Editorials

Editorial: We could learn a thing or two from these People of the Year

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As a group, they have made Riverhead a healthier place to live. They’re people who have fostered the sense of community that makes Riverhead a destination. They’ve saved lives — both literally and figuratively.

As always, the Riverhead News-Review’s People of the Year represent the best and the brightest Riverhead has to offer, and we hope they serve as role models to our readers.

We know they do to us — and we had plenty of nominees to choose from this year.

There’s the teacher who spent his personal time customizing his classroom to accommodate a student with unique needs who interacts with his peers through a robot. There’s the grant writer who, while you might not know it, is responsible for several projects throughout town that have improved the health and welfare of locals. There’s the older couple who sold a Riverhead institution — the raceway — to someone who has promised to keep it going, despite receiving much higher offers from developers.

The list goes on.

There’s the longtime president of the local Little League who kept the program afloat even as surrounding ones crumbled. There’s the student-athlete who gave up his senior year on the wrestling mat to donate bone marrow to his ailing sister. And, last but not least, there’s the group of firefighters who saved a man from a burning building.

What these people have in common is that they have all dedicated their time, money and effort to causes far bigger than themselves. They deserve our congratulations and respect, and we look forward to honoring them at an award ceremony at Martha Clara Vineyards later this winter.

You can read their stories in this week’s paper. Stay tuned for videos also telling their stories.