Sign singing: Everyone has heard of a sing-a-long, but what about a sign-a-long? That is what students from the Hampden Street School in Nelson, New Zealand took part in during that country’s Sign Language Week. Rather than singing New Zealand’s national anthem, the children performed it by signing the words to the song. The children were taught by a tutor who utilized fun games and visual aids to help the children learn sign language. Along with the national anthem, the children also performed a couple of songs by contemporary artists.

Food police: A study done in the province of British Columbia (CAN) found that grocery store loyalty cards may not only save a shopper money, they may also assist in finding the cause of an illness. In that province, a larger than normal number of people came down with hepatitis A, and the scientists who track such illnesses used information on customers’ loyalty cards to find clues. The cards helped investigators discover that the outbreak of the illness was caused by pomegranate seeds in a certain brand of frozen fruit mix.

Town mascot: There is a well-known cat in the Scottish town of St. Andrews that recently became even more famous. The cat, named Hamish McHamish, is considered to belong to everyone because it left its master’s home at the age of one year to live in the streets where it roamed from door to door. All residents took care of the furry creature and it became something of a mascot for the town. Because the cat is now elderly, the town folk decided to honour this feline resident. One member of the community took up a collection to pay for the creation of a statue of Hamish McHamish.

Eco-friendly: Those who want to take a vacation in an eco-friendly hotel might want to check out Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri (US). As the recipient of a Good Earthkeeping Award from the American Hotel and Lodging Association, it has an energy-conserving laundry area that uses only half the amount of water used by a typical facility. The Lodge’s recycling program is comprehensive, with everything from cardboard and plastic to glass being recycled. As well, the hotel produces herbs and vegetables in its own garden, reducing the reliance on shipped produce.