Don't let the glare of bad news blind us to all that goes right

It can take a strong stomach to digest a day’s worth of what passes for news in the cesspool of social media. And many days, one fares only marginally better with the outpourings of media outlets hawking their wares over ratings-obsessed cable and web venues.

It’s no wonder politicians seem to make so much headway pandering to the longing for simpler and safer times, with doom, gloom and dread dominating the field for a good share of the populace.

We are certainly not immune to delivering news falling somewhere toward the negative end of the scale. However, we do our best to mix in a fair measure of the inspirational and uplifting as well.

In Tuesday’s edition, we regaled readers with a recovered cash tale bordering on the miraculous.

A packet of money slipped from Jeremy Barker’s shirt pocket while he was dumping a load of trash at Riverbend Landfill. With more than a little justification, he figured that was the last he would ever see of it.

But he put in a call anyway, and landfill workers took time out to launch a search. The packet was already partially buried, but they managed to retrieve it nonetheless.

We also filled in readers on a public-private partnership that promises to pay long-term dividends.

Maintaining a team capable of low- and high-angle rope rescue has always seemed beyond the reach of McMinnville’s predominantly volunteer fire department. But Cascade Steel fields one at its McMinnville mill, and offered to team up with the department to serve the broader needs of the community as well.

On the national/international level, we seem to ingest a steady diet of government going wrong. But on the local level, government seems to be getting it right most of the time, which offers a welcome counterpoint.

Does it make a difference?

It certainly seemed to last week, when voters endorsed local government money measures for two school districts and one fire district, all by wide margins, providing a welcome dose of positive election night news.

Goodwill toward local government also paid off in last year’s May primary, when Carlton voters approved a measure to fund replacement of the poolhouse at the community’s treasured outdoor pool.

On this year’s anniversary, Friends of the Carlton Pool made the front page by kicking in another $62,750, all raised locally. Residents will begin reaping the rewards during the approaching summer season, and no doubt continue enjoying them for many years to come.

Meanwhile, for the ninth year in a row, Dana Packard was plowing some of her Honest Chocolates proceeds into the battle against ALS, which claimed the life of her 42-year-old brother. And Lutheran Community Services was staging a fiesta to raise money for a rich variety of programs it offers local immigrants.

Looking ahead, graduation season will attract even more goodwill stories to help leaven the mix of tragedy that includes the inevitable crimes, crashes and clashes. We are happy to have them.