It's been a week when our region has been in the national news for all the wrong reasons - a tourist's road death, a hunter's guilty plea over a shooting death and a damning report on a death in the Rotorua police cells.
But here's our chance to again make headlines
that much better reflect our fine city.
Rotorua has been selected alongside Christchurch as a finalist to defend its Most Beautiful City award.
The award, now known as the Best City award, is given by the Keep New Zealand Beautiful organisation.
Since 1999 Rotorua has won the award five times, including last year, though we've never gone up against a city rebuilding itself in the wake of a devastating earthquake.
We've never gone up against numbers like this either: The winner will now be decided by popular vote.
Which, once you consider the sympathy vote, and the southern city's much bigger population, all means we could be on the end of a raw deal.
So make sure you visit www.knzb.org.nz and vote for Rotorua, and get everyone you know to do the same.
Keep Rotorua Beautiful co-ordinator Christine Findon and co, as well as those council employees and contractors (especially the gardeners) who do such a great job of keeping our city looking great deserve a huge pat on the back, and they deserve the recognition that will come with this award.
While you're voting, make sure to give Rotorua's Selwyn School (up for the new Best Community/Environmentally Minded School award) and Pride Whakatane (up for the Best Community/Environmentally Minded Initiative award) your ticks as well.
We know how great Rotorua is. Let's take this opportunity to remind everyone else.
