HIT: To the giveaway of school supplies earlier this week. The Cayuga County chapter of the NAACP, working Wal-Mart, First Niagara Bank, New Beginnings and the New York Institute of Dance and Education, handed out free school supplies to local children.

With the economy slumping and inflation rising, this is a great help to families who have multiple children in school. It's a reminder of the good works that happen in our community, and we hope this event will happen again next year.

MISS: To a disturbing allegation that a mentally and physically disabled man suffered abuse at the hands of someone who was supposed to have been helping him.

Police used a hidden camera to capture the alleged abuse on videotape. People who are unable to fend for themselves need all the protection a community has to offer, and certainly need to be able to depend upon those hired to assist them.

HIT: To area Sept. 11 remembrances. It's important to stop and think about what happened in this country seven years ago and never let the impact of that dramatic day fade from our memories.

Local remembrances are a way of paying tribute to those who perished at the hands of terrorists and honor those who saved lives and continue the fight seven years later.

HIT: To Tessy Plastics, in Elbridge, which just announced a recent expansion, its fourth in the last five years.

In times when local employers such as TRW, Bombardier and Honeywell have either shut down manufacturing facilities, laid off workers or plan to move jobs to China, it's encouraging to see a company actually expand and create much-needed new jobs.

Tessy currently employs 580 people and plans on hiring 20 more when the expansion is completed next February. We wish them much success and hope they continue to hire locally.