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Click your grade-level and subject for NIE resources designed to help you meet curriculum objectives.
Calling all writers, cartoonists
and photographers.
Your Ideas in Print.
Entry deadline:
Friday, March 20, 2009
Publication Date:
Tuesday, May 5, 2009.
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4th Grade Winner:Veronica Talbert
 I picked Mr. Karl Santone as my Hometown Hero. He and his wife, Carole, run C.A.R.E., an animal adoption business. C.A.R.E. stands for Companion Animal Rescue Effort. He started C.A.R.E. because he felt that too many animals were being put down because nobody wanted them. At their home, they have room for 12 dogs and they have a cat room. They each spend 60 to 80 hours a week caring for the animals. If they are unable to adopt the animals out, they keep them as their pets. Mr. Santone takes the animals from shelters in many counties. C.A.R.E. has had over 5,200 animals adopted over the past 10 years. C.A.R.E. rescues the animals from shelters when the managers don’t think that they can find homes for them, although they can’t take the vicious dogs that bite. C.A.R.E. primarily rescues dogs and cats, but has even rescued two cows!
Every Saturday and Sunday, Karl shows up at PetSmart with 10 to 12 animals. He makes them cute by putting bandanas on them. He lets people walk them, to fall in love with them, and he hopes that the animals are adopted. Mr. Santone’s favorite adoption story was when a woman came in the day after her dog died. She said her dog came to her in a dream and said to come to PetSmart to adopt another dog. She ended up taking home “Brown Sugar,” the homeliest dog that they had! Three months later she brought “Brown Sugar” back to the store to visit, and she was a beautiful and happy dog. Many people bring their dogs back to visit them. Karl says it is nice to see them again and he knows that they are happy and healthy.
C.A.R.E. would appreciate any help from the community. They would like volunteers to come to PetSmart anytime after 10:30 a.m. on Saturday or Sunday morning to help with the animals.
I met Mr. Karl Santone a few weeks ago when we adopted our sweet little puppy named “Squirt.” After seeing how much he does for the animals, he became my Hometown Hero.
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5th Grade Caroline Cottrell
 Mr. Donald Johnson of Sumerduck, Virginia, is a true hometown hero. His job is a police officer with the Virginia Department of State Police. He has been in law enforcement for 29 years. For the first 10 years, he was a patrol trooper in Fauquier County whose duties were traffic and criminal law enforcement. For the past 19 years, he has specialized in commercial vehicle safety and accident reconstruction. He still has the job of enforcing traffic and criminal laws as well. He also teaches a variety of courses at the regional state police academy in Fredericksburg and the state academy in Richmond. That is a lot of work.
Officer Johnson loves his job. It has allowed him to become an expert at his primary responsibilities of commercial vehicle safety and accident reconstructions. He has been recognized nationally and certified in multiple courts as an expert. With all the demands of his job, he still finds the time to plan family activities and be involved with the community.
The job does come with a few disadvantages. He is subject to being called out at any time of any day, and could be sent anywhere in the state at a moment’s notice. Also, the nature of the job can sometimes linger into his personal time.
One time early in his career, five maximum-security prisoners broke out of jail close to Farmville, Virginia. He was sent to help track them down. Four of the men were captured in the first six hours, but one remained because he separated from the group. It was just getting dark when the last man ran across the street in front of Mr. Johnson. He called for assistance from some of his fellow officers, and they caught the escapee in some bushes.
During the time of the 9-11 terrorist attacks, Mr. Johnson was called to help secure the tunnels and bridges in the Tidewater area. For six months, he worked this detail in addition to his regular responsibilities. During this time, he did not get a single day off. When the sniper incident was going on in Northern Virginia, all troopers were assigned intersections to guard. This was done in twelve-hour shifts until the snipers were caught.
Although Officer Johnson loves his job, he does not think his job is for everyone. “You need to be a self-motivated person.” To help Mr. Johnson and the rest of the police officers, “people could be more aware and obey the laws. Also understand that police officers are there to help and their job is to uphold the laws.”
A hero in Mr. Johnson’s mind is, “someone who is willing to disregard their own safety and needs to look out for others.” Mr. Johnson doesn’t feel as though he has been placed in a situation that would require a heroic act. He would like to think that if he were put into that type of situation, he would act heroically.
In my opinion, Mr. Johnson acts heroically every day. He helps keep us safe and he is always willing to help others. This is why Mr. Johnson is a true hometown hero.
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6th Grade Winner Erik Martinsen
 “Bats eat bugs, they don’t eat people. Bats eat bugs, they don’t get stuck in your hair. Bats eat bugs, they don’t eat people and that’s why they’re living out there.” Ms. Linda Bailey uses this song to teach kids and parents as they clap and sing in one of her classes at Motts Run Reservoir.
From an early age, Linda Bailey was exposed to the natural world around her. “I remember taking walks when I was eight looking for ‘signs of spring.’ I’d write down everything I could find or hear. I guess the seeds of my profession were planted early on. I grew up in Seattle, Washington, and my family went hiking a lot.”
As a Nature Education Coordinator, Linda teaches classes about bats, jellyfish, orienteering and more. “If a teacher, scout leader or home school coordinator suggests a topic, I’ll develop a program around it.” She has also created three summer camps: “Camp Hideaway” for kindergarteners; “Teen Adventure Camp,” a week-long camp for teens; and “Camp Wildwood,” a day camp for kids first to sixth grade filled with canoeing, hiking, crafts, and more. “My goal in all of these is to give kids a very positive outdoor experience.”
Linda especially enjoys helping people learn about misunderstood subjects and get past any squeamishness they might have. This is particularly evident when introducing people to snakes. “Pocket, the resident corn snake who lives at the Motts Run Nature Center, is such a gentle creature that even those who are snake-phobic often develop a fondness for her. This can translate to snakes in general.”
Linda thoroughly enjoys teaching children about the world around them and what they can do to preserve it. With increasing focus on a greener world, the need for nature education is rising. “If I can help others become more familiar with nature, be it handling a snake, enjoying the woods at night, canoeing on the reservoir, using map and compass, finding the circumference of an old oak, or observing a honeybee pollinating a flower, then I have done my job. I have worked with thousands of school kids, scouts, adults and families over the years and I know many of them have had wonderful experiences. I see my role as one who helps make the introduction to nature.”
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