Setting a good example
Diwali time, fun time ... especially for children. Most of them can hardly wait to get their hands on crackers. But recently a reporter met an 11-year-old lad who had other ideas. "I'll buy some crackers," he explained, "but I'll use at least half of my pocket money to buy sweets. I want to give them to children at an orphanage." Asked how he came up with such a thoughtful gesture, he just chuckled, but his silence and radiant smile were more touching than words. "We don't know where he got this idea," his Dad admits.

On the panel
Former Panjab University senator and history Prof G.S. Sethi will chair the History Experts panel being set up by the Union Education Department's Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology. He and his colleagues will contribute their expertise to a new English-Hindi dictionary for use in Central and state government offices.

Seeing through visitors
The Sector 9 Police Headquarters became the third building in the city to get an X-ray baggage scanner. The recently acquired Rs 9 lakh machine stands at the building's entrance. The Airport and Punjab Secretariat already have these devices. Also new at Police Headquarters is the refurbished reception area: new carpet, new counters, new furniture.

Sipping time
While the police searched for the supposed to be planted bomb at the District Courts complex the other day, it was relaxing time for the otherwise tied up judicial officers most of whom are handling a good about 300 cases daily. Thanks to the hoax caller, the officers got time to sip in some coffee at the Sector 17 Coffee House.

Last days
So abruptly did City Mayor Kewal Krishan Adiwal adjourn the Municipal Corporation's 29-member House last week that, what to speak of opposition members, even ruling party members were annoyed. The whisper is that, as his term will expire in less than two months, the Mayor doesn't want to face the House.

As per rules, the new mayor must be a woman. Incidentally, Saudambini Bambah and Kamlesh stole the show by lodging a strong protest before the Mayor's office.

Bow-wow bulletin
They're looking for loving homes: one 18-month-old white male Pomeranian, vaccinated and affectionate; and two brown and white Chandigarh terriers, one male, one female, about 12 weeks old, vaccinated and healthy. Contact People For Animals, H No 82, Sector 10, Tel: 742095.

Timber tale
For the past several weeks a Sector 19-C housewife, Sneh Jain had been after Horticulture Department officials to send a crew to remove a dry branch of a eucalyptus tree near her house. Sure enough, the branch fell, crashing down on her courtyard just feet from where she was standing. The first thing she did after this lucky escape was ring up the Newsline reporter and narrate the episode.

All handmade
Talk about the personal touch! When the Sector 25 Janata Colony children sent out invitations for their play, every single card was handmade and decorated with beautiful crayon pictures signed by each little student artist. The message was simple: "We are inviting you to our play on November 3. Please come... "

We surely will!
A handwritten Guru Granth Sahib prepared by octogenarian G.S. Sobti, a resident of Sector 19, has been installed in the Sector 21 gurdwara. He's done a beautiful job on it and, as he proudly proclaims: "I didn't use glasses either ... How's that for a man my age?" He worked 10 hours a day for nine months to copy the entire scripture.

Prizes sans plastic
Teachers and preachers need to practice first. That's what one of the winners of the World Wildlife Fund-sponsored cycle race-cum-rally told the organisers. At the prize distribution ceremony for the Habitat Week competitions, this young man pointed to the poly-films wrapping the trophies and remarked: "Organising races and painting competition don't propagate eco-friendliness."