Sitting on the front page of the newspaper lately has been some less-than-positive people getting caught for doing some really bad stuff. But as they say, one bad apple shouldn’t spoil the whole bunch and I guess that’s the way I am feeling about Vicksburg.

There is a lot of good going on in our city and a lot of good people making it happen. Too much good, in fact, to let a few criminals put a blight on our town.

Sitting at the top of the list this week are Rebecca Sigh, Kim Hopkins and Linda Fondren. These three women were just recognized by the Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA) for their accomplishments in helping facilitate and improve downtown Vicksburg.

Hopkins, who serves as the Downtown Vicksburg Main Street Program executive director, was awarded the 2024 Charles Beasly Main Street Director of the Year award; Sigh, also with the Down- town Vicksburg Main Street Program and the Vicksburg Farmers’ Market, received the 2024 Main Street Hero Award; and Fondren, the executive director of the Catfish Row Museum, received the 2024 Outstanding New Development Project award for “Cooking Up Connections at Catfish Row.” Way to go, ladies and thank you for caring about this old River City.

I mean just this weekend they have several events going on.

On Saturday, at the Vicksburg Farmers’ market, they had a Pollinator Palooza. How stinking cute is that name for an event that included activities for the kids? I hope if you read this in time, you drove on down to the Farmers’ Market, which is located at the Washington Street Park. The event included a real beekeeper talking about honeycombs, kids’ activities, and a butterfly dome filled with Monarch butterflies and chrysalises for children to take home to watch how they grow.

Also on Saturday, Ali Hopson and Francine Nosser were talking about nutrition at the Catfish Row Museum. Both of these women are dietitians and, speaking from firsthand knowledge, they really care about the people they serve.

In addition to these events, the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation will host its 7th annual Star-Spangled Block Party and Night Run beginning at 6 p.m. This too is a child-friendly event.

And all of this is on Saturday, y’all. And that’s not even counting the live music that is offered at Key City Brewery & Eatery.

Also exciting in Vicksburg is our newly elected alderman, Thomas “T.J.” Mayfield. He was sworn-in this week and will officially be the new alderman of Ward 1 — serving out the remainder of the term vacated by his father, Michael.

Mayfield said he respected his father’s leadership, but said he plans to make his own mark in Vicksburg. I am optimistic. He will be a young voice to our already dedicated leadership.

I could go on and on about the positives and activities that are happening in our town, but instead, I’ll just encourage you to check them all out in the newspaper or online.

And yes, I know we could allow ourselves to get bogged down in the quagmire of challenges that occur, but in my opinion, optimism and dedicated citizens always trump the troublemakers.

Terri Cowart Frazier writes features for The Vicksburg Post. She can be reached at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com.