Thumbs up and congratulations to the Sanford Springvale Rotary Club on its 90th anniversary. Club members celebrated the founding earlier this month with a celebration at the Town Club in Sanford, where the group has been meeting for many years.

Rotary does a lot of important work worldwide, and the local club has, in recent years, built a healing garden at a local cancer center, created a playground and helped provide backpacks of food for children to take home from school so they won’t be hungry on weekends. Rotary International is well-known for its efforts to eradicate polio, but the group has done so much more as it expanded over the years. Thank you to all the Rotary members in Maine for the important work you do, and keep up the good work.

Thumbs down to the Maine Board of Environmental Protection for not going far enough to protect the state’s infants and children. While it did say a ban is needed on the toxic chemical bisphenol-A from baby food and infant formula containers, the board failed acknowledge the same risk for toddlers. Despite claims from the Department of Environmental Protection, the science is there, and the impact of toxic chemicals on young, developing toddlers will be detrimental to their health and productivity in the long run. Instead of leaving toddler food out of its recommendation because of a confusing definition, the BEP could and should have clarified the parameters of toddler food packaging so the changes could go forward to the Legislature. Now that the BPA ban for baby food and formula is likely to go to the Legislature ”“ a final vote by the board is needed later this week ”“ we hope the BEP will take this issue up again in the near future to address toddler food packaging.

Thumbs up to Southern Maine Medical Center’s Center for Breast Care for its higher-than-average survival rate for early stage breast cancer patients. According to the hospital’s annual Cancer Program Report, released earlier this month, SMMC’s combined five-year survival rate for early stage breast cancer is higher than the national average, at 94.3 percent, while the national rate is 90.5, according to figures from 2007-09. Several women spoke last week about their positive experience in working with the Center for Breast Care staff. We’re pleased to hear such quality care is being delivered right here in Biddeford, and encourage women to do their part to help with early detection by getting regular checkups, performing at-home breast exams and getting regular mammograms as recommended by age and family history.

Thumbs up to the United States Postal Service for hosting meetings to hear from residents in towns where post office hours are slated to change. Last week, post offices in Newfield and East Parsonsfield hosted forums for residents to express their opinions about cutting back retail hours at their local post offices. The USPS has proposed the cuts to save money, but before making the changes, the agency allowed for options to be discussed by those who use the facilities. While the cutbacks are needed, we’re pleased to see the postal service discussing the issue with its customers before implementing changes.

Thumbs up to the Wells Conservation Commission for its work to increase habitat for the endangered New England cottontail rabbit. The species is believed to number in the hundreds, and efforts have been under way in the area to create more habitat conducive to these animals so their numbers will begin to rise. Now, about 25 more acres will be set up to attract these rabbits at the Perkins Town Commons in Wells.

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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.