11 Good News Stories: Spidey Sense, Saving Grandma, ‘Vax-Unteers’

ACROSS AMERICA — Mike Justman’s Spidey sense told him his superhero costume was the prescription for pandemic doldrums.

“Kids were getting their birthdays canceled,” the New Berlin, Wisconsin, resident told Patch’s Karen Pilarski.

He’s been putting on his Spider-Man costume since March, and putting on a show worthy of Tom Holland, the leading man in “Spider-Man 3.” He even jumps atop a car in a signature Spider-Man move.

Justman’s Spidey adventures started in his neighborhood but have expanded across southeastern Wisconsin. And it’s not just kids who are enjoying the show. By Karen Pilarski for New Berlin Patch

Below are 10 more uplifting stories from Patch editors across America.

Putting Their Privilege To Work

Inspired by their parents to recognize their privilege and use it to make their community better, a group of Warren, New Jersey, 6-year-olds known collectively as the Kindness Crew are teaming with the local police union to help restaurants struggling to stay afloat in an industry hit hard by the pandemic. The effort raised more than $4,000 to offset the costs of a special effort to bring more customers in the door. Two of the girls’ mothers had been doing philanthropic work to set an example for their daughters, and when they realized the girls didn’t have an active stake in it, they challenged them to help move the project ahead by doing video interviews with the people they wanted to help. By Alexis Tarrazi for Warren Patch

Good Morning, Sunshine

Pandemic or not, folks around Buckingham Township in Pennsylvania weren’t going to let Bryan Rosica’s birthday pass without them making a big deal out of it. Neighbors and friends of the beloved elementary school teacher, who was recently diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, surprised him with a sunrise parade. "Bryan is full of life," one of the organizers told Patch. "He is always positive, incredibly energetic, a very thoughtful individual. He just has an effervescent personality, the kind of individual who will do anything for anybody." By Peter Blanchard for Doylestown Patch

The Uplift Of The Uplift

Inside the intensive care unit at St. Jude's Medical Center in Anaheim, California, ventilators whoosh and hospital equipment beeps. This is the cadence of coronavirus, and it is the only sound in the ICU ward where Joseph Trejo, an otherwise healthy 53-year-old man until he contracted COVID-19, is in the battle of his life. Outside, a Mariachi band started strumming and raising their voices in song. Trejo’s wife of 38 years, Patty, had arranged for the musical tribute to lift his spirits — and her act ended up giving the ICU staff some much-needed joy. By Ashley Ludwig for Mission Viejo Patch

Stepping Up To The Plate

Pottstown, Pennsylvania, special education teacher Arden Moore will get a sign — an actual banner with her name — of how much she’s appreciated during the Philadelphia Phillies’ home opener on April 1. She has been teaching in-person classes since August — and, by the way, ongoing chemotherapy treatments didn’t stop her — and will be among 41 “Frontline Heroes” honored for, ahem, stepping up to the plate during the pandemic. By Marlene Lang for Pottstown Patch

The “Vax-Unteer” Squad

Snagging an appointment to get a coronavirus vaccination isn’t easy for anyone, as demand for the shots continues to exceed supply. And it’s especially tough for older folks introduced to technology late in life and not as comfortable at a computer as their children and grandchildren. Westfield, New Jersey, high school junior Taylor Addis recognized the problem many were having and organized her fellow “vax-unteers” to help. So far, at least 200 people in their area have asked the group for help, including one person who is 98. By Caren Lissner for Westfield Patch

Seeds Of Progress

Before AeroFarms moved into a former steel mill in Newark, New Jersey, the ailing, 75-year-old building was like many others in the city: full of promise but needing new life. Now, more than four years after AeroFarms planted the first seed at its global headquarters, new life has indeed arrived in the city's Ironbound neighborhood — nearly 2 million pounds of it. That's the amount of leafy greens that sprout every year at 212 Rome St., where an enormous, 70,000-square-foot facility houses the "largest indoor vertical farm in the world." By Eric Kiefer for Newark Patch

Saving Grandma’s Place

Dawn Harris-Martine has been “grandma of the neighborhood” since 1999, when she opened what started as a child literacy center and later expanded to a toy and book store in a building next to her brownstone on a quiet Harlem street. The 81-year-old retired school teacher was able to keep the shop going on her own — but then the pandemic hit, landing Grandma’s Place $17,000 in debt, and it looked as if the neighborhood icon might shutter. Everything changed after a local NBC News affiliate told her story and a crowdfunding campaign was started. By Nick Garber for Harlem Patch

Some Bar Trivia For You

In the post-pandemic future, a trivia night question might be how some of the small businesses of Peabody, Massachusetts, made it through the pandemic. One answer: trivia. It was a big deal at Granite Coast Brewery before the pandemic, packing crowds with various theme nights. The big trivia night crowds disappeared with the pandemic shutdowns last March. But while some folks trickled back in when restrictions were eased, brewery marketing manager Amy Luckiewicz looked to the internet, where she’s continuing trivia night with aplomb. By Scott Souza for Peabody Patch

Why Her Jeans Are Snug

Edgewater, Maryland, photographer Danielle Lundberg says her “jeans may be a bit tighter from sampling all the great food” featured in “Dine Out in Annapolis While Eating In,” a cookbook that guides readers through preparing their favorite dishes from restaurants around the city. The proceeds benefit Feed Anne Arundel, which helps restaurant workers struggling during the coronavirus pandemic and also helps fight food insecurity nationwide. By Jacob Baumgart for Annapolis Patch

Bottoms Up

Every year, seven police departments in the Madison, Connecticut, area help folks along the shoreline diaper their babies. This year, enough diapers and wipes for 675 infants were collected in the Shoreline Law Enforcement Diaper & Wipe Drive to benefit the charity Bare Necessities that helps infants and toddlers in need. Even a K-9 officer got in on the action. By Ellyn Santiago for Madison Patch

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