Thumbs up to the Biddeford Ross Center’s Fifty Plus Club, which offers a plethora of opportunities for older people ”“ from trips to dances, bingo and yoga.

Most importantly, the club gives seniors a place to hang out with their friends, make new friends, and stay active.

Thumbs up to the York County Budget Committee for cutting benefits for county commissioners from the proposed 2010 county budget. The committee also froze commissioners’ pay and the county manager’s salary at 2009 levels. Taking into consideration the budget crisis that the county ”“ and indeed, the state ”“ is facing, this was a prudent move. Where else can a part-timer receive health insurance, retirement, short- and long-term disability, dental and life insurance? We take no pleasure in calling for this cut; health insurance is vitally important. But economies are essential.

Thumbs up to State Rep. Gary Connor of Kennebunk, who is sponsoring a bill that would require private health insurance companies to provide early intervention services for developmentally disabled children. This should ease the state tax burden by putting liability on the insurance policies for which families are already paying. Maine is the only New England state that does not require appropriate coverage for kids with disabilities, he said, and we hope his bill is successful in holding the insurance companies accountable for this need.

Thumbs down to Biddeford Mayor Joanne Twomey for pulling out of the Maine Energy Recovery Company task force. Granted, the group’s purpose has changed from closing the trash incinerator ”“ a long-term goal of Twomey’s ”“ to considering other options for agreeable co-existence, and her concerns about the incinerator’s impacts on the community have largely not been addressed. But walking away from the table is not the way to find compromise. As well, Biddeford residents will now be left out of a money-saving option since the city has opted out of an “alliance” of municipalities that would receive trash disposal discounts in one of the task force’s proposed plans. The mayor should be part of the effort to minimize its impacts as much as possible.

Thumbs up to the developers and supporters of The Mill at Saco Falls housing project, which will bring 66 housing units to the area, beginning as early as this fall. Redevelopment of Biddeford-Saco’s historic textile mills is no easy task and it takes those with vision and a hefty investment to make it a reality. We wish them success. Hopefully, together with the life that has been breathed back into NorthDam Mill, this project will spark a renewal downtown.

Thumbs up to all of those who have gotten their inoculation against the H1N1 virus and the seasonal flu. The best protection against these diseases is now widely available and it should be considered a civic duty to get the vaccination as a way to keep the virus from spreading throughout our communities.

— 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.