By Steve Stratford, Deputy Editor
WE'VE got good news and bad news this week - just as it should be.
First up we have an unashamedly positive front page story in Colwyn Bay on the phenomenal success of the various Bay of Colwyn environmental groups who have between them scooped an entire third of the awards issued by the Civic Trust's Green Flag scheme.
Of the 17 awards dished out across Wales, an impressive six of them (35%) went to schemes in either Colwyn Bay or Old Colwyn. Celebrating the success of a few greenfingered gardeners may seem a bit wishy-washy, but the media is all too often accused of heralding bad news while ignoring the good.
That is not the case with the Weekly News, and we actively try to balance the good and the bad. Unfortunately, there's a lot of bad stuff happening out there, which is why it's nice to highlight this success - Colwyn Bay is setting high standards for the rest of Wales.
There's more good news in our report on school meals in Conwy county. Ever since Jamie Oliver publicised just how poor school dinners were a couple of years back, the take-up nationally has fallen by a staggering 20%. Not so in Conwy, where take-up has fallen by a tiny 1%, a far more impressive statistic than that for neighbouring Denbighshire, where 6.4% fewer children are eating school meals.
Our interview with county school catering chief Carol Davies proves that Conwy is making great efforts to improve the quality of food on the menu in our schools, and has been doing since before Jamie Oliver lifted the lid.
And so to the bad news... we have no choice but to highlight the reported upscaling in night-time vandalism in Conwy town centre, vandalism at the Scout Hut in Llandudno, and the frustrating lack of progress on the proposed North Wales Assembly building in Llandudno Junction.
We've even rooted out some bad news of our own this week with our piece on the Facebook group Colwyn Bay is a Dumphole. I hope readers will take the time to react positively to it by condemning these posters and calling for the moaning minnies to do something constructive, instead of filling the internet with pointlessly negative views.
If you have something to say on these, or any other, stories in the Weekly News, click on the Forums link on our homepage, or click here.
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lisa brownson wrote...
I am Old Colwyn born and bread. I am disgusted that so many people are set on slating the bay. Yes things arent as we would like in an ideal world, but let's face it, we could be alot worse. I am sick of people not being proud of their home town, let's face it if we dont stand up for it and try to improve it. who will????? All I can say is if you dont like it and put anything in to it who will. Remember your roots...............
Posted by: lisa brownson | September 12, 2007 10:56 PM