Thumbs up, down from the Yuma Sun

• Thumbs up to the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, which gave Yumans quite the show on Dec. 22. The mysterious light show zooming across the evening sky sparked imaginations as the Falcon 9 rocket carried the latest batch of satellites into orbit for Iridium Communications.

• Thumbs up to the Yuma Police Department, which partnered with Santa and Mrs. Claus on Christmas Eve to deliver gifts to children who were spending the holiday at Yuma Regional Medical Center.

• Thumbs up to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, which is in the midst of an image change to give its vehicles a clearer identity that is visually distinct from other local police agencies. In an area such as Yuma, with Border Patrol, DPS, Yuma Police Department, and a variety of other local law enforcement agencies, distinct color schemes help people identify the agency at a glance.

• Thumbs up to the drop in Yuma County’s unemployment rate. In November, our rate improved to 15.6 percent, a big improvement from 18 percent in October. Obviously, we still have a ways to go, but the move is definitely positive for our community!

• Thumbs down to the more than 2,000 people arrested across the state for driving under the influence between Thanksgiving and Christmas. While the Associated Press notes that most were misdemeanor charges, 415 were considered extreme cases. And frankly, more than 2,000 arrests is simply scary. If you are drinking, call a ride — don’t endanger others.

• Thumbs down to the closure of one of the two westbound lanes on Interstate 8 on the bridge over the Colorado River near downtown Yuma, right before Christmas. The closure is expected to last for about a month, and it’s necessary for crews to repair a bridge expansion joint. While we understand the importance of the repair, the timing wasn’t great, considering all the people who travel over the holidays.

Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down are compiled by the Yuma Sun editorial board, based on recent events, happenings and activities around Yuma County and the nation, and will appear on Fridays in the Yuma Sun.

DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS OR NOT?

With the new year quickly approaching, we have a golden opportunity to make 2018 a year of renewed hope, endless possibilities and a striving for the betterment of the human condition.

Ronald Reagan once said, “You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children’s children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.”

— A Time For Choosing. The Speeches of Ronald Reagan.

All of us have the ability to make a difference, big or small. Use your talents for the good.

Be that positive change.