page 5-c-tri-city times-september 29, 2010 celebrating 35...

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Page 5-C-TRI-CITY TIMES-SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 B ob Zgnilec, 74, may not think of himself as an entrepreneur but he is. His track record dates back to 1975. You see, the characteris- tics of an entrepreneur are identified in high energy people, self-confident, disci- plined, problem solvers, peo- ple who take risks and have learned from the ‘school of hard knocks.’ They accept responsi- bility for their actions and achieve success on their own terms. Yes, Bob’s an entrepreneur. I’ve known Bob for a longtime. In the early 80s as a young newspaper man I’d visit his store to sell Bob ads. He was direct, but polite. “What is it your paper offers the others don’t?” I recall him asking. I stumbled through my prepared sales pitch with the grace of a bull in a china shop. “I tell you what,” Bob told me sternly, “I’ll give you and your paper some of my business. I’m open from 6pm to 9pm, if you stop in next week, I’ll have an ad for you.” Bob did business on his on terms. I liked Bob and a friend- ship grew. He has since assisted me in many projects, mainly playing a key role in helping me secure sponsor- ship for our Woods-N-Water News Outdoor Weekend. Stihl Chainsaws and Bryan Equipment became our first big sponsors, thanks to Bob and his efforts. It’s just the kind of guy he is, helping others. Recently Bob celebrated the 35th anniversary of the business he started, Lumberjack Shack. “We are still servicing chain saws I sold 30 or 35 years ago. Our customers are very loyal and I’m thankful for that,” Bob told me proudly. Today his son, Dave, owns the business, but Bob is still there, sharpening saw chains, greeting customers or sweeping up the back room. Lumberjack Shack is one of the oldest Stihl dealers in Michigan. Bob and his family moved from the Utica area in 1974. He and his wife Carol recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They have three children, Barb, Sandy and Dave, with 10 grandchildren and one great- grandchild. “I have always had a love for the outdoors and enjoy a good days’ work,” Bob tells me. During the oil embargo in the 70s Bob began heating his home with wood as many people did back then. “I guess you could say the oil embargo got me into the business to begin with,” he continued. “I spent hours and hours cutting wood, I knew which chainsaws and other wood cutting products were good and which ones weren’t. So it was a love of product, a love of cutting wood and honestly, I loved to help peo- ple,” Bob told me. In the fall of 1975 Bob started his business from his basement at home. A year later he opened shop on the corner of Webster Road and Van Dyke, just south of Imlay City. He converted a small home into what is now, Lumberjack Shack. “I thought the name was very appropriate,” he told me. Working his day job and then at his store by night, Bob built an impressive list of customers. He repaired and sold chainsaws, log- splitters, woodburning stoves and all the accessories. Lumberjack Shack was the very first of its kind in the area. The small business con- tinued to grow as the need and desire to burn wood grew. Bob’s motto was sim- ple, “Cut-it, Split-it and Burn-it.” Now remember, Bob was using his entrepreneur instincts to help fill a need in the market no one else was. People were heating their homes with wood, which required the type of products he was selling. In the late 70s and early 80s Bob began sponsoring what he called, “Saw Dust Days.” “The ‘Saw Dust Days’ were very popular with our customers,” Bob explained. “Burning wood to heat your home can be dangerous, if not done correctly. So can cutting wood with a chain- saw,” Bob went on to say. “My customers are my friends, I didn’t want any of them to get hurt from some- thing I sold them. So it was important to me to make sure they understood certain safe- ty procedures and give them the knowledge to make sure it was done correctly,” he stressed. “The ‘Saw Dust Days’ were a good way for me to thank my customers and a way for me to make sure they used the products safely. I felt it was my responsibility to them,” Bob stated. Bob’s philosophy rubbed off on his son, Dave. It’s just as important today as it was when his father ran the busi- ness. Dave took the business over in 1989. Dave, as it turned out, was a natural, he is, as they say, mechanically inclined. Working at the store with his father, as he often did, he rebuilt his first carburetor at 13 years old. “I was impressed,” Bob told me, “I attended all these classes and Dave simply grabs some tools and does the job.” Under Dave’s leadership, the Lumberjack Shack grew even larger. The store more than tripled in size. His focus is still the Stihl chainsaw brand of products, but he offers much more. Today, Lumberjack Shack offers Arctic Cat ATV’s and snowmobiles, a full repair and service depart- ment for all products he sells. He has been a award winning Exmark lawn equipment dealer since 1993 and also sells Hustler lawn and garden equipment. They also offer a full line of tree climbing equipment and supplies. It’s a success story. A story of hard work. It’s a story that has been in the making for 35 years now. A story of a man committed to his customers, his family and his community. Yes, I’d say Bob is an entrepreneur, wouldn’t you? Randy Jorgensen And so it goes . . . Celebrating 35 years Bob Zgnilec, 74, is still sharpening chains enter- ing his 35th year. Bob started Lumberjack Shack in 1975. Photo by Randy Jorgensen Dave with his father Bob shortly after he took the business over in 1989. Photo provided A s is often the case, there I sat in front of the computer, waiting for some wave of inspiration to hit. While I waited, I checked my e-mails, and found a note from the cousin, or whatever you call him, who hosted the cousin reunion back in August. Let’s see...his paternal grandmother was the oldest of twelve, my mom was her youngest sister. That means his dad is my cousin; making this guy my second cousin. Did I know this cousin existed before August? Yes, sort of. Did I know him? No. Not at all. What I had found out over the last year was that he and his wife had bought and restored the origi- nal home- stead where his grandpar- ents had farmed. When they had bought the seven acres in 1986 they had bought it with a prayer that it would be a blessing to their family of seven children and also to others. He and his wife have cleaned up the place, using their gifts of design and land- scaping, to create a wonderful sanctuary-like spot. Over the years, many groups have used it for campfires and reunions. For nearly ten years, sixth grade students (20 to 40 each year) have camped in their backyard. The Holland Rescue mission uses it as a retreat, complete with camp- fires, games, and fishing. In telling about their home near what he calls Michigan’s Golden Coast, he talked about the roses which were around the foundation of their house when he and his wife bought it. They were, in his words, diseased and bedraggled, the leaves stunted and insect- eaten. One spring, he writes, “I saw a few scraggly pink blooms that weren’t much to look at. I almost tore out the plants by the roots. They were a professional embar- rassment to me, a beginning landscaper and flower grow- er.” To make a long story short, no amount of discouraging would make the roses go away, and he finally moved them to a sunnier, moister spot and they thrived, stand- ing as yearly reminders of times past. In a paragraph poignant to me, he writes, “I suspect that my dear sweet grandmother transplanted them from somewhere else to brighten up the yard in those days of struggle, sweat and toil when the work on the farm consumed all of their time and energy. Maybe, she carried them with her from Iowa as a loving reminder of her family there. I can picture her stooped over, carefully planting them under the eaves of the house where they would get the most water.” Since the reason this cousin, Deane Wassink, sent me these images of his domain is that I told him I wanted to write a bit about it in the column, I’m taking the liberty to use his words. In his description of “the coast” in December, he writes, “Most of us avoid it at that time of year. I have often worked in snowstorms on the shore right next to the lake. There is nothing like it. The waves crash, and the wind roars and the lake effect snow blows parallel to the ground. However, as soon as you get past the lip of the dune in the woods, where the white pine and hemlocks form an arbor over your head, the heavy snow muffles the sound so that you feel like you are in your own private world, all alone. At this time,you are required to pause, lie down in the snow, and let the giant flakes land on your face.” Thanks, cuz, for helping me out with some word pic- tures worth passing on. Willene Tanis Perspectives . . . Word pictures can help bring this small family farm to life Taxable results from sale of land question Alex, I bought a waterfront lot in another state about 30 years ago for $30,000. I cur- rently have a buyer offering $280,000. I am wondering what taxes I would have to pay as a result of this sale. Should I sell now or wait? How long do I have to rein- vest the money towards another property to not pay any taxes? — M.R., Imlay City M.R., That sale would be considered a long term capital gain which would be filed on Schedule D of your tax return. You would be obligated to pay the tax on the actual gain or profit from the sale. Your profit is determined by taking your sales price and deducting any costs associated with the sale such as commissions, closing fees, etc. and then tak- ing that amount and subtract- ing your basis. Your basis is usually determined by the price you paid to buy it; how- ever you may be able to add to that basis the taxes or other costs you paid to maintain that property over the years. You should consult with your tax professional before you sell. You probably will have between $200,000 and $250,000 in taxable gain depending on your costs to sell and your holding costs on that property over the last 30 years. Currently long term capital gain taxes are capped at 15%. Next year that same tax rate is going up to 20%. Since tax rates are going up next year and probably even more in future years I would probably recommend selling and closing the deal by December 31, 2010. Waiting one day longer, until January 1, 2011 or after, will cost you an extra 5% in taxes. Sell this year and you would only have to pay up to $37,500 in taxes while next year it would cost you up to $50,000. Reinvesting the money in another property to defer the taxes can only be done by doing a 1031 exchange. You would need to hire a company that specializes in 1031 exchanges to assist you. Personally, I would not do a 1031 exchange as the fees to do so would be a few thou- sand dollars plus you would have to reinvest the entire profit into more real estate. In addition, you are not really avoiding the taxes due on that gain. You are simply deferring it over to when you sell that new property. At that time taxes will surely be higher than 15%. In these economic times, I would pay the 15% tax and use your $200,000 remaining for whatever you want. Alex Lengemann is a licensed Real Estate Broker who operates RealtyVolution.com, a local real estate company. You can Ask Alex your real estate or mortgage questions by phone 810-664-1819 or by email [email protected] Ask Alex... The real estate and mortgage expert! leave. They can be told in flight from herons as they fly with necks stuck straight ahead and herons fly with necks curved. The West Berlin United Methodist Church that I refer to as “The Little Church in the Wildwood,” has started a class following church serv- ices called ‘Christianity’s Family Tree’ which is being led by Kathy O’Dell. It is very informative and inter- esting and you certainly are welcome for church at 11 a.m. and the class starts at 12:15 in the fellowship hall. So far we have studied Orthodoxy and Catholicism. There will be no class on Oct. 3 as we are having cof- fee hour. Classes continue with Lutheranism on Oct. 10, Presbyterianism on Oct. 17, Anglicanism on Oct. 24, Baptists on Oct. 31, Coffee hour on Nov. 7, Pentecostalism on Nov. 14 and Methodism on Nov. 21. Ya’ll come! There will be an Advent study for adults, “The Best Songs Come at Night” meet- ing at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 28; Miracles Begin as Babies on Dec. 5; The Best Songs Come at Night on Dec. 12; Wise Men Follow a Star on Dec. 19; Christmas Lasts Longer than You Think. We would love to wel- come you. —Country Cousin Gertie: from page 4-C Crawfords take on the Crim challange TRI-CITY AREA The Crawford family made their first ever entry into the Crim Festival of Races a memorable one. Four genera- tions participated in the 10 mile walk in Flint on August 28 including 82 year-old Shirley Crawford of Attica, her daughter Cathy Dodge, son Carl Crawford, grandson David Dodge and great- grandson Cameron Dodge. Also along for the family out- ing were Carl’s wife, Connie and her brother and sister-in- law, Randy and Jeaneen Spiller. To make the day even more special, Shirley walked away with the second place winners cup in her age divi- sion. She clocked in at two hours, forty minutes. “My grandson, David, wanted me do it,” Shirley said of entering the Crim. David, who’s run the race before, was confident his grandmother would make a good showing considering she walks four days a week at the Attica Twp. park. Shirley was in the midst of getting ready for the race when her husband, Lee, passed away. Although she never walked a full ten miles as part of her training, that didn’t seem to matter come race day. In Flint, she walked a 16 minute mile. Connie said she was impressed with her mother- in-law’s performance during and after the race. “I had to hustle to keep up with her,” Connie said. “The next day I had blis- ters and she was wearing high heels.” Shirley’s already looking forward to the 2011 Crim. “As long as I feel as well as I do now, I’ll be there next year,” she said. “It would be nice to beat my time.” By Maria Brown Tri-City Times Assistant Editor Four generations of Crawfords completed the 10 Mile Crim walk last month. They are (l-r) David Dodge, Shirley Crawford, Cathy Dodge, Cameron Dodge and Carl Crawford. Photo by Connie Crawford IMLAY CITY — Local author Dana Lehman, of Allenton, will be doing a reading and book signing at the Learning Depot on October 2 in conjunction with the release of her third book, ‘I Can Do It.’ At 11 a.m., a local librarian will be reading Lehman’s books and at 1 p.m. Seven Ponds Nature Center staff will give a presentation about the animals that appear in Lehman’s books. For more information about this event, contact Lehman at 395-4535. Book signing for local author

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Page 5-C-TRI-CITY TIMES-SEPTEMBER 29, 2010

Bob Zgnilec, 74, maynot think of himself asan entrepreneur but he

is. His track record datesback to 1975.

You see, the characteris-tics of an entrepreneur areidentified in high energypeople, self-confident, disci-plined, problem solvers, peo-ple who take risks and havelearned from the ‘school ofhardknocks.’Theyacceptresponsi-bility fortheiractionsandachievesuccess ontheir ownterms.

Yes,Bob’s anentrepreneur.

I’ve known Bob for alongtime. In the early 80s asa young newspaper man I’dvisit his store to sell Bob ads.He was direct, but polite.

“What is it your paperoffers the others don’t?” Irecall him asking.

I stumbled through myprepared sales pitch with thegrace of a bull in a chinashop.

“I tell you what,” Bobtold me sternly, “I’ll give youand your paper some of mybusiness. I’m open from 6pmto 9pm, if you stop in nextweek, I’ll have an ad foryou.”

Bob did business on hison terms.

I liked Bob and a friend-ship grew. He has sinceassisted me in many projects,mainly playing a key role inhelping me secure sponsor-ship for our Woods-N-WaterNews Outdoor Weekend.Stihl Chainsaws and BryanEquipment became our firstbig sponsors, thanks to Boband his efforts. It’s just thekind of guy he is, helpingothers.

Recently Bob celebratedthe 35th anniversary of thebusiness he started,Lumberjack Shack.

“We are still servicingchain saws I sold 30 or 35years ago. Our customers arevery loyal and I’m thankfulfor that,” Bob told meproudly.

Today his son, Dave,owns the business, but Bob

is still there, sharpening sawchains, greeting customers orsweeping up the back room.

Lumberjack Shack is oneof the oldest Stihl dealers inMichigan.

Bob and his familymoved from the Utica area in1974. He and his wife Carolrecently celebrated their 50thwedding anniversary. Theyhave three children, Barb,Sandy and Dave, with 10grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

“I have always had alove for the outdoors andenjoy a good days’ work,”Bob tells me.

During the oil embargoin the 70s Bob began heatinghis home with wood as manypeople did back then.

“I guess you could saythe oil embargo got me intothe business to begin with,”he continued.

“I spent hours and hourscutting wood, I knew whichchainsaws and other woodcutting products were goodand which ones weren’t. Soit was a love of product, alove of cutting wood andhonestly, I loved to help peo-ple,” Bob told me.

In the fall of 1975 Bobstarted his business from hisbasement at home. A yearlater he opened shop on thecorner of Webster Road andVan Dyke, just south ofImlay City. He converted asmall home into what is now,Lumberjack Shack.

“I thought the name wasvery appropriate,” he toldme.

Working his day job andthen at his store by night,Bob built an impressive listof customers. He repairedand sold chainsaws, log-splitters, woodburning stovesand all the accessories.

Lumberjack Shack was

the very first of its kind inthe area.

The small business con-tinued to grow as the needand desire to burn woodgrew. Bob’s motto was sim-ple, “Cut-it, Split-it andBurn-it.”

Now remember, Bob wasusing his entrepreneurinstincts to help fill a need inthe market no one else was.People were heating theirhomes with wood, whichrequired the type of productshe was selling.

In the late 70s and early80s Bob began sponsoringwhat he called, “Saw DustDays.”

“The ‘Saw Dust Days’were very popular with ourcustomers,” Bob explained.

“Burning wood to heatyour home can be dangerous,if not done correctly. So cancutting wood with a chain-saw,” Bob went on to say.

“My customers are myfriends, I didn’t want any ofthem to get hurt from some-thing I sold them. So it wasimportant to me to make surethey understood certain safe-ty procedures and give themthe knowledge to make sureit was done correctly,” he

stressed. “The ‘Saw Dust Days’

were a good way for me tothank my customers and away for me to make surethey used the products safely.I felt it was my responsibilityto them,” Bob stated.

Bob’s philosophy rubbedoff on his son, Dave. It’s justas important today as it waswhen his father ran the busi-ness. Dave took the businessover in 1989.

Dave, as it turned out,was a natural, he is, as theysay, mechanically inclined.Working at the store with hisfather, as he often did, herebuilt his first carburetor at13 years old.

“I was impressed,” Bobtold me, “I attended all theseclasses and Dave simplygrabs some tools and doesthe job.”

Under Dave’s leadership,the Lumberjack Shack greweven larger. The store morethan tripled in size. His focusis still the Stihl chainsawbrand of products, but heoffers much more.

Today, LumberjackShack offers Arctic CatATV’s and snowmobiles, afull repair and service depart-ment for all products hesells. He has been a awardwinning Exmark lawnequipment dealer since 1993and also sells Hustler lawnand garden equipment. Theyalso offer a full line of treeclimbing equipment andsupplies.

It’s a success story. Astory of hard work. It’s astory that has been in themaking for 35 years now. Astory of a man committed tohis customers, his familyand his community.

Yes, I’d say Bob is anentrepreneur, wouldn’t you?

RRaannddyyJJoorrggeennsseenn

And so it goes . . .

Celebrating 35 years

Bob Zgnilec, 74, is still sharpening chains enter-ing his 35th year. Bob started Lumberjack Shackin 1975.

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to b

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andy

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en

Dave with his father Bob shortly after he took thebusiness over in 1989.

Pho

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ded

As is often the case,there I sat in front ofthe computer, waiting

for some wave of inspirationto hit. While I waited, Ichecked my e-mails, andfound a note from the cousin,or whatever you call him,who hosted the cousinreunion back in August. Let’ssee...his paternal grandmotherwas the oldest of twelve, mymom was her youngest sister.That means his dad is mycousin; making this guy mysecond cousin. Did I knowthis cousin existed beforeAugust? Yes, sort of. Did Iknow him? No. Not at all.

What I had found out over

the lastyear wasthat he andhis wifehad boughtandrestoredthe origi-nal home-steadwhere hisgrandpar-ents hadfarmed.When they had bought theseven acres in 1986 they hadbought it with a prayer that itwould be a blessing to theirfamily of seven children andalso to others.

He and his wife havecleaned up the place, usingtheir gifts of design and land-scaping, to create a wonderfulsanctuary-like spot. Over theyears, many groups have usedit for campfires and reunions.For nearly ten years, sixthgrade students (20 to 40 eachyear) have camped in theirbackyard. The HollandRescue mission uses it as aretreat, complete with camp-fires, games, and fishing.

In telling about their homenear what he calls Michigan’sGolden Coast, he talked aboutthe roses which were aroundthe foundation of their housewhen he and his wife bought

it. They were, in his words,diseased and bedraggled, theleaves stunted and insect-eaten. One spring, he writes,“I saw a few scraggly pinkblooms that weren’t much tolook at. I almost tore out theplants by the roots. Theywere a professional embar-rassment to me, a beginninglandscaper and flower grow-er.”

To make a long story short,no amount of discouragingwould make the roses goaway, and he finally movedthem to a sunnier, moisterspot and they thrived, stand-ing as yearly reminders oftimes past. In a paragraph

poignant to me, he writes, “Isuspect that my dear sweetgrandmother transplantedthem from somewhere else tobrighten up the yard in thosedays of struggle, sweat andtoil when the work on thefarm consumed all of theirtime and energy. Maybe, shecarried them with her fromIowa as a loving reminder ofher family there. I can pictureher stooped over, carefullyplanting them under the eavesof the house where theywould get the most water.”

Since the reason thiscousin, Deane Wassink, sentme these images of hisdomain is that I told him Iwanted to write a bit about itin the column, I’m taking theliberty to use his words. Inhis description of “the coast”

in December, he writes,“Most of us avoid it at thattime of year. I have oftenworked in snowstorms on theshore right next to the lake.There is nothing like it. Thewaves crash, and the windroars and the lake effect snowblows parallel to the ground.However, as soon as you getpast the lip of the dune in thewoods, where the white pineand hemlocks form an arborover your head, the heavysnow muffles the sound sothat you feel like you are inyour own private world, allalone. At this time,you arerequired to pause, lie down inthe snow, and let the giantflakes land on your face.”

Thanks, cuz, for helpingme out with some word pic-tures worth passing on.

WWii ll lleenneeTTaanniiss

Perspectives . . .

Word pictures can help bring this small family farm to life

Taxable results from sale of land questionAlex,

I bought a waterfront lotin another state about 30years ago for $30,000. I cur-rently have a buyer offering$280,000. I am wonderingwhat taxes I would have topay as a result of this sale.Should I sell now or wait?How long do I have to rein-vest the money towardsanother property to not payany taxes?

— M.R., Imlay City

M.R., That sale would beconsidered a long term capitalgain which would be filed onSchedule D of your tax return.You would be obligated topay the tax on the actual gainor profit from the sale. Yourprofit is determined by takingyour sales price and deductingany costs associated with thesale such as commissions,

closing fees, etc. and then tak-ing that amount and subtract-ing your basis. Your basis isusually determined by theprice you paid to buy it; how-ever you may be able to addto that basis the taxes or othercosts you paid to maintainthat property over the years.You should consult with yourtax professional before yousell. You probably will havebetween $200,000 and$250,000 in taxable gain

depending on your costs tosell and your holding costs onthat property over the last 30years. Currently long termcapital gain taxes are cappedat 15%. Next year that sametax rate is going up to 20%.Since tax rates are going upnext year and probably evenmore in future years I wouldprobably recommend sellingand closing the deal byDecember 31, 2010. Waitingone day longer, until January1, 2011 or after, will cost youan extra 5% in taxes. Sell thisyear and you would only haveto pay up to $37,500 in taxeswhile next year it would costyou up to $50,000.

Reinvesting the money inanother property to defer thetaxes can only be done bydoing a 1031 exchange. Youwould need to hire a companythat specializes in 1031

exchanges to assist you.Personally, I would not do a1031 exchange as the fees todo so would be a few thou-sand dollars plus you wouldhave to reinvest the entireprofit into more real estate. Inaddition, you are not reallyavoiding the taxes due on thatgain. You are simply deferringit over to when you sell thatnew property. At that timetaxes will surely be higherthan 15%. In these economictimes, I would pay the 15%tax and use your $200,000remaining for whatever youwant.

Alex Lengemann is alicensed Real Estate Broker whooperates RealtyVolution.com, alocal real estate company. Youcan Ask Alex your real estate ormortgage questions by phone810-664-1819 or by [email protected]

AAsskkAAlleexx......

The realestate andmortgage

expert!leave. They can be told inflight from herons as they flywith necks stuck straightahead and herons fly withnecks curved.

The West Berlin UnitedMethodist Church that I referto as “The Little Church inthe Wildwood,” has started aclass following church serv-ices called ‘Christianity’sFamily Tree’ which is beingled by Kathy O’Dell. It isvery informative and inter-esting and you certainly arewelcome for church at 11a.m. and the class starts at12:15 in the fellowship hall.So far we have studiedOrthodoxy and Catholicism.

There will be no class onOct. 3 as we are having cof-fee hour. Classes continuewith Lutheranism on Oct. 10,Presbyterianism on Oct. 17,Anglicanism on Oct. 24,Baptists on Oct. 31, Coffeehour on Nov. 7,Pentecostalism on Nov. 14and Methodism on Nov. 21.Ya’ll come!

There will be an Adventstudy for adults, “The BestSongs Come at Night” meet-ing at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 28;Miracles Begin as Babies onDec. 5; The Best SongsCome at Night on Dec. 12;Wise Men Follow a Star onDec. 19; Christmas LastsLonger than You Think.

We would love to wel-come you.

—Country Cousin

Gertie: from page 4-C

Crawfords take onthe Crim challange

TRI-CITY AREA —The Crawford family madetheir first ever entry into theCrim Festival of Races amemorable one. Four genera-tions participated in the 10mile walk in Flint on August28 including 82 year-oldShirley Crawford of Attica,her daughter Cathy Dodge,son Carl Crawford, grandsonDavid Dodge and great-grandson Cameron Dodge.Also along for the family out-ing were Carl’s wife, Connieand her brother and sister-in-law, Randy and JeaneenSpiller.

To make the day evenmore special, Shirley walkedaway with the second placewinners cup in her age divi-sion. She clocked in at twohours, forty minutes.

“My grandson, David,wanted me do it,” Shirleysaid of entering the Crim.David, who’s run the race

before, was confident hisgrandmother would make agood showing consideringshe walks four days a week atthe Attica Twp. park.

Shirley was in the midstof getting ready for the racewhen her husband, Lee,passed away. Although shenever walked a full ten milesas part of her training, thatdidn’t seem to matter comerace day. In Flint, she walkeda 16 minute mile.

Connie said she wasimpressed with her mother-in-law’s performance duringand after the race.

“I had to hustle to keep upwith her,” Connie said.

“The next day I had blis-ters and she was wearing highheels.”

Shirley’s already lookingforward to the 2011 Crim.

“As long as I feel as wellas I do now, I’ll be there nextyear,” she said.

“It would be nice to beatmy time.”

By Maria BrownTri-City Times Assistant Editor

Four generations of Crawfords completed the 10Mile Crim walk last month. They are (l-r) DavidDodge, Shirley Crawford, Cathy Dodge, CameronDodge and Carl Crawford.

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to b

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onni

e C

raw

ford

IMLAY CITY — Local author Dana Lehman, ofAllenton, will be doing a reading and book signing at theLearning Depot on October 2 in conjunction with therelease of her third book, ‘I Can Do It.’

At 11 a.m., a local librarian will be reading Lehman’sbooks and at 1 p.m. Seven Ponds Nature Center staff willgive a presentation about the animals that appear inLehman’s books.

For more information about this event, contactLehman at 395-4535.

Book signing for local author