Stories from Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Dear Editor: No matter what your religious heritage is, or your current practice, December is a month of giving. We give to charities so we can reap tax benefits … we give our time to help those less fortunate … and some of us exchange gifts to celebrate the holidays...

To the Editor: In your area of the state, I am trying to raise some interest in my Bass Club. We are adopting a program titled, "Take a Vet Fishing." We are taking veterans from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom fishing out on Glen Flint and Cataract Lakes...

Wallace R. Parker, 87, of Greencastle died on Monday, Dec. 22, 2008. Funeral Services will be held on Monday, December 29 at 11 a.m. at Bittles and Hurt Funeral Home with Pastor Jim Staggers officiating. Burial will follow with honors at Forest Hill Cemetery...

Greencastle Rotary Club recently made a donation to the RSVP Food Pantry. Pictured are (front left) December Program Chair P.T. Wilson, Santa Claus, Judy Miller of RSVP and President Eric Wolfe.

The Putnam County Community Foundation has announced the recipients of over $180,000 in charitable grants for 2009, changes to its grants program and the availability of nearly $36,000 to fund charitable projects in Putnam County. The Community Foundation 2009 grant recipients include:...

Wanda Hughes (right), 6, of Greencastle was the winner of a bicycle in a drawing Saturday during the annual holiday party at the Family Youth and Communty Development Program center on Crown Street. The bicycle was donated by Dayan Martinez (left), who had already received a new bicycle for his birthday, and then won the red bicycle at a raffle. He said he wanted to give that bicycle to someone less fortunate. With Hughes and Martinez is Robert Green, president of the FYDCP board of directors...

The Indiana State Police would like to remind motorists to buckle up and drive sober this holiday season. Last year in Indiana, a total of 253 people were killed as a result of alcohol-related traffic collisions. In December 2007, a total of 12 people lost their lives in alcohol-related crashes across the state. During that same month, there were 3,082 collisions on Indiana roadways over the Christmas holiday period (Dec. 21-26) with nine resulting in a fatality...

The Putnam County Community Foundation recently announced that an anonymous benefactor has asked the foundation to establish a new fund for Putnam County citizens who are coping with extreme adversity. The benefactor will match contributions to the fund, and has not set a limit at this time. A contribution from the employees of DePauw Dining Services was the first contribution received to the new fund and will be matched dollar for dollar by the benefactor...

Charles Cooksey, Holly Wyatt and Cindy Allen are proof that angels walk among us here in Putnam County. When Cooksey found out the Senior Center's Toys for Tots program was running out of toys less than a week ago, he went to Senior Director Jim Stevens and asked what could be done...