An unusual scene took place during a murder trial at the Blair County Courthouse last week.

On Wednesday morning, Eleanor Chromy, the mother of murder victim Marcus John Chromy of Johnstown, gave a prayer shawl to Roseann Dugan, the mother of Shawn Dugan, who later that day was convicted of the July 6, 2008, crime and sentenced to life in prison.

Eleanor Chromy told Mirror reporter Phil Ray, "We joined each other in sorrow."

It was a unique and public act of forgiveness to a fellow mother who Eleanor Chromy said "was heartbroken."

"We told each other how sorry we were," she said.

No one knows how they might react if, heaven forbid, they are faced with a similar, tragic situation.

But it seems Eleanor Chromy, relying on her faith, took the high road in the most dire of times.

We offer her our condolences and a special thumbs-up.

Others worthy of thumbs-up/ thumbs-down mention:

Thumbs-down to Altoona Water Authority Chairman Maurice Lawruk, who last month participated in a unanimous vote to award a $384,000 contract to low-bidder RT Contracting Inc. of Altoona to do site work for the authority's proposed building on Chestnut Avenue. RT Contracting is owned by Thomas Haught, Lawruk's son-in-law. The chairman should have abstained from the vote. Not doing so poses a conflict of interest.

Thumbs-up to a local motorcycle group that calls itself the "Low-Life Riders." The group has raised $15,000 in each of the last two years and donated the proceeds to a charity. This year, the "Low-Life Riders" will cruise on Sept. 6 to help defray the medical costs of two local children - 8-year-old Luke Murray of Altoona and 9-month old Savannah Rae Gortney of East Freedom.

Thumbs-up to L. Robert Kimball & Associates, which completed a $2 million renovation of a building on West Hill Street in Ebensburg and turned it into a company corporate conference center and training site. The effort is part of a face-lift and image upgrade of downtown Ebensburg, which is branding itself as a "great place to work, live and play."

Staying in Ebensburg, the borough welcomed its newest junior council member in Bishop Carroll senior Annie Takacs, who was sworn in last week. Thumbs up to Annie and the program, which began in 2003 with the mission to increase youth involvement in government.