* Thumbs up to musician Allen Vizzutti for lending his world-class musical talent and trumpet to the Mercer Island High School marching band. The band is raising money for its trip to next year’s Tournament of Roses Parade. Vizzutti, who lives on the Island, has three children in school music programs. He played a sold-out show with high school musicians Jan. 22 and raised $16,000 toward their $250,000 goal to send all 260 members to Pasadena, Calif. in January 2006.

* A thumbs up and welcome to the Mercer Island Police Department’s three newest officers: Ryan Parr, Anna Ormsby and David Herzog. The three new hires replace retiring officers and will help fill in for two officers on leave after the Feb.1 shooting incident in the I-90 tunnel. These three increase the number of police officers and administrators to 31.

* Thumbs up to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department for replacing the rotting wooden boardwalk across Ellis Pond — for less than original estimates. The many people who use the nearly three-acre park will walk on a sturdier bridge made of galvanized metal and ironwood, which costs at least 40 percent less than the original $70,000 estimate because much of the work was done by department staff members.

* Thumbs up to the Mercer Island School Board members for moving on to accomplish the district’s business and goals. Though the board has been divided over the last several years — and still is in some cases — members have worked together and are now in the middle of establishing new policies on how it should govern. All this work seems to have occurred without the rancorous controversies that surrounded the board in past years.