Roses to sisters Charanjit Kaur and Kamlesh Kamlesh, who recently passed their U.S. citizenship tests, and to the Orange County Literacy Council, whose tutors helped them prepare and study for the tests.

Both sisters were born in India and are proud to now be American citizens. They worked with more than one OCLC tutor over the years, but it was Kelly Sanders and Carol Holmes who helped them cross the finish line.

The Orange County Literacy Council provides one-on-one tutoring in Orange County to help adults reach their education, employment and life goals. The group provides free, flexible instruction in reading, writing, basic math, English, computer skills and GED preparation.

Good work all around.

Roses, to stick with the language theme for a minute, to Mental Health America of the Triangle’s Family Advocacy Network (FAN), for expanding access to critical mental health services to local Latino families.

FAN, which provides training, support and access to resources for families that have a child or children with mental illness, has gained temporary funding that allows it to offer its services in Spanish.

Raising a child who is struggling with mental illness can be terribly challenging, frustrating and frightening even in the best of circumstances. Compound that circumstance with a language barrier, and you have a situation in which it is all too likely that families don’t know where to turn for help.

Especially in light of budget cuts that have reduced access to mental health services, the new expanded FAN program will help fill an important gap.

Raspberries to whoever stole one of the CowParade NC cows from outside a car dealership in southern Durham.

The sculpture, painted by Triangle artist Warren Anthony Hicks, was called “The Cow is Greener On the Other Side.” It vanished last weekend from its home at Johnson Lexus; the thieves unbolted its hooves from its concrete base and made off with it.

Happily, police found the piece off Garrett Road and returned it, dinged but still in one piece.

That’s a better fate than the one that befell two other cows in the project, which were damaged by vandals on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus several weeks ago.

The vandals and thieves may not know what the 81cows displayed throughout the Triangle are for: to raise money and awareness for the N.C. Children’s Hospital in Chapel Hill.

“Knowing the ultimate purpose of these cow sculptures is to benefit patients at N.C. Children’s Hospital ... we hope that is enough to elicit a sense of respect for the cows and an obligation within the community to love and protect them.”

You would think.

Roses to Chapel Hill Creamery, whose Asiago was named Best in Show at the N.C. State Fair’s second annual international cheese competition.

The local dairy topped almost 100 competitors from throughout the U.S. and as far away as Australia. The head judge praised Chapel Hill Creamery’s Asiago, which also won the Best from North Carolina award, for its “really nice, intense nutty and fruity flavor.”

Yum. To quote Monty Python, “Blessed are the cheesemakers.”