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When
the term “Quality of Life” is mentioned, the image that comes
to mind is a community that cares about its people.
What also
comes to mind is a lovely, clean, green town with outstanding schools,
wonderful churches, plentiful cultural opportunities, excellent medical
care, pretty parks and recreational facilities, festivals and restaurants.
Perhaps you’re thinking that such an idyllic place may be hard
to find, but according to many people who live in Columbus, that description
applies here. One example of a community that cares is Lee Park. Last
year, a group of volunteers decided to pool their talents and resources
to renovate an old, tree-canopied park that had fallen into disrepair.
Air Force retiree Dave Taylor spearheaded the efforts to rejuvenate
and revitalize Lee Park, a local favorite but somehow not under the
Parks and Recreation maintenance umbrella. The pretty old park needed
a lot of attention and Taylor decided to do something about it. He enlisted
the aid of a core group of twelve smart and energetic people who invested
a year in planning the project, with another 30 or so hard workers who
pitched in and did what was necessary.
One of the original twelve was Leslie Thomas Peel, who served in the
capacity of publicity person when she was not on the site with tools,
paint and kids in tow. “Everybody had a job to do and they did
it. We looked at other parks and got information from them; we found
a company in New York who were playground architects; we went to the
schools to ask kids to give us ideas and input; we asked for help from
the community, and they came forth,” said Leslie.
The local media spread the word about the project, which seemed to inspire
people to help, either by working or donating funds or materials. “We
decided on a date for the five-day work week — October 4-8, 2000
— and we planned for the work to be done in three shifts, with
a goal of 300 per shift. We had anywhere from 500 to 700 people who
worked that week, and we had our meals donated and delivered,”
added Peel.
“The best thing was that this project attracted people of all ages
and income levels. We had art teachers and classes from MUW and the
Mississippi School for Math and Science, we had retired teachers and
architects, factory workers and farmers — it was most impressive
to see so many people working together to accomplish a common goal.
We all felt a real sense of community,” explained Leslie Peel.
Lee Park was indeed a sight to behold. It was resplendent in all its
glory and a dream come true for children. But then, the major storm
and tornado winds that crippled Columbus in February, 2001, severely
damaged the lovely park. Plans are to rebuild, again, and with a project
that pulls at the heartstrings of the entire community, it is sure to
be done. Such good work from good people makes Columbus an attractive
place to raise kids, to live and work, and to retire.
Local resident Ray Gildea, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, who taught
for 20 years at MUW before teaching tenures in Texas and Alabama, says
that for him, choosing to retire in Columbus has to do with cultural
benefits. “Columbus is an oasis town. It has a spot of culture,
literature, and art that sets it apart.”
According to Dr. Gildea, there remains here a flavor of old Black Belt
culture in the ingenuity of the architecture and there’s evidence
of the fact that a survivor spirit exists. “The Black Prairie people
didn’t just raise cotton in this rich soil — they built an
economy around it. And now the focus is changing to include pulp and
paper, furniture, cattle and that’s what will take us into the
future.
As a geographer and world traveler, Ray Gildea says that in many places
of the world, a mad race is constant. But not here. “Columbus is
a quiet, peaceful place. It’s not plagued with air pollution, energy-use
restrictions or unsafe water. There’s a veneer of culture here
that is very appealing. Most people have manners; they’re genteel
and they’re basically kind,” said Gildea. He and his wife
Trudy are active members of the community.
Hearing these accolades reminds me of something the late Senator John
C. Stennis once said about Columbus. His words were: “In Columbus
there is the serenity and gentleness that was characteristic of the
South of our forefathers, and there too one will find those active and
vigorous impulses that are taking Mississippi and the South to a new
destiny in the nation. I commend to you a study of the past for it but
represents a door opening to the future, wherein from a splendid background
a city and people move forward in supreme confidence.”
Retirees are not the only ones choosing to return to Columbus. There’s
the plethora of young professionals who could live anywhere, but choose
to “come back home” to engage in their life’s work. Among
them are physicians, dentists, lawyers and architects. And their presence
says a lot about the quality of life in Columbus and Lowndes County!
Columbus Public Library
It is impossible to talk about the perks that make up ‘quality
of life’ and not mention the outstanding Columbus Public Library,
comfortably at home in a big Greek Revival-style red brick building
on 7th Street North. From this building, local residents have access
to 100,000 volumes, an excellent local history room and archives, reference
library, books on tape, special projects and services for children,
computers, year round art displays as well as seasonal exhibits and
so much more. This library is a treasure for the town!
