning together.

The spirit of volunteerism can strike at any time. Giving of one’s free time, regularly or sporadically, can, and does, make a difference in the community. From picking up litter to reading to children, cleaning cages at the local humane society to visiting residents in the nursing home, all volunteers deserve a pat on the back. Now and then, however, there is a volunteer that goes well beyond expectations and does so with a cheerful heart. Such is the case at the Decatur County-Gilbert H. Gragg Library. Joe Higdon Jr. shelves books, sorts materials for inter-library loans and smiles a lot. The library’s board and staff took time out recently to present Higdon with a mounted Certificate of Appreciation. Higdon has donated over 1,130 hours of his time since he first began in 2012 and has no plans to stop anytime soon.

It may seem, and is unfortunately true in many cases, that candidates for office at all levels forget their campaign promises on the same day he or she wins an election. Such is not the case with Dougherty County’s District 6 commissioner. Anthony Jones holds to his platform that every neighborhood in his district needs a neighborhood watch. Some already had one, others have one now. But the fact that not all, as he promised, have formed the self-policing groups has not been forgotten or dismissed by Jones. Earlier in the month, an organizational meeting was held with input from the Dougherty County Police Department as well as area residents already involved in a neighborhood watch. New groups will no doubt form from this meeting. Jones will not, however, be satisfied until there is a watch group in every District 6 neighborhood. “I’m serious about making this happen,” he said. Actions by this elected official leave no room for doubt about that statement.

Ideas come and ideas go, often spurred by a particular occurrence. Rev. Frederick Williams Sr. wishes he had no reason to have coordinated and still be leading the Stop the Violence initiative in Albany. Unfortunately, he has one of the best reasons in the world. In 2009, an intruder brutally, and with much malice, attacked the reverend’s sister in her own home. Her death was the catalyst for Stop the Violence. Williams and others have not slowed their efforts to turn around the lives of those who make bad choices. Many touched by Stop the Violence have been led from the jail into classrooms where they can earn diplomas and become taxpaying, hard working, non-criminal members of Albany’s community. Williams continues to speak to civic groups, and anyone else who will listen, about the story of his sister and what has happened since that day. To you, Rev. Williams, thumbs up!