Thumbs up: To the fifth annual Women in Philanthropy Luncheon that was held Friday at Anderson Country Club. Each year the Community Foundation organizers choose a female speaker who inspires the attendees to continue helping their community monetarily and through volunteerism. This year’s speaker was no exception. Angela Burt-Murray, who is editor-in-chief for Essence magazine and appears frequently on nationally televised news programs, is no stranger to Anderson. She spent many summers on West 14th Street at the home of her maternal grandparents, Sadye and William Davis. Burt-Murray wove the day’s theme, “The Ties That Bind,” throughout her speech as she described the life’s lessons she learned from her grandmother Sadye and the lifelong friends she made here. Anderson was “a magical place for me,” she repeated. She encouraged women to make giving a part of their family’s values and give to organizations that empower people to help themselves.

Thumbs up: To the 15th anniversary of the Anderson Fire Department’s Fire Safety House in the Anderson Public Library. An open house was held Thursday to celebrate the milestone. The Fire Safety House is designed to teach children and adults about fire safety. The project was underwritten in 1994 through a community drive spearheaded by the Madison County Board of Realtors.

Thumbs up: To the “actors” who performed recently for the Friends of the Library’s annual mystery theater production at the library. Only one audience member correctly guessed the culprits in “Next of Kin.” Lots of laughter for a free evening of entertainment.

Thumbs up: To the Historic West Eighth Street Neighborhood Association for its first Halloween alternative event. About 400 children visited the fully decorated Funk Park on Saturday evening and brought canned goods as a suggested admission ticket. An organizer said that five boxes of nonperishable food was collected for the Second Harvest Food Bank.

Thumbs up: To Jack Melling, who closed his barbershop in Frankton on Friday after 60 years. Generations of longtime customers and friends will miss the friendly banter and camaraderie of the small-town barber, who told a Herald Bulletin reporter last week: “I’ve been pretty lucky. I’ve looked forward to putting the key in that door every morning.”

Thumbs down: To a telephone scammer who impersonated a Madison County Sheriff’s Department office last week. Luckily, the target of the scam was a reserve officer. Sheriff Ron Richardson reminds residents that the Sheriff’s Department will never ask for credit card information over the phone. Anyone who has been targeted by this scam or similar scams should call Madison County Dispatch at 642-0221.

Thumbs up: To illusionist Bill Blagg III, who didn’t let a sparse crowd interfere with putting on an entertaining show in the Paramount Theatre on Halloween night. Among his illusions were a tribute to Harry Houdini with the Metamorphosis stunt and the pre-taped prediction of the headlines on Saturday’s front page of this newspaper. Before closing his show with a cascade of “snow,” he reminded the audience to protect the Paramount Theatre’s future by continuing to attend its shows.

Thumbs up: To Jay and Nancy Ricker, who were recipients of the Crossroads of America Council, Boy Scouts of America’s 2009 Distinguished Citizen Award at a banquet Thursday night. The Rickers have been staunch supporters of Madison County nonprofit organizations since 1979.