Best news about rundown property is that it's relatively rare

It says something for the community of McCook that the city's effort to have dilapidated properties cleaned up makes front-page news.

Granted, it was a relatively slow news day, but a lot of us are concerned about homes and other buildings that have fallen into disrepair or even dangerous condition.

We've watched some of the homes for years, wondering what circumstances led their owners to walk away and leave valuable property to decay.

So it's good authorities are taking decisive action to correct some of these situations.

The timing may not be the best, with numerous layoffs and questions over the real estate market and lending, but perhaps the cleanup effort is an opportunity for business creation or expansion and a few new jobs.

No, the real news about the cleanup effort is that it actually is news, and that it is needed at all. Drive around town -- especially now during the holiday-decorating season, and it's readily apparent that the vast majority of us take pride in our homes and do what it takes to be good neighbors.

Yes, there are scattered areas where properties are in serious need of repair or demolition, but compared to many towns our size or larger, they are few and far between.