Thumbs up to the Town of Sanford and other municipalities that are using their snow removal budget wisely by delaying some work until regular business hours. Especially during the New Year’s weekend, the continuous storm could have cost an incredible amount of money if crews had been kept on full bore, clearing sidewalks and side streets with the usual gusto.

Instead, some towns waited until Monday to get the work done at regular rates. The average traveler was no worse for it and the average taxpayer can be thankful that the budget was kept in mind.

Thumbs up to the RiverWalk Committee members and other volunteers who have improved access to the Saco River and built a bird viewing station along the pathway. The river is a beautiful asset that many have yet to fully experience due to limited access. These volunteers are working to open up the river for all residents, including those who must use wheelchairs.

Thumbs up to the active residents of Saco who have pushed to have the plans for a new CVS Pharmacy reviewed again, in light of the 1800s-era buildings that would be removed to make way for the development. The historic value of those buildings, and the character they impart to that district of town, should definitely come into play when the city considers the CVS application. There is no doubt that the new pharmacy would change the feel of that part of downtown.

Thumbs up to Sanford councilors for coming to a resolution on a land lease amendment for the YMCA, by garnering 15 hours of free swimming for the townsfolk. For changing the lease agreement to allow for a quicker expansion than originally planned, most councilors felt the town was owed something in return. The swim time is a good compromise between some of the other proposals and, happily, offer quick closure to what was becoming a contentious issue.

Thumbs up to Biddeford for finally having its downtown district recognized as “historic” by the National Register. The designation not only validates the local feeling about the area but also allows for it to be more easily restored, with the promise of tax credits from both the federal and local level for those who wish to renovate the area.

Thumbs up to Education Commissioner Susan Gendron for visiting the board of RSU 23 and others who are interested in the state’s school budget cuts. Gendron has some good suggestions, such as reducing special education costs and doing away with very small class sizes, both of which have gotten out of hand. Hopefully her insight into the process will help the local boards make some of the tough decisions facing them this budget season and her ideas will impact state legislation that will make their job easier.

— 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.