Thumbs up to all the Biddeford High School French students who participated in La Fete du Printemps during the weekend of March 25-27, particularly Benjamin Cote and Victoria Eon, who gave stellar performances in their production of “Les Trois Anges,” a French language one-act play. Organizers of the event, including Greg Chabot and John Maxson, should be commended for bringing young people into the arts festival, thereby ensuring that they will carry forward the culture that so many now hold dear. As Chabot said after the students’ afternoon performance on March 27, “it’s important that we show them they are a part of this ”“ and an important part.”
Thumbs up and congratulations to the McArthur Library for winning the Maureen Hayes Author/Illustrator Award that has allowed the library to bring Newbury Award-winning author and illustrator Cynthia Lord to visit with BIS students in late April. In conjunction with the BIS Parent Teacher Organization, which paid for copies of Lord’s book “Touch Blue” for each student, the library is helping to spread a love of reading, which will serve these students well throughout the rest of their lives.
Thumbs up to Buxton volunteer firefighter Jeremy Redlon, who risked his own safety in an attempt to save the life of Frank Hebert last Wednesday. Hebert was on fire when Redlon arrived on the scene of the 86-year-old man’s property, where he was burning grass. According to reports, Redlon took off his sweatshirt and used it to help smother the flames on the elderly man’s clothing, rolling the man to help put the fire out. Though Hebert later died from his burns, Redlon’s quick action was heroic and could have saved the man’s life under different circumstances.
Thumbs up to all of those who took part in the Education Foundation of the Kennebunks and Arundel Spelling Bee last Wednesday at Sea Road School. The event offered an enjoyable evening of friendly competition, testing everyone’s spelling skills while the masters of ceremonies kept the mood light. It was heartening to see so much community support for the schools, with teams from local businesses like the William Arthur and H.B. Provisions mingling with school representatives, the Kennebunkport Police Department, local media outlets and the Graves Library. The bee is a unique event that offers community members a chance to get together on behalf of an important organization that subsidizes many important extras for RSU 21 schools.
Thumbs up to the Town of Old Orchard Beach’s proposal to hire a town attorney to deal with its legal matters. Last year, the town built up nearly $169,000 worth of legal expenses, according to its records, and the services of an in-house attorney would undoubtedly cost less ”“ though probably more than the $40,000 quoted by Neal Weinstein, chair of the town’s finance committee. With all the legal complications of town business in today’s world, Old Orchard Beach is long overdue to take on a dedicated attorney. The change would not only save money, but provide consistency and institutional knowledge of the town’s affairs.
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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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