HIT: To all of the people participating and helping organize CROP Walks in the region.

Throughout Cayuga County and central New York, these walks are taking place this month to help raise funds to combat hunger locally and around the world. A list of local events and additional information can be found online at www.cwscrop.org/newyork or by calling (888) CWS-CROP.

CROP has been around for many years and made a major impact, but unfortunately hunger is a problem that always needs to be addressed. The global economic crisis we're now experiencing is likely to make this year's walks as important as ever.

HIT: To the gorgeous fall weather of the past few days.

At a time of year when snow is possible, you couldn't ask for anything better than what we experienced this past holiday weekend.

MISS: To the death of David Emerson, the former president of the Emerson Foundation who was still serving on the board.

Emerson devoted his life to the cause of the foundation, which has helped lift the community in countless ways through its philanthropic mission.

“David Emerson was a caring person, a community champion and a dedicated philanthropist,” the foundation board of directors said in a news release.

We couldn't say it any better.

HIT: To the high interest in elections on display this fall.

How encouraging to read about people waiting in line to register to vote on Saturday, when the county Board of Elections held bonus office hours to allow people to register prior to the state deadline.

Certainly the historic presidential election this year is creating much of that interest.

Hopefully many of these first-time voters, or voters planning to go the polls after many years of skipping out, will retain that interest in their representative democracy past Nov. 4.