Thumbs up to those who attended Saturday’s town meetings in Lyman and Waterboro. In Lyman, there were barely enough people present to make the 40 minimum for a quorum, and selectmen said they appreciated those who made it out on a sunny June Saturday. In Waterboro, 42 people took an active interest in their community and attended the town meeting. Participating in the town meeting process is an important part of local democracy and decision making, and we applaud those who made the effort.
Thumbs up to the residents of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel for voting to approve renovations of RSU 21 schools. The renovation was approved by a majority of voters in all three towns, and Kennebunkport voters rejected an effort to withdraw from the district. The renovations will bring schools up to ADA and building code, fix heating and cooling problems, and expand the often cramped space that students sit in for six hours a day. The vote is an investment in the future of the RSU and demonstrates that the competing interests in each town can cooperate. The school administrators also deserve a thumbs up for their effort to pass the renovation bond.
Thumbs up to the alleged victims of child sexual abuse and their supporters in Biddeford who have vowed to try and ratchet down the name calling and the highly charged and sometimes foul language that has, until recently, been evident during some public meetings and after them. Keeping it clean and calm is a point in anyone’s favor.
Thumbs up to Sanford City Council, which found a way to cover a one-time property tax issue besetting the non-profit Sanford Springvale Historical Society, which bought a historical home in June last year ”“ after the April 1 deadline for figuring ownership for tax purposes. Because of the timing, the historical society ended up with a $2,900 property tax bill they weren’t expecting. The society is an arm of the city’s Historical Committee, which is responsible for historical interests and artifacts of Sanford and Springvale. They operate on a limited budget, and so the vote by the council to use leftover money from other accounts to cover the tab was a welcome one.
Thumbs up to the Biddeford Mills Museum for restarting its summer tours of Biddeford’s textile mills. Former mill workers will guide the tours, which include access to underground canals, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursdays and Saturdays through Oct. 10. The tours had been discontinued in 2014 due to code violations and safety concerns.
Thumbs up to a recent decision that means, beginning today, Thumbnail editorials have returned to the Journal Tribune and will appear regularly on Friday. As well, readers on Saturday can look forward to a return of thoughtful, reasoned editorials written by the newspaper’s editors. It has been a while, and we’re glad to be back.
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