Positive News Update 7-25-06

Homeless man rewarded
for returning bonds

Detroit: A homeless Detroit man who returned
$20,738.88 in savings bonds he found in a dumpster
to their rightful owner has been rewarded with
cash and a job.

Charles Moore, who found the bonds while sifting
through clothing in a dumpster outside a local church,
was given $100 by the family of Ernest Lehto, who
bought the bonds in the 1980's, The Detroit News
reported.

But the rewards did not stop there. Two suburban
businessmen, inspired by Moore's actions, awarded
the man $1,200 for his honesty and found him a job,
WXYZ-TV, Detroit, reported Tuesday.

The 31 savings bonds, with a total face value of $8,900,
had matured to $20,738.88 after being purchased for
$4,450 about 20 years ago, the Detroit News reported.

"The lesson of it all is; best policy is honesty
and honesty pays off," Moore said.

DiCaprio turns hero in Madonna concert

New York: Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, helped two
wheelchair-bound fans at a Madonna concert,
and became a real hero for them.

According to pagesix.com, Francesco Clark, who
worked at Harper's Bazaar until a car accident
left him a quadriplegic, had front row seats at
one of the Madonna's concerts.

However, when the pop diva came onstage the
crowd rushed forward his wheelchair was
almost knocked over.

Clark's friend said, "He couldn't see anything
because people were all standing around him.
He tried to move to the front, but no one would
budge, and nobody cared. Then the security
guard came over and was being rude and told
him to move."

At that point DiCaprio came over and said,
"Why don't you come sit with me and I'll
just move over?"

A few moments later he moved another
wheelchair-bound person next to Clark.

Alaska crews rescue 23 from listing ship

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Helicopters hoisted 23
crew members from a listing cargo ship to safety
overnight, ending a daylong rescue effort as
10-foot waves slapped the ship’s tilting deck
hundreds of miles off Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.

The morning of July 25, with the crew safe on
Adak Island, the Coast Guard and the ship
operators turned their attention to trying
to salvage the massive car carrier.

The 654-foot Cougar Ace cargo holds nearly
5,000 cars that were being shipped from
Japan to Canada when it began tilting to its
port side late Sunday night.

Clinton Calling For Preassure on Sudan

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton called on
Sunday for pressure to be exerted on Sudan's
government to accept a larger and stronger
peacekeeping force to restore peace in the
country's western Darfur region.

The conflict, which began in early 2003,
has killed 200,000 people, forced another
2 million to flee their homes and spilled
over into neighboring Chad.

'Manatee girl' named young eco-hero

A 17-year-old's dedication to education about
manatees earns her the title of 2006 International
Young Eco-Hero.

When Dara Shore talks to people in her hometown
of Long Island, N.Y., about manatee protection,
they usually respond with: "What's a manatee?"

"And that's one more person that gets educated,"
Shore said.

Shore, 17, became interested in manatee protection
when, as a second-grader, she saw manatees during
a visit to Sea World.

The plight of the water mammals, scarred by boat
propellers, touched her heart. "I was just infuriated"
that they were injured so frequently, she said.

Shore acted on her feelings and soon afterward
started her own organization, Mission Manatee.

"I give talks to schools and raise money for the
Save the Manatee Club," she said. "It's about
involvement. We all need to do our part."

She remembers raising $300 in one afternoon.
Shore was recently named 2006 International
Young Eco-Hero for her continuing efforts to
educate young children about the plight of the
manatee.

"Educating people is important, no matter where
they live," she said. "There may not be any
manatee in New York, but a lot of people have
grandparents who live in Florida and own boats.

"So maybe if they hear safe boating advice from
their grandchildren, they'll be more likely to
listen," Shore said.

Positive New Network applauds all of these
people who have taken action this past week
to make the world a better place for all.