Last month, as we were traveling from West Virginia to Texas to visit my daughter, my husband and I stopped for gas at the Vicksburg Kroger. In our haste to get on the road that morning, I left my wallet on top of the gas pump. I didn’t even realize that I had left it until we were having dinner in Fort Worth that evening.

Needless to say, not finding the wallet in my purse was a sickening feeling. All my money, my driver’s license, my checkbook, my debit card and my credit cards were in it. I immediately expected the worst.

Thinking back, I remembered the last time I had seen the wallet was at the Kroger in Vicksburg. It was getting very late that Friday evening when I called the store. The nicest lady answered the phone. She was in the process of closing up for the night but she assured me that they had my wallet secured in the safe. She said it appeared to have all of its contents intact. What a relief!

On our return trip, we stopped at the Kroger to retrieve the wallet. Again, I was treated so kindly. A young woman got the wallet from the safe for me. It was her understanding that another customer had found it on the pump and gave it to the lady managing the gas shop, who then brought it to the safe at the main store.

You have no idea how grateful I am to that honest customer and to the kind and trustworthy employees at your Kroger. Just those simple acts of doing the right thing saved me from so much loss and hassle.

We have a saying here in West Virginia, “Thank God for Mississippi.” Those of you in Mississippi probably say, “Thank God for West Virginia.” It seems that we both often show up at the bottom of lists …. lowest incomes, lowest test scores, etc. Perhaps it’s that we aren’t as greedy and dishonest as others. I don’t know, but I do know that my respect for Mississippians has risen to the top of the list. The honesty and kindness I witnessed in Vicksburg has endeared you to me forever.

Pamela Breese

Millstone, W.Va.

Dangerous job done well

I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the Entergy crews that worked all night to restore power to over 700 people who were left without because a utility pole on North Frontage Road belonging to AT&T broke. Entergy sent over $3 million worth of equipment and countless men to make repairs. I was impressed, as it seemed everyone knew what to do and how to do it.

Their main concern was that the lines not fall across Interstate 20 and cause a major problem.

The pole that broke did not fall, but was stressed and jerked backward into my building’s roof and that stress also caused the power pole on the hill (Wisconsin Avenue) to snap and tore off all the wiring on my building and damaged the breaker boxes inside and out.

All of that caused a third pole to break and lines were down across parking lots all the way to Big Wheelie skating rink.

I had been telling AT&T, as had another tenant, that the pole was going to break. We were told that AT&T did not do preventive maintenance, but would fix it when it broke. I’ll bet now they wish they had replaced it.

The cost to Entergy will be collected from AT&T and will be heavy. It cost me and many others money we can’t get back. Maybe AT&T will adjust its policies.

Anyway, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to Entergy for a dangerous job well-done.

Jack Curtis

Vicksburg

Pets have been helped

Paws Rescue thanks all of the individuals and businesses who continue to support our quest to save the lives of homeless animals. Because of those generous enough to donate their time by volunteering to assist with fundraising activities or administrative chores, fostering animals in need, adopting instead of purchasing a pet, sponsoring our advertising and marketing efforts and donating funding for food and medical care for dogs and cats in need of help, Paws Rescue has been able to save and improve the lives 85 animals during the first quarter of 2009.

Fourteen wonderful pets were adopted from Paws Rescue during this time and are finally getting a well-deserved, second chance to have a safe and loving home.

Additionally, Paws Rescue ensured many animals received needed medical care over the past three months. One dog was treated for heartworm disease and 54 cats and eight dogs were spayed or neutered and vaccinated. Many of the cats altered were free roaming or feral cats that will no longer be able to produce litter after litter of unwanted kittens.

Paws Rescue will continue its aggressive spay/neuter efforts during the next quarter and three rescued dogs are scheduled to undergo heartworm treatment during the next few weeks. The Rescue is committed to working toward a time when Vicksburg and Warren County has no more homeless animals.

Leigh Conerly

Vicksburg

Christian women gather

On March 14, we had the privilege to have the first Vicksburg Women’s Christian Conference, which was held at Triumph Church. We had a great turnout. I would like to thank the many individuals and businesses that helped make the conference such a great success.

First, I would like to give God the glory for the vision. Mike Fields, pastor, and members were gracious enough to welcome us into their church for this event. We could not have asked for a more beautiful place to worship.

A special thanks to Gertrude Young and Pastor Lueshell Donner of Roanoke, Va., our mistresses of ceremony and guest speakers, and our sponsors Minister Sue Lott, Minister Dora Harris, Pastor Michelle King, Minister Kim Fisher and other sponsors Minister Shirley Mitchell, Toni Ford, Charmaine McGowan, Toni Terrett and Tarsha Bell, Pastor Linda Sweezer and Minister Shirley Keys.

Praise and worship was performed by Charlotte Price, Hanna Miller and praise dancers were the Angels of Cedar Grove M.B. Church and Mount Carmel Ministries.

Thanks for all the donations and participation, including Tiffany Bells, Linda Caldwell, Selina Crawford, Minister Cretonia Nickson, Sherri Andrews, Covenant Health, People’s Drugs, Mutual Credit Union, River Region, Amedysis, VCC, Mississippi Home Health Care, Wal-Mart, Holsum Bread, Tyson Foods, Cedar Grove’s Women of Worth, MOFM Betty Tolliver and Azzie Martin, Greater Mount Zion, Mount Carmel Baptist, Jackson Street and Crossroads Harvest churches.

Tina Hayward

Executive director

Women’s Restoration Shelter

Vicksburg