CHEERS: to the city of Brunswick, which has been ranked in the August issue of Family Circle as one of America’s 10-best towns for families. Factors in Brunswick’s selection, according to the national magazine, include its sense of community spirit, a highly ranked school system, and the city’s efforts to be more “green.” Brunswick was chosen from a list of more than 1,800 cities by Family Circle, which has a circulation of more than 5 million.

CHEERS: to local members of STAND, a student-run tobacco awareness and education group, for making one more stand on Medina’s Public Square last week, even as the organization fell victim to state funding cuts. The General Assembly’s raid on the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation also spelled the end for Medina County’s state-funded tobacco prevention program — though former coordinator Dr. John Waddell is working to set up a new local nonprofit organization, supported by grants.

CHIDINGS: to the Justice Department for considering letting the FBI investigate Americans on the basis of profiles that include racial and ethnic traits, instead of any evidence of wrongdoing. Critics rightly suggest such tactics discard the presumption of innocence the U.S. justice system is based upon. It also calls to memory the arbitrary internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Let’s not go down that shameful road again.

CHEERS: to all the young bookworms taking part in this year’s Summer Reader-Summer Writer program, sponsored by the Medina County District Library and The Gazette. Participants write reviews of the books they are reading this summer. Select reviews are being published in the newspaper. Entry forms are available at any district library branch or at www.mcdl.info under the link, “Summer Reading.” The summer is young — keep reading and writing!