Thumbs up to the students and staff at Old Orchard Beach High School who have come together to raise money for the victims and people affected by the recent Boston Marathon bombings. The bombs exploded on the first day of school vacation for students here in Maine, so after the break, school officials decided to move forward with an effort to help out, according to Student Council Advisor and English teacher Amanda Partridge.
Students and faculty sold blue wristbands printed with the slogan “OOBHS is Boston Strong” for $1, with a $500 goal in mind, and by the end of the week, they raised more than $600, Partridge said.
Thumbs up to South Congregational Church on its 175th anniversary, and all the good work that its members have been doing in the years since it was founded. In recent years, under the leadership of Rev. Charles Whiston, the congregation’s mission has been to serve the community and world beyond Kennebunkport ”“ where the church is located. The church makes monthly donations to the Good Shepherd Food Pantry, and Whiston said in a recent interview that he recently returned from a trip to Biloxi, Miss., where he was joined by several Kennebunk High School students in providing aid to families still struggling following Hurricane Katrina. Whiston and others have also traveled to New Orleans to lend a hand to residents trying to rebuild there. We wish the church and its members a happy 175th, and hope they will continue to do such good work in the community and around the country.
Thumbs down to Gov. Paul LePage for vetoing a bill that would allow school boards to eliminate residency requirements for school superintendents. This has been a contentious issue here in Biddeford, as some voters believe Rep. Alan Casavant, who is also mayor of the city, ignored the will of the voters in submitting the bill this session. The bill would allow school boards to override local laws ”“ like the Biddeford city charter ”“ that require superintendents to live within their district. We stand by our arguments that in today’s economy it’s just not smart for school districts to require superintendents to live within their borders. They will certainly lose out on talented candidates who either cannot or will not move to their towns if they don’t already live there. If the governor’s veto is overridden ”“ which we hope it is ”“ and the Biddeford School Committee votes to eliminate the residency requirement, the city should remove the part of its charter to that effect.
Thumbs up to the staff and supporters of the Nasson Health Center, which is set to open this week at the Kennedy Center, the former science center of the long defunct Nasson College. The health center, which is overseen by York County Community Action Corporation, will be open to all, and offer dental services in addition to regular medical care and behavioral health services. More good news come in the form of added jobs at the new site. The Nasson Health Center takes the place of a health center in south Sanford that was opened to serve low-income residents. The new health center is doubling its staff to four medical providers, four behavioral health providers and four dental providers with an additional 20-22 staff members. While it will still serve those with low incomes and people who don’t have insurance, it will be open to all. This is a great addition to southern Maine’s medical services, and we’re especially pleased to see more dental and mental health providers offering services at the site.
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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 email at jtcommunity@journaltribune.com or by dropping your letter off at our Biddeford office.
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