Wow,my mokos and I had the best of days a couple of weeks back.They are 3,5 and 7 and the two older ones had been told all about Clean Up Australia day at school,so we decided we would do our bit.We armed ourselves with plastic bags,rubber gloves and old long handled barbecue forks and off we went to clean up a creek not far from my house that is used by every no hopper going past to dump whatever they no longer want.We worked like we were being paid 50c for each bit of rubbish we picked up.We are very close but that day toiling together to help make a better world brought us closer together.So come on everyone,instead of taking the grandkids to the pictures or the Golden Arches share with them the joy of shared toil.

Good on you mumshill and your little ones for doing something positive to clean up other peoples thoughtless mess.

Last week-end at our local Scout Camp there were over 400 cub scouts plus another 200 teen-agers, leaders and parents camping for a week-end to celebrate 90 years of cubs.The camp manager has just reported that when everyone had gone home on Sunday, he walked round the camp and it was so clean and tidy it was as if no one had been there for the week-end.

The cubs had a ball over the week-end with all sorts of activities that did not involve sitting in front of a computer or T.V. But where was the media? No disasters, no accidents, no illegal substances, no illegal acts so there was no story for the press or TV.

Why is it that only bad news gets reported? Jayjay

tis a rather sad state of affairs when the media regards stories that are positive but are not what they would term news worthy because they are not about gloom and doom.No wonder kids prefer to sit around playing mind numbing spacey games because that type of anti social behaviour often hits the news and the stuff they consider dweebish is seen that way because of the reaction or non reaction that comes from the media.I guess we as a community give that impression to journalists etc that we only want to know about the high drama stuff,not the simple day to day stories.

Once wrote to a newspaper to complain about the very few good news articles each day. Their reply was "good news is not news".

May I suggest that if you witness or are in any way involved in seeing a "Good Deed" by children write a letter to the Editor of the local paper and acknowledge the deed.I have done this twice lately and had the letters published,- once concerning a school class and the other one the local Cub pack. Both were making donations to the local Food Bank before Christmas and this meant using their own time and initiative.

Paula's literacy Charitable trust Fundraising Event in May,
Date Saturday 16th May
Where Hillcrest Baptist Church Auditorium, corner Knighton Road and Clyde street, hillcrest Hamilton
Purpose to raise funds to produce 400 Awesome Scenic Poetry Dvds of the Waikato, enhanced by my original poems in english and Maori language, narrated in english and maori language set to music, to be sold to schools, associations, rest homes as an educational or entertainment resource.
Time 8pm to 11-30pm
My programme, is Live Entertainment, a Sample Showing of My Scenic Poetry DVds,, a Fashion Show, A Bridal Expo for Brides to Be, and an Auction with Awesome Prizes Kindly Donated from Local Businesses etc.
Its a big warm venue very elegant, and Tickets limited to 200 people,
Tickets cost $15.00 Per Person, and a Plate of Finger Food Please,
Senior Citizens $7.50 per person, disabled People $7.50 per person, Children under 12 Free.
Five Dollars from each Ticket sold goes to Support Canteen, Teenagers with Cancer, in Hamilton a very worthy Cause.
Its going to be a great nights entertainment, to order tickets, and big groups welcome, please ring Paula on 07 8481046 Hamilton,
thank you,
yours sincerely
Mrs Paula Bisphan
Paula's Literacy Charitable Trust
Hamilton.

Good new is not news. Well that doesn't surprise me. I remember a few years ago, someone started a paper that was only going to print good news. They very soon went out of business.