Traverse City Record-Eagle

Archive: Monday

November 16, 2009

Editorial: Cheers: 11/16/2009

-- To Brandon Stites, a 1991 Elk Rapids High School graduate, for giving his alma mater an American flag that flew over Iraq. The school dedicated it at a special Veterans Day assembly. Stites, 36, an Army chief warrant officer currently serving in Iraq, comes from a long line of soldiers, starting with a great-great grandfather who served in the Civil War. His grandfather was a World War I veteran; his father, Don Stites, retired in 2004 after a 36-year Army career.

-- To the recipients of the Grand Traverse Area Veterans Coalition honors. Veteran of the Year was Gary Hlavka, who served as a Navy cook from 1959-1962. The coalition's Veteran Supporter of the Year award went to Moomer's Homemade Ice Cream.

-- To the local Veterans for Peace Chapter for placing 178 crosses at the Open Space to honor Michigan soldiers who have died in Iraq or Afghanistan.

-- To Traverse City author Doug Stanton for being named to Publisher Weekly's prestigious "Best in Nonfiction for 2009" list for his book "Horse Soldiers," about Special Forces soldiers in Afghanistan. "Horse Soldiers" has become a national and local best-seller; movie rights were purchased by producer Jerry Bruckheimer of "Pearl Harbor" and "Black Hawk Down" fame.

-- To downtown Traverse City merchants for the annual "Shop Your Community Day" held to promote downtown shopping and local retailers. It also raised money for local nonprofit organizations. Nearly 50 downtown merchants took part in the event.

-- To the organizers of the eighth annual GirlTECH, which introduced unconventional future employment opportunities to as many as 200 sophomore students from Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District schools. The aim was to give students a better idea of professions in which women comprise 25 percent or less of the workforce.

-- To the supporters and donors of the Goodwill Inn's homeless shelter's food drive over the weekend.

-- To two local apple farmers who gave away huge number of apples to charities. Cherry Bay Orchards gave more than a million apples to Hope and Encouragement for Humanity, a nonprofit organization based in Blissfield; it will the fruit to food pantries and other outlets throughout the U.S. and Mexico. Northport grower Stan Silverman, who owns Good Neighbor Farms of Northport, donated all the apples picked during a full day of harvest to Forgotten Harvest, a mobile food rescue organization based in metro Detroit. Fresh Food Partnership of Traverse City worked with Silverman and Forgotten Harvest to ensure the apples found a home. The region saw a record apple crop this year.

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