HIT: To the creation of a new integrated domestic violence court in Cayuga County.

The new court will hear all domestic violence matters, ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. Judge Mark Fandrich will preside, and costs for the first two years will be covered by a $302,000 grant from the U.S. Justice Department's office on violence against women.

Among its benefits, the new court is designed to focus on victim safety and offender accountability, addressing domestic violence issues in ways which may not be possible in traditional courtroom settings.

Like specialized courts for drug crimes and young offenders, hopefully this new IDV will allow for more creative and sensitive approaches to a problem that devastates families.

HIT: To area museums who opened their doors to the public Sunday for their yearly Holiday Traditions Open House, which was well attended. Auburn and Cayuga County are rich in the culture and history of American society, and it's refreshing to see that efforts to keep the past alive are appreciated by members of the community - who are, after all, the inheritors of such a legacy.

Then, too, it's healthy that the younger set see and get a feel for how people lived in those long dead days before SUVs, DVDs and XBox.

MISS: We offer our condolences on the passing of former Mattie Street Dairy owner Charlie Arnold, who died Friday. He is a man who will be missed - by family, friends, customers and this community, in which he was truly part of the fabric which makes Auburn a great hometown.

HIT: To Christian Brothers Academy student athlete Greg Paulus, who is Duke University bound. It's hard to be cheerful when the home team takes a loss, but this athlete sure is something to watch.

More importantly, he showed a great deal of class and humility when interviewed after Friday's game against Auburn High School. Hopefully, this talented central New Yorker will carry the values of his alma mater with him as he moves on to bigger and better things, and bring honor to a game which has been shamed by the thuggish behavior of so-called NBA professionals.