By Staff
Help with tornado recovery appreciated
To the Editor:
I just wanted to write a letter of thanks to everyone who came out to Dalewood to help during this past week when we were hit by a tornado.
We were one of the lucky families whose home was missed, but just by a very few feet. We had a few trees down and were without electricity through Saturday night.
This is where my thank you comes in. On Saturday night, the winds were blowing at least 20-30 miles per hour and it was terribly cold outside. We did not have electricity but we did have a fire in the fireplace and candles everywhere so we were fine, but the power company employees worked outside our house all night to restore power.
On our street, there were only five of us without electricity so I wouldn't have thought that we were high priority, but we were to EMEPA and Mississippi Power.
When we awoke Sunday morning, we had heat and lights. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Liz Harris
Lauderdale
Cegielski: What purpose?
To the Editor:
We are all entitled to our opinions and the recent presidential election certainly brought forth a profusion of such opinion. While we may disagree, we can appreciate a well thought out, rationally stated opposing view.
You demean The Star and its readers in printing Jim Cegielski's immature, name-calling tirade. Mr. Bush and Mr. Gore have agreed, after many partisan battles in and about Florida, to get on with the business of Mr. Bush leading this country.
What purpose is served by calling the choice of the voters (yet loser of the election) "dumb … slimy … slick … (a) Jerk … sleazy"?
Perhaps you would do well to move Mr. Cegielski's "humor" to the comics page and move the blatantly political Mallard Fillmore to the editorial page.
Eric Benson
Meridian
Enjoys Raspberry's column
To the Editor:
I attempted to send this message by E-mail, but my computer says there is no such address as is listed on your Opinion page under the name of all the editors.
Just a note to thank you for bringing William Raspberry back to The Meridian Star. We always liked his articles. I think he shows more sense than most.
I do like Bill Scaggs and Charley Reese and others, too.
Caroline B. Wilson
Bailey
Editor's note: We're delighted to publish Mr. Raspberry's column and pleased you like to read it. As for the E-mail address, add the word "the" as in bbynum@themeridianstar.com. Just using "meridianstar.com" gets you to our Web site, but not to our E-mail.
Another hit for Pigford
To the Editor:
The Meridian Little Theatre's production of "A Taffeta Christmas" was a perfect way to start the holidays. The famous Hi-Steppers were great. The choreography was done by Mary Alpha, as was their costumes.
The four lead singers Ginger Stevens, Ann Marie Hall, Jennifer Hermetz and Karen Miller were excellent. The choreography for the singers was done by Carol Merrill and their movements were terrific.
Bob Hermetz was the music director and the orchestra was superb. So was the set design.
Congratulations, Jimmy Pigford.
Gloria Straus
Meridian
A great Christmas parade
To the Editor:
When it comes to Meridian doing her best, you can count on the citizens of this community. Once again, everyone did a fantastic job on the Downtown Christmas Parade. It was a joy to see the crowds on the street and the enthusiasm of all the participants.
Special thanks to the city of Meridian and those who helped with the lineup. No one really knows much preparation and strategic planning goes into the things that they do to make the parade a success. A very warm thank you to ComCast they truly gave everyone a chance to see the parade.
Carol Merrill did a terrific job of bringing Santa downtown. Everyone who assisted played a crucial part of this huge success and the Downtown Association joins me in sending you all our gratitude and thanks.
Thanks Meridian. We look forward to seeing you downtown.
Liz Coats
Parade Chairman
Meridian
Special thanks
To the Editor:
We thank you all so much, our friends, family, all the children and staff members of Crestwood School, special thanks to Kerri Porter for clothes and money, to Bro. and Sis. Ables of Church of God of Prophesy for their donations. Also to Bro. Scott Culpepper of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church for donations and Bro. Mike Boles of The Evangel Temple for their donations. Most of all for your prayers.
We thank all others who helped us during the loss of our home to fire on Nov. 30. Special thanks to Valley Road and Clarkdale Fire Departments who worked long hours and risked their lives to try to save our home.
Many thanks to my sister, Carol;Everette, Candi, Clayton from Dothan, Ala., who helped us with clothing and furniture and Carol's son, Everette Clayton and his wife, Becky, for clothing and their help. To my brother, Buddy Odom, who helped us so much. Special thanks to the donations of friends and customers of P.M. Grocery and to all at the Salvation Army and Thrift Store.
Our special thanks to our loved ones Steve, Sandra, Candi, Laura, Thomas and Joey Hardin for their long hours in the nights of work and their help. Thanks also to Edward Smith for all his help. Special thanks to Edna Currie for her visit and money, my daughter's special thanks goes to Otis Edwards a long time neighbor who stayed with me and tried to put the fire out, also we thank Teresa Murphy and Cindy Baggett for all their help.
We thank you all for your prayers, clothing, food, money and most of all we all give glory and praise to Jesus, for our safety and for our lives. I thank God that he worked it out that we had another house to move into that same day. He said he would never leave us or forsake us and he never will. Jesus is Lord of our lives and God has had his hand in this and we praise him for all he had done, and for such caring Christian people. Thanks for TV 24/30 for their kindness and thanks to The Meridian Star for your help.
My special thanks goes to my daughter, Tina Smith, for living with me and my two grandsons, Joshua and Travis. I thank them for being with me, I lost my husband, James M. Wilson, a year ago and now I lost my home. But the memories we will hold in our hearts. The loss of our home was a tragedy, but God's plans and will is the best, and we put our trust in him.
May each and everyone of you be blessed this Christmas and you all will never be forgotten. God bless each and everyone. Merry Christmas.
Alaine Hardin Wilson
Tina Hardin Smith
Joshua Lee Smith
Travis Edward Smith