Dear Readers,

Day after day, our TV sets and big daily newspapers seem to be filled with terrible international and national news. Street riots in the Ukraine, terrorists in Africa, drug lords in Mexico.

Back home, we have gridlock in Washington, political strife in Augusta, drought in California, storms across the nation triggering traffic tie ups and general consternation.

In our back yard, we also know tragedy, but there are a lot of good things going on in our own back yard.

Case in point: It seems that every week or so, your friends at the Boothbay Register and Wiscasset Newspaper receive calls from friends and neighbors getting together to help folks in need.

Not long ago, a well liked volunteer firefighter had a health problem and his fellow firefighters put together a dinner to raise a few bucks for his family. Or when neighbors and friends call around and set up a fundraiser to help a family who lost their home in a blaze.

Recently, some big city newspapers and a national cable talk show inquired about two Boothbay Region High School students, Jared Spofford and Jason Maddox, who took over snow plow duties for a family whose daughter was injured in a traffic accident.

Then there was the story of Andrew Hallinan, a top high school senior basketball player who was not suspended for violating school conduct rules. He was named to a state all star team, along with his coach, I.J. Pinkham.

We also have dozens of community groups that quietly roll up their sleeves to help others.

Groups like the Woodchucks, older gents who cut and provide firewood to help folks keep warm, the Student Aid Fund that helps our high school students attend college, and the Rebuilding Together gang that helps to repair homes.

Service organizations like the Rotary Club seem to be quietly helping out in various ways, from a recent drive to collect food for the Community Food Pantry, or rounding up bicycles to provide transportation for seasonal workers. They are not alone.

We all know of neighbors who visit friends who have health and age-related problems. It is not uncommon for the visitors to bring along a homecooked meal.

Lots of folks come to our communities to get away from the flood of bad news and the crush of modern urban society, where we are told about neighbors who don't know, or don't even care to know the family that lives right next door.

Many tourists visit our towns and villages for the beautiful woods, our majestic coast and tasty seafood. Some come here to take a break from an onslaught of news of riots Africa and strife in Iran. When they find out about the good things that go on in our tiny towns, it is not surprising that more than a few of them come back year after year. Some even decide to stay and pitch in.

And that, dear reader, is more good news.