Thumbs up to former Biddeford mayor Bonita Pothier, who was recently chosen to be the regional representative for York County for U.S. Sen. Angus King. From her time as mayor to her work at Key Bank and in Biddeford schools, Pothier has had a varied career and will be a great person to help King establish strong communication and support in York County.

She has proven herself to be a go-getter and her dedication to the state is evident. We wish Pothier luck as she embarks upon this new public service mission supporting our new U.S. senator.

Thumbs up to the City of Biddeford’s proactive approach in addressing the encroaching coyote population in the May Street and outer South Street area. By hosting a meeting that featured those who are educated on such issues, the city has helped open the lines of communication, which is an important first step in addressing the problems that can arise when wild animals and humans come into contact. While we don’t advocate the warden service’s plan to kill the coyote pack that is living in the area, we are glad to see that representatives of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and warden’s service came to the city to discuss matters and suggest such methods as removing food sources and accompanying household pets outside. Living in harmony with wild animals should be the goal, rather than eliminating them, and we hope a humane solution can be found to dealing with this issue.

Thumbs up to Thornton Academy’s plans to renovate four of its buildings: Hyde Library, Emery Building, Scamman Science Wing and Bryand Labs. The proposed changes will include a smaller library that is more focused on today’s technology-based research methods, as well as extra classrooms that will allow students to meet in smaller groups. It’s great to see the school not only maintaining and renovating its historic spaces, but also organizing the new space with a view toward the way students are learning today.

Thumbs up to a proposed tax increment financing district for General Dynamics in Saco, which has been requested to allow the company to build a 3,000-square-foot addition. The city council should be in favor of helping the company by approving this TIF, and we hope they follow through with it. General Dynamics has been a major employer in this area for many years, under a variety of different names, winning government contracts to create military defense weapons and mechanisms. The company has long been an important cog in the wheel of our national defense, but with military equipment needs changing and becoming more high tech, the plant needs to stay current with its facilities so it can continue to receive contracts. By approving the TIF, the council can help keep the company at the top of the list for government contracts ”“ and keep those jobs in Saco.

Thumbs up to Maj. William King, who was recently named chief deputy of the York County Sheriff’s Office by Sheriff Maurice Ouellette. King has a long history of service, from his time with the Portland Police Department to the U.S. Department of Justice. He’s even been a criminal justice instructor at Central Maine Community College. All of this experience makes him a valuable asset as a leader in the YCSO, and we’re glad to see him recognized with this promotion.

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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.