Dear Editor: It is with sincere thanks and appreciation for everyone's efforts in making the 2012 Lighting of Newton County's Courthouse such a resounding success. There is quite a honor roll to thank!
The Street and Utility Departments literally worked down to the wire to get the district prepared for the lighting. It is always a large task,- add all the new lighting elements- and they had even larger task.
Special thanks to the team at the Arts Association that have been such consistent and valued partners in the lighting, we couldn't do it without you, please extend our thanks to Mr. Adams, the Community Band, Oxford Singing Children and their families.
It is always a pleasure to work with Don and the Musimatic team that did the staging, lighting and sound production and has worked on many of the events in the downtown district many years.
Congratulations to the 2012 Shining Lights for your much deserved recognition. To see the success of our local school system showcased in the Thanksgiving Essay Winners, on the stage as Shining Lights and as members of the Oxford Singing Children was especially notable.
Thank you to Billy and Jason for decorating the historic courthouse and assisting with the lighting, to the Covington News for co-sponsoring the Thanksgiving Essay Contest and hosting hot chocolate and refreshments on the park, to the Covington Fire Department for hosting the roast marshmallows and being such great ambassadors for Public Safety along with the Covington Police Department and their Explorer team, who are so instrumental and assisting in the coordination of our downtown events, and this morning Bill Krallman and his community service workers are stacking up chairs and putting things back in order on the square park.
Thank you to all those organizations that helped host the Live Christmas Calendar, how impressive that there are over twenty events, many that are free, that can be enjoyed over the Christmas season.
Bea Jackson, thank you for being Mistress of Ceremonies, it is not easy to do an event like the lighting with no rehearsal and so many "moving parts" but you did it!
I said at the beginning there is a large honor roll; thanks to Ann Wildmon at Wildart for preparing Santa's Workshop and being ready to fill in wherever you are needed, the good folks at Associated Printing and APC Signs who did overtime to take care of all our printing needs, Mayor Johnston and County Commission Chair Morgan for being an integral part of the night's celebrations and last of all the Main Street Covington Board members that are backing up everything we do in the downtown district.
Attendance at the annual Lighting has being growing and it has because of all your efforts. Please extend our thanks and appreciation to your staff.
Josephine Kelly
Main Street director
