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College Park resident finds purpose in walking
Tweet When Mercedes Albert first began walking it was merely a form of exercise for her physical health. But as her own physical health improved, that of her younger sister, Maria Mesa, worsened. Mesa...
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Raising service dogs is emotional and rewarding
Tweet Humans teach dogs all kinds of tricks and commands, but dogs teach us how to love. Few people know this love better than Betty Layton and Melissa Woodman, two volunteer puppy raisers for Canine...
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Fresh Start Ministries operates addiction recovery facility
Tweet Of all the forms of addiction that can afflict people, the addiction to drugs is one that may cause them to lose not only their connections to loved ones, but also their places in society. Too...
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Quilting for a cause
Tweet Every other Wednesday and Thursday, the second floor of the Church on the Drive echoes with a strange assortment of sounds. Passersby can expect to hear the snip-snip of scissors rhythmically...
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Amanda Burger makes sure every dog has its day
Tweet How many of us have heard the saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”? Nowadays, it’s usually said after someone gives up trying to teach their 80-year-old grandma how to post a video on...
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Realizing a dream
Tweet Denise Badger and Bob Di Cerbo When two people come together who share a similar passion, there is no dream too big for them to accomplish. For Denise Badger and Bob Di Cerbo, that dream is the...
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A Little Jewel Box
Tweet Dora Mae Jewelry owner Ansley Schrimsher Coming from a family of artists ranging in poetry to painting, Ansley Schrimsher found her calling in juxtaposing one of a kind antique pieces with...
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Serving with dignity
Tweet Goose Lopez-Torres aims to give back as much as he’s been blessed. Complete the Pair is where creativity meets innovation. Since its creation in 2009, the for-profit organization has provided...
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The A in LGBT+
Tweet Deb Ofsowitz is a champion for equality Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, plus. Some of you may be familiar with these terms in light of the constant spotlight on LGBT+ rights, but are you...
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17-Year-Old Dancer Finds Life In College Park an Easy Adjustment
Tweet While most of us were changing our calendars from 2015 to 2016, 17-year-old Elena Yraguen was making a much more dramatic transition. Originally born in Portland, Yraguen spent the end of 2015...
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Dedicated Husband Vows to Honor His Wife’s Legacy
Tweet When a Sigma Chi fraternity brother sat down to a blind date with a Delta Gamma sorority sister at the University of Florida in 1967, he wasn’t sure what to expect. Little did he know that date...
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Couple’s fight for the lives of children exceeds fundraising goals
Tweet How can you take a horrible situation and turn it into something positive? One College Park family has done just that, starting a foundation that funds pediatric cancer research so fewer...
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CFCArts makes arts accessible to everyone
Tweet In September 2010, Joshua Vickery started a choir with the mission to give performers a home and used only word-of-mouth marketing to gather singers. What once was a small community choir is now...
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Lyme unites the 32804
Tweet College Park residents Amanda Sosa Stone and Erin Sumner have a lot in common — they are both 37, they are both moms and they both have Lyme disease. After seeing Sumner’s plea for help in the...
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Cancer journey brings family closer together
Tweet Always so brave, Tracie preparing for her first chemo treatment in 2015. Tracie Hadsell is your average, everyday teenager — she loves Netflix, is obsessed with her dog and is close with her...
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Trainer pulls from own journey to help clients
Tweet In 1996 Ben Graves was at his heaviest, weighing in at 264 pounds In 2012, Ben Graves left his career in construction and real estate to open My House Fitness in College Park. While his new...
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Local student deals with feral cat population
Tweet Elise Hardcare has spayed or neutered 22 cats in the College Park area. Elise Hardacre, 15, is not your ordinary high school student. It’s rare to see someone her age tackle as big a problem as...
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College Park teen opens up about mental illness in effort to help others
Tweet If you’ve ever had a loved one or friend who suffered from mental illness, you know that many times they suffer in silence to avoid the stigma. Not College Park resident and UCF freshman Andrew...
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College Park resident wins high praise from OCPS
Tweet Patti Gordon, here with her husband Bill, was named OCPS School Counselor of the Year. Most of us are able to recall a special educator in either our children’s or our own lives who left an...
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Morning Star brings brighter futures to students with special needs
Tweet When Mary Kelly gave birth to her first child, a baby girl named Stephanie, doctors told her the newborn would have no chance at a normal life. “We were told to forget about her,” Kelly said....
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