Thank you for your article, “Homeowners in need sought for Oxford Gives Back” in your February 7, 2018 issue.

As a 93-year-old senior citizen, it has become more difficult to perform yardwork duties, especially in the spring.

The article referred us to contact Madison Sparks who is coordinating this program. It only took one phone call and Madison contacted us and set up the date of April 28th to have our needs met.

I received a call from Joe Amabile to discuss what our specific needs were. I told him that we needed our lawns raked and some limbs trimmed from a tree. He also asked if we needed any painting done and I advised him that my garage door needed to be scraped and painted.

Joe told me he would be out on April 28 with a crew to do anything we needed to have done.

Joe and nine students and parents arrived with rakes and lawn bags and began a beautiful clean-up of our property. He said they could spend three hours to do whatever we needed.

In the process of raking our lawns, cutting tree branches and scraping the loose paint from our garage door, Joe asked me if any of my neighbors needed anything done.

I referred him to my neighbor next door, whose backyard needed raking. Two of the mothers with some students proceeded to clean-up their yard also. This was the most polite, energetic, cooperative group of students and leaders that I have ever met. I just wanted to publicly express my deep appreciation to Madison Sparks, Joe Amabile, the crew leaders and each of the students for helping us. Thank you again and God bless each of you.

Don Steiner, Oxford

Please pass on my gratitude to the supervisor and all of the people that came to my house, young and old, from Lakeville Elementary. My yard has never been this nice. They all worked so hard, yet laughed and chatted the whole time. They gave with joy– how beautiful.

When my grandson, Zander, was eight he loved to draw and paint. I took him to Painting with a Twist. During my break, we went across the street and had a sprumptious cupcake. I asked him how much fun he was having. He got very serious and thought for quite a while. He then said, “Grandma, there are no words for how much fun I am having.”

This is how I feel about April 28. There are no words for how thankful I am. Every day I feel blessed by all the beautiful people.

Karen Szpakowski, Oxford

The Oxford Lions Club would like to thank the Oxford community for it’s tremendous support and generosity during our White Cane fund-raiser May 3-5.

We raised a record high for donations in a single event in our 71-year history of $5,830.

The money raised will support the visually and hearing impaired in both our District and the Oxford community plus our scholarship program.

President Ron Wood

Oxford Lions Club

I would like to congratulate Oxford Leader Editor C.J. Carnacchio on his winning opinion writing and photography Excellence in Journalism awards last week from the Detroit Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). This comes to no surprise to myself and, I am sure, the community that reads his thoughtful, objectively, fair, factual, all sides and history of the story with exposed sources and photographs. Allowing the reader to make their own assessment.

His 93 Awards since joining the Oxford Leader are a testament of what great journalism and a great journalist is; unbiased, factual, complete and with images. We are forever blessed in our community in this day of opinion-based, biased “NEWS” to have a newsperson that knows and follows these principals of journalism. His insight and understanding in his editorials are on cue to hold people and bodies of government accountable to do what is just and right and in common sense for our community.

I applaud you C.J. and wish you many more accolades in the future, as we should shine a light on people like you that do the right thing for the betterment of the community you serve.

Ron Renaud, Addison Township