Thumbs up to the Waterboro Public Library, Waterborough Historical Society and Saco River Community Television for coming together to record the memories of those who attended the school that is now used to house the town’s library. The educational system here has changed significantly since the 1930s and it’s priceless to have the anecdotes of that time on record from those who experienced it first-hand. Nearly two dozen former students showed up to take part in the project and the gathering last Tuesday turned into a bit of a school reunion as they shared their memories. This recording will be a real treasure for anyone in the future who wants to connect with the way school used to be in this town.

Thumbs up to trolley coordinator Bob Moody and Old Orchard Beach historian Dan Blaney, as well as Shuttlebus-Zoom and other participants, for operating the new history tours through Old Orchard Beach. The tours can really bring history alive by giving visitors ”“ and locals ”“ a chance to view present day sites alongside on-screen images of what they used to look like. For many, Old Orchard Beach is just their summer fun destination, but these tours show everyone that this little town has a rich history. It’s not only a seaside entertainment hub, but also a tight-knit, year-round community.

Thumbs up to the Town of Arundel for its thorough approach to the parking proposal for the Eastern Trail trailhead off Limerick Road. The town currently has no parking for the trail except for at town hall, and there’s no sidewalk between the two. Instead of moving ahead irresponsibly, the selectmen are instead looking into the safety concerns of trail abutters and other residents, pondering handicapped accessibility and even refocusing the town’s contract deputy to more closely enforce speed limits along Limerick Road. We hope all of these efforts soon lead to an appropriate, safe parking solution so that residents and visitors can enjoy the trail.

Thumbs down to the continued radio interference in York County that is making it difficult for emergency responders to do their jobs. The Federal Communications Commission needs to step up their efforts in finding the cause of this jamming and make it stop. Lives are at stake when an ambulance is called, and first responders have to be able to communicate quickly and effectively to get the best care on the scene as soon as possible. If it’s a person who is doing this intentionally, we hope they wise up and realize that one day they could be jamming a signal that might impact the rescue of someone they care about.

Thumbs up to the Dorcas Society of Hollis and Buxton, which recently hosted its 115th Dorcas Fair. The society, founded by teacher and children’s book author Kate Douglas Wiggin, who lived in Hollis, mainly focuses on philanthropy, making donations to groups that support women and children. Through its work, the society gives these small towns a way to harken back to simpler times, remembering the basic tenets of strong families and communities, and enjoying the fruits of small town living, from fresh jams to old-fashioned theatrical performances.

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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 office.