Thumbs up to the municipal employees of Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach, who took it upon themselves to complete a workshop last week on improving customer service. Learning how to properly address or avoid difficult situations will make municipal transactions better for all involved.

Thumbs up to County Manager Richard Brown and members of the employee’s union, MSEA local 1297, for their willingness to work together on solutions to the county’s fiscal problems. The union is considering approval of a reduction in hours rather than lay-offs and having open communication with the county is key in negotiations.

Thumbs up to Boise Cascade for bringing Wood Structures back into business in the form of Boise Structural Solutions, restoring at least a few of the jobs that were cut when the company closed its doors three months ago. Boise’s financial bet that the industry will rebound is encouraging, as is the company’s belief in local workers.

Thumbs up to Sanford for finally receiving the final word on its “Main Street’ designation. Sanford Downtown Legacy will be boosted by the program’s benefits, from the technical assistance and training to the simple prestige of the title for an ever-evolving downtown.

Thumbs up to Betty Howes and Laurie Sullivan, and all others who participated in the Trek Across Maine this past weekend, raising money for the American Lung Association. The trek is in its 25th year of successfully helping the association’s goals of finding better treatment, care and prevention for lung diseases. Howes and Sullivan, who don’t have any immediate experience with lung disease, are a perfect example of how anyone can help out with a worthy cause, just out of the goodness of their heart.

Thumbs up to all the municipal officials, voters, clerks and others who organized and participated in annual Town Meetings in York County this year. Voting season has mostly wrapped up for now, though a few issues linger such as the defeated RSU 23 budget. Being an informed voter is a civic duty and a point of pride for many in our communities.

Thumbs down to Old Orchard Beach officials for banning chem-free nights at local bars. With all the restrictions put in place by the only club owner to host the nights (Danny Sisson of The Galaxy), the events offered a “cool” place for teens to go where they could also be safe from being pressured to use drugs and alcohol. The drinking age is set so high, at 21, that even young people who are legally adults (18-20) have few nighttime entertainment options. Now there’s one less.