THUMBS UP: Thirteen and counting. What started out as a healthy field of five or so candidates in the mayoral primary has now ballooned to 13 City Hall aspirants - a field that includes several aldermen, a state representative and a former state senator. We're glad to see a range of choices, but it's startling to see such pent-up demand for public service when the last mayoral race went uncontested. Once this flock of candidates get their nomination papers in they'll face off on April 7 in a vote that will narrow the field to two finalists.

THUMBS DOWN: That wasn't the smoothest sentencing hearing approach we've ever read about. Former Burlington Catholic Central High School boys basketball coach Paul Deacon got into it with Brown County Circuit Court Judge Donald Zuidmulder this week when he disputed how much money he owed Bay Port High School for improprieties when he coached there. Deacon was found guilty of felony theft for depositing vendor checks into a personal account instead of the school district's account. Prosecutors say he owes the district $10,928, but Deacon says he spent a nearly equal amount of his own money. In what was reported as a "fiery exchange," the judge told Deacon that arguing he owed little or nothing didn't show much remorse and told the coach he could put off the restitution issue by sentencing him to prison. Instead, Judge Zuidmulder reset the sentencing hearing for April 15. We would suggest a starting lineup of: "Yes, your honor" and "No, your honor."

THUMBS DOWN: A sad economic note came on the music front this week - the announcement that the Racine Symphony Orchestra was cancelling the last two concerts of its season because of a drop in revenue. Grants, patron donations, convert revenue, underwriting and sponsorship income were all off this year and the RSO's board decided that playing out the season might jeopardize the orchestra's future. This way, at least, they could live to play another day.

THUMBS UP: The drum of basketballs on hardwood and the screech of sneakers is reaching a fever pitch. March must be close at hand. The girls basketball squads started their hunt for state championship glory this week with regional contests that saw Waterford, Case, Burlington, Union Grove, Racine Lutheran, Prairie and St. Catherine's advance into weekend play. Play hard and make some good memories.

THUMBS UP: It's always good to have Cheesehead champions to root for; it gives Flyover Country a little bit more respect. A tip of the hat goes out this week to Cambridge native (that's Wisconsin, right outside Madison and not Massachusetts) Matt Kenseth who backed up his Daytona 500 win with a second victory a week later in the Auto Club 500 at Fontana, Calif. Maybe that will send NASCAR to rewriting its rules, again.