Thumbs up: Facebook

During times of great personal tragedy, such as occurred in Branford this week, friends and family come together to grieve. The Internet — social networking sites like Facebook in particular — expands that circle of support greatly, far beyond what had once been practical or possible.

It’s a poignant thing to see the comments come in, first a trickle, then a flood, as word of heartbreaking loss begins to spread.

Thumbs up: The FHSAA

The Florida High School Athletic Association has meted out penalties and fines in the soccer-brawl fiasco at Langford last week, hitting Trinity Catholic a bit harder than the home team.

That strikes us as fair.

We’re not defending the violence we saw on the field. Nonetheless, match officials — who during the game’s last 20 minutes let trouble brew, then disappeared just as it began to erupt — must surely bear some of the blame.

Thumbs up: City Councilman Adam Prins

When it became clear City Hall had no interest in even inquiring as to whether or how much might be saved by combining city and county building departments, Prins took it upon himself to dig deeper.

He came back to the Council Tuesday with news some there didn’t want to hear: the deal might well be worth pursuing.

The matter’s been sent back to committee and now may at least get a fair hearing.