Thumbs up to all those who participated in Food Day last week. Freshmen students from Sanford High School cooked up healthy meals and snacks for visitors at McDougal Orchards in Springvale Wednesday, while Biddeford Mayor Alan Casavant and Saco Mayor Mark Johnston spoke about the prevalence of food insecurity in Maine at the Saco Farmers Market.

In Wells, several York County social service entities met to discuss ways to combat hunger in York County, while in Biddeford, McArthur Library hosted an event to encourage children to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Healthy eating leads to healthy people, and we’re glad to see this even embraced so more people can learn the benefits of smart food choices.

Thumbs up to the Old Orchard Beach Police Department and Town Manager Mark Pearson for cracking down on drug and drug-related crimes in town. Last week, Police Chief Dana Kelley announced at a press conference that 44 people were charged with various crimes including 36 felonies, 50 misdemeanors and 15 civil violations, and another 20 active investigations are ongoing. Kelley said he was approached by Pearson, who worked in law enforcement for 26 years, to address the issue after being contacted by a person who was concerned about the drug issue in Old Orchard Beach. This kind of action sends a clear message that drug possession, use and trafficking will not be tolerated in town, and hopefully, the ramped up efforts will reduce drug-related crimes in town.

Thumbs up to the Maine Supreme Court for holding session at Biddeford High School ”“ along with several other schools ”“ last week. Since 2005, the justices have traveled across the state to give high school students a first-hand look at Maine’s judicial system. Chief Justice Leigh Saufley said the program is intended to give a civic lesson where students see real cases being argued and expose students to the legal method of problem solving. She added that the justices enjoy interacting with students and visiting high schools around the state. Some students said court proceedings are not like the over-dramatized scenes on television, and said they learned more about the legal system through the experience.

Thumbs up to the staff and residents of the Milestone Foundation residential treatment program in Old Orchard Beach. Milestone Foundation is a nonprofit that provides emergency shelter, detoxification and extended care to chronic substance abusers. The facility in Old Orchard Beach offers residential treatment to Maine residents who have tried numerous times to stop drinking or taking drugs without success. Some of the men in the program spoke with the Journal Tribune recently and said the program saved their lives. The intense work done as a group keeps them all on track and offers a kind of support that many might get from their family. The structure and support is what keeps the participants moving forward, and hopefully, clean and sober.

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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.