OUR VIEW: Many people in our midst deserve some praise

If there’s one thing that makes Culpeper great, it’s the people. We are blessed to be surrounded by talented people who care about their neighbors. Some of them recently received formal recognition and we think they should be highlighted.

* Megan Rivas recently won $50 in a poster contest sponsored by the Healthy Culpeper After School Arts Program. The 16-year-old rising junior at Culpeper County High School created a poster with a stylized version of Uncle Sam. The contest was intended to prevent underage alcohol use.

* Three Eastern View High School students recently earned Congressional Award gold medals. Jacqueline Bedsaul, Taryn Bierhuizen and Courtney Owens combined for more than 1,700 volunteer hours this year, earning them the prestigious award.

* The town received a award from its insurer, the Virginia Municipal League, for its “exceptional” safety record. While communities across Virginia average drawing on 65 percent of available insurance premiums in the form of claims, Culpeper has drawn on only about 22 percent, according to the insurer.

* The Culpeper County E-911 Center recently received state accreditation for implementing the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials’ Emergency Medical Dispatch Program, which uses software and training to help manage emergency response resources and save lives. County Emergency Services Director Steve Basnett told the Star-Exponent last month that at least one life has been saved because of the program.

* The Virginia Environmental Excellence Program awarded the local Merillat plant with its E3 designation for facilities with a good history of environmental compliance.

* They didn’t win an award or anything, but we’d like to highlight Eddie and Meaghan Fuller of Woodville for their creativity. They took an old walnut tree that a tree service erroneously cut down and crafted it into handmade drums that they plan to sell to raise money for an operation that could help them to have kids one day. We wish them luck.