THUMBS DOWN: To Lowndes High School officials who did not allow Tiffany Tweed, a senior who recently became homebound because of a health problem, to attend the complete activities of her prom. Through some mixup or misunderstanding, Tweed could only get her photograph taken. Proms are a big deal to most students, and this should not have happened. At the very least, school officials owe Tweed a major apology.



THUMBS UP: To VSU baseball coach Tommy Thomas for becoming Division II’s winningest coach in history with his 1,199th win Saturday over Lincoln Memorial. This Valdosta native deserves special commendation for staying with VSU for 36 years, and making his hometown proud. Great job.



THUMBS UP: To Regal Marine Industries for marking a milestone by launching its 500th boat from the manufacturing line in Valdosta. The company gave a big party for its 141 employees to recognize their success, which was accomplished in less than two years after the company took over the closed Bayliner company.



THUMBS UP: To Dewar Elementary School teacher Ruth Nelson who brought Miyuki Ando from Japan to Dewar in January as part of a cultural exchange program. Ando has been sharing her culture with Dewar students, who have embraced everything they’ve learned from her about food, language, music and ceremonies. All children need to have their cultural awareness expanded, and Nelson is to be commended for her effort.



THUMBS UP: To Habitat for Humanity for taking the initiative with an experimental, energy-efficient home. We need to find ways to cut costs for individual utility consumers and conserve natural resources. Habitat deserves credit for taking the initiative in building environmental-friendly housing.