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1:04 PM Friday, October 30, 2009

Here are this week’s  “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” selections:

Thumbs up to some good news for Middletown and local veterans. A $2.3 million Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic is to be constructed on North Union Road, adjacent to the Atrium Medical Center campus, according to the Dayton VA Medical Center. It will replace the smaller VA facility on North University Boulevard and likely employ more workers. The community should be pleased to see that Atrium’s vision — developing a high-tech medical community that surrounds the new hospital — is taking shape.

It doesn’t matter at whom the comment was directed. Madison Twp. Trustee Robert Ward gets a “thumbs down” for calling a fellow township officeholder “an idiot” at a meeting earlier this month. Witnesses say it wasn’t clear whether Ward was directing the insult at fellow Trustee Alan Daniel or fiscal officer Amy Schenck during a discussion about insurance premium reimbursements for Ward. The timing of the outburst was unfortunate for Ward, who is up for re-election in the Nov. 3 election. He has reportedly apologized to his colleagues, so it will be interesting to see if voters hold the matter against him. In any event, the incident is a reminder for all public officials that, while they may not always agree while doing the public’s business, they must treat one another with respect and civility.

Thumbs up and congratulations to Andrew Riddiough, the new chief of the Joint Emergency Medical Services District in the Franklin area. Riddiough, a resident of Franklin, is JEMS’s first-ever full-time chief and formerly was a captain, battalion chief and lieutenant for the Mason Fire Department. Monday, Oct. 26, was his first day on the job, taking charge of a well-respected, top-notch organization. Good luck, chief.

Thumbs up to Middletown’s Abilities First Early Childhood Learning Center, which recently was awarded a two-star rating from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Abilities First is the first center in the Middletown area to earn two stars, director Kathy Herman told staff writer Rick McCrabb recently. Centers can earn a one-, two- or three-star rating by meeting a list of quality benchmarks. The two-star rating is another feather in the cap of Abilities First, an institution with a long history of serving Middletown families. We’re sure they will be shooting for three stars in the future.

And finally, a ghoulish “thumbs up” to all the youngsters who will be out this Halloween night, trick-or-treating in their neighborhoods. Be careful and don’t eat all that candy tonight. To motorists: Be extra cautious tonight and help make this an enjoyable holiday for all the little goblins.

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