Thumbs up, thumbs down

Thumbs up to girls playing basketball in the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference getting the chance to show off their skills at the 2023 New England Shootout Showcase June 16-17 at Staples High School in Westport. It’s taken four years to make the showcase a reality, and boys teams held their first one last year. It took a lot of collaboration to make this a reality, but it’s worth the effort to give the athletes a chance to be evaluated by Division-I NCAA coaches. As a bonus, the free event will be open to the public. Thumbs down to bear encounters. They’re rare in Connecticut, but not unheard of, as recent incidents have proven. In Avon, officials warned of an adult black bear that apparently tried to get into someone’s home. Elsewhere, a bear reportedly bit a woman who was walking her dog. While in most cases bears will steer clear of people, there has been an increase in troubling incidents reported in recent years, leading to the possibility that hunting would be approved in the General Assembly. That appears to have fallen by the wayside, but there are steps to be taken to minimize risk, especially by limiting access to food that would attract bears. Thumbs down to partisan police. An apparently longstanding practice in Fairfield has seen local Republicans offering a ride on a town police boat as part of an auction for party fundraising. Democrats are complaining, and though Republicans say this has never been an issue before, it should have nothing to do with partisanship. The police serve everyone, and everyone’s tax dollars support the police and other public services. Anything that puts public safety in a partisan lens should be reconsidered, and that includes something as seemingly innocent as offering a ride on a police boat. Local Republicans should see this is the last time the auction is held. Thumbs up to graduation. It’s commencement season at Connecticut’s colleges and universities, with a number of ceremonies featuring thousands of graduates held over the weekend. Only one, however, featured a basketball Hall of Famer. The University of Connecticut’s Ray Allen, who left school early in 1996 to pursue a career in the NBA, sat with the rest of the class of 2023 in Storrs to receive his degree. It’s not like he hasn’t been busy in the meantime, setting the record for career three-pointers (since eclipsed) and hitting one of the most memorable shots in league history for the Miami Heat. Still, his degree is a testament to perseverance. Thumbs down to another downside to the warm weather Connecticut residents enjoyed over the winter months. Yes, we were spared snow, but the higher temperatures were a welcome mat to ticks to arrive sooner than usual. As a result, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station is projecting the second-highest year for tick activity. Pet owners are advised to consult veterinarians about ways to prevent tick bites, such as special collars and medications.