The week's good news: August 27, 2020

1.

Because of World War II, Miriam Schreiber couldn't go to school, but that doesn't mean she wasn't able to educate herself. "I read books day and night," she told The Washington Post. "I still do." The 88-year-old Connecticut resident was born in Poland and is a Holocaust survivor. With her husband, she immigrated to the U.S. in 1960. They wanted their children to have the opportunities they missed out on and worked hard to send them to school. Son Bernie Schreiber told the Post, "We became successful because of my parents. ... I credit my parents, but especially my mother, for her dogged determination." When the seniors at New England Jewish Academy heard Miriam's story, they decided she should receive an honorary diploma. Because of the pandemic, graduation was canceled, but a small, socially distanced ceremony was held on Aug. 16, just for Schreiber. "When I finally got the diploma, I kissed it," she told the Post. "I just couldn't believe it was mine." [The Washington Post]

2.

Mia Villa is spreading happiness across her community, one chocolate chip cookie at a time. She's only 3 years old, but has a lot of baking experience under her belt — she's been making cookies with her mom, Devin Villa, since she was 18 months old. They specialize in chocolate chip cookies, and at the beginning of the pandemic, Devin came up with an idea to show their appreciation for first responders through homemade treats. "The world was feeling down and we needed some kindness," she told Good Morning America. 
Since then, they have safely delivered more than 1,000 cookies across Stillwater, New York, and the surrounding area, dropping them off at hospitals, grocery stores, veterinarian offices, and police and fire departments. Mia's not just a baker, though — she is also an artist, and each cookie delivery comes with an original drawing. [Good Morning America]

3.

While at Delaware's Prime Hook Beach in the summer of 1985, Cathi Riddle thought it would be fun to send a message in a bottle and see if anyone ever responded to her letter. Finally, 35 years later, Riddle received a reply. In the letter, dated Aug. 1, 1985, she wrote about her dog and asked the person who found the missive to write back as soon as possible. On Aug. 8, kayaker Brad Wachsmuth was on the Broadkill River near Prime Hook Beach when he saw a bottle floating in the water. He grabbed it so he could recycle the glass, but back on shore, he saw there was a piece of paper inside. After reading the message, he contacted the Milton Historical Society, which connected him with Riddle. The bottle likely "didn't travel very far," Riddle said, but it's not too far-fetched to believe that "perhaps it traveled the world and came back." [WBOC]

4.

The unnamed panda cub is the size of a stick of butter, but is already causing a sensation at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Mei Xiang, a 22-year-old giant panda, gave birth to the cub on Friday. They are being given space to bond, and the zoo will determine the cub's sex during a future exam. Female pandas are only able to conceive for 24 to 72 hours a year, and because of Mei Xiang's age, the "chances of her having a cub were slim," Steve Monfort, director of the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, said in a statement. "However, we wanted to give her one more opportunity to contribute to her species' survival. I am incredibly proud of our animal care and science teams, whose expertise in giant panda behavior was critical to this conservation success." The birth, he added, offers "the world a much-needed moment of pure joy." [Smithsonian]

5.

With his 11-year-old nephew's sketches as a guide, Leigh Downing built a 230-foot-long rollercoaster, including every "twist, turn, and bunny hop" he dreamed up. His nephew, Calden Ashley, designs coasters on his computer. Downing felt bad Ashley was stuck at his home in Wales because of the pandemic, and decided to surprise him by making a rollercoaster for his backyard. "We built it with a wooden frame for the structure, PVC pipe for the rails, and 462 wooden bearers that we mounted the rails on," Downing told SWNS. "We did it all in eight days." Some modifications were done for safety reasons, and adults tested the coaster before Ashley was able to go for a ride. Downing said it was "good fun" working on this ambitious project with his son and nephew, and they are already planning their next coaster, made entirely of steel with "a corkscrew and a loop." [SWNS]