April 2009 Archives

Veterinarian Grant Miller distinctly remembers when he decided to launch a non-profit rescue group to help abused and neglected horses.
In 1999 he found himself standing in the dark next to a critically sick horse. His heart sank when he realized his only option was euthanasia.

"I was the last thing standing between the horse and his fate," Miller said. "The law is where the rubber meets the road. So I vowed to work with law enforcement and animal control in the future."

Miller is one of a dozen honorees in 10 categories chosen for the American Red Cross Sonoma & Mendocino Counties annual Real Heroes breakfast at the Doubletree Hotel in Rohnert Park on Wednesday.

When Jim Livermore retired from the brokerage industry a decade ago, he was thrilled at the thought of not having to stare at a computer screen.
"I'm very interested in psychology and sociology, and I've studied with a Native American shaman for about 15 years," he said. "I really wanted to find something I wanted to do."
He found his volunteering home with Meals on Wheels, where for the past eight years he has spent 30 to 40 hours a month helping seniors.
"The people I visit have no idea the lessons I've learned from them. They've been my teachers," said the grandfather of six girls.

Not long after Prue and Lloyd Draper were marrried in 1951, they agreed that Cotati would be a nice place to raise a family.
"We bought the weekly newspaper there, The Cotatian, and raised our three kids in the back shop," said Prue Draper.
Through good times and bad, Cotati grew on them. Now 78, Draper is a driving force in the creation of the Cotati Historical Society, in which she serves as president.
For her many civic efforts, including her role in the preservation of Falletti Ranch and the Fred and Kate Savage Ranch, Draper recently was honored with the Brainerd Jones Preservation Award given annually by the Sonoma County Historical Society.

As the oldest surviving founder of Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County, George Percival, 89, has witnessed optimism at work as he helped create affordable housing in an expensive real estate market.
As the local chapter celebrates its 25th anniversary this month, Percival still looks forward.
"Without the dedication of all the volunteers over the years, none of this would have been possible," the Sonoma resident said. He envisions a day when there are Habitat for Humanity homes in every city in Sonoma County.
The nonprofit group is an ecumenical Christian ministry committed to building affordable housing. In most cases, homes are built with the labor of volunteers who include the prospective homeowners.