In Farmington Monday, several drivers received tickets for ignoring posted warnings about rising water in the roadways. Cheers to the officers writing the tickets and jeers to the drivers who, for whatever reason, think that “road closed” signs don’t apply to them.

Public safety officers don’t close streets to inconvenience motorists. It’s done to keep people safe, and when someone ignores such a warning sign and drives down a flooded street, they are putting themselves in danger and potentially endangering the lives of every person who may respond to save them.

The fine for ignoring a posted warning is $106. That’s cheap considering what could have happened if a motorist or rescuer had been swept downriver.

*

Cheers to Nick White and Brent Gammon for mustering the courage Thursday afternoon to shove and then row an aluminum boat across 500 feet of Lake Pennesseewassee to rescue a dog that had fallen through the ice.

The dog, which has since been reunited with its owner in Otisfield, was seen walking on the ice in Norway just after 2 p.m.

When he dropped through the ice, White and Gammon barely paused before they headed out to help the animal, pushing the boat until the ice under their feet cracked, and then rowing the boat out to the dog and pulling him to safety.

It was an exceptionally selfless and very humane thing to do.

*

The senior class at Livermore Falls High School, for the third consecutive year, cooked and served up a turkey dinner with all the fixin’s for local senior citizens at the school last Sunday.

It’s a tremendous event that takes a remarkable amount of staff, parent and student effort to coordinate, and the seniors are delighted to be invited to dine.

According to several seniors who attended the event, the students were beautifully dressed and delightfully polite in serving and clearing tables, and in helping seniors back to their cars after the meal and afternoon’s entertainment.

Cheers to these students for arranging this treat in their community. It was a true gift.

*

Congratulations and cheers to Sun Journal writer Bob McPhee for being honored by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame with its Medal of Courage.

McPhee, a stand-out high school athlete while a student at Mountain Valley High School, was paralyzed during a football scrimmage his senior year.

The brain-stem injury left him without a voice or the use of his legs and only limited mobility of his fingers and upper body. Despite these challenges, McPhee went on to become an award-winning journalist and was inducted into the Maine Amateur Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2000 as both an athlete and journalist.

McPhee, who lives in Dixfield, will accept the national award in June, and is predictably humble about the honor.

“I have just tried to live life the best possible way,” he said. And he has, with great determination, talent and courage.

[email protected]