Thumbs down to the loss of Cumberland and York Aviation as fixed-based operator of the Biddeford Airport. With the city taking over operations there, the flight school will be lost and private contracts for aerial work, such as photography, will no longer be available.
The airport is an asset to the city, but if a private company had a hard time making significant profits there, the city may also. This move will only empower those who seek to close the airport down, as even more city resources will be going toward its operation. Too bad they didn’t realize that the anti-airport campaign is what led to more city involvement, by making pilots so wary of the airport being shut down that they pulled out.
Thumbs up to the OOB365 group for their efforts at a First Night celebration for families during the afternoon of New Year’s Eve. After the family focus of Christmas gatherings, this celebration offered a nice opportunity for the community to gather and welcome in 2010 with fireworks ”“ and be reminded that much of downtown isn’t “closed for the season” anymore.
Thumbs up to Waterboro Selectman Gordon Littlefield for his efforts to gather names and photos of active military personnel from town, to be used in a video tribute. Budget struggles, weather worries and holiday celebrations have loomed large in everyone’s minds lately, but Littlefield is doing his part to remind us that we are still a nation at war. We hope his recognition of local soldiers, to be shown on the town’s cable access channel, will bring the challenges faced by our service men and women back to the forefront.
Thumbs up to Code Enforcement Officer Mark Mitchell and his office for offering free energy audits of Saco homes, to show residents what they need to do to save on heating costs during this particularly cold winter. A little weather tape and caulking can go a long way in keeping the heat in and the cold out and Mitchell is going the extra mile to share that information.
Thumbs down to a proposal to create a TIF district specifically for the development of a Tractor Supply Company in Sanford. The new business ”“ and the jobs it brings ”“ should be welcomed into town as warmly as possible, but councilors must not set a precedent of creating a TIF district for every developer who doesn’t want to pay the town’s traffic impact fees. If the fees are impeding development, they should be taken off the books. If they stay on the books and are waived for one company, others will expect the same.
Thumbs down to those Sanford town councilors who couldn’t maintain a sense of decorum in their discussion on a YMCA land agreement last Tuesday. Trying to squeeze more out of a non-profit that helps the town, or use the agreement modification to deny them expected funds, is not the proper way to deal with the YMCA, which provides free or low cost recreation and other services to the community.
Thumbs up to all those who braved the icy waters of the Atlantic in support of Special Olympics on New Year’s Day, in the annual “Lobster Dip” event in Old Orchard Beach. Another chance to be wild and crazy this winter will come this Saturday, Jan. 9, as more warm-blooded folk take to the ocean in support of Caring Unlimited’s domestic violence support services.
— 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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