Quick takes – March 10

‘Cool’ Columbus

So which is Columbus? Cool or boring? Forbes.com recently named Columbus one of the “10 coolest U.S. cities to visit in 2018.” In December, Business Insider ranked Columbus as the most boring among the 15 metro areas in Indiana.

We agree with the Forbes ranking. For starters, its methodology is better than Business Insiders, which relied only on Census numbers. That’s a rather detached way to understand if something is boring or cool. Forbes, however, asked high-end travel specialists what places they are recommending for nearby jaunts. Those are people who have a sense of communities and what’s appealing.

The city’s architecture is a big attraction, considering the popularity of Exhibit Columbus, as are some of the community’s restaurants and brew pubs, according to blogs. We think Columbus is unique, has plenty to offer and is cool. Those who aren’t sure should come check it out.

Great idea

People who use the America and Roby Anderson Community Center on Columbus’ east side are benefiting from its new partnership with the Bartholomew County Public Library.

The library has provided a collection of books and movies to the center so patrons can borrow them. The idea is to make it easier for center patrons to access books because transportation is sometimes an issue for some. Having a book collection to choose from at the center makes one less stop for the residents, or provides an option they didn’t have.

Already, the library has such a partnership with Foundation For Youth, which helps get books into the hands of children. The partnership with the American and Roby Anderson Community Center is another win-win for the community.

Encouraging sign

Three years after it began meeting, a Christian-Muslim panel still is going strong. The genesis for it was something that could have been divisive: unexplained spray-painted graffiti messages from the Quran left on three local Christian churches in 2014. The following year, a group of Christians and Muslims began meeting to foster greater understanding between people of the faiths.

Now a new group of seven Christians and seven Muslims will continue the effort of understanding with eight private sessions of two-and-a-half hours each, plus book and video study, discussions and attending each other’s worship services.

This is a good sign for bridging faiths and creating a closer and better community.