07/12/2007

Northern Notes

TC woman expresses gratitude to boys who found her wallet

By Stephanie Beach
Local columnist
sbeach@
record-eagle.com

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Ruth Groll of Traverse City doesn't know their names, but she is deeply indebted to two boys who turned in her wallet at the police station after they found it near the railroad tracks behind the library.

"Although whoever had stolen my purse removed the cash from the wallet before tossing it, many valuable documents were still in the wallet, which the boys turned in, thus saving me much time and effort to have them replaced. Thank you very much,” Ruth wrote.

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Surplus funds from the "Get Guy to Oregon” campaign will be used to help catastrophically injured service men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Special fundraisers were held to send Alden's World War II Bronze Star recipient, Guy Barber, to the April reunion of his 70th Infantry Division. The efforts were so successful, that not only did Guy and his daughter attend the reunion, but a check for $500 was sent to Antrim County's Habitat for Humanity. Even after Guy returned from Oregon, contributions continued to arrive from around the country.

Guy received the Bronze Star more than 60 years ago for pulling two of his wounded comrades out of the line of enemy fire and administering first aid until medical help arrived. And, when the campaign account was closed at the end of May, his wish was to reach out once again to help the wounded. In keeping with his wishes to "help those wounded boys,” a check for $2,962.43 was sent to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund's state-of-the-art rehabilitation center at Brook's Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.

To learn more about the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, visit www.fallenheroesfund.org.

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Susan L. Anderson of Bay City wrote to thank the community for helping her find her cat.

When Susan was involved in an automobile accident on M-22 near Lakeview Drive, her cat, Callie, escaped from the car and was lost in the woods for a month.

"I was truly amazed at the support from the community, local businesses, the Record-Eagle, other community newspapers, the Humane Society and two very special local people who searched with me during the ordeal, Sue and Sandy,” Susan wrote. "I received a phone call from Sandy on June 18 ... that my cat (Callie) was found. It was the most exciting news. My cat has returned and joined my family again. Thank you to all who helped search for her and thanks to the Traverse City community for the continued support. You are all wonderful people.”

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Honor State Bank's semi-annual "Food & Things Community Drive,” held recently at each of its nine branch offices and its loan center, raised 3,515 pounds of non-perishable food and $4,978 for local food pantries to help those in need.

Area residents and customers made food and cash donations and the bank contributed 25 cents for every pound of food donated. The Bear Lake, Benzonia, Copemish, Honor and Marketplace Circle branch offices held bake sales that raised $1,150. Employees also contributed $5 each to wear jeans two days during the drive that contributed an additional $510. Bear Lake Schools, Crystal Lake Elementary School, Buckley Schools and Kennedy Elementary School of Manistee also participated and donated 1,710 pounds of food.

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Michigan Community Blood Centers wrote to acknowledge blood donors who reached new gallon levels recently.

They are: one gallon — Carol Bradsher, Amber Bright, Virginia Carlson, Heather Compeau, Kelly Countryman, Nicholas Crawford, Robert Dalbo, Robert Eifler, Robert Fast, Aidan Finn, Sara Freckelton, Bonnie Giddings, Patricia Hoaglund, Anne Kinsey, Georgean Krygier, Brenda McLellan, Ronald McWethy, Edward Michael, Carrie Milbocker, Sally Myers, Yvonne Nickerson, Connie Pleva, Kimberly Schmitz, Robin Smith, David Speirs and Debbie Whitney; two gallons — Pat Atkinson, Charles Carrell, Valerie Conway, MaryAnn Corey, Jim Hanes, Kristin Leach, Debra Link, Malissa Long, Susan Lytle and Frank Putney; three gallons — Nadine Baise, Eleanor Casteel, Mark Francis, Gary Pallin, Kristin Richards, Edmund Schopieray, Donald Spinniken and MaryBeth Stein; four gallons — Elaine Harmon, Joan Richardson and Terry Williams; five gallons — Jay Lynch, Robert Matlis, Fred Peplinski and Charles Raney; seven gallons — Gregory Heckathorn and Harold Kranick; eight gallons — James Brady, Gordon Hughes, Roger Johnson, Robert Loomis, Orley Norris, William Selzer, Barbara VanBerto and Camilla Williams; nine gallons — Jeanne Rokos; 11 gallons — Judy Nielsen; 14 gallons — Paul Martin; 17 gallons — John Anderson.

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Items for this column may be sent to Northern Notes, Record-Eagle, P.O. Box 632, Traverse City, MI 49685-0632; e-mail sbeach@record-eagle.com.