Thumbs up to the volunteers who are repairing the boardwalk through the Saco Heath. The Heath is a treasure of nature, a bog preserve that supports unique plant and animal species. Having a walkway through this land ”“ one that is in good repair ”“ allows visitors to take in its wonders without disturbing the ecosystem.

Putting the new plastic decking on floating frames, however, is no walk in the park, and these volunteers have their work cut out for them through the next couple of years. Thanks to the dedication and love of nature expressed by these folks, largely led by those from the Nature Conservancy and the Mount Agamenticus Conservation Crew, the Heath will continue to be available for all of us to enjoy safely.

Thumbs up to the Biddeford RiverWalk Coalition and other supporters of the development of a riverwalk in the city, which is now coming closer to becoming a reality. This project is a key element to the renaissance of the downtown, along with a parking garage and continued mill reuse plans. Now construction is slated to begin on phase I, thanks to a Riverfront Community Development Bond and $87,000 from the Route 111-Mill Redevelopment TIF district fund. Getting this money was the hard work and planning of city officials, particularly in the Economic Development department, over several years that have allowed the RiverWalk plans to move forward.

Thumbs up to Dennis Robillard and other volunteers in Old Orchard Beach who have taken it upon themselves to host a nightly flag raising in honor of a deceased veteran. This small act of remembrance is a testament to patriotism of this small town and a wonderful way to remind the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country that we still care, and we haven’t forgotten them.

Thumbs down to those who defaced Hollis and Limington with graffiti last week, spraying racial slurs, swastikas and other vulgarities on public property, from road signs to the roads themselves. Not only is this a grave sign of disrespect for property that is not their own and for the towns as a whole, but the content of the graffiti is also of concern. It’s hard to say whether those who left these markings are serious about “white power” and truly hate gays, Jews and persons of color, or if they just wanted to create the most shock and offense regardless of their personal feelings. But whether these people are truly seeking to spread hate or not, the messages they wrote have undoubtedly left some residents feeling less safe in their communities ”“ and that is simply unacceptable. Slurs such as these and wording lashing out against minorities is contemptable in any context, and we stand with the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine, York County Sheriff’s Office, Portland-based Center for Preventing Hate and others in condemning these acts. We hope police can find the culprits and bring them to justice and a better understanding of how their actions impact others, regardless of their intent.

Thumbs up to Kennebunk and Kennebunkport for considering solar power options for their public buildings through a program that will provide the panels for free. Kennebunk has already signed onto the offer from DataComm Services Energy to install panels on three to four town buildings and expect to save $2,700 for each of those installations. Meanwhile, Dayton is seeing success with its solar panel, installed on the newly-constructed municipal building, saving money overall during the past year even though they had to pay in $8,200 toward its initial purchase. We hope Kennebunkport will go forward with the DataComm Services Energy plan and go solar, as neighboring Kennebunk plans to do. Kennebunkport officials seems to have some concerns about aesthetics, but it’s hard to believe that the panels will take away from the town’s appeal. On the contrary, visitors will see that residents there are not only protective of their history, but also progressive and efficiency-minded.

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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.