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UPDATE: LETTERS FROM PAST ARTICLES
Dear Rina,
I have been wanting to write this letter to you for a while.
First and most of all I personally think you are doing a fine job and service to our community. You try and do your best at getting out the news and information that some of us would not get.
Secondly, I personally want to thank you for the article you have put out on my late husband “ TNCP Flashback – People of Cass County Michigan ‘Underground’ “
You did the piece once before, but when you did it again, it touched me a my family deeply. I kept almost every paper with that article for my grandchildren and great grand children to have. This was done so that they know that their grandfather was ‘somebody’.
It is good to know that someone remembers what he contributed to our community ‘knowledge and history’.
There is so much more I would like to say, but I would take up the whole page! (smile).
Thanks again for your commitment and service to the people of the community. Small World Small Dollar loves you.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Randall Gordon
Lansing, MI
Note: I met Mr. Gordon and had the opportunity to spend some time with him to hear his dreams regarding educating the community about Black History throughout the state of Michigan. His life was cut short and I am truly honored that he found the newspaper an inspiration when we first started. Do not forget those who have passed on. I definitely won’t.
He was so proud that his son’s opened Small World Small Dollar a dollar store located at 923 W. Saginaw Street in Lansing.
The original article was written in the May 5, 2002 – May 18, 2002 edition. We reprinted it again on August 7, 2005 – August 20, 2005.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD
In our February 6, 2005 – February 19, 2005 edition we did a story on 8-year old Brandon Billingslea who has Central Auditory Processing Disorder. His family was trying to raise money for him to go to a treatment center.
Hello Rina,
Brandon is doing well. We did not raise all of the money for the extensive program we were seeking, but we were able to use the money that was raised for a summer camp program at Central Michigan University and enlist the help of a local speech pathologist.
He is doing well in school. Much of the credit goes to my wife, Tameka who has been spending a great deal of time with him helping him to be successful in learning the material. We have also written Amy Grant, the host of the TV program “Three Wishes”. We know that God is the one who will provide Brandon with all that he needs.
Again we thank you from the bottom of our hearts and pray that God continues to Bless you and your family.
Chris Billingslea
RONNIE SUJAK’S OBITUARY
We received an email from Lutheran Social Services of Michigan in Grand Rapids, MI regarding the obituary that was printed in our October 30, 2005 – November 12, 2005 edition entitled “We Remember Ronnie Sujak-Smith”. LSSM wanted us to tell you that Ronnie will be greatly missed. She was a valuable employee and worked as a school interventionist for 9 years. She made a big impact on the elementary school children and families, helping them to get the resources they needed to survive.