Thumbs up to the organizers and participants who took part in several holiday festivals over the weekend. In Biddeford, the city celebrated the season Friday with the annual Holiday Festival, while in Sanford, the annual Holly Daze festival took place. Both festivals showcased local businesses and artisans while offering some free activities and entertainment for area families. It’s nice to know that in a season when so much money is spent on gifts, there are still some offerings that don’t cost a thing. Several festivals are yet to be held or continuing in the coming weeks, so those who missed the weekend’s festivities still have plenty of time to make a tree lighting, caroling session or craft fair before Christmas arrives. 

Thumbs down to Casella Waste Systems for being named to the Toxics Action Center’s annual Dirty Dozen list. Casella, based in Rutland, Vt., is the parent company of Maine Energy Recovery Company, which runs the incinerator in downtown Biddeford. The company was one of two in Maine to make the list of the 12 most “egregious polluters who have failed to take appropriate action to address their pollution problems” in New England, according to the center. The silver lining, however, is that MERC is scheduled to shut down at the end of this year and the city is purchasing the site to ensure another company does not continue to burn trash there.

Thumbs up to the Town of Alfred for its improved bond rating. The town got word last week that it had been upgraded from AA- to AA. Standard & Poors said the upgrade was due to the town’s strong financial performance, and officials there say it will help better the bond rates for which the town is eligible.

Thumbs up to the efforts of York County municipalities to attract new businesses and residents to their locales. In Biddeford, the city is gaining praise through imitation ”“ the sincerest form of flattery. Princeton, Minn. is looking to Biddeford as a model for bringing new businesses to its downtown, by creating its own “Main Street Challenge.” The challenge here saw three businesses win incentives including six months of free rent and a $10,000 forgivable loan, among other in-kind services from local businesses. Two of those businesses were set to open over the weekend, while the third will open in January. In Princeton, officials say their challenge will be similar and offer a $10,000 forgivable loan as well as in-kind services from businesses there. In Sanford, the soon-to-be city is considering a new logo and tagline to help “brand” the area. Branding is quickly becoming a necessity for towns and cities looking to gain a piece of the new-business pie ”“ as well as those that want to grow in population. As Sanford moves forward, having a cohesive brand and catchy tagline may help do just that, by attracting entrepreneurs and growing families.

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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 office.