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Blossoms & Barbs: Feb. 2, 2008
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My wife and I would like to publicly acknowledge and give a blossom to Northside Elementary Principal Cory Hirsbrunner and her incredible staff >for quickly turning a parents' worst nightmare into a happy ending.

During the early release due to weather on Tuesday, Jan. 29, I went to the Northside school to pick up my two children. One of them seemed to be missing. Mrs. Hirsbrunner and every one of her staff members and teachers who were there immediately launched into action, thoroughly searching the grounds and surrounding area, considering every possible scenario, and calling bus companies in an effort to find my child.

For a few tense minutes, I waited with my other child, praying that the unimaginable had not happened. My wife and I have repeatedly taught our children rules of safety and danger, so I could not imagine my child would have done anything unexpected. However, due to an innocent miscommunication, my other child was found on a bus en route to a daycare facility we use routinely. Nonetheless, Mrs. Hirsbrunner and her staff made finding my child their absolute top priority.

I can't even begin to thank them enough for their quick action, expertise and compassion. Knowing that they are guarding our children every day in school makes me realize how truly blessed and fortunate we are to have each of them in our schools and in our city. - Stephen Eliasson, Monroe >

A very very big blossom to some unsung heroes> out there. No matter what the weather, no matter what the road conditions, no matter what the holiday, you can be sure that there will be milk trucks on the roads, and in them some of the nicest people around. So the next time you enjoy a dairy product, remember someone was in a tanker making sure that it made it to the plant safe and cold and ready to be processed into many excellent dairy products.

A blossom to the Green County Humane Society> for allowing outdoor animal adoptions. I guess I didn't know they didn't allow them, considering six years ago when I adopted my "mutt" Benny they came out and interviewed us and checked his surroundings. Had he not been outside one day, my wife, Marie, could have been seriously injured or worse by our bull. I really hope that people realize that not all outside animals are treated badly. To be quite honest, I have seen some inside animals not taken very good care of.

And a barb to all the weather people > for being right about the bitter cold (kidding, of course). But out of the one time you could have been wrong, that would have been a good time to start. - Jeff Ditzenberger, Monticello>

A blossom to all Green County Humane Society board members and volunteers>, past and present. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to make a volunteer-based organization function well, but most of all it takes a lot of heart. Step by step, GCHS appears to be making toward building an organization that can better save and serve needy animals in Green and Lafayette counties. Each of the individuals noted above deserves a hearty "thank you." - John Baumann, Monroe>