thumb”¢nail (thum´nal´)
… 2. anything quite small or brief, as a small drawing or short essay
Thumbs up to the opening of the West Brook Skating Rink in Biddeford once again this year, a feat that only occurs thanks to the hard work of a bevy of volunteers who prep the site and maintain it during the season. The rink has long been a staple of winter fun in the area ”“ for generations, in fact ”“ but deficiencies at the site have threatened its future. The banking that keeps the rink area separate from the brook itself is eroding, and the rink operators are working with the Army Corps of Engineers to address the problem. Without these fixes, volunteers were in knee- and waist-high water to clear the weeds from the rink area this fall, making it even more hard work than usual. We applaud these volunteers, most of whom hail from the Freemasons and Knights of Columbus groups, for continuing their dedication to this community asset, and we hope the renovation plans for the site move forward quickly and with support from the wider community.
Thumbs down to the delay from the Saco School Board to seal the deal with the Town of Dayton to continue forward as one school unit. Dayton and Saco have long been united in educating their students, with Dayton youth attending Saco Middle School and Thornton Academy after moving on from Dayton Elementary. Now that both municipalities have voted to withdraw from Regional School Unit 23, which they shared with Old Orchard Beach, they are left to develop a new union. Dayton, however, has had other offers besides joining up with Saco again, and if Saco is left to stand alone, some significant budget cuts will undoubtedly be in order. The two municipalities need to vote on the memorandum of understanding quickly and move forward together before Saco is left to stand alone.
Thumbs up to all those who volunteered, participated in or attended Martin Luther King Jr. Day events today, marking it with reflection and service to others in honor of the civil rights leader’s legacy. Events were planned at several area churches, as well as the University of New England, which is celebrating the 50th anniversary of when King spoke at the school with several ongoing events. While the battle King fought, for blacks to be accepted as equals, has mostly been won, the scourge of inequality will always be with us in some form, whether it’s based on race, sex, sexual orientation, culture, beliefs or religion. And it’s always worth fighting against.
Thumbs up to the Murphy family of Springvale for their efforts to improve lives for the people of Haiti. The family has traveled to Haiti and other impoverished areas, such as Indonesia, to help create infrastructure, teach English and deliver supplies, and their efforts will have lifelong impacts for those they encountered. As well, the family members said they have learned many lessons from the natives in the areas they have visited ”“ and they’ve learned that life in the U.S., whatever its challenges, is far easier thanks to our physical and governmental infrastructure. It’s rare to see an entire family so dedicated to international outreach, and their efforts can inspire us all to service near and far.
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