Contestants spell h-o-p-e

They're smart. They're studious. They're brave.

But most of all, they're encouraging.

Now that the seventh annual North Idaho Regional Spelling Bee is in the record books, we'd like to put a spotlight on all the contestants, who ranged from fourth through eighth grade. From the state's five northern counties, 54 spellers had won the right to compete in yesterday's championship at North Idaho College.

We'd like to say this about that:

• While The Press pays for the trophies, medals and miscellaneous expenses from very minor to pretty major - the newspaper picks up the tab on an all-expense paid trip to the national bee for the winner and a guardian - the hard work is done by our partners at NIC. Before we risk misspelling one more word in this editorial, we'd like to personally thank President Priscilla Bell and Bee coordinators Stacy Hudson and Mindy Patterson, as well as the fantastic team of volunteers who made the 2010 Bee one of the best. Couldn't do it without all of them.

• Parents weren't on stage yesterday but they should have been. Behind every one of those superior spellers is a superior parent or grandparent. Big people, take a bow, please.

• Smaller people with big brains, now you can take a bow, too. Preparation and perspiration were on display in almost equal measure, but you were collectively amazing. Do you know how many adults were exchanging perplexed glances at one another when some of those words were announced? Do you know how many newspaper editors would have failed miserably in front of all those people? Yes, at least one.

But the lingering sentiment is one of great hope. Because of the attributes you students put on display yesterday - courage, courtesy, keen intellect to name just a few - some of the worry that us older folks carry around for the next generation dissipated. And when it comes to hope, we need all the help we can get.