Some up-and-down thumbs in KY

Thumbs Down: To a tournament format that would require a high school fast-pitch softball team -- or any team, for that matter -- to play five games in one day and eight games in two days. That's what happened to Ryle High School last weekend. The point is not that Ryle lost in the state championship game. The Raiders knew the consequences of having to come back from an early loss in the tourney format. But win or lose, this just seems crazy and physically risky to young athletes. (And do these kids get overtime for playing longer than employers would work them?) The officials of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association need to take a look at the system. Many states avoid the problem entirely with single-elimination tourneys.

Thumbs Down: To county and municipal officials in Kenton County who can't figure out a way to have a countywide 911 dispatching system. Officials have concerns about, well, just about everything: Costs, training, computer efficiency and service quality. As a result, Kenton County is working with other municipalities for one operation as Erlanger and others move closer together. Meanwhile, Covington seems to be dancing with both partners. A cost-effective, well-managed, countywide system just makes sense. The dispute also highlights the need to reform how 911 fees are generated -- from taxes on land-line telephones of so much per line per month. That's outmoded in our wireless world, and a high percentage of 911 calls come from cellphone users.

Thumbs Up: To Karen Steenken of Fort Mitchell, for what she does and what she represents. She runs a business, is mother to four children and is the new president of the Beechwood School's Parents, Teachers, Students Association. "It's true I like to be the person in the background," she told reporter Ryan Clark. "I felt like I needed to do this because I thought I could make a difference." Our communities are filled with people like that. The people who most deserve recognition are frequently those who seek it least. Clark has a lot more stories like that if you want to check out his "Folk Tales" feature or nominate subjects.

Readers are invited to submit their own “Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down” items by replying to the “Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down” post at this blog. We’ll publish some of the best ones on the Community Forum page of The Kentucky Enquirer as well.