From our readers

Letter to Editor:

The great magic of Christmas is seeing the joy and excitement on children’s faces. Thank you to the many people, families and children who came to the Marinette Welcome Center on Saturday, Dec. 10 to see the magic in action.

Children were waiting with great excitement and apprehension as the sound of Marinette Police Department sirens made way for Santa down Main Street. At the sight of Santa as he appeared atop the fire truck, nostalgic tears filled the eyes of parents, and the gathered crowd of children. The Marinette High School Band filled the cold air with songs of Santa and children moved with delight, and rang bells, as Santa got closer. Waving high above the crowd, he made his magical appearance.

The jolly man was helped off the fire truck by the Marinette Fire Department crew and made his way through the crowd amid hugs and cheers. His visit was special to those who “still believe” and his lap was never empty but filled with children until his departure. Holding hands with the children, and making his way to Stephenson Island, Santa and his two elves lit the City of Marinette Christmas tree, to the delight of those present. It was a beautiful sight to see.

Special thanks to the merchants and businesses who donated generous door prizes for the Christmas Open House, the baking elves: Mary, Tori, Sandy, Becky and Joanne, who made the hospitality table a pure delight, the Marinette High School Band members, Pat Mallory, the director, and the very delightful band of guitar and harmonica who also helped with the Christmas carols and making the sounds of Christmas come alive. Most of all, thank you to the people who supported this event and made the feeling of Christmas very memorable. May Christmas be as special as you are.

Marinette Welcome Center Staff,

Judy Alwin - Manager

Candy Menard

Ed Field

Karon Olson

Editor:

Since its formation in 2008, the Grover/Porterfield Women’s Auxiliary has been an outstanding supporter of the fire department. While originally formed to support department functions during extended operations by supplying food and refreshments for the firefighters on scene, the Auxiliary has grown in the past three years to include working on department open houses, pancake breakfasts, parades and fundraisers.

The fundraisers have allowed the department to purchase needed equipment outside of the regular budget items. The funds raised have been used to upgrade radios and pagers to the new current narrow band system. They have also purchased a new training prop called a “Smart Dummy,” which allows voices and sounds to be recorded to assist in the training of firefighters in low visibility situations, and a Rapid Intervention Pac, which is used as part of the RIT team in situations where there may be a down or trapped firefighter. Most recently they have purchased GPS units for some of the fire trucks. These will be used to assist in finding locations outside of the department’s normal response area, along with hand-held traffic control signs to assist at accident scenes and a new stokes basket to assist in rescue of victims in hard to access areas.

Current members of the Auxiliary are Kelly Bebo, Vicki Brissette, Mickie Chaney, Sally Drewery, Lorna Graziano, Tina Klimek, Joanne Johnston, Crystal Klimek, Kathy Klimek, Shirlee Polzin, Rhonda Schletty, Becky Strutz, LaVon Strutz, Michelle Hermes and Katie Van De Walle.

To the Grover/Porterfield Women’s Auxiliary.... the officers and firefighters of the Grover/Porterfield Fire Department would like to say thank you for your support. And also send a special thank you to all residents and businesses that support these fundraisers.

Wade Larsen

Dear Editor:

Thank you for printing the recent article on the Jail Outreach. We are grateful for the men and women of law-enforcement, corrections and the judicial system. And we also respect men like Dan who agreed to be interviewed as former offenders, and now demonstrate courage and character as they publicly speak about the journey they are on and the changed life they embrace.

Recidivism is very common, and it is not unusual to meet a 25-year-old inmate in jail who has been arrested 10 or 20 times. It costs society both in terms of financial burden to the taxpayers and emotional loss for the victims of crime and for their families. And the inmate’s family and children also suffer.

Statistics indicate that children of inmates are more likely to grow up to be arrested. So every offender who does not reoffend represents a significant financial and emotional savings for society. If we can help an inmate avoid reoffending, there will be at least one less victim.

Think about it; Prisoners are being released whether we are ready or not - and whether they are changed or not. So ask yourself what kind of a neighbor you want living next door or down the street - a former offender who is changed, or a released repeat offender just in between arrests. We can be part of the solution or, because of apathy, we can be part of the problem.

The Outreach reviews the needs of released offenders and works to assist with education, housing, and employment to help them transition back into society. But we also address the thinking and values that affect the heart and which ultimately motivate behavior. It is these underlying causes that contribute to incarceration, and we recognize and care for the whole person. It is important to address the heart of the matter, because neither simply incarcerating offenders nor just treating symptoms alone will break the cycle of repeat criminal offense. And by the grace of God, we have seen that people can be transformed.

As my elected term on the board of directors draws to an end and I prepare to step down, I want to publicly thank the membership. In a world known more for polite apathy or mere lip service, these individuals genuinely sacrifice personal time, money and resources altruistically without any desire for recognition or compensation.

Over the past eight years, our members have come from all walks of life, including medical and mental health professionals, corporate CEOs, business owners, educators, factory workers, retired law-enforcement, and others. They have preferred to remain anonymous and to care for others rather than promote themselves. They love with far more than empty words, or by attempting to be generous with other people’s money. Long after this world has forgotten their names, eternity will bear witness to the impact they have made both individually and as a group.

The effectiveness of the non-profit Jail Outreach is due to the unselfish willingness of dozens of truly amazing people from across the community who came together for a higher calling. They devote themselves daily and weekly to caring for others without being motivated by selfish gain or asking for compensation. And they are making a big difference in the lives of so many people in a ripple effect. These community leaders have my deepest respect because they exemplify the love of Christ, not just at Christmas but throughout the year.

James D. Langteau,

Executive Director,

Marinette-Menominee Jail Outreach, Inc.

P.O. Box 892

Menominee, MI 49858

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