Thumbs up, thumbs down

May 11, 2008 11:44 pm

— Thumbs up: To all the candidates who chose to put themselves out for public scrutiny in Tuesday’s primary and the school board elections. Thumbs up to the nearly 40,000 Madison County voters who took the time to go to the polls, including the 4,825 who cast their absentee ballots in advance. Let’s see if Madison County can surpass the 43.4 percent of registered voters in November’s general election.
Thumbs down: To some of the candidates and their supporters who were congregated near the entrances of several polls Tuesday, trying to shake hands or hand out their campaign literature or freebies to people trying to make their way inside to vote. The practice is irritating to voters who already have their candidates in mind. Some voters even said they felt intimidated by these tactics and might think twice about going to the polls again.
Thumbs up: To the recent Bids for Kids TV Auction, which netted thousands of dollars to support the Exchange Club Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse. Anderson’s Exchange Club members work all year to drum up sponsors and donated merchandise for the 20-hour televised auction. Kudos to all of you readers who called in generous bids to support a worthy cause.
Thumbs up: To Anderson firefighter Skip Ockomon, who didn’t stop with one project to help a co-worker who is serving his second tour of military duty in Iraq. He enlisted the help of some other firefighters, along with veterans living at the Stepping Stones for Veterans shelter, to do their own version of the popular TV “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” show for Greg and Tobie Vannatta. The couple had just purchased a home in need of refurbishing before Greg’s deployment last year. Many businesses and individuals have kicked in their support.
Thumbs up: To the Anderson Sertoma Club for its two-day running of the Mayor’s Club Grand Prix. This was the 14th year for the go-kart races, raising money for Sertoma’s youth projects throughout the year.
Thumbs up: To all the students from Character Counts! of Madison County who were honored during a banquet at Reardon Auditorium. The students exemplify the six pillars of character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.
Thumbs up: To Madison-Grant High School administrators for wanting to remind their students of the dangers of drunken driving before prom night and graduation. A mock accident was set up by Summitville, Fairmount and Green Township police and fire departments, with emergency medical responders and air ambulances simulating the procedures that would be undertaken. The $6,000 cost to put on the operation alternate years is “totally worth it,” Summitville Fire Chief Randy Sizelove said.
Thumbs up: To Anderson University students who found a unique way to raise awareness for the Anderson Animal Care and Control (formerly known as the Anderson Animal Shelter) and to raise money for the social service organization Alacritas. Nearly 100 students paid $1 each to participate in the “Rent-a-Puppy” endeavor. The six puppies won the hearts of many of the students while they romped in the campus valley. Maybe some of the pooches found new homes in the process.
Thumbs up: To Zach Burkhardt, North Side Middle School eighth-grader, and Kavelle Brooks, South Side Middle School eighth-grader, who were selected to deliver the city of Indianapolis’ bid to host the 2012 Super Bowl to the team owners of the Denver Broncos and the Chicago Bears, respectively. It’s an amazing opportunity for the two boys, especially if Indianapolis wins the bid.