I was pleased to read the Jan. 18, 2024 Alpena News front-page story about the award received by the Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency School Success Program.

The School Success Program has been a great benefit to children and families in our area. Dorothy Pintar and the extremely competent and caring staff she has put together through the years has played a significant part in protecting children and assisting students to become successful in school even though some of these students have to overcome severe obstacles to achieve that success.

My interface with individual success workers was while I dealt with students and families in my role as an assistant prosecutor. Part of my job was working with delinquent children, truant students, and those children that needed protection. In those situations the teachers and the school success workers are the first line of protection for these children and I have seen so many go the extra mile for “their” kids.

As a community we are abundantly blessed to have such a well-run and well-staffed program.

RUSS RHYNARD,

Alpena