Editor's note: The combined editorial boards of the Clarksburg Exponent and Telegram newspapers devote Saturday's editorial to recognizing positive efforts from people throughout our readership area. We call this new feature, "Hats off." To nominate a person or group for recognition, contact John Miller (626-1473), Bob Stealey (626-1438) or James Logue (626-1031).

Our hats are off to:

-- Carolyn Santilli, a former Clarksburg resident who now lives in Buckhannon. Santilli saved for two years to be able to afford to travel to Ireland to volunteer at the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation, an innovative peace center.

-- The residents of Anmoore, who each year gather for fun and fellowship at the community's Thanksgiving dinner. They also use the event to collect non-perishable food items to be given to the needy at Christmas.

-- The Lost Creek Church of God and other town residents who held a community-wide Thanksgiving dinner.

-- Tom Spruill and other organizers of the Country Roads Motorcycle Rally for moving their annual event from Snowshoe to Upshur County. The event is expected to attract several thousand people to the area July 18-21, providing an economic boon to hotels, motels, restaurants and stores.

-- To the Department of Natural Resources, hunters and meat-cutting shops that participate in the Hunters Helping the Hungry program. This program helps to provide much-needed meat to those in need throughout the Mountain State.

-- Clarksburg residents like Bob Silvis, Mary Kay Oliverio and Carl Hardy, who take an active role in cleaning up their neighborhoods. All three are involved in the Neighborhood 2000 program, as well as other efforts to make their neighborhoods nicer places to live.

-- Grafton city manager Kevin Stead and other city officials who have received more than $260,000 in state grants for the city this year. The money will be used for recycling efforts, demolishing abandoned homes, historic preservation, upgrades to city parks and purchasing a new police cruiser.

-- U.S. Cellular, for its Homeless Outreach Phone Effort that allowed homeless and underprivileged people to call their families and friends free of charge on Thanksgiving.

-- The Bridgeport High School Key Club, the Simpson Creek Young Women of Hope, and the Clarksburg Mission for serving Thanksgiving dinners to more than 50 homeless and low-income people on Thursday.

-- The Harrison County Emergency Squad and its board of directors for bringing the squad back from the brink of bankruptcy and, in so doing, being able to offer its full-time employees health and prescription coverage.