Cheers and jeers from around the news:

• Jeers to Stand for Marriage Maine for attacking the credibility of school boards. Two spokespersons for the group, which is advocating for repeal of same-sex marriage, recently derogated school boards as being unresponsive to concerns of parents.

Serving on a school board can be a thankless, tedious job, rife with political disagreements, funding squeezes, convoluted regulations and representing a diverse, impassioned constituency concerned with an important duty: the education of children. They are volunteers, not dictators, and should be applauded for their service, not insulted for being allegedly aloof from the public.

• Cheers to L.L. Bean, the state and the taxidermist extraordinaire Mark Dufresne of Gray for combining to create the unique, and incredibly compelling, exhibit of clashing bull moose being unveiled today in Freeport. The interlocked antlers are real (attached to replica moose), found in the woods of New Sweden, when they were attached to the bodies of their original owners, who died in battle. 

The re-creation of their last moment is an evocative representation of nature’s fury and tragic elegance. The moose, as shown, are in the throes of warfare, yet those viewing their clash know it is all for naught. Without getting too deep, it’s possible this display is the pre-eminent (and probably only) moose-themed exhibit of existential artistry in the entire world. 

In short, it’s a cool thing. Go and see it. 

• Jeers to big, garish sports venues. Here’s a thought that occurred to us while watching the Dallas Cowboys play in their new $1 billion stadium last weekend: As the view from home (on large, high-definition televisions) improves and ticket costs increase, are these stadiums viable?

The economics of sports arenas is somewhat loopy. They aren’t, unless they serve multiple purposes, the economic drivers many think. This could possibly make them vulnerable to simple math:  You can see every game on a $1,000 television, or just one from a $300 seat.

It will be worth watching if attendance for professional sports dwindles, given for many that the best seat in the house is literally at home.

• Cheers to Maine’s community colleges. Memo to lawmakers: They work. Their amazing record of enrollment — an 84 percent increase since their inception in 2003 — is a testament to what happens when higher education is brought within fiscal reach of the broad population.

This record of community colleges, like Central Maine Community College in Auburn, demands continued financial support. These schools are a rousing success so far, and their continued growth is critical to the state’s future.

• And finally, cheers to Jared Turcotte. The top runner for the University of Maine football team, and former Lewiston gridiron star, underwent abdominal surgery this week. His return is uncertain. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him on the field this fall.

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