Police Celebrate National Lemonade Day: “We Won’t Shut You Down Ever”

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Aug 20, 2015

Every time we put something about lemonade stands on our Facebook page, we get a ton of comments about cops shutting down the stand of some local kids somewhere because they don’t have a “permit.”

Well, if you’re a kid in Leominster, Massachusetts, you are free to celebrate today, on National Lemonade Day—and every day—with your own beverage stand, because they are not going to shut you down.

Chief of Police Bob Healey says he noticed a few comments posted on their Facebook page asking why young lemonade entrepreneurs aren’t “shut down and ordered to cease and desist all operations of sales” if they failed to secure a permit. So he answered with this definitive policy:

“Fine folks here of LemonTown, I, Chief Healey, tell you now that our department will never shut down a young child’s lemonade stand! My officers enjoy a cold cup of lemonade, particularly on these scorching and muggy days. While hydrating the community, the kids are also learning about fiscal responsibility, community service and well- just being a good kid having good old fashioned fun.”

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“In fact, please share by private messaging or if you want to, pick up that old fashioned telephone and give us a call telling us where and when your stand will be operating,” he concluded. “If we’re able to, we’ll stop down to support you.”

Now that’s really sweet.

Share The News on Nat’l Lemonade Day… (click below) – Photo credit: Adam Kokesh YouTube

Party Hats Placed on Surveillance Cameras Celebrate George Orwell’s Birthday

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Terry Turner

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Aug 20, 2015

Dutch artists decorated surveillance cameras with party hats to celebrate George Orwell’s 110th birthday earlier this year.

Orwell’s classic dystopian novel, “1984,” warned about a future world where the government was obsessed with surveillance of its people.

Dutch art duo Front 404 – Thomas voor ‘t Hekke and Bas van Oerle – thought the hats would be a perfect birthday tribute.

They posted pictures to their website, and friends in other countries joined the celebrations with more hats or party balloons attached to cameras along sidewalks and on street corners.

That was June 25, and so far, there doesn’t seem to be many repercussions – no sign that the Ministry of Truth has tried to erase their pictures, no visit to Room 101 to re-educate the artists, and no denouncement from Big Brother. Yet.

(SEE more at Front 404) – Photos: Front 404

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American Swimmer Stuns World, First to Win All These Races in Single Meet

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Sheila Key

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Aug 19, 2015

Like any world-class athlete, 18-year-old swimmer Katie Ledecky can swim hundreds of meters and make it look easy.

And, a mere 30 minutes later, she can make it look easy again.

The American won back-to-back races in the 1500-meter and 200-meter individual freestyle events at the FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia, earlier this month. And she went right on winning.

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By the end of the meet, the Washington, D.C., native had swept the entire category of women’s individual freestyle races.

The accomplishment makes Ledecky the first swimmer—man or woman—to win the 200-meter, 400-meter, 800-meter, and 1,500-meter individual freestyle races during a single meet.

She broke three world records in the process.

“Insane!” exclaims Michael Joyner, a physiologist at the Mayo Clinic and an expert in human endurance, in an article by Outside Online. “The fact that Ledecky won both long- and short-distance events at the same meet puts her accomplishment on a different level than even what Michael Phelps has done.”

At 6’0” and 155 pounds, with “a huge aerobic engine,” Ledecky is perfectly built to be a great female swimmer, Joyner said. But it’s her form—the efficiency of her movements in the water—that really sets her apart.

Given endurance-sport athletes’ tendency to peak in their late-20s or even their early-30s, it looks like Ledecky’s best years are yet to come—right after she wraps up a few driver’s ed classes and finds time to “sit on the couch sipping milkshakes” after getting her wisdom teeth out.

SEE More Inspiring Athletes on Good News Network’s Sports Page

The recent high-school graduate is at home in Bethesda, Maryland, taking a ‘gap year’ off to train for the 2016 Olympics, and plans to enroll at Stanford University next fall.

(READ more at Outside Online) — Photos: Chan Fan and FreedSpirit

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Baby Taken From Mother in WWII Hugs Her for the First Time in 70 Years

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Good News Network

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Aug 19, 2015

She was taken from her mother as a baby during World War II, but now, more than 70 years later, German citizen Margot Bachmann has discovered her birth mother is alive.

With help from the Italian Red Cross and the International Tracing Service, which works to reunite war-torn families, Bachmann had the chance to hold her long lost Italian mom.

Gianna, now 91-years-old, is living in the northern Italian village of Novellara, a survivor of the forced labor camps of Nazi Germany. While in the camps, she fell in love with a German soldier, became pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl in October 1944.

But the child was taken from her and later adopted and raised by the soldier’s parents.

Tearful WWII Vet Reunited With Love Letter Penned to Wife 70 Years Ago

Over the years, both women thought the other had died in the war. Ms. Bachmann’s very strict father had forbidden her to look for her mother, and it was only after he recently died that she did so.

“Even as a child I felt that something about that wasn’t true,” she recalls.

“I wanted to know who my mother was, whether we are alike, perhaps find some photos and information about her,” Bachmann said. “I would never have dared to hope that I would ever be able to embrace her. Now I am overjoyed to find out that she is well and that we can get to know each other.”

Paramedic Saves Doctor Who Saved His Life 30 Years Earlier

She wrote in a letter to her mother before their reunion: “All my life I asked my family about you, without being given any answers. I want to come and find you so that I can hug you once again. I’m immensely happy to be able to finally know you.”

Ms. Bachmann brought her daughter and other family members to the reunion in Novellara. They met and got to know the mother and many other relatives, and are already planning their next get-together.

(Learn More from the International Tracing Service)

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Oregon Shelter Delivering Tons of Pet Food to Families Fleeing Wildfires

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Good News Network

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Aug 19, 2015

The Pendleton Animal Welfare Shelter may be two hours away from John Day, Oregon where wildfires have hit hard, but that hasn’t stopped them from repeatedly taking truckloads of food to families who have been displaced.

Volunteers and board members have been working around the clock to take over 2,000 pounds of pet food to fire victims at various drop-off points and street corners. Wish lists have also popped up that include crates, leashes, beds, and other necessities.

Spiderman Dog Food PAWS Oregon submitted — Photos by Pendleton Animal Welfare Shelter

“When we heard how bad it was, we immediately started loading up trucks last Thursday,” said Shaindel Beers, an executive board member for PAWS. “Eastern Oregon is so rural, and these little towns are so far away.”

See More Inspiring Stories About Pet Food Angels at Good News Network

The organization already had dog food on hand because they operate a regular program that provides food to homeless and low-income people for free. Cat food, however, was another story—after they put out a call for donations, they had $100 to spend within an hour.

PAWS still needs help to meet the needs of everyone with a furry friend who has fled the fires. At last count, 36 homes were lost, and local sources estimate that up to 3/4 of the town’s population may lose their homes.

“They need help and they’re hard working farm people who don’t want to ask for help, but you know that they need it,” she said. “People have tried to pay us for it. We say, ‘It’s not charity, it’s sharing. If it happened to us, we’d want someone to share with us. Because if we don’t help, who will?”

Click here to help, and specify John Day via PayPal. Use the John Day River Veterinary Center as a drop off center if you are in the area.

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Earthlings Tweet Questions in Cyberspace, Astronaut Answers From Orbit

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Terry Turner

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Aug 19, 2015

Here’s what we know so far about astronaut Scott Kelly’s “Year in Space” based on the Twitter questions he’s gotten from earth: He can see his house from space, he bathes with a wet towel, and only one question has ever freaked him out.

Kelly is taking questions on Twitter from earthlings who tag their tweets with #YEARINSPACE.

They range from the how astronauts shower in zero gravity:

We use a wet towel. It's amazing what you can get used to. https://t.co/YJnhDg8yss
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) August 1, 2015

To whether he’s ever seen his house from orbit:

I can see my house (and @NASA_Johnson) from @Space_Station! #Houston #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/OFh1wihvit
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) April 14, 2015

And so far, the only question that’s given him trouble, was from President Obama;

Hey @StationCDRKelly, loving the photos. Do you ever look out the window and just freak out?
— President Obama (@POTUS) August 1, 2015

I don't freak out about anything, Mr. President. Except getting a Twitter question from you. https://t.co/AT0nvUXkq4
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) August 1, 2015

Kelly is spending a full year in space as commander of the International Space Station. You can ask him questions by including the hashtag #YEARINSPACE with your tweet, or follow the conversation on Twitter hashtag page.

(READ more at NBC ) – Photo: International Space Station, Twitter

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Live in This Hobbit-hole in England on Your Next Family Vacation (LOOK)

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Good News Network

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Aug 19, 2015

If you’re a fan of Lord of the Rings, and want to stay at Bag End on your next holiday, you’ll want to rent this English cottage, pronto.

Inspired by the stories of English author JRR Tolkien, a new cottage nestled in a hillside in the North York Moors National Park, has been completed–and its style is definitely by the book.

Golden Hill Farm owners Carol Hopkinson and Karl Wragg created the underground hobbit hole with green, round, porthole doors, stained glass windows, and grass grassy roofs. It sleeps six and features a fenced garden with views across open countryside to the sea.

The Potts Corner cottage includes cooking facilities, a log burner, and beds equipped with luxury organic wool mattresses. It’ll run you £650 for three nights or £850 for seven nights.

The couple is already employing four apprentice hobbits to help run the growing business on their six-acre farm in Liverton. They plan to transform their land by recreating the fabled Hobbiton setting, a first on UK soil, building more Hobbit-holes this year.

Guests can also take a short drive to the coast where villages such as Staithes and Runswick Bay offer fossil hunting and foreshore foraging, art galleries, and Bram Stoker’s Whitby, the place where he became inspired to write Dracula.

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This Dog is the Perfect Nanny for Spunky Exotic Zoo Animal Orphans

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Terry Turner

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Aug 19, 2015

Everyone has a favorite animal at the zoo – lions or chimps or giraffes – but in Ohio, the animals have a favorite… the little dog that raised them.

The Australian Shepherd lives in the Cincinnati Zoo’s nursery, where he teaches baby animals how to socialize and exercise. Blakely also helps them calm down when they’re anxious or excited.

Right now, his teacher’s pet is a six-week old goat-antelope species known as a takin (rhymes with “walkin’”).

Wild Baby Kangaroo Still Comes Home to Hug His Teddy Bear After Release

The takin, who was abandoned by its mother, learns the finer points of animal etiquette by going on walks and rough-housing with Blakely, which will prepare him to rejoin his herd without embarrassing himself around the watering hole.

Blakely, who has the patience of a Saint – Bernard, that is – is easy-going and tolerates baby animals who bite and chew on his ears and legs. He doesn’t much care for the takin’s head-butts, though.

(WATCH the video below or READ the story from the Cincinnati Enquirer) — Photos: Enquirer video

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Dad Recycles Old Crayons Into New Ones for Schools, Hospitals and Art Programs

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Sheila Key

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Aug 19, 2015

No young artist can resist the crisp, new box of crayons that back-to-school season so often brings, but not every little artist has access to them.

When Bryan Ware learned that 25 to 35 tons of discarded crayons end up in the landfill each year—where they are terribly slow to biodegrade—he got cooking. Literally.

He now extends their useful life through his nonprofit startup, The Crayon Initiative, boiling them down and repurposing them into new boxes of crayons for kids in need.

It’s changing the shape of the crayons themselves, too, making them easier for special-needs children to hold.

It all started about four years ago, when the Danville, California dad was out to eat with his family one evening, and the waitress brought crayons for the kids.

“He was fiddling with a crayon and said, ‘I wonder what happens to these when we leave,’” his wife, Marissa Ware, told Contra Costa Times.

Chances are, they go straight into the trash. Restaurants often dump crayons after a single use, because they harbor germs. For that same reason, they can’t be collected up and donated, say, to hospitals.

But collecting and donating them to a guy like Ware, and you’ll help The Crayon Initiative donate fresh boxes to hospitals, schools, and art programs.

Adults Are Using Coloring Books to Combat Stress

More than 100,000 boxes, donated from all over the U.S., have already been transformed into 800,000 thicker, triangular-bodied crayons, while towering bags of old crayons, sorted by color still await their turn in the melting pot.

Bryan Ware estimates he has invested nearly $30,000 of his own money into the startup. He partnered with a physical therapist to create the new crayons’ easy-grip design, then arranged for the manufacture of the metal molds needed to transform old crayons into the new shape.

With the old crayons piling up in his garage, what he needs now is the corporate funding to scale up and move the operation out of his family’s home and into a proper production facility, complete with warehouse.

But for now, with or without other family members’ help, he’ll go on spending 30 to 40 hours a week at the kitchen stove, stirring two big stainless-steel pots full of melting crayons.

“We think it’s massive and we’re just scratching the surface of it,” he said.

To learn more or to donate to the Crayon Initiative, go to thecrayoninitiative.org. Old crayons can be sent to 540 Glasgow Circle, Danville, CA, 94526.

(READ more, w/photos, at Contra Costa Times) Photos: The Crayon Initiative, Facebook — Story tip from Mike McGinley

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She Sold Late Husband’s Lamborghini, Raised $500K for Suicide Prevention

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Terry Turner

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Aug 18, 2015

A California widow has parted with one of the last tangible reminders of her husband, who took his own life, so she might help save the lives of others.

Over the weekend, Susan Futterman sold her late husband’s prized Lamborghini at auction for $522,500 and gave the proceeds to an Oakland-based charity that works to prevent suicide.

Futterman believes her husband, Frederic Paroutaud, would still be alive if there were better access to and knowledge about mental health services. His death in 2012 followed a sudden psychotic episode two months earlier.

Trending Tattoo Movement A Symbol of Hope for People With Mental Illness

Paroutaud wrote music for television, stage, and movies including “Murder, She Wrote” and adaptations of “The Phantom of the Opera.”

1967_Lamborghini_400_GT-42-RELEASED-GOODINGandCompany — Photo courtesy of Gooding & Company

He bought the car from it’s original owner when he was still an unknown musician in 1989, two years before the couple met. Futterman has been writing a book about their experiences, and says the sports car plays a prominent role throughout their time together. That helped her decide it would be best if the car helped others facing the same mental health issues as her husband did.

The Lamborghini 400GT 2+2 is one of only 250 of its kind. It was auctioned at the annual Pebble Beach car show, which attracts collectors from around the world. Comedian and car collector Jay Leno personally presented the car for auction, after having years ago met the couple through Paroutaud’s online Lamborghini club.

101-Year-Old Woman Rappels Down Skyscrapers for Charity (WATCH)

“She’s creating a legacy for a really creative and beautiful person,” said Frances Raeside, program director of the nonprofit recipient, La Cheim Behavioral Health Services. “It’s a great act of courage on Susan’s part, letting go of the car that’s sitting in her garage and was a constant reminder of her husband.”

(READ more at the Contra Costa Times) — Photo: Rex Gray, CC

Five Fun, Creative Ways To Get Your Veggies In

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Tammy Shames

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Aug 18, 2015

If you know you need to eat more vegetables but struggle to make it happen because it seems to too hard—or boring—try these five easy veggie fixes that will also save you from packing on extra weight…

1. Use lettuce as a wrap instead of bread

Make sandwiches, pizzas, and wraps with lettuce instead of using the heavy carbs. By using Swiss chard, collards or lettuce wraps, you get a great crunch, packed with nutrients and fiber but for only several calories versus 100 calories per slice of bread.

You can also make sandwiches with cucumber or eggplant slices instead of bread.

If you must have bread, use Nori: one large Nori sheet is just 10 calories, while a wrap or two slices of bread are 200-300 calories.

2. Try cauliflower disguised as a guilt-free comfort food: mashed potatoes

This dish pleases the pickiest of palates because it tastes like the rich, creamy, real deal. Simply steam a head of cauliflower until tender when poked with a fork. Add skim milk, garlic, pepper and a couple of teaspoons of butter (if desired) in a blender. Blend until smooth. Place mixture in a small baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan and paprika, if you want added flavor. Pair this with a protein like chicken, fish or seafood and thanks to the cauliflowers’ high Vitamin C content, it will enhance the absorption of iron in the meat.

This version of “mashed potatoes” saves at least 170 calories per cup and packs in the fiber.

3. Stir fry mushrooms, onions, peppers and your favorite veggies into marinara sauce

Use the sauce to top baked potatoes, fish, chicken and pasta.

Don’t worry about cooking the tomatoes too long or using sauce from a jar—there’s four times the disease fighting lycopene in tomato sauce than in fresh tomatoes. Cancer-fighting beta carotene is more readily available in cooked tomatoes, as well.

4. Add vegetables to your favorite soup.

Adding ready-to-cook vegetables will boost the nutrients and fiber of your soup and make it more satisfying.

Use thawed frozen vegetables to save time rather than having to chop for an hour.

Surprising fact: by using frozen vegetables, you may be getting more nutrients than when using fresh vegetables.

Raw vegetables are picked and frozen immediately, nutrients intact, while fresh vegetables lose nutrients during shipping when exposed to heat, light and air.

5. Try this super easy spinach pomodoro

Defrost a box of frozen spinach, mix in 3/4 cup of marinara sauce and a few teaspoons of grated parmesan cheese—and voila!

Spinach is a great source of potassium to counterbalance sodium and the damage it causes by helping to reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Potassium also helps to flush sodium out of the body and keep your blood vessels more elastic and pliable. Interestingly, new research shows that a spinach extract shows potential to reduce hunger and help you to lose weight. A weight loss supplement is being developed based around this.

Tammy Lakatos Shames and Lyssie Lakatos, The Nutrition Twins, are nationally recognized registered dietitians and personal trainers with more than 15 years of experience. They have helped thousands of people boost their energy naturally, get healthier, happier and into tip-top shape.

Photos: Ano Lobb, Liz West, Mary Helen Leonard, Karen, CC

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Prince Harry Grows A Beard, Hunts Down Rhino Poachers in Africa

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Terry Turner

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Aug 18, 2015

Britain’s Prince Harry left the Army and is going after poachers threatening rhinos and elephants in southern Africa.

Just a few weeks out of the Army, Prince Harry (wearing his cap above) visited Khulula Care for Wild in South Africa where he got to spend time with three adolescent rhinos, Mia, Manje, and Venus, before helping with mud baths for two of the center’s largest rhinos.

The royal is sporting a new look, a beard — the first he’s grown since he joined a wounded warrior expedition to the South Pole two years ago.

Prince William Makes History by Taking a Job– AND Donating His Full Salary

“He is working actively with the anti-poaching units inside the Park,” Martin Bornman of Care for Wild Africa told People. “That is why he has got the beard and everything. He had literally just come out of the bush.”

His work is part of a three-month conservation project aimed at protecting black rhinos and desert elephants in Africa from poachers. He’s shadowing conservationists in Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Botswana.

(READ more at People) — Photos: Charmain Swarts/Khulula Care for Wild/African Conservation Experience, FB

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Woman Leaves $20 Bills All Over Her Community For Her Birthday

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Shasta Townsend

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Aug 18, 2015

Imagine coming out of the grocery store and finding a white envelope with a hand written note on the front that says, “This is a sign that you are loved!” – and a $20 bill inside.

Or what if you were walking along a forest trail, and saw something attached to that rocky outcropping ahead and picked up an envelope with $20 inside and a note that read, “More good things are coming your way!”

Imagine amongst that stack of bills in your mailbox is one lone envelope that says, “You are being taken care of!” and a $20 bill inside.

How would you feel?

I have been imagining the faces of people who discover the tiny gifts of love and support left all over my community. Since July – my birthday month – I have anonymously dropped over $300 (a small amount, really) into white envelopes with special notes and left them around Durham Region, the area where I live just outside Toronto, Canada.

I have told no one… until now.

Little Girl With No Party Guests Is Surprised By 300 Strangers

I don’t want kudos or recognition. In fact, I really deliberated ever sharing this; not even my husband knew about this. I did NOT do it to get anything in return–at all.

That was actually my point.

I have studied law of attraction, manifestation, and creation for over 15 years, and I sometimes felt a tone of “if you do something good, you will get what you want” in some of the teachings. I don’t want to bargain with the universe over my karma. I don’t want to say, “Hey universe, I am a good person. I do good things. Where is my payout?” So I challenged myself to just give with NO expectation at all.

Well that, and because it made me freaking happy – like gleefully, I-just-ate-all-the-cake, happy.

We ARE happiness, we ARE joy, we ARE abundance, we ARE Divine, and all those things we want are just a mirror of what is ALREADY THERE!

The idea struck me during the week of my birthday in July. I was in a bookstore and I snuck $5 into three different books and put them back on the shelf. I was giggling as I walked out of the store imagining someone picking up a book and five bucks falling out. Then I thought, “Let’s take this further.” I went home and wrote out my envelopes with tiny messages and started dropping $20 bills all over the place. It was so fun!

No, I did NOT win the lottery. No uncle left me a fortune. I did not receive a visit from Ed McMahon – I was HAPPY!

And that’s the point. Don’t you think of all we do in this life; to experience a semblance of joy, and for a moment to make another smile is the best? We are here to experience our truth: that we are happy, radiant, worthy beings NOW.

I don’t know who picked up my white envelopes. I don’t know whose mailbox I dropped envelopes in to, whose windshield I bombed, or whose favorite park bench held a surprise, but now my secret is revealed. I hope it does not take away from the magic, but adds to it instead. I plan to keep doing this, and much more to keep the circle of giving full and to feed the field with surprise, delight, magic, and wonder.

CHECK Out These Anonymous Kindness Stories on Good News Network

Wishing you many happy, white, anonymous envelope moments!

Photo Credit (top): Flood, CC

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UPDATE: City Police Have Brought 109 Addicts to Rehab, Instead of Jail

By

Terry Turner

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Aug 18, 2015

More than 100 people have taken advantage of a Massachusetts police department’s offer of rehabilitation, instead of arrest, for turning in their heroin.

Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello launched the program in June and, by last week, 109 addicts had walked into his police station seeking help — 16 of them from out of state.

14 Years After Decriminalizing Heroin, Here’s What Portugal Looks Like

The department is using money seized from drug dealers to fund rehab for the addicts, and has spent $5,000 on drug treatment for people they once would have locked up simply for using heroin.

Gloucester police have also been working with local pharmacies to provide discounted naloxone, a drug that can save lives if given to an overdose patient immediately.

Other cities are looking at the new approach Campanello calls “the next logical step in the so-called war on drugs.”

Former Addict Cuts Homeless People’s Hair and Spreads Joy of Rehab

A new nonprofit group has been created in Gloucester to export the local model to other police departments around the country, and some Seattle police officers have also been given the authority to choose drug treatment over arrest and jail for low-level drug users.

(READ more at the Associated Press) — Photo: Gloucester Police Department

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2 Ex-Presidents Urge Wounded Vet to Propose Marriage in Front of Them (WATCH)

By

Linda Hernandez

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Aug 18, 2015

Guerin Public Relations Tyler Jeffries proposal — Tyler Jeffries, one of ten veterans featured in the book "Unbreakable Bonds: The Mighty Moms and Wounded Warriors of Walter Reed," proposes to Lauren Lilly during a visit with Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush and First Ladies Barbara Bush and Laura Bush at Walker's Point in Kennebunkport, Maine. President Bush 41 wrote the foreword for "Unbreakable Bonds" and had invited the wounded warriors, their moms, and the book's authors, Dava Guerin and Kevin Ferris, to visit with the family on Aug. 10, 2015. (PRNewsFoto/Guerin Public Relations)

Retired Army Specialist Tyler Jeffries took advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, with some gentle nudging from two former presidents.

Jeffries and other injured veterans met the Bush family last week after being featured in the book, “Unbreakable Bonds: The Mighty Moms and Wounded Warriors of Walter Reed.” Former President George H.W. Bush wrote the book’s forward and invited the service members to his family’s compound in Kennebunkport, Maine.

Adorable: Bride Has 89-year-old Grandmother as One of Her Bridesmaids

During the visit, the 26-year-old unveiled his plans to propose to his girlfriend, Lauren, later that night — but was encouraged to do it right there at the Bush family home.

So upon her arrival, Jeffries presented her with a ring, as both Presidents George H.W. and George W. watched. Later the couple also got another treat — in the form of a tweet from the elder Bush, congratulating them on their engagement:

http://twitter.com/GeorgeHWBush/status/630813872341921792/photo/1

“It’s pretty amazing to have a former president know my and her names and wishing us the best,” Jeffries told Today. “They’re just fantastic people, and they have nothing but love for the military.”

Jeffries said they haven’t made any wedding arrangements just yet, but they were reminded to add the Bush family to the guest list.

(WATCH video here or READ more at Today) — Photos: PRNewsFoto/Guerin Public Relations

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8 Stories of Cops Being Absolutely Awesome in 2015

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Good News Network

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Aug 18, 2015

From coaching little league to handing out gift cards to strangers in need, these officers made us freeze, put our hands above our heads, and applaud their acts of kindness.

Police Find Family in a Car, Tuck Them In At a Motel

Tired from days on the road and trying to save money, Robert Wood’s family prepared for another night of sleeping in their car. But a Eugene, Oregon police lieutenant wouldn’t let them stay in the city park. He paid for a room at a motel instead. (Read more)

On His Last Day, Police Officer Gives Out Gift Cards Instead of Tickets

Being stopped by a cop can normally induce panic—but a number of lucky people were all smiles when this officer approached them. As he walked the streets of his 14-year patrol route one final time, Commander Brian Peters, a retiring Minnesota policeman, sought out citizens who could use some extra money for groceries or school supplies and handed them gift cards. (Read more)

How A Police Officer Made My Autistic 6-Year-Old Son’s Dream Come True

My son Brock was diagnosed in 2014 with Autism-SPD-impulsivity control issues. He has severe anxiety which makes it difficult to communicate with strangers. This past school year, he has overcame so many challenges, however this left him exhausted and angry at the start of the summer. But everything changed when we go to meet a few officers from the police department. (Read more)

Officers Manicure Lawn for Man in Wheelchair Who Was Trying to Mow

When Officer Joe Hutson spotted a man in a wheelchair trying to mow his lawn, he and his partner, Officer John Khillah, decided to take over the job. After sending Officer Khillah to pick up a mower, weed trimmer and leaf blower from the Kalamazoo Public Safety station, the two got to work helping the Michigan man achieve grassy greatness. (Read more)

Police Officer Pulls Over to Give Girl at Lemonade Stand Special Gift

Nine-year-old Gabrielle Garcar wanted an iPad more than anything. Because her family is struggling financially, she set up a lemonade stand outside of her grandmother’s Ohio condo in hopes of raising the money herself.

When 22-year-old sheriff’s deputy Zak Ropos stopped by for a cup of the sweet stuff and learned what the little girl wanted to do with the money—use the device for schoolwork, and to play games on—he pulled her mother over and told her he’d check to see if the old iPad he had at home was still useable. It wasn’t—so guess what he did? (Read more)

Freeze: It’s Circle Time! Cop Pulls Over to Sit With Tots

The kids at Amber Watt’s Gigglez and Grinz Daycare in Murrayville always get super excited whenever they see the police drive by–and even more excited when they can get a wave out of them. Imagine their elation when one officer got out of his squad car and sat down on the ground beside them. (Read more)

Cops Buy Them a Car Seat Instead of Slapping Family With a Ticket

When two Michigan policemen were notified that a woman parked at a local McDonald’s was holding a baby in her lap, they came ready to issue a citation. But after spending a few minutes with mom, they decided to donate a car seat instead. (Read more)

Police Fight Crime in Chicago by Coaching Youth Baseball

In one of the city’s roughest neighborhoods, police are dropping their guns and batons and picking up bats and balls in an effort to reach at-risk kids through America’s favorite pastime. Police officers like Angela Wormley are stepping up to the plate to coach boys and girls as part of the Englewood Police Youth Baseball League.

The program was started for kids 9-12 years old on Chicago’s south side – an area notorious for gang violence – to gain the trust of children who are often suspicious of police. (Read more)

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UPDATE: “Sidewalk Scholar” Boy Gets Education Paid Through College

By

Terry Turner

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Aug 18, 2015

A little boy in the Philippines who didn’t even have a light to study by at night now has enough scholarship money to see him all the way through college. Fast food chain McDonald’s is the latest to offer him help to pay for his education — and it’s launching a new reading program for his school.

A picture of nine-year-old Daniel Cabrera studying beneath a street light went viral last month, triggering a flood of donations for him and his family. A local politician secured a scholarship for him back in July and McDonald’s announced a new one this month.

The new scholarship will cover Daniel’s school supplies, uniforms, and other expenses until he graduates high school. Along with the other donations and scholarships, he’ll have enough to cover all his educational needs until he graduates from college 13 years from now.

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McDonald’s got involved because a sign for one of their restaurants appeared in the viral photos — and reporters used that clue to track down the little boy and tell his story.

I got inspired by a kid ❤️
Posted by Joyce Gilos Torrefranca on Tuesday, June 23, 2015

The restaurant chain is also setting up a reading program for 400 first graders in the neighborhood. Daniel’s little brother, Gabriel, is one of the students who’ll take part.

”As Filipinos, we are proud to meet a boy so determined to succeed in life,” Kenneth Yang, McDonald’s Philippines president and CEO said in a statement. “It is with an open heart that we grant him a scholarship to help him achieve his goals.”

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Daniel wants to be a policeman, “to help the Philippines,” he said last month. After receiving the latest scholarship, he says he’ll have to study even harder.

(READ more at ABS-CBN News) — Photo: Joyce Gilos Torrefranca, Facebook

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School Police Officer Adopts 6-yo Boy Who Seemed ‘Unadoptable’

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Good News Network

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Aug 17, 2015

Students in this South Carolina school district are taught from an early age that police officers are their friends, thanks to a resource-officer program that brings cops into classrooms.

For a lucky foster kid, one policeman turned into more than just a friend.

Master Deputy Mike Gibson went from working at the District 6 Child Development Center while off duty to working as the school’s full-time resource officer. As he spent more time with the children, one little boy went from calling him Officer Mike to Officer Dad.

“He was searching. He was definitely a child in need,” Gibson told WYFF. “He was in need of parents, that’s what he wanted.”

The six-year-old had already been in eight different foster homes.

Gisbon, who works for the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, said that adopting the child was the first thing in his career that he really felt “called” to do.

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After months of filing papers and obtaining certifications, that little boy will now get to call Officer Gibson “dad.”

(WATCH the video below or READ more at WYFF) Photos via WYFF video

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Teenage Girl Turns Plastic Trash Into Million-Dollar Biofuel

By

Terry Turner

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Aug 17, 2015

An Egyptian teenager has discovered an inexpensive way to turn plastic trash into fuel — and it could be worth tens of millions of dollars a year.

Azza Faiad’s ideas attracted the attention of the Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute. The institute gave the teen access to a lab and its researchers in order to help refine her trash to fuel formula.

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Faiad discovered a cheap and plentiful catalyst called aluminisilicate that drastically reduces the cost of converting plastic waste into gases like methane and propane, which can be turned into ethanol, what some scientists are calling “biofuel” because the organic chemicals from plastic polymers she extracts, are the same chemicals extracted from vegetation to create ethanol biofuel.

The process releases other chemicals that can also be recycled and sold.

Egypt produces a million tons of plastic trash every year, and it’s estimated Faiad’s process could convert that much trash into fuel worth $78 million every year.

In fact, she believes it could raise the total return to $163 million each year from Egypt’s plastic trash.

The European Union Contest for Young Scientists has already honored Faiad with a prize for her work and she is now working on a patent for her trash to fuel process.

(WATCH the CNN video) – Photo: CNN video

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WATCH: Emotional Reunion for Family Dog Found Alive Years Later

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Good News Network

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Aug 17, 2015

For years, the Harworth family of Lacey, Washington believed that their dog, Zeus, had died while they were away overseas.

Imagine their surprise when the military family’s microchip company called and told them that Zeus was actually roaming the streets of Raleigh, North Carolina, and had been found—very much alive—by a good samaritan.

“There are simply no words to describe what we felt when we got that phone call. We were in complete disbelief. Once that brief second had passed, we were all crying,” said Melody Harworth. “We were frantic with excitement and gratitude.”

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Banfield Pet Hospital made special arrangements to transport Zeus back to Washington on Friday, and his journey was documented on social media under the tag #GetZeusHome.

Check Your Chip Day was Saturday, August 15^th, but it’s never too late for families to update their contact information through a microchip company just in case they need to be reunited with a lost pet.

(WATCH) the video below to see their emotional reunion.

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