THUMBS UP

Military men and women deployed overseas make many sacrifices, not the least of which is being separated from their families and homes.

A group of children and youths at Vance Air Force Base is working to make that separation a little less painful.

As a project for the annual Make a Difference Day, which is coming up Saturday, children enrolled in the Vance School Age program as well as volunteers from the base teen center are producing small cloth “Thinking of You” bears for American troops deployed throughout the world.

The bears are designed to be carried in the troops’ pockets, so every time they pull them out they will think of their families at home.

Thumbs up to the Vance children and teens giving of their time and talents to help ease the sting of separation for our men and women in uniform.



THUMBS UP

Bells are very much a part of every Christmas season.

Whether they be church bells or jingle bells, they can be heard throughout the days leading up to Dec. 25.

But the bells you hear most during the holidays, perhaps, are those run by those who volunteer for the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign.

This year’s campaign will begin Nov. 6-8 with Wal-Mart’s “Bells Across America.”

Those interested in volunteering should contact the Salvation Army office. The proceeds, of course, annually go to help those less fortunate.

Thumbs up to the Red Kettle Campaign and those who volunteer for it. We can’t wait for the sound of the bells and of cash landing in the kettles.



THUMBS UP

The bond between animals and humans is unmistakable and unbreakable, stretching even beyond the grave.

This was demonstrated when Ropa, a registered Australian shepherd, was crowned a Master Agility Champion at the recent Sooner State Kennel Club Dog Show in Enid.

That Ropa earn a championship was the dying wish of her owner, the late Lisa Booze. That dream came true because of Ropa and Booze’s friends, who formed Team Ropa and began taking the dog to competitions.

Thumbs up to Ropa and Booze’s friends, for fulfilling her dying wish.



THUMBS DOWN

In the past five weeks, 35 vehicles have been reported stolen in Enid.

All but one have been recovered, but the thefts have still caused heartache and inconvenience for the vehicle owners and have proven an annoyance for local law enforcement personnel.

The majority of the thefts apparently involved cases where keys were left in the vehicle or in which the ignition was broken and did not require a key.

Thieves are opportunists. Lock your cars, take your keys, and if your ignition is broken, get it fixed.

Thumbs down to the local rash of vehicle thefts, and here’s hoping Friday’s arraignment of three men on charges related to the recent vehicle thefts, so hopefully that will end this annoying rash of auto larceny.



THUMBS UP

Vance Air Force Base is a vital, and much-appreciated, part of our community, but how many of us really know what goes into training the some 400 men and women who earn their wings at the base every year?

PEGASYS, Enid’s public access television system, is working to change that.

PEGASYS has begun showing a one-hour documentary, “54 Weeks: A Story of Pilot Training at Vance.”

The film, written and produced by Stephanie Wnetrzak, features an inside look at Vance and what it takes to produce Air Force, Navy and Marine pilots.

Thumbs up to Wnetrzak’s film and its in-depth portrayal of Enid’s treasure, Vance Air Force Base.