Election Stress During Kindness Week
A STRESSFUL ELECTION
I want you to know about two events that are happening at the same time. You really should be paying attention to both. 
Zulah Talmage with you from The Shady Pines Gazette news team. On the one hand, our nation is still waiting to hear the results of the 2020 presidential election. Unlike other elections, this one is taking a long time.
So many people voted by mail, it's taking a good deal of time to count all those additional votes. Volunteers are working around the clock to make sure they do everything they can to be accurate about the vote totals.
Meanwhile, people are marching in the streets to demonstrate to officials how importat they feel it is their vote be counted. It's clear that a lot of voters are really stressed out right now. They desperately want to find out as soon as possible whether their candidate won.
INTERNATIONAL KINDNESS WEEK
At the same time all that's happening, we're heading into International Kindness Week. It wraps up next Friday, November 13th. That day is known as World Kindness Day. This week people all over the world are being asked to pay attention to the way they act and speak to one another. One of the slogans you might hear is this: "If you can't find a kind person - be one." Isn't that 
great? Here's another one: "In a world where you can be anything, Be Kind."
Listen, I get it. Scoop, The Cub Reporter and I have been all over Shady Pines Story Town covering this election. People have very strong ideas about who should be our next president. You'll meet people who'll tell you all the reasons why we should re-elect our current president, Donald Trump.
Then just like that, you'll bump into someone else who thinks the country needs a different direction. They will tell you in no uncertain terms why former Vice President, Joe Biden, is the right man for the job. Because emotions are so high, we sometimes forget to consider that eveyone is concerned about how this election will be decided. We tend to forget that just like everyone's vote counts, so do their opinions - even if we don't agree with them.
As this week, or weeks go along, Scoop and I will continue to cover all the twists and turns that this year's presidential election will throw our way. There will probably be calls for states to hold re-counts of votes and who-knows-what else? 2020 has been an unusual year, and there's no reason to expect a "normal" election, is there?
But along with all the election madness, we know it will come to an end. It may not be the result you were hoping for when you cast your ballot. 
We need to remember that our co-workers, friends, neighbors and family members feel strongly about the candidate they wanted to win. So, since this is International Kindness Week and all, maybe we can focus on compassion. We don't want to lose and neither does anyone else.
This week, like every week in Shady Pines, kindness and caring can go a long way!
The Fourth Of July is just days away. All kinds of commotion swirls around Town Hall in downtown Shady Pines Story Town. 
The few employees still working there (others work from home) are social distancing, wearing masks, and talking on their cell phones. These employees have to let their neighbors know what they can and can't do on the Fourth.
There will be no parade down Main Street and no big 'ole barbeque in Stonewall Park. But there are still plans to have smaller gatherings around town.
Mayor Beauregard P. Fibbs sits at his big wooden desk in his office at City Hall and answers one phone call after another. He gets more frustrated by the minute. Finally, he calls for his assistant.
their own homes for cryin' out loud!”
WINNIE the POOH and FRIENDS on Their Big Day!
is in a hurry to finish cleaning her house. She’s expecting Scoop, the Cub Reporter from The Shady Pines Gazette newspaper to show up any time now. He’s coming to interview her on one of her favorite topics - Winnie the Pooh. As a cartoon character herself, Edna is crazy about the adventures of this bear and his buddies. Their stories are filled with kindness, friendship, caring, and other positive themes. And, best of all, January 18th is the official Winnie the Pooh Day!
inspire kids to be good, honest and decent people. Although, I must say, our Boomer and Halley often have us spinning and they tend to get the whole town of Shady Pines into the act!" (For Boomer and Halley books Go
When she opens the door, she sees a familiar young man with a shock of red hair. He has his camera equipment slung over his arm and a reporter’s notebook sticking out of his jacket pocket.
Scoop looks up. "That's the young boy in the story, right? I just wrote an article for the Gazette. Christopher Robin was based on the author's real life son." (Scoop's article
Attach Action to the Resolutions
