Kudos

Project Santa Claus says thanks to community

Editor:

Project Santa Claus has been tucked away until next Christmas season but we wouldn't be done with our 2005 project without extending hearty and grateful thank yous to all those generous and caring people in Douglas County that made it possible.

In our 17th year of helping kids that might not otherwise have much of a Christmas, 675 children from 292 Douglas County families participated. Project Santa Claus is an outreach program of the Carson Valley Community Food Closet, the Family Support Council, the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) program, Douglas County Social Services, Washoe Tribal Social Services and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

If you participated in any way, we thank you. If you donated used winter clothing; sorted, washed, cleaned or repaired the donated clothes; donated a bike to repaired or a bike helmet; repaired those bikes; sponsored a child through your church, social group, business, service club, organization, school or from an Angel Tree; furnished food for our hard-working volunteers; donated new books or money for buying books; donated toys or held a toy drive; wrapped and sorted gifts; donated money or spent some time volunteering - we thank you all. Our volunteers ranged from eight to 80 - men, women and kids.

We are full of gratitude and pride in this community and what they do for our children of need.

We wish you each a new year filled with peace and kindness from the Project Santa Claus family.

Marilyn Malkmus, Director

Project Santa Claus

Congrats to Voice of Democracy winners

Editor:

The winner of the Voice of Democracy essay contest for the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post and Ladies Auxiliary was Andrew Hales, a junior at Douglas High School in Minden.

His essay went on to district. He didn't win there, which would have sent him to the national level as he has done in past years.

When he was an eighth grader he went all the way to national with his Patriot's Pen essay, and was 11th in the nation.

For his win at the local level this year for the Voice of Democracy, he won $250, a certificate and a medal. Congratulations to Andrew.

The second-place winner of the Voice of Democracy was junior Altheia Williams of the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Incline High School. Altheia won $150, a certificate and a medal.

Third place was Ryan Spizman, a senior of the ROTC of Incline High School. Ryan won $100, a certificate and a medal.

Altheia's essay went to district, but didn't advance to the state contest. We congratulate both of them.

All three - good work.

Genevieve West

Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary 8583

Middle school student's essay goes to state

Editor:

Catie Davis is the Patriot's Pen essay first-place winner.

Sponsored by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post and Auxiliary 8583 of Gardnerville, she is an eighth-grade student at Carson Valley Middle School in Gardnerville. From the Veterans of Foreign Wars ladies and men she received $200, a certificate and a medal for first place.

Her essay was sent with one other to district for judging. There she won first place and received $100.

Her essay went on to the state contest. On Jan. 21 there will be an announcement of who in the six districts in Nevada will get first place, and that essay will go on to the national contest. In the national contest she will compete with 53 other students from different states. First place in the national contest would be $25,000, but all students will receive at least $1,000 so nobody goes away without some money.

We wish Catie good luck.

Genevieve West

Patriot's Pen chairman

Patriot's Pen second- and third-place winners

Editor:

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post and Ladies Auxiliary 8583 announces the second- and third-place winners of the Patriot's Pen essay contest. Eighth-grader Kelsey Higgens took second place and sixth-grader Tori Cook third place.

Kelsey received $100, a certificate and a medal. Tori received $75, a certificate and a medal. Both girls attend Incline Middle School.

We congratulate both girls for their good work. Their essays went to district, but not on to the state contest.

Genevieve West

Patriot's Pen chairman