Thumbs up to Heart of Biddeford and Biddeford city staff for spearheading a program to help clean up the city’s parks. The adopt-a-park program seeks groups willing to make a one-year commitment to adopt a park, which they would care for by spending time picking up litter, weeding, sweeping, cleaning, raking, trimming vegetation and reporting larger problems, like graffiti, to the city.

The public works department has had budget cuts and will not be able to do these types of things for all the parks this coming year. The proposal is off to a good start, as McArthur Public Library has already volunteered to adopt the park at 315 Main St. We hope other groups will come forward to help keep the city looking clean and inviting.

Thumbs down to York County government for laying off another employee recently. A grant-funded domestic violence detective position was eliminated at the York County Sheriff’s Office, effective Dec. 30. Another patrol deputy was previously laid off on Dec. 13, leaving the department with 21 in its force. Domestic violence ”“ and crime for that matter ”“ is a problem in the county, and the less of a police presence, the more likely these problems are to escalate. The length of time in which it takes police to respond to a call for help from a person who is the victim of domestic violence could mean life or death for that person. The sheriff’s office provides rural patrol for 14 communities with a population of about 48,000. The department’s resources and staff are already stretched, and these cuts only continue to strain those who are left. We hope the county budget committee and commissioners will approve reinstating this position, which is part of the budget proposal, and keep further cuts from affecting county staff.

Thumbs up to officials in Wells for moving toward the use of smart parking meters at the town’s beaches. Although the initial investment is about $55,000, the meters will allow for fewer attendants at the lots and allow the town to easily change the cost of parking by programming the meters. The type of meters the town will purchase will allow people to purchase time with coins or a credit card. A ticket is then printed and displayed on the car’s dashboard. Upgrades like this and other planned improvements ”“ like paving and landscaping ”“ should help the ease of use for tourists and residents visiting the beaches and make the experience better for all involved.

Thumbs up to the Town of Kennebunk for investing in the town’s image and brand. Selectmen were presented with different options for a new slogan and logo last week, which will be presented to residents in an upcoming public hearing. Although some selectmen expressed their fondness for the current slogan, we think it’s time to move on and pick a phrase for Kennebunk’s future. “Kennebunk: The only village in the world so named” does not express the town’s many assets like its downtown and beaches. We encourage the board to move forward and work to find a slogan and logo that will help attract more businesses, residents and tourists to the community.

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Thumbnails is a Monday feature of the Journal Tribune’s opinion pages. If you want to respond, feel free to write to the Readers’ Forum via email at jtcommunity@journaltribune.com or by dropping your letter off at our Biddeford or Sanford offices.