Thumbs up and thumbs down, Feb. 18

A hearty thumbs up to the Fort Collins Symphony and Maestro Wes Kenney for bringing a national star to Fort Collins for the Feb. 4 concert. Joe Alessi, principal trombonist of the New York Philharmonic, played the Pulitzer prize-winning Trombone Concerto by Christopher Rouse. This performance drew hundreds of young people from high schools and colleges from around the state to hear this unusual and profound work. It was a thrill to see so many young people enjoying our great orchestra.

Lee Thielen, Fort Collins

Thumbs up to the CSU Biomedical Sciences Department for putting on an incredible science event at The Museum of Discovery for the public. Both children and adults were able to touch human hearts, lungs and livers. Pig hearts were also available for guided dissection. My young daughter is fascinated by the field of anatomy after this lab, and the experience was formative. Many thanks for instilling a sense of wonder in the kids and adults of Fort Collins. This is one of the many reasons we are lucky to live in a university town.

Amy Day, Fort Collins

A sad day for those of us who have patronized the Safeway downtown for many years. We feel as though there has been a death in downtown Fort Collins. The employees of Safeway became friends to each of us. They knew our name and treated us like family. Safeway employees will be sorely missed by downtown shoppers that don't drive, business owners, restaurant owners, CSU students and the elderly shopper that needs a hug! Thank you, Safeway employees, for your caring service to our community!

Jan Orecchio, Fort Collins

On Feb. 9, The Matthews House hosted a Sweetheart Dance for families in our local community. The Sweetheart Dance was a fun night spending time together, eating delicious food, and dancing the night away. We had a blast with everyone who attended! We are forever grateful for the generous support of volunteers from Antioch Church. Their involvement made it possible to give the families a friendly welcome, hand out flowers to kids, make Valentine cards, and serve the wonderful dinner. This event is a part of our Building Community Program, which focuses on helping families and individuals gain stability in their lives through education, career development and recreation. Thank you to everyone who came — we couldn’t have asked for a better night!

Tressa Bass, family transition facilitator, The Matthews House

Attorney General Cynthia Coffman wrote in The Coloradoan a flowery endorsement of Neil Gorsuch, nominee for the federal Supreme Court. Do we have an ethics issue? I think so. As AG, she is to enforce the law, not promote candidates.

Bruce Harshberger, Loveland

A huge thumbs up to the young man who paid for my coffee at Starbucks on Harmony when he found out that I'm a veteran! I greatly appreciated it.

Jim Symons, Fort Collins