Thumbs up, down from the Yuma Sun
• Thumbs up to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. The Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA225) recently transitioned to an F-35B Lightning II squadron, becoming the third squadron of Joint Strike Fighters assigned to MCAS Yuma. Welcome to our skies, VMFA-225.
• Thumbs up to Arizona Western College, for its new Andale’s Apparel program. The goal is to help dress current and recently graduated students with professional clothing for career-related experiences. The program is currently accepting donations of gently used clothes.
• Thumbs up to the U.S. Border Patrol agents who are trained as emergency medical technicians and paramedics. There are 70 agents trained as EMTs and five as paramedics in the Yuma Sector, and that training literally saves lives. Thank you for your service, agents.
• Thumbs up to the Yuma County Board of Supervisors, which recently decided to keep $6.5 million locally to assist families with housing needs. Keeping those funds here ensures that Yuma County residents can get the help they need, as opposed to a state-run program that may or may not use the funds here.
• Thumbs up to George and Neely Tomkins, Ballet Yuma, Yuma Orchestra Association and the McKivergan Foundation, which were all recently nominated for the 40th annual Governor’s Arts Awards. Congrats!
• Thumbs up to reports that 1 million vaccine doses have been administered in Arizona. Here’s looking forward to the next 1 million – let’s get people vaccinated!
• Thumbs down to reports that global warming is now triggering earlier pollen, which is directly impacting allergy sufferers. More sniffles are the last thing we need right now.
• Thumbs down to people who dump trash all over the county. We live in a beautiful place, readers – please take care of it.
• Thumbs down to politicians who don’t act with their constituents’ interests at heart. If our politicians kept their voters at the center of what they do (and not the interests of lobbyists or political parties), our nation would be in a much better place.
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.