ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, June 13, 1996 TAG: 9606130011
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N-2 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
Dear Neighbors:
To the people of both Roanoke and Salem on behalf of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, I want to express my heartfelt thanks for an experience that each member of our fastpitch softball team had in your wonderful communities. From the moment we arrived to the time we left, we felt the warmth of the community leaders and the general population.
I have coached at many levels and have participated or coached at national tourneys throughout the nation, but have never had the good fortune to experience one as good as the Division III National World Series that you hosted.
A special thank you goes out to some extraordinary people who went out of their way to make sure all ran smoothly in our visit to Virginia: Carey Harveycutter, John Saunders and all who ran the tournament. To the best host family we could have ever had, the Jackson and Val Beamer family, who showed us the definition of hospitality, thank you for all your help and generosity.
We will work hard as a team so that, with some luck, we can return to your community in 1998 to participate again. Until then, we will never forget the great week we were able to share with the people of your two great cities.
Dean Shuda
Stevens Point, Wis.
Dear Neighbors:
On May 15, I experienced a family crisis that was life-threatening to my father. He is an insulin-dependent diabetic and suffers from memory loss. He lives with my brother in Roanoke. In the morning, my brother discovered Dad had taken off during the night, driving a car. We thought it likely he would be driving around Roanoke, lost. We first called police, then friends, anyone that we thought might be driving around Roanoke. Then we called Valley Metro. As a former employee of the transit company, I knew there could be no better source of people driving in the valley. I talked with Terry Russell. He told me that he would alert drivers that were coming on duty. I am lucky that my story has a happy ending. My father is OK, though during his adventure he hit a deer and totaled the car.
My family will never forget the compassion that the Valley Metro employees had for perfect strangers.
Cathy Place
Bradenton, Fla.
LENGTH: Short : 50 linesby CNB