CHEERS: to David Ashline of Willsboro for some inspired and, we hope, some effective rabble rousing on behalf of motorists in his town. Ashline is circulating a petition to prod the state to repair a very badly battered stretch of Route 22 between the Village of Willsboro and the Route 9 intersection near Northway exit 33. Anyone who hasn't driven over that washboard in the past couple of years can't fully imagine the test it has become for a vehicle's suspension. Meanwhile, 44 miles of the Northway is being repaired perpendicular to Route 22. By comparison, that stretch of highway is pristine, yet it is being resurfaced. Ashline has collected more than 1,200 signatures on a petition to send to Sen. Betty Little, Room 506 of the Legislative Office Building, Albany, N.Y. 12247. He has written a Letter to the Editor, which will appear soon, that he suggests readers cut out, sign and send to the senator to see if she can generate some Department of Transportation action. Ashline is an example of a citizen activist taking it upon himself to get government to respond to a real community need. We wish him luck with the project.

CHEERS: To stores that encourage customers bring in reusable bags. Most of the grocery stories in the North Country and a few of the department stores offer coated bags that customers can buy, usually for a reasonable price like 99 cents. Instead of using the store's plastic bags every time they shop, people can bring in the reusable bags, which usually hold more and are sturdier anyway. Some of the stores even give you a couple of cents back when you bring a bag for your groceries. It's a monetary savings for the store and also surely keeps some bags out of the landfill. Sure, those plastic grocery bags can be recycled, but how many people are diligent enough to make sure every one is returned to a store for recycling. The reusable bags are a greener option from our green grocers. We applaud them and the customers who use reusable bags.

CHEERS and good luck: to the State Department of Environmental Conservation in gathering public comments in its efforts to put the lid on opening burning. It's just astounding that in this era of environmental enlightenment anyone would still be allowed to set fire to materials and let the smoke waft where it may. Even if the materials weren't strictly speaking regarded as toxic, the smoke can be deadly to impaired lungs. At the very best, it's offensive to perfectly good lungs. We'll repeat the address to offer comments on this long-overdue piece of business: Robert Stanton, DEC Division of Air Resources, 625 Broadway, second floor, Albany, NY, 12233-3254.