thumb”¢nail (thum’nail’)
…2. anything quite small or brief,
as a small drawing or short essay
Thumbs up to all the good local business news. Mel’s Raspberry Patch in Sanford is expanding and opening a second location in Springvale village. The new location was expected to open sometime last week. In Wells, selectmen announced they awarded the lease for the former Lord’s Harborside restaurant in Wells Harbor to William “Billy” Hobbs ”“ the former owner and founder of Billy’s Chowder House, also in Wells. Hobbs plans to continue the tradition of serving seafood at the site, but also plans some changes, including overhauling, upgrading and reconfiguring the kitchen to allow more diners to have a harbor view, as well as creating a bar and lounge area. In Biddeford, the new owners of the Palace Diner plan to have their grand opening March 12, while the second round of the Main Street Challenge will see a new retail store for Desert Moon Leather, a biscuit-centered eatery called The Biscuit Company, and a new micro-brewery.
Thumbs down to the news that the future of Waterboro’s Old Home Days is in jeopardy. The Waterboro Old Home Days Committee is down to three members, longtime volunteer Cindy Durney said in an interview last week, and if more people don’t volunteer to help out by the end of the month, Old Home Days will be no more. Durney said an ideal committee would consist of 10 to 12 members, as there are many tasks that need to be completed in the lead up to and during the two-day festival. The committee meets two Thursday evenings each month from February through May, and anyone who’s interested should email oldhomedays@waterboro-me.gov or call the town hall at 247-6166 to request a community service application. Hopefully residents will come forward to keep this tradition alive. In 2011, Old Home Days marked its 25th year. If Old Home Days continues, it will surely continue to draw many visitors and residents alike to see the parade, fireworks and many vendors who make the summer event so popular.
Thumbs up to the Buxton Fire Department, which will receive federal grant funds to employ four full-time firefighters. The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response ”“ SAFER ”“ grant was announced last week by U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, and totals $441,460. The funds will be enough to pay for four full-time firefighter/EMTs for two years. In making the announcement, Pingree said, “I’m so glad Buxton will receive this federal investment so it can strengthen its emergency response team to keep residents safe.” We second that, and hopefully, once the grant has ended, the town will be able to extend those positions to the people who have filled them.
Thumbs up to York County Jail for passing its recent inspection. The jail is compliant with all mandatory standards and all but one essential standard, according to the Maine Department of Corrections. The compliance manager who reviewed the Alfred jail said in his report that staff was professional and knowledgeable about policies and procedures, and there were few complaints from inmates during his inspection process. One reason the jail couldn’t make a perfect score on the essential standards is York County Sheriff Maurice Ouellette’s refusal to launder all inmates clothing when they are booked. The essential standards requires an inmate’s street clothes to be laundered when they’re brought into the jail, but the sheriff said, “the majority are booked and bailed,” which is why he cannot rationalize the waste of taxpayer dollars, he said. That’s something we can live with, and we’re pleased that Ouellette has made this seemingly commonsense based decision, despite not being able to achieve a perfect score on the inspection.
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