Thumbs Up: to all of this month’s accolades! Though we usually reserve this space for one monthly acknowledgement, we have too many things deserving of recognition this month:

to the members of the Mennonite Believers Church who hosted the second (hopefully annual) ‘Soup and Salad’ event for a crowd of 350 very satisfied customers – a perfect bridge between winter’s warming soup, chowder and chili, and the fresh ingredients we look forward to this spring;

to the Fire Department, for maintaining the tradition of the Annual Ham and Bean Dinner on May 11, another of our favorite feasts;

to the dedicated crew of parents and children from Hampton, Brooklyn and neighboring towns who volunteered to clean, rake and till the baseball field at Town Hall – almost as rewarding to watch as the Little League games played there;

to the Memorial Day Committee, comprised of volunteers who have been meeting for months to organize the parade, the ceremonies, and the activities that make our town’s commemoration of Memorial Day memorable every year;

to the Recreation Commission for sponsoring the Annual Arbor Day celebration, this year at the Fletcher Memorial Library; and to the elementary school students who participated with poems and songs;

to the Senior Club for offering multiple programs, such as games and paint classes, after the culmination of the monthly luncheons that delivered scrumptious and nutritious meals and the opportunity of one another’s company;

and last but certainly far from least, to Diane Gagnon and Peter Witkowski, the kitchen wizards who planned, prepared and served luncheons we would expect at four-star restaurants for over five years. Thank you, for the delicious meals and for bringing us all together.

Thumbs Down: to the continual accidents on Route 6, one which recently resulted in a fatality. Please exercise extreme caution along this dangerous corridor.