Bruce Goldstein, a three-year disaster volunteer with the local chapter of the American Red Cross, spent New Year's Eve in Guam, helping victims of the super-typhoon Pongsona.

Pongsona hit Guam on Dec. 8, leveling nearly 7,900 homes, setting fuel tanks ablaze and severely damaging the island's main hospital and Anderson Air Force Base.

Thousands have been left homeless and food, water, electricity and fuels are in short supply.

More than 150 Red Cross personnel from the United States and Hawaii have arrived in Guam.

Mr. Goldstein, also a member of the Queen City Emergency Network amateur radio team, will be in Guam three weeks and will serve as a mass care specialist, involved in shelter operations and serving meals to disaster victims and rescue workers.

The 18th Annual African Culture Fest will present a showplace of diversity Jan. 18-20 at the Cincinnati Museum Center in Union Terminal.

Activities include: sampling goods from an African marketplace and listening to narrators, telling stories.

There will be performances by African drummers and dancers, including the Khamisi Dance Theater and Afrikan-American Drum & Dance Ensemble.

This year, the fest will feature an African village with full-size huts representing several African cultures, and African villagers demonstrating traditional crafts and activities.

The fest is part of the 2002-2003 Passport to the World series at the Museum.

"This is probably the most popular cultural event of the series," said Michelle Padilla, communication officer at the center.

The fest runs from noon to 5 p.m. Jan. 18-20.

The culture fests are free and open to the public.

The Passport to the World series highlights one heritage through displays and activities.

They provide a forum to interact and learn with community members of different cultures.

The series will feature the Celtic Lands Culture Fest March 15-16 and the Asian Culture Fest, May 17.

CHATline, a program coordinated by Cedar Village Retirement Community in Mason, is offering homebound seniors a chance to meet the outside world.

Through a phone bank, volunteers call seniors every day.

They ask how the seniors are feeling, and whether they've taken needed medications.

Pam Saeks, program director, said it provides a chance for people on both sides of the phone to connect on a social level and enjoy conversations with someone with similar interests.

CHAT stands for Connecting Hearts All Together.

For more information, call 621-7500, 489-7799 or 652-7452.

Allen Howard's "Some Good News" column runs Sunday-Friday. If you have suggestions about outstanding achievements, or people who are uplifting to the Tristate, let him know at 768-8362, at ahoward@enquirer.com or by fax at 768-8340.