HIT: To the Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District, for its annual Conservation Field Day program.

The program brought roughly 500 sixth-graders to Emerson Park Wednesday for a day of instruction and hands-on activities. Putting the program together takes considerable coordination and effort, but the benefit for the students is well worth it.

Ultimately, such outreach benefits all of society by teaching our young residents - and future leaders - the importance of conservation.

HIT: To the United Way of Cayuga County, which kicked off its yearly fall fundraising campaign with a goal-setting event Wednesday night.

And the local chapter isn't holding back. This year's goal is to raise $1.38 million, the highest goal the agency has set.

At a time when the economy is struggling, this is a mighty challenge. But the local United Way and the generous community it serves have a track record of overcoming such obstacles.

MISS: To police reports of multiple stabbing incidents in the city of Auburn over the past week.

Some level of crime is inevitable in a city the size of Auburn, but it's particularly troubling to hear about cases that result in violence and people being injured.

HIT: To all of the candidates for local, state and federal races who have agreed to participate in televised debates in Cayuga County this year.

It's unfortunate, in a sense, that the nature of politics leads us to make this item into a “hit,” because voters should expect that candidates would go out of their way to participate in such an important part of the election process. But too often candidates avoid such events these days, perhaps because they won't be able to easily follow a script.

Be sure to look for the debates on TV and at auburnpub.com, starting the middle of next month.