It was announced last week that Selma would be one of several cities chosen to be the recipients of an Alagasco commemorative gas lamp that highlights historic events and memorable causes. Selma is one of five cities to receive the lamp in the state and those cities are Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, Anniston and Selma.

Selma will receive the lamp at Riverfront Park next to the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Sept. 19, while Birmingham has already received its lamp at the newly innagurated Region’s Field, acknowledging the Birmingham Black Barons and the current Barons organization. Another lamp was given in May to Tuscaloosa to honor victims of the April, 27, 2011 tornado.

We were pleased to know that employees of Alagasco voted on which cities in Alabama deserved these lamps and they selected Selma.

City officials are always trying to compare our community to those of Prattville, Tuscaloosa and portions of Montgomery but this acknowledgement by Alagasco proves what we have believed to be true all along.Though we are smaller in size and population, Selma has just as much historical significance as other cities that surround us. We are glad others like Alagasco notice.

Our shining beacon in town is our tourism and the stories of history that define us and what happened in Selma less than 50 years ago.

While those consultants with Alagasco have not yet decided on what historical event they will commemorate with the gas lamp, we surely hope they will celebrate what freedom was won on the Edmund Pettus Bridge through many days of marches, strength, unity and courage of our own family members. Alagasco is certainly not saying Selma is just as big as Montgomery, Birmingham and Tuscalooosa — but we feel their message of this gift to our city is that our people fought just as hard for freedom and had their voices heard all around the world.

We hope this new gift will bring in tourists from far and wide like Alagasco promises and we also hope they will continue to maintain this gift as they promise as well.

We are proud they thought of Selma so that we can think back and celebrate on what made us who we are.