Thumbs up to all those who participated in a round table discussion last week between the Regional School Unit 23 board and its municipal officials from Saco and Old Orchard Beach ”“ unfortunately, Dayton officials were invited, but none showed. Communication is key between school committees and towns in this difficult economy, as both work to create budgets that will be best for residents and students.

After failing several times at the polls last year, it’s good to see the RSU working on its budget and discussing its finances with the member towns. Members of local tax watchdog group, Saco Citizens for Sensible Taxes, also participated to express their concerns about rising taxes. Hopefully, all of this work and communication will lead to a budget that can be accepted by residents the first time around.

Thumbs up to two volunteer firefighters ”“ and fledgling entrepreneurs ”“ for helping another firefighter in need. Nicky Hilton, a York volunteer firefighter, and Kenneth Noseworthy, a volunteer with the Milton and Middleton, N.H. fire departments, launched their apparel company, Moar Heat, recently, and at the same time, learned of a fire that damaged another firefighter’s home. Capt. Gillian Utgard, of the Wells Fire Department, was in the basement of his Sanford home on Feb. 4 when a neighbor alerted firefighters to smoke coming from the eaves of his home. Last week, the pair pledged to donate the net profits of their first T-shirt orders through Friday to Utgard and his family to help pay for repairs. This kind of camaraderie is heart-warming, and we wish Hilton and Noseworthy the best of luck in their new venture.

Thumbs up to the Kennebunk town manager and selectmen for continuing to pursue parking solutions for Lower Village. Selectmen discussed a proposal with two options last week, the first of which would see annual revenues of about $40,000, based in part on $5 day passes for those utilizing a 48-space lot. The second proposal projects revenues of about $43,000 for a 45-space lot. Instead of a $5 day pass, there would be a $2 hourly rate. Town Manager Barry Tibbetts said the estimates are conservative, and he believes in the near future, the lot would be self-sustaining. Increasing access to the area would help local business and boost visitors to the area. Lower Village and Dock Square in Kennebunkport are often packed in warm weather, and there is limited parking within close distance to the area. This proposal is likely to work out well for the town, and depending on the type of lot and payment method chosen, it could even make the municipality money someday.

Thumbs up to the Sanford School Committee for working on plans to reorganize its schools to cut back on maintenance costs and minimize the amount of times students have to change buildings. Currently, some students attend three different schools in their elementary years, depending on where they live, while others only attend one school, officials said at a forum last week. With the upcoming construction projects ”“ a new high school and technical center and a new elementary school ”“ planning ahead will serve the district well when it comes time to consolidate and move students to different buildings.

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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.