CHEERS: to officials of the Essex County Fair, for a great event and, particularly, for the use of the Floral Hall. There were many more quality exhibits and less commercialism. Especially attractive was the floral display, which had many donors. Other displays, such as those provided by several towns, as well as those of a historic nature, added much. There seemed to be non-stop entertainment, which allowed fair goers to take a break and relax. Another positive note was that those who ran the midway seemed less obtrusive in their quest for customers. There was also a wide range of rides, for those who might be squeamish, to the more adventurous who enjoy having their stomachs turned inside-out. A robust cheer is in order for all of the volunteers, who spent innumerable hours organizing as well as getting the grounds in shape in spite of the adverse weather conditions.

JEERS: to Ausable Chasm for a surprising absence of trash receptacles in its parking lot one day recently. One family reports visiting the storied attraction and discovering someone had left a used baby diaper rolled up in the parking lot. One of the visitors was about to dispose of it, only to discover there were no trash cans in the lot. It seems inconceivable that the Chasm wouldn't have a receptacle -- maybe it had been misplaced. Maybe the Chasm is bedeviled by passers-by dumping garbage into its cans. But, in this case, it caused an uncomfortable inconvenience for a customer.

JEERS: to people who attend the Battle of Plattsburgh Association commemoration events but don't buy the $10 button to support the organization. There are no "button police" patrolling the Sept. 6-14 activities. If you really want to, you can wander around the events and get away with paying nothing. If everybody did that, there would be no commemoration -- most of the money comes from sponsorships and sale of buttons. The commemoration, along with the Mayor's Cup in July, is the biggest attraction of the year for Plattsburgh. It both feeds and feeds on community spirit. We strongly recommend getting into that spirit by buying a button. Then go enjoy the fun.

CHEERS: to the City of Plattsburgh Zoning Board of Appeals for granting a variance to allow the establishment of a house on Brinkerhoff Street for women who are trying to shed dependence on alcohol. The board had first rejected the request, but, when prime mover Loretta Reitsema brought the proposal back at the next meeting, it passed, 5-1. It's hard to gauge the feelings of the entire community over an idea like this one, but almost all of the people who talked or wrote to us about it were strongly in favor. Women needing this service currently have to travel inconvenient distances to receive it, and the separations from loved ones is not good for their recovery. The Brinkerhoff Street proposal makes a lot of sense, and the board should be applauded for taking a new and objective look at what we think will turn out to be a very positive element in the community.