AREA GOINGS-ON ARE DESERVING OF CONGRATULATONS

Everybody loves a parade, especially when it's a good one. Such was the case for the first Christmas Parade of Lights last Sunday in Cape Girardeau.

We commend parade organizers for a colorful and festive kickoff to the holiday season that drew larger-than-expected crowds of onlookers. The parade included 57 entries -- an admirable turnout for the first year. And its overwhelming success will no doubt spur entries by leaps and bounds next year.

The illuminated floats paraded down Broadway at dusk as area bands performed holiday favorites. Churches, schools, civic groups and businesses all joined in the fun -- making it truly a community event. The weather was clear and frosty, but the crowds preserved.

The parade was the first of its kind in the city since the 1950s, and the first ever held at night. Sponsors KBSI-TV and the Downtown Merchants Association should feel proud for a job well done. The first edition of the Christmas Parade of Lights was so delightful, we look forward to next year with anticipation.

A rather moving part of the Christmas parade was the entry by Hobbs Chapel United Methodist Church. Although the 101-year-old church had burned to the ground just days before, members of the congregation went ahead with their Christmas float.

Onlookers cheered their resilience and spirit. It demonstrated the fact that even when people are down, faith can lift you up.

We mourn the loss of this historic church and its two-story education center. At first, investigators thought the blaze might have been linked to arson. But Rev. David Stewart, the church's pastor, said later that it appeared arson was probably not to blame.

The congregation gathered the first Sunday in a neighboring activity center and looked for a silver lining. The membership had been growing, and now the building can be built larger. Their faith demonstrated that a church is more than a mere building.

Church members are also proceeding with plans for the annual Christmas dinner Saturday. Although the original turkeys burned in the fire - new ones have been bought and they expect a large turnout from the community from 3:30 to 7 p.m.

The Hobbs Chapel congregation serves as an inspiration to us all. Their fortitude truly embodies the Christmas spirit.

The first phase of a project to improve traffic safety at the I-55 and Highway 61-34 interchange is finally under way. It's a project both long awaited and long overdue.

Workers are removing a hill between the eastbound and westbound lanes of Highway 61 -- near the west side of the interchange. That hill has caused tremendous sight problems for drivers -- and has been the cause for numerous accidents.

The project is a cooperative one between MidAmerica Hotels Corp. and the state. The local firm owns property on both sides of the interchange. The dirt removed will serve another purpose -- filling in the large hole between the two lanes at the west end of the interchange. This portion of the project should much improve the appearance of the main thoroughfare through Jackson.

The state is still considering further improvements to the interchange, and probably won't decide on which plan of action until next spring. But we're glad to see at least this phase of the project has finally moved forward.

Area businesses are ringing in the Christmas season with strong sales. In fact, they started the season with a strong October -- reflected by the recent county sales tax check.

The November check jumped by 33 percent over the same month last year. In fact, the check is the biggest the county has received since implementing its sales tax. That's certainly welcome news.

Taxpayers should greet the increased revenues as well. The more county and city coffers increase through sales tax revenues, the less will be needed from other tax sources -- such as property tax. And much of these sales taxes are paid by out-of-towners who don't require all the permanent city or county services.

In fact, the success of the county sales tax has enabled the commission to retain the county property tax rate at zero for a number of years. If the December check is as generous as expected, the county may finish the year with a record sales tax collection. And that's money in all our pockets.