Thumbs up, thumbs down – Austin Daily Herald

Thumbs up for serving. On Thursday, long time Austin firefighter Jim Halsey retired from the Austin Fire Department after over two decades of service. Halsey is a familiar face within the Austin Fire Department  and is representative of those who are willing to serve these dangerous roles within our community that make us all safer. Those who serve for long periods of time are often the foundation for strong community service and we are lucky to have them.

Thumbs up to raising awareness for our community. Austin’s move to being a film friendly community is a great step to getting Austin once again on the map with a result of drawing more people to town. Sure, we’re probably not talking about blockbuster movies here — at least not yet — but anything we can draw to Austin can create a chain down the line that could drum up even more interest. And who knows, maybe in the future you could be walking by Harrison Ford on the way to the SPAM Museum.

Thumbs up in advance for the fair. So many people have been looking forward to these upcoming six days — the Mower County Fair. Kicking off on Tuesday and running through Sunday, you’re going to find the familiar fun that people have been anticipating since the end of last year’s fair. This is where memories are made and it’s all possible due to the hard work of those volunteers making it all happen, working long hours to bring this spectacle back home for even more memories to be made.

Thumbs up for basketball tradition. Last Saturday’s basketball celebration that was the Oaxaca Basketball Tournament not only was fun for two days of tournament basketball, it has also rolled into something akin to a festival in its own right. At any given moment there is so much going on, that it’s impossible to not be entertained. It’s a vibrant showcase of Austin’s Hispanic culture filled with fun and food that should continue to be welcomed year after year.

Thumbs up to improvements. The current work being done on Paulson Courts here in Austin is a welcome story line to athletics here in the community. A part of the Wescott Athletic Complex, Paulson courts reconstruction will update the facility, making it not only a better complex for tennis players both at Austin High School and from the community, but it will also improve the fan perspective for those who come to watch the high school tennis team play.