OUR OPINION: Thumbs up, thumbs down

May 16, 2008 11:11 pm

— THUMBS UP: To the volunteer staff who have made Honor Flight possible: Buddy Johnson, Jean Johnson, Bert Powell, Charlene Powell, Sarah Smart, Shannon Bentley, Forrest Williams, Jacque Clark, Ernie Florig, Jaret Broomberg, Donald McArthur, Rickey Alderman, Keith Niehanke, James Harrell, David R. Clark, Kevin Berkel, R.D. Martin, Hilde Martin, Terry Clark, Jeffrey Derrel Talley. These are some of the names of the people behind the scenes. Today’s Honor Flight trip and past Honor Flight trips would have not been possible without the work of these folks and many others. Thank you, Honor Flight!

THUMBS UP: To the Mailbox Club. Though it has long been a Valdosta-based ministry, its impact has grown throughout the world during the past several years through its association with Samaritan’s Purse and Operation Christmas Child. The Mailbox Club’s Christian literature annually reaches more than 2 million children worldwide. The organization has representatives throughout the world. This year, two of those representatives have visited Valdosta, working on their operations with Mailbox Club staff while sharing their experiences with churches and groups throughout Valdosta-Lowndes County. A representative from an Asian nation visited earlier this year. Stephen Chitti-Babu of India is visiting the region throughout May.

THUMBS UP: To Theatre Guild Valdosta. With two plays deep in rehearsals for this weekend, the organization adapted to the situation, found other venues, and brought “Graceland” to life last night and is scheduled to present “Bigger Than Life” at noon today at Wild Adventures. Bravo, Theatre Guild, for keeping alive the old adage: The show must go on.

THUMBS UP: To Valdosta State University teams for winning the Gulf South Conference Men’s All-Sports Trophy. This is the fourth time VSU has won the award. Congratulations to all of these teams. You are all champions in our book.

THUMBS DOWN: To Undersecretary of the Air Force Bill Anderson. While we appreciate him coming to town for a meeting on the Moody Family Housing project, we have to wonder why he bothered since he didn’t really answer any questions. His visit was like a grounded flight: It went nowhere.