Our View: Thumbs up, thumbs down

Catching up after a couple weeks off ...

Thumbs up and congratulations to Yuba City native Leanne Marshall for winning Bravo's fifth season of "Project Runway." To recap: the reality TV show challenges its contestants to create new fashion designs each week. The show started with 16 contestants in July. A contestant a week was eliminated, with three remaining for the finale. Entertainment Weekly predicted Marshall would win, declaring "she's got a talent for sculptural silhouettes that are feminine but not cloying, and she shows no signs of morphing into a catchphrase-spouting fame whore the minute she's anointed. Refreshing!" Marshall, a former Appeal-Democrat employee, will be featured in an editorial piece in Elle magazine and received $100,000 cash to create her own clothing line. She also won a new 2009 Saturn hybrid.

Thumbs up to the downtown Marysville business owners and volunteers who are trying to make a difference benefiting the city's image. The "Scarysville Halloween Festival," happening 5-9 p.m. Friday, will feature trick-or-treating, tractor hay rides, a pet costume contest and a Halloween fashion show, among other activities. Lavina Blaser, the co-owner of The Brick Coffee House and Café who is coordinating the event, said the current economic doom and gloom served as inspiration to lift spirits. "We have to learn to work together and play together," said Blaser," and we need to have some fun."

Thumbs up and down: Have you been to the new-look Plumas Street to check out how $13.4 million can transform a downtown? The Yuba City streetscape project lasted a little over a year and caused hardships for merchants and customers alike. But a month after the street was completely reopened, it's great to see the street now regarded as a destination spot, especially on nights and weekends. However, there are some shortcomings with the new look, including the number and size of the parking spaces and the access for the disabled. We're not wishing "road rage" upon anyone, but the potential exists.

Thumbs down to the outrageous display of anti-Semitism demonstrated at a suburban St. Louis middle school when some students staged what they called "Hit a Jew Day." According to The Associated Press, sixth-graders at Parkway West Middle School in Chesterfield last week began an unofficial "Spirit Week" that started with a "Hug a Friend Day," but moved to "Hit a Tall Person Day" and, finally, "Hit a Jew Day." A handful of students directly involved in organizing the action have been suspended and told to undergo counseling. But what about the students who knew of outrageous behavior and did nothing? "There is a mix of sadness and outrage," said district spokesman Paul Tandy. "The concern is a lot of kids knew about it and they didn't take action or say anything."

Hard work, good food and a desire to better educate students are the ingredients of a recipe for success for Lincrest Elementary School in Yuba City. As detailed in the newspaper's education section last week, the Lincrest Parent Club plays a huge role in the school's achievements, helping fundraise about $35,000 yearly. That money helps pay for students' field trips, which offers them new avenues of learning. "They work very hard to make sure we can meet the needs of the students," school principal Elisabeth Miller said. Meanwhile, Lincrest has a state Academic Performance Index score of 841, the highest in the Yuba City Unified School District. Coincidence? We offer a big thumbs up to those parents who are making a difference.