Reasons to be proud

Families in our community must be doing things right.

As a town, we have had to deal with our share of sadness this summer and recent past.

But we have also had our share of bright moments that reflect well on this population of around 10,000 people.

Locally, a boy in elementary school used his own money to buy wristbands to raise funds for a classmate undergoing chemotherapy treatment. He plans to have more of them available this weekend at another fundraiser.

Another local teen gave a spectacular baton performance on America's Got Talent, and he will have another chance to perform in August.

Then a college student from Clyde wins a national contest for texting on a cell phone and a $50,000 prize.

Each of these young people exemplifies several strong beliefs we hear repeatedly and share as a community. They are that we must support each other, that hard work and practice will pay off, and that local youths need exposure to technology for future success.