If this week's refreshingly mild temperatures over the Midcoast were not enough for spring dreamers to cling to, here are more reasons to hope:

Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil broke with his usual shadow-seeing and predicted an early spring. Thank you, Phil, thank you.

Patriots Nation got its wish for another Super Bowl victory. Disregard the dynasty's detractors. There may be decades-long droughts ahead like some teams have in this and other sports, including the Red Sox before they turned the curse. But for now and maybe another few very Brady years, we can ride the wave of success.

A low-scoring game is not a bore as some pundits proclaimed. Rather, it shows the teams were well-matched and both worthy of their Atlanta berths. The musical highlight wasn't the halftime and sadly some things we cannot unsee. The best performances besides the players' were from Gladys Knight with the national anthem and Georgia sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey with "America the Beautiful," and the added visual of the Statue of Liberty as they sang.

Unlike groundhogs, Super Bowl wins cannot foretell an early spring or a good one, but they warm the heart for the rest of the winter.

The last two positive P’s are Wiscasset-based: Planning board and playing basketball. The Mountain Valley Conference season is closing, which means spring is in sight.  The other good news was, Wiscasset still had a basketball season. May all Wiscasset school sports continue, to the benefit of students and community tradition.

As for the planning board, as we reported last week, it has a new business proposal knocking. Dollar General wants to come to town. Our Facebook post launched a slew of laments it is not some other business. Those other wishes such as a pharmacy would be great, too. I’d like to see a bowling center or a Gelato Fiasco.

But part of being business-friendly is welcoming a business that may not have been your first choice, and may even pose some competition to businesses already here. Support those businesses by buying from them. And if someone else, a Dollar General or other business, wants to do business here, let’s not throw tomatoes at them, locally grown or otherwise. 

This week’s positive parting thought: This weekend’s forecasted return to cold will help us appreciate the early spring ahead. Thanks again, Phil. Go groundhogs! Well, it worked for the Patriots, didn't it?