Editor’s Blog – If you subscribe to my newsletter you know I am away from the office taking the kids on their vacation. We are in Black Mountain, North Carolina, just outside Ashville, and although our secluded conference location is equipped for internet connectivity, as sometimes happens, the isp connection was down for two days. I’m taking two hours now to catch up on e-mail and find some good news, and will again do so tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, I hope the absense of stories helps you to even more realize your appreciation for the Good News Network.
Jerry Lewis Telethon Raises Record Amount for Muscular Dystrophy
Jerry Lewis raised a record amount in his annual Labor Day telethon for the muscular dystrophy charity — $63.8 million dollars for research. (Read details at WSBT, South Bend)
Americans Remember Their Debt to French Nobleman Lafayette, 250 Years After His Birth
Across the United States, Americans are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of a French nobleman to whom they still feel indebted, centuries after he helped them win independence, the Marquis of Lafayette…
School Features Flat Screens in Bathrooms; Trips Overseas: Ron Clark to Make Leaders of Poor Kids
Ron Clark, a NY Times best-selling author who was featured in a made-for-cable-TV movie, opened a private $3.5-million, state-of-the-art school in one of the poorest sections of Atlanta: “More than 350 students applied to the new Ron Clark Academy where flat-screen TVs are mounted in bathrooms, graffiti art fills the walls… Before they reach high school, Clark’s students will travel to six continents; every one except Antarctica.” Great story — thanks to SG for the link!
British Organic Food Sales up 22 Percent in 2006
Dynamic public support boosted organic product sales in Britain 22 percent in 2006 from 2005, a report published Saturday said.
What Africa Taught a Kindergarten Teacher
SG sent this story saying, I found this so inspiring. We hear about what we can do for others, but look what others taught this teacher: "She traveled to Ghana through a grant from the Fund for Teachers, volunteering with a Global Solutions group teaching mentally challenged students with hardly any resources. ‘I had to be really flexible. I was able to draw on a lot of strengths as a teacher that I didn’t necessarily know I had.’ " (CS Monitor)
Family of 10 Homeless No Longer After Husband’s Death, Thanks to Businessman
Nine children and their mother in Fairfield, Maine were saved from homelessness by a local business owner Brent Burger.
He says he doesn’t know why he was so moved by the story in a newspaper, but decided he had to help, “paying out more than $70,000 and donating countless hours of labor and planning” to a project he devised for returning their house.
Karen Champagne and her children, ages 4 to 15, were facing eviction earlier this summer, unable to pay the mortgage after her mentally ill husband, Richard, accumulated about $145,000 in debt before committing suicide four years ago.
Not only did Mr. Burger return the deed and key to the family , he set up a Nine Days for Nine Children, a home-makeover challenge.
“It is my privilege to lend a helping hand to the Champagne family and set them on a course for self-sufficiency. It will clearly be up to them to use this opportunity as a launching pad for financial stability.”
(READ the Kennebec Morning Sentinel article here)
Pope Leads Eco-Friendly Rally for Half Million Youth (Video)
The Catholic church held a massive "eco-friendly" youth festival in Italy pronouncing it to be "Save Creation Day." Biodegradable cutlery and trash bags were distributed, and the prayer cards were printed on recycled paper. The Vatican has recently installed solar panels to save on electricity.
Bosnian Town Goes for Kissing Record (Video)
A crowd gathered in Tuzla, Bosnia, hoping to set the world record for most people simultaneously kissing at the same time.
Israel Tops Green List
The IUCN-World Conservation Union named Israel the nation with the highest percentage of preserved land in the Mediterranean region (France preserves 11.7 percent) with 16 percent set aside for nature preserves, forests, parks and agriculture. (Haaretz)
Schwarzenegger Pushes Universal Health Care for California
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is pushing a plan to provide universal health care for all state residents, where he said some 6.7 million people live with no type of health insurance.
Latest Good News Podcast Ready for Listening
Editor’s Blog — Listen to The Good News Podcast from August 31 online or download to your iPod. The latest episode at the link above will begin playing immediately. No need to register to listen to all the shows in the series, which features a Top Ten Countdown of good news for the week. Enjoy!
Singing Our Way To Truth: Peace Chorus Travels To Venezuela
“The Seattle Peace Chorus accepted the invitation to sing at Venezuela’s 5th Annual International Choral Festival. They were the sole U.S. representatives and took their mission seriously: to engage in peaceful communication through song. Their signature piece, “Si Somos Americanos” (We Are All Americans), won the award for Best Song.”
(READ the article from Seattle P-I)
Photo from Seattle Peace Chorus FB Page – Story tip from John M.
Iraqi Community Leaders Talk Peace in Finland
“Sunni and Shiite leaders from Iraq met in Finland on Friday to study past peace processes to see if lessons can be learned to end Iraq’s inter-communal violence, Finnish officials said.”
Readers Head Down Kerouac’s ‘On the Road’ Again as the Book Turns 50
“Fifty years ago this week, a generation of Americans went “On the Road” and discovered Jack Kerouac’s picaresque narrative of his mad travels across postwar America…”
Kitten Almost Became Part of Cement Stairs
"Construction workers at a high school were shocked to find a small kitten trapped beneath concrete that was being poured to secure a set of stairs." It was treated for dehydration, shaved and released. The worker who found it decided to take the kitten home and name it ‘Stone.’ (WGCL Atlanta, with photo) Thanks to SG for submitting!
Increase in SAT Participants is Encouraging
"News that national results on the SAT dropped this year is practically welcome. The figures are down, in large part, because more students are taking the standardized college entrance exam — which means more of them are at least considering college." (Editorial in Cleveland Plain Dealer)
Preventing Molehills from Becoming Mountains
We tend to get angry over the little things — the way someone says something, the item they forgot, the clothes they left on the floor, the dirty dishes in the sink, the item they forgot to get in the grocery store, to name a few… The question is, why do the little things get to us? Why are they such a big deal? I think it is because the root of the real reason we are annoyed goes much deeper. Using our insight, intuition and reasoning, we can get to the heart of the matter — if we want to.
Get Outside – It’s Good for You
When your mom told you to go outside and play — she really did know what was best for you. Just being outdoors or having access to the natural world has been proven to have physical and mental health benefits. And new research has now found that the more diverse and vibrant an ecosystem is, the healthier it is for us.
Stockpiles of Chemical Weapons Closer to Demise
In Siberia, the U.S. and its allies are building a $1 billion factory to "destroy 2 million Soviet-era artillery shells filled with deadly nerve gas. Destruction of the huge stockpile is expected to take about four years." Twenty-eight percent has already been destroyed, while the U.S. says its own stockpile is more than 40 percent destroyed.(AP)