Bravos and a buffalo chip to hand out this week

The Jamestown Sun hands out these bravos and a buffalo chip this week:

* Bravo to the entities involved in constructing the green space at Jamestown Middle School for cooperating to resolve the construction of the space. Delays due to concerns over the condition of the base for the project set it back, but work has resumed on the project.

* Buffalo chip to the Amethyst Initiative, a movement that wants the drinking age lowered from 21 to 18, saying current laws encourage binge drinking on college campuses. The University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University were asked to join but declined.

* Bravo to organizers of Jam the Dam. The event featured a number of activities like sand castle building, relay races, a boat parade and show. The weather was perfect for the weekend of events.

* Bravo to North Dakota students scoring slightly above the national average on the ACT college entrance exam. Twenty-four percent of those who took the test in North Dakota met the college-readiness benchmark score in four areas: English, math, reading and science. The national average is 22 percent.

* Bravo to Michael Phelps for winning eight gold Olympic medals in swimming. Phelps set seven world records and one Olympic record. He has won 16 Olympic medals in his career — more than any other person.

* Bravo to the opportunities for adults and children alike through the local Even Start program. The program seeks to help low-income families in an effort to break the cycle of poverty.

* Bravo to Jamestown College being ranked “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review in its annual review of colleges and universities. Jamestown College has made the list each of the six years it has been given. Academic excellence and student surveys were key criteria in the ranking.

(Editorials are the opinion of Jamestown Sun management and the newspaper’s editorial board)

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