CHEERS: to Social Services workers who really care about the clients. Recently, a young man over 21, who works and is a part-time student, was without insurance. He was falling through the cracks of the system. When he called Fidelis to inquire when he would receive a confirmation of his insurance, as the paperwork was submitted weeks earlier, he was informed it would take 45 to 90 days for his application to go through the system. He then called Rebecca Warner of the Essex County Department of Social Services office in Elizabethtown, who immediately spoke with her supervisor and, then, with approval, called Fidelis. Within 24 hours the young man's application was in the system. Those in the field of social services are generally overwhelmed with the number of clients assigned to them, yet it is reassuring to know that there are people, like Warner, who will take immediate action when needed.

JEERS: to both the manufacturers and users of overly packaged and/or disposable items. It seems as if recently there has been a proliferation of these items, with cheerful voices on TV touting the ease with which they can be used and then simply dropped into the trash or down the toilet. There are cleaning products that come with cloths, or mop heads, that are to be tossed after one usage. What ever happened to the final use for an old T-shirt that became the cloth rag? In addition, plastic-packaged lunches and cookies that are in individual serving sizes have been gaining popularity. We are creating more unrecyclable trash for landfills and using plastics derived from petro-chemicals, and a lot of the contents lack good nutritional value besides.

CHEERS: to people who preside over public meetings who request anyone asking to be recognized to offer a question or opinion to identify himself or herself. For example, "I am John Smith, owner of Smitty's Diner," or "I am Penny Wise, a taxpayer." While some in attendance may know the person, others may not. In addition, it is a way for people to get to know one another. Those of us in the news business are obvious beneficiaries of this practice, but so is just about everybody else in attendance.

JEERS: to residents of the city, villages and hamlets who don't keep the trees branches, hedges and various plants trimmed along sidewalks to allow pedestrians to use the full width of the walks. This is especially troublesome after rain or snow storms. A passerby can collect the cold, wet shoulder without suspecting it. Owners should allow unobstructed passage along city sidewalks.