Thumbs up to Biddeford High School Principal Britton Wolfe for providing a forum for students to share their thoughts on “grinding,” a provocative form of dancing that includes simulation of sexual movements. Grinding is the generally accepted form of dancing to rap music, which is popular in youth dance halls nowadays, but it has the unfortunate effect of making adult chaperones feel very uncomfortable.
Many administrators would have simply banned the dancing, but Wolfe took the time to hear from the students and plans to take their opinions into account. This type of management shows the students respect, which is likely to lead them to respect the administration, in turn, no matter what the ruling on the dances.
Thumbs up to all of the involved citizens who have been working on campaigns, writing letters to the editor, attending forums and meetings and getting prepared for Election Day. Some very important issues ”“ from the racino in Biddeford to the pay-as-you-throw petition vote in Sanford ”“ are before us tomorrow and only informed voters can make the appropriate decisions for their municipality. It takes time to learn about the issues and candidates, but it’s our civic duty to do so, and to cast our ballot.
Thumbs up and farewell to our late columnist, John Anagnostis, who died Sunday, Oct. 24. His column, “Anagnosticisms,” began running in the Journal in the 1970s and his recollections of old-time Saco and growing up with a Greek heritage will be missed by many of our readers. We wish his family all the best and hope they find comfort in remembering the many stories he shared.
Thumbs up to Southern Maine Medical Center, local firefighters, the York County Emergency Management Agency; the York County HazMat Team; the Regional Emergency Medical Information System; and Northeast Mobile Health Services for their participation in a mass casualty drill at the hospital on Oct. 23. By taking the time to learn how to work together and see what works and what doesn’t in a large-scale emergency response, these organizations will be better able to save lives should the real thing occur. These drills take a lot of planning, cooperation and time and all of those involved should be commended for organizing this learning experience.
Thumbs up to the continued efforts of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address the erosion problem in Saco Bay, despite numerous delays. Coastline residents have been left unsure of the progress on the project, as federal money had been allotted but then not distributed in recent years to implement some sort of remediation for the erosion apparently caused by the Saco jetty. Now the Corps says work is likely to begin in the summer of 2012. Residents should be glad to finally have a date to set their sights on; we just hope the Corps can stick to it and get the funding. The sooner wave action is redirected, the better; if more sand replenishes the beach, homes and the coastline will be better protected.
Thumbs up to the proposal by Osprey IV, LLC to study possible hydropower units on two of Sanford’s existing dams. Other dams in town already use hydropower, so the water over these other two dams should certainly be harnessed as well. It would not only create clean energy, but also create some revenue for the town, which owns the dams.
— Thumbnails is a Monday feature of the Journal Tribune’s opinion pages. If you would like to respond, please write the Reader’s Forum via e-mail at jtcommunity@journaltribune.com or by dropping your letter off at our Biddeford or Sanford offices.
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