Skating away

Thumbs up to the Boys and Girls Club of Seymour for organizing a community skate night on Jan. 7. The free event, held in the club’s gymnasium, provided an opportunity for family engagement and relationship building for everyone in the community. A related thumbs up to Children’s Bureau Inc. for covering the cost of skate rental from Skatetime and refreshments.

Prize-winning work

Thumbs up to the winners of the Jackson County History Center’s third annual Festival of Trees. Janet Kiewit of Brownstown won the people’s choice award for her silver tree decorated with polar bear ornaments. The other award winners were Parker Dental LLC’s owl tree, first place; Leonard Schroer’s farm display, second place; and the Covered Bridge Health Campus’ bird tree, third place. Nearly 700 people visited the Festival of Trees in December at the history center in Brownstown. The event, which is growing in popularity with each passing year, featured a record 21 trees or displays.

Standing out

Thumbs up to Crothersville native Bobby Eldridge, Blake Hackman of Brownstown and the other members of the team that worked on floats that won the top two awards in the 133rd Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day. The UPS Store won the 2022 Sweepstakes Trophy for its entry, “Rise, Shine and Read!” featuring a proud father rooster reading to his family of chicks on a 35-foot-tall, 55-foot-long animated float that demonstrated the importance of literacy. The Louisiana Tourism Office’s “Feed Your Soul” float, which celebrated the state’s diverse beauty and unique cultures, won the second-highest honor, Wrigley Legacy Award, for most outstanding display of floral presentation, float design and entertainment.

Something special

Thumbs up to organizers and volunteers who helped out with the Seymour Noon Lions Club Special Olympics Basketball Tournament held Saturday at Seymour Middle School and the Boys and Girls Club of Seymour. There’s more to the event than just basketball. It’s also about renewing friendships, making new friends and just having fun. The tournament has been held annually since 1982 with the exception of 2021 when it was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.