CHEERS: to all those who embody the true spirit of Memorial Day — like the 700 Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and Daisies who gathered Saturday at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery to place American flags on the approximately 11,000 gravestones and monuments there. “You’re remembering who died or fought in the war, and my uncle died in a war,” said 11-year-old Carrigan Deeks, a Lodi Girl Scout. “This is the time to remember people.”

CHEERS: to the Medina County Sheriff’s Department for the creative way it reminded drivers to buckle up. Sheriff Neil Hassinger and staff spent time May 23 in Montville Township “popping” drivers — giving them a can of pop — for wearing a seat belt. As part of the state’s Click It or Ticket campaign, drivers not strapped in received a red card with a penny that said “a penny for your luck,” meaning they were lucky to be safe after driving without a seat belt. Not only does the campaign increase safety awareness, the department may be eligible to win a new cruiser or other equipment from the state for participating.

CHIDINGS: to those chipping away at the original hard-won compromises that enabled Ohio’s concealed-carry law to gain legislative approval and law enforcement support in 2004. A new bill, opposed by police groups but approved by the General Assembly and supported by Gov. Ted Strickland, broadens provisions for carrying weapons in vehicles. This isn’t so much about the issue at hand as it is about backdoor lawmaking. Gun rights advocates would be justifiably furious if the shoe was on the other foot.

CHEERS: to Brunswick Parks and Recreation Director Bob Martin and Ward 2 Councilman Vince Carl for coordinating the removal of some 13,500 tires from a city-acquired property — without spending city funds. Instead, they’ve tapped the Adopt-a-Tire program, which pays for tire removal through donations. Good thing, since there are upward of 30,000 tires on the site, which will be used to increase parking at an adjacent city park. Appropriately, the new asphalt will be in part composed of recycled, shredded tires.

CHEERS: to Wadsworth City Schools gifted coordinator Jacinda Yonker and all who worked to bring a traveling replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall to Wadsworth’s town square. Yonker saw the exhibit, called “The Wall That Heals,” on a trip last summer. She filled out an application to bring the half-scale replica to Medina County and Wadsworth American Legion Post 170 led the fundraising. The exhibit is open to the public, free of charge, 24 hours per day, from 10 a.m. today through Tuesday morning.