CHEERS: to the city for putting up clear, attractive and helpful directional signs around the downtown area. That section of the city is not an easy place to navigate, if you're from out of town. The problem is compounded by one-way streets. (While we complain about the number of one-way streets in a tourism-oriented community, we conceded that Plattsburgh's streets generally are narrower than in most cities, and there simply may not be enough room on them to comfortably and safely accommodate two-way traffic.) The blue directional signs will help anyone not sure of what they're looking for, no matter where they're from. It seems as if most points of potential interest are on the signs. The city's Community Development Office applied and received a federal grant to pay for the signs, and the Public Works Department installed them. They are a terrific enhancement for anyone trying to find a locale in the downtown maze, and they look great, too.

JEERS: to the Town of Tupper Lake for getting involved in what should be an issue between the Village of Tupper Lake and its citizens. We were tempted to cheer the town for spurring an important debate, but, by advocating dissolution of the village, the town is acting like the 800-pound gorilla that sits on you to get its way. Inasmuch as the town and village compete in certain areas, such as for grants and employees, this could be just one competing municipality eliminating another.

CHEERS: to the Plattsburgh Noon Rotary Club for an extraordinarily generous gesture to someone members had come to know pretty well. Courtney Waldron for some time had been a waitress at the Elk's Lodge, where the weekly meetings are held, and greeted the members as they showed up to hand over their fees for lunch. It became known that she was leaving Plattsburgh to study dental hygiene at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. Member Colin Read suggested that the members take up a donation to get her off on the right foot. In fact, Rep. John McHugh was the speaker at that meeting, and Read speculated that probably many of the attendees had donated, at one time or another, to a congressman's campaign but never had the congressman donated to them, whereupon McHugh got the hint and cheerfully withdrew his wallet and made the first contribution to the Courtney fund, kiddingly acknowledging he'd just been properly shaken down. In all, the club stuffed $882 into the hat, which should get Courtney confidently out of town. Service clubs appropriately get recognition for the fundraising campaigns they undertake, but here was one that was strictly ad libbed and proves that the average Rotarian has the heart of a Lion ... or other appropriate animal.