We don't get any major papers out where I live these days, but we do get a couple of community newspapers. There's an insert called "American Profile" that comes in one of them. I'm curious enough to look, and found the usual stuff: recipes, a bit of celebrity-related stuff, ads for Elvis Presley stamp collectors series and various other tchotchkes I wouldn't be caught dead with. Kind of tacky, overall. But I also find various profiles of those "extraordinary ordinary" people in every community, and that's why I always read it:

• Wilma Melville, Ojali, CA. When she retired, she wanted to train a dog to do something worthwhile. She settled on disaster search-and-rescue training, and her dog Murphy was soon one of only 15 FEMA-certified dogs in the USA - something she only realized in the rubble of Oklahoma City. As a former teacher, she thought the training available was part of the problem... so she kicked in $44,000, started a foundation, improved the process, and is probably the most successful SAR dog trainer in America, with 31 canine teams trained. She's 72.

• Lani Malmberg, 49, location depends. She left the family ranch and returned to school at age 33, earning degrees in environmental restoration, biology/botany, and eventually weed science at Colorado State University. In 1998, she launched her unique business, borrowing money against her pickup truck and her sons' college savings to buy her first 100 goats. Ewe4ic Ecological Services now rents them out to municipalities, landowners, et. al. who need completely chemical-free weed control and trimming, and has become quite successful.

Etc., Etc. They don't often receive the recognition they're due - but they do make a difference, and you probably have one near you.