Thumbs up to the new trash disposal plan currently under consideration in Sanford. The program, called More-In-Return, is a concept similar to our bottle deposit system: Pay upfront and get your money back later. Those who use the average amount of bags or fewer will get all their money back, while those who use more bags will get less money back, effectively paying more of their fair share. Because the “deposit” on the bags is returned at the end of the year, those who recycle and use only the average number of bags will break even for their efforts, and it avoids the perception of an extra tax that comes with the “pay per bag” waste disposal method.

We hope the town seriously considers this option, and that townspeople will realize some changes must be made to increase the recycling rate and reduce waste. If Sanford can embrace this, perhaps it will catch on in other York County municipalities as well.

Thumbs up to Kennebunk resident Jim Corrao for speaking out about the importance of colorectal screenings. Corrao’s life was most likely saved by his decision to get screened when he turned 50 ”“ when doctors found and removed a cancerous polyp. Those who have cancerous polyps often do not have symptoms until it’s far too late to address it and the cancer has become life-threatening. We should all take Corrao’s advice ”“ and that of our doctors ”“ and make sure to undergo a colonoscopy when we reach age 50, or earlier if there’s a family history. It’s a small inconvenience compared to the cost and physical toll of dealing with cancer, and as Corrao can tell you, it’s worth it.

Thumbs down to the blatant conflict of interest going on in Augusta with Rep. John Martin and the Irving oil company. Martin is sponsoring a bill that would make it easier for the company to mine for minerals in Maine, and he’s also negotiating considerable bankruptcy debt with the Irving family’s oil business. Martin says he’s pursuing the bill to bring jobs to northern Maine, and there’s no connection, but it’s awfully hard to tell given the privately held nature of the Irving companies. Our representatives need to be more careful about even the appearance of impropriety, so Martin, at the very least, should not have been the one to sponsor this mining bill.

Thumbs up to Biddeford for deciding to upgrade the sidewalks and lighting in the downtown Main Street area. The sidewalks are being redone for the first time in 30 years, so city officials felt it was the right time to invest in new poles and lighting. The total package is going to have a profound effect on the look of downtown, especially with the bluish glow of the more energy efficient LED lights that will be installed. The upgrades will also increase visibility, allow for banners to be hung on the lightposts, and will be supportive of more electricity use ”“ such as safer and more consistent use of holiday lights. In the long run, it’s not only going to look nicer and provide more light, it’ll also save the city about $4,300 every year in energy expenses.

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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.