Orchids to …
• Snow removal company for the great job, from Hope Veterinary Clinic.
• Columbus Salvation Army for an awesome potluck Sunday.
• Second Baptist Church for an awesome community feeding Saturday.
• Brandon Andress for executing the notion that Jesus would murder the people the church is commissioned to love.
• Brandon Andress for presenting a better way to handle conflict and improve the community.
• a local pastor for sparking conversation over the contrast between Jesus’ teachings and example of non-violence and modern Christian practices that implicitly support violence.
• Therese Copeland for making my husband’s birthday unforgettable at the Dueling Pianos event, from Carolyn.
• the person who submitted an Onion about people being so sensitive and offended by a school’s name for a school fan theme day.
• the Rev. John Armstrong for his article Saturday and for his Scripturally based articles every time.
• Grant for making the dean’s list at Trine University; Preston for making the Gold honor roll; Makayla for making the honor roll; Connor for making the Silver honor roll; and Caiden for being awesome, from Mamaw and Papaw Hensley.
• Pastor Armstrong for his insightful letter explaining biblical truths and Christian freedom.
• the city official who agreed that making the intersection at Terrace Lake Road and Goeller Boulevard a roundabout was a good idea.
Onions to …
• those who don’t realize that when piles of snow block a driveway, it may make it hard to get out.
• school administrators for allowing self-promoting speakers to hold court for an entire morning, wasting time and money.
• those expecting people to resign for speaking the truth.
• officials responsible for a property registration ordinance that opens the path for fee-based inspections, bigger government and less affordable housing.
• school administrators who allow non-experts to educate our high school students.
• those who make the laws allowing stores to sell chilled wine but not cold beer.
• whoever put an Onion in Thursday’s paper to property owners who do not clean their sidewalks, because some people are physically unable to shovel snow from a sidewalk.
• anyone who hasn’t noticed the foul smell or taste of the water on the south side of Columbus.
• school administrators who allow people who haven’t been background-checked to come in to instruct students.
• the residents of the subdivision who will not park their cars in their driveways, particularly along Clairmont Drive.
• those who think the shutdown was only the Democrats’ fault when 10 percent of the Republicans also voted that way.
• veteran educators on a panel complaining about low pay for new teachers when longtime teachers who are evaluated poorly make twice as much as highly effective new teachers.
• education panel that said there’s “no evidence that private schools receiving vouchers perform better than public schools” when local test scores prove the exact opposite.
• kids who wear inappropriate dresses to the winter formal and parents who think that’s OK.
• school officials complaining about a lack of funding when they get 19 out of every 20 tax dollars spent on K-12.
• anyone who believes that a person struggling with addiction will turn away from drugs and/or alcohol because the community that is supposed to support them turns away on them, when only the opposite will be the case.
• the business that has you work for cash for them, then doesn’t pay you.
• the elected officials who raised taxes and have filed to run for office again.
• big supporters of a social program as long it’s not in their neighborhood.
Happy Birthday to …
• Lawrence A. Fowler, from John Tinkey.
• Lawrence Fowler, from Elsie.
• R.A. Sexton, from Becky, Marika, Wyatt, Mari, Marble and Simone.
• John Vinson, from your family.
Belated Happy Birthday to …
• Richard Dale Siefker, on Jan. 21, from Lisa Brown.
• Alan Ashbrook.
• Abby Titus.
• Lindsay Carr.
Happy Anniversary to …
• Paul and Ruth Vail on No. 70, from Nancy, Dave, Steve and Karen.
