KENT: Looking back at our community's best of 2015

We are about to put 2015 in the books and it is time to reflect on the best of the best in our community during the past year. It was a year of big change for our family. Our Scotty graduated from Warner Robins High School and headed off to Shorter University in Rome. Our Ronnie graduated with an associate's degree from Middle Georgia State College and headed off to the University of Georgia. Locally, 2015 marked the anniversaries of several phenomenal organizations and one phenomenal human being -- proving that in Warner Robins, "out with the old" doesn't always apply.

Best place to flip out in public: Chrystie McIlwain fulfilled a longtime dream with the opening of PunchFront Gymnastics and Cheer. McIlwain saw a need for a place that combines gymnastics and cheer training with ministry opportunities to help children.

Best parade ever: Sure, we have a great Christmas parade every year. But this year, we had a parade to welcome home our own newly crowned Miss America, Betty Cantrell, the first Miss Warner Robins to win the title.

Best person I hope you never need: The thing about my friend Allison Ethridge is that she is the kind of person that hopes you never need her. But if your house floods or you have a fire or any other disaster at your home, my friend Allison at Servepro will hold your hand and help you get your property restored.

Best encore performance: For about three decades, Warner Robins High School's production of "The Follies" was a must-see event. The show, which was started in the 1960s, lasted into the 1980s. This past summer, a reunion of sorts was held with a one-night event titled "Follies: A Night Of Stars," which brought back more than 60 actors, dancers and singers who performed in "The Follies."

Best "Tinth" anniversary celebration: The gift material associated with a 10th anniversary is tin (I had to look that up). But one thing I didn't have to look up is the impact that Covenant Care Services' "Ladies' Night Out" has become in Middle Georgia -- with this year marking the 10th anniversary of the event. "Ladies Night Out" is the annual fundraiser for the group -- a nonprofit, nondenominational, Christian ministry that provides adoption services along with prenatal counseling as well as follow-up counseling throughout Georgia. These services are free to women regardless of whether or not they choose to place their children for adoption.

Best silver anniversary celebration: It has been 25 years since 34 women came together to form the Sigma Epsilon Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. AKA spent their 25th anniversary year like they do every other year: working on projects that benefit the community, especially our children and their educations.

Best golden anniversary celebration: Cherished Children, a not-for-profit day care and education center that provides services for lower-income families, has been impacting lives in Warner Robins for 50 years.

Best diamond jubilee: Friends, family, former students and colleagues gathered to celebrate the 75th birthday of Elijah Weatherspoon, a longtime teacher, coach and mentor for thousands of students in Houston County. He was also the coach of the county's first documented state champion football team. Weatherspoon coached the Houston Indians, from the Houston County Training School, which was the school for black students in the southern part of the county before desegregation. In 1969, the Indians won the state championship in football through the Georgia Interscholastic Association, which oversaw black high school sports in the state until 1970, when integration was in place and the GIA was dissolved.

Happy New Year 2016. May God bless you in the new year.

Alline Kent may be reached at 478-396-2467 or at allinekent@cox.net.

This story was originally published December 29, 2015 at 9:36 PM with the headline "KENT: Looking back at our community's best of 2015 ."