Thumbs up to Alyssa Kavanagh and Nick Planeta, a couple with local ties, who will receive a $100,000 dream wedding after winning a contest sponsored by Real Maine Weddings magazine. Kavanagh and Planeta met at Colby College, and overcame the deaths of several of their loved ones over the last few years together.
As recent college graduates whose families do not have the ability to provide much financial support, winning the contest is the answer to their prayers. The $100,000 wedding package includes everything and will be held on Nov. 2 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland.
Thumbs up to the students of Old Orchard Beach High School who participated in Light It Up Blue, an initiative of Autism Speaks, an autism science and advocacy organization. April 2 was World Autism Awareness Day and landmarks around the world are lit up blue to promote awareness. The high school had blue lights shining in the office outside the Functional Life Skills classroom, where special education students do some of their work. Students also visited businesses around town to sell the blue light bulbs, raising awareness and money for Autism Speaks.
Thumbs up to the administrators and school board in Regional School Unit 21 for ensuring the eradication of mold at Middle School of the Kennebunks. Teachers have reported health issues for years, which they blame on mold, and despite the district’s efforts, symptoms remained. Recently, RSU 21 brought in a mold investigator, Bill Whistine of the Florida Canine Academy in Safety Harbor, Fla., and his dog to search MSK for mold. The dog found mold on some items, which have since been removed. The dog found mold on a papier maché elephant, a fabric book, sneakers worn by students when taking water samples, an unused aquarium with wet rocks, the greenhouse and in some cardboard boxes. MSK art teacher Mary McCarthy, who has experienced health issues while working at the school, expressed approval and said she thinks the dog did its job. We hope this means the end of respiratory issues for students and staff at the school.
Thumbs up to the Sanford Town Council for adopting a disorderly housing ordinance. The ordinance gives landlords and law enforcement the opportunity to work together to remove problem tenants and keep rental properties peaceful in town. Other towns have reported success from these laws, and we hope Sanford will see the same results once this ordinance can be implemented.
Thumbs down to anyone involved with an alleged “fight club” involving local youth during after-school hours in Veterans Memorial Park in Old Orchard Beach. Although the extent is not yet known, police did report last week that one fight involving two high-school-age girls wearing boxing gloves was watched by about 40 people, videotaped and posted on the Internet. It is unfortunate that something like this could happen here, and parents and community leaders need to figure out how this could have started and educate young people about the dangers of physical altercations as well as the damage caused by bullying, which police say appears to be one of the factors of the alleged fights.
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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 email at jtcommunity@journaltribune.com or by dropping your letter off at our Biddeford or Sanford offices.
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