06/28/2007

Northern Notes

'Perfect stranger' goes out of his way to help Interlochen woman

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

Read past Northern Notes

After Pauline Alley purchased a bench at the Ace Hardware store at Chum's Corner, she realized it wasn't going to fit in her vehicle. When a gentleman outside the store offered to transport the bench in his truck to her home south of Interlochen Corners, Pauline assumed he was an Ace employee.

"I asked if he worked for Ace Hardware and he said 'no.' I asked if he lived down that way, meaning seven miles past Interlochen Corners. He said, 'Oh no, I live near here,'” Pauline wrote. "I accepted his offer, still not believing that a perfect stranger would go 24 miles round-trip to help another person. Chuck Wolfe, an employee of Eastwood Custom Homes, did just that. I think it is heartwarming to know there are super friendly and super kind people in this area and in this world who will help out a stranger. My thanks to Chuck Wolfe.”

Because Chuck went out of his way to help Pauline, the bench now provides seating for people walking the outdoor 11-circuit labyrinth that Pauline and her husband, Robert, created from woodland materials at their home in an effort to bring comfort and peace to others. The labyrinth is located at the Alley residence, 16488 Honor Highway, and although it is on private property, it is open to the public any time. For details, call 275-6039 or 342-1366.

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Lori S. Wells, Traverse City Senior Center Director, wrote on behalf of the Senior Center to thank Woodland School teachers, Jessie Milne and Melissa Hoeppner, for bringing their 50-plus students to the senior center to sing to the seniors and for the lovely potted plants they made for each senior in attendance.

In addition, each month these students in kindergarten through third grade make hand-drawn placemats for the daily luncheons at the senior center, Lori wrote, adding that the seniors love to see a different child's art every day and each masterpiece is signed by the artist.

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A recent Friday the 13th became a lucky day for Antrim County food pantries thanks to caring county residents who purchased enough grocery items to refill the shelves at five local food pantries. Shoppers at a store in Elk Rapids and Glen's Markets in Bellaire and Mancelona also contributed more than $1,000, enough to buy more than three tons of additional food from discount food banks.

The food drive was organized and staffed by the Antrim County Democratic Party, who want to thank the market staffs, the volunteers and most especially the contributing residents for making Friday the 13th such a lucky day.

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The Fresh Food Partnership recently received a very generous contribution from an unusual source, Northport Senior High School student Abby VanDusen, who organized and put on her own "Empty Bowls” event. The event was similar to others that are hosted worldwide. Guests are invited to take home a handmade bowl as a reminder of the worldwide hunger problem.

As part of Abby's senior project that focused on hunger issues, she organized the event by holding bowl-making workshops for students and community members, soliciting soup and bread donations and rounding up high school musicians to provide entertainment. Her efforts paid off with a hugely successful event that brought the community together as they raised funds for, and awareness of, hunger issues in the Northport area.

As the final step in Abby's fundraising effort, she delivered a check to the Fresh Food Partnership for almost $2,000. The money will be put to work by the partnership, which is a coalition of nonprofit organizations and volunteers who work to buy and distribute locally grown fruits and vegetables from area farmers to local food pantries for people in need.

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Donna Quinlan of Cedar Springs was enjoying Traverse City with her sisters and doing some shopping when she picked up her packages from a bench where the group stopped to rest, but left her purse behind.

The group had gone into a store when Donna realized she didn't have her purse.

"Thinking my weekend ruined, not to mention the hassle of replacing personal documents, I was distraught,” Donna wrote. "My sister retraced our steps and went into the store closest to the bench where we had rested. A very honest person had picked up my purse and brought it into the store, contents untouched.

"Thank you seems a small word to express how I felt,” Donna wrote. "I just want you to know how much I appreciate what you did for me. You are a guardian angel.”

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