Up: To city employees.

It was good to see suggestions from city employees on how to save taxpayer dollars. They had many good recommendations. Perhaps that should be an exercise city employees have to do even when times are not as tough as this year. In fact, more government entities need incentive programs to encourage employees to find cost-cutting measures.

Down: To dry conditions.

A dry spring can mean grass fires, and grass fires can be terribly vexing for landowners and firefighters alike. They can be hard to predict, particularly with strong winds, and they take a lot of time to get under control. Rains might put a damper on recreation plans, but water is good for the subsoil moisture that crops need for healthy growth.

Up: To academic letters.

Academic letters might seem like nothing unusual because students today are used to getting letters for sports and for grades. But many grown-ups never had that opportunity when they went to high school. Jocks would walk the halls with letter jackets and letters. Kids with good grades but poor coordination could buy the jackets like anyone else but couldn’t even display their school pride with a letter, even though the point of any school is education. At some schools, academics was rewarded with perhaps a pin for the jacket or even an Honor Society cord on the commencement gown but little else. Having a full letter for academics rights a wrong.