Cheers to all the volunteers working this week to put together food baskets and holiday dinners to help our struggling communities celebrate next week’s Thanksgiving holiday, including The Dawg House restaurant in Lewiston, which is offering a free meal Thursday, and the Western Maine Labor Council, which is distributing more than 40 baskets stuffed with locally grown food on Monday.

These two efforts are among dozens in Franklin, Oxford and Androscoggin counties organized by people to help their neighbors enjoy the local bounty. This tremendous charitable spirit is a terrific way to kick off the holiday season, and we encourage anyone who can help a neighbor to do so.

No one should be hungry on Thanksgiving.

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It might be too easy to jeer a man who is going to spend the next 24 years in jail, but Paul Tracy deserves a jeer as much as he deserves jail.

On Wednesday, the 45-year-old New Sharon man was sentenced in Franklin County for multiple sex crimes committed against a child over a 10-year-period.

Tracy’s friends argued that he serve no jail time but, instead, that this career military man be released on probation to be monitored for a period of years. The judge disagreed, citing the relentless and prolonged nature of the crime.

As Tracy was led from the courtroom in handcuffs, he turned to his young victim and the victim’s family and yelled, “I hope you’re (expletive) satisfied.”

Satisfied?

That Tracy is being properly punished for inflicting a decade of abuse and torment on a young boy?

Hardly.

Satisfaction is not something they will ever get, but they have gotten justice.

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Cheers to Mt. Blue foreign language teacher Ewan Good, who has been recognized by Cornell University for his exceptional work in the classroom.

Good said the recognition came “out of the blue,” which may be true, but it was earned through hard work and dedication to his students.

As Good’s former student Jason Ramsey said, Good’s “honest, passionate approach to teaching” cultivated a love of learning in his students, motivating Ramsey to become one of Cornell’s top graduates.

What makes Cornell’s recognition so rewarding is that the university tags a scholarship to the award. So, years after Good inspired Ramsey in the classroom, the resulting echo is a $4,000 scholarship for another Mainer, Zach Hernandez of East Dixfield, now a freshman at Cornell.

Isn’t it amazing what one good teacher can do?

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Cheers to student athletes, coaches and boosters at Leavitt Area and Mountain Valley high schools for battling to the brink of Saturday’s Class B State Championship football game.

Each team deserves congratulations for their respective streaks of competition and sportsmanship, and we wish all the players well.

Game time? Kick-off is 11:06 a.m. at Portland’s Fitzpatrick Stadium.

Dress warmly. It’ll be a cold one.

editorialboard@sunjournal.com