Thumbs up to all the supporters of 19th Century Willowbrook Village, which announced last week it will be able to open for both the 2012 and 2013 seasons. It’s heartening to see the community rally around this organization by hosting fundraiser dinners and purchasing memberships. We’re glad Willowbrook will continue to welcome visitors and hope the support for the museum will continue.

Thumbs down to the beachfront property owners still working to end public access to Goose Rocks Beach. The Town of Kennebunkport is fighting this matter in court and rightfully so, as public access had been allowed for hundreds of years. It is unfortunate that a small group of people are pushing to keep others from visiting this beautiful beach and wasting taxpayer money to defend against their lawsuit to do so. We hope justice prevails, and public access will be maintained at Goose Rocks Beach.

Thumbs up to all of those who voted in Tuesday’s election, and everyone who helped others cast ballots by offering rides or picking up an absentee ballot. Maine has a strong tradition of voter participation and it continued on Tuesday as the masses headed to the polls to weigh in on gambling, same-day voter registration and candidates.

Thumbs up to the organizers and participants of Maine Recycling Week events. Over the weekend, Biddeford’s Solid Waste Management Commission sponsored a free shredding event at the Biddeford Recycling/Transfer Station for residents, and all the shredded materials were recycled. While Maine fares well for recycling rates, there is always more that can be done ”“ particularly in Biddeford where there is curbside pickup of trash, but not curbside recycling. Recycling saves money and reduces the amount of trash put into landfills. We hope everyone in York County will mark Maine Recycling Week ”“ which runs through Tuesday ”“ by making a trip to the transfer station with their recyclables, starting a compost or making sure they dispose of lightbulbs and batteries properly.

Thumbs up to all the people who marched in a Veterans Day parade, looked on, or attended an event to mark Veterans Day last week. Our service members, past and present, should be remembered and honored, and we’re pleased local events mark the day, giving us all an opportunity to pay respect to those who have fought for this country in the armed forces.

Thumbs up to the Home Depot for donating two brand-new freezers to the Old Orchard Beach Methodist Church Clothes Closet and Food Pantry last week. The freezers, along with food and $200 in gift cards, were donated by the company. The food pantry received some new shelving recently and were in need of more cold storage, with its demand on the rise. The freezers should help more food last longer before it can be distributed to area residents in need. 

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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 e-mail at jtcommunity@journaltribune.com or by dropping your letter off at our Biddeford or Sanford offices.