Sisters salutes...

• Col. Timothy Sundvall, former vice commander of the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, succeeded Col. Stephen Williams as commander of the 35th Fighter Wing, Misdwa, Japan.

Sundvall will command a combat-ready F-16 fighter wing composed of nearly 3,100 personnel, and sustain forces and facilities worth over $2 billion, according to the Miswa Air Base website.

Sundvall grew up in Sisters, went to Sisters schools and graduated from Redmond High School in 1988. He attended the U.S. Air Force Academy and started his career in Columbus, Mississippi.

• Brenda Hartford wrote:

On June 27, my dog and best friend, Goober, wandered away from home. As he is old, blind, and deaf, I was frantic. Luckily, this had a very happy ending. It also caused me to make changes in order to protect him.

I would like to thank Chelsea Anttila for making up notices to post around Crossroads, Bill and Joanne Anttila, Angie Gardinier, Aybree, Jaxon, Rylan, Kaidyn and the many neighbors who stopped what you were doing to drive, walk or ride your bikes around Crossroads to help search. A big thank-you to my son Matt and his girlfriend, Debbie, for putting his birthday plans on hold to spend three hours looking for the Goob. I also want to thank my husband, who tirelessly rode his bike everywhere he could for three hours searching.

But my biggest and most heartfelt thank-you goes to the people who found Goober wandering, picked him up and took him to Sisters Vet, which is where I was able to pick him up. To you, I would like to offer my thanks in person. I am on the Crossroads board, which is where you can obtain my information, so if you would please contact me, I would be ever so grateful.

And last but not least, I want to thank Sisters Vet Clinic, Darcy in particular. I am sure Goober was scared to death, and you gave him the help and care he needed to feel secure. My husband and I will be making a contribution to the clinic for your kindness. Hopefully it will help take care of animals who are abandoned, or, as in Goobers case, just lost.