Traverse City Record-Eagle

Opinion

February 20, 2012

Cheers: 02/20/2012

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• To the Lagina Family Foundation for its $30,000 donation to Traverse City Central High School's debate team. The money will allow more students to participate in debate, school officials said. The Trojans' varsity debate team took top honors in January at the Michigan Interscholastic Forensic Association Varsity State Tournament.

• To all who donated food during the 18th Annual Father Fred Foundation Frostbite Food Drive that ended Feb. 12.

• To the two Benzie elementary schools — Lake Ann and Crystal Lake — that were among seven schools statewide named by the state Department of Education as a Distinguished School for Exceptional Student Performance. The award recognizes schools that participate in Title I, a federal program that gives grants to help schools assist at-risk children in math and English language arts. The schools earned the designation through significant gains in math and English performance over the last two school years.

• To Traverse City Central's ninth-grade girls basketball team and their coach, Heather Simpson, for organizing the third annual Hoops for Hope game to raise money to buy athletic shoes and socks for local girls in need. The Trojans' varsity team won 51-31. Over the last two years more than $11,000 has been raised for Girls on the Run, a self- esteem-building program, and Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan. This year's total was not available.

• To local history writer Julie Schopieray, of Cedar, and Michael Page, of Rockford, for providing the required documented information to get a gravestone and arrange an official military grave dedication ceremony for Leelanau County pioneer and Civil War veteran Aaron Page, who was buried in an unmarked Colorado grave in 1915.

• To all the organizers and participants of three area weekend winter festivals who adapted the Traverse City Winter Wowfest, Lake Ann's Snow Pine Fest and downtown Frankfort's Shiver by the River to warmer-than-normal temperatures.

• To two area businesses that received the U.S. Department of Agriculture's value-added producer grant program. Light of Day Organics LLC, in Traverse City, received $293,842 for a marketing campaign to increase sales of organic loose-leaf teas and tisanes. Royal Farms Inc., of Ellsworth, was awarded $45,094 for marketing and promotion of fruit wines and hard ciders. The grants were among more than $1.2 million distributed to Michigan farms, ranches, agricultural producers and cooperatives.

• To the West Michigan Tourist Association, which received a $75,000 specialty crop grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to set up a regional agri-tourism marketing campaign, including 40 billboards for its "Find Your Flavor" campaign.

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