Thumbs up: To the Sycamore Performing Arts Academy, which will host its third annual Sycamore Ballet Company fundraiser from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. The Fall Festival appeals to children and adults of all ages. Attendees can spend the afternoon dancing, playing, learning and creating. The Fall Festival will be held at the Sycamore Performing Arts Academy, 504 N. Main St. in Sycamore. Education and events centered around the arts are important and vital parts of the community.

Thumbs up: To the DeKalb Firefighters Historical Foundation. The new foundation, created by DeKalb firefighters, seeks to preserve the history of the 143-year-old department. A number of department artifacts – including the first chief’s badge, an early 20th-century alarm system and a couple of antique trucks – already are in the possession of the department. The foundation is looking for more and hopes eventually to raise enough money to display them in a local museum. It’s an interesting piece of local history that memorializes heroes from days gone by and helps us to appreciate how far emergency services have come.

Thumbs up: To finally seeing some relief at the pump. The price of gasoline has been falling locally, and the national average price has seen a sustained decline that is expected to continue for weeks as refiners switch to cheaper fuel blends, refinery problems are fixed, and demand drops. This week, an expert with the Oil Price Information Service told the Associated Press that declines are expected to continue for the next three weeks and prices should be at or below last year’s level for the next several weeks. Anything that helps people save a few dollars, especially ahead of the holiday shopping season, is welcome news.