HIT: To Auburn City Council for helping fund a project to slow the city's growing population of homeless cats.

The city council appears ready to give $3,000 in support of Feral Cat Friends, a group hoping to stem the feral cat population by trapping, neutering/spaying and then releasing cats back into their colonies.

Unwanted and abandoned pets are a problem in every city, and groups of cats living in abandoned buildings, accessible garages or wooded areas will only continue to multiply if left to themselves. Making it impossible for them to reproduce is one way - and a humane way - to address the problem.

MISS: To the dwindling number of male school teachers - especially at the elementary school level.

We're not blaming men, themselves, for the shortage. Men and women are certainly free to pursue any career they wish.

But with so many children growing up without an adult male at home, it's more important than ever for a well-rounded education to include the influence of educated, articulate and caring males.

HIT/MISS: To the brainstorming session held this week by economic development planners and businesspeople from all over Cayuga County.

The open dialogue is a good start, and the city and county should be holding meetings regularly - especially in light of the addition of Jon Christopher to the county's economic development staff.

There has been times when the city and county has not 'played nice' with one another.

Parochialism is not the answer.

By working together, perhaps one part of the county can land a deal impacting the entire region. An honest exchange of ideas between those responsible for economic development is a positive step toward this goal.

We will continue to echo the sentiments of many, however, that Cayuga County will never work efficiently, however, until they reduce the number of organizations working indepdently on economic development.

Less is more.

And we would also sadly note that, just after this meeting to set goals and fuel a spirit of cooperation and teamwork, we had a vivid example of how difficult teamwork may be to achieve in this city.

When Auburn-Cayuga Development Corp. President David Colegrove asked for assistance from the Auburn Industrial Development Authority at its meeting this week, he was told by AIDA's Cynthia Aikman: "I don't believe the tools in our toolbox will be able to deliver what you need."