A Family Finds Itself
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C M Y K www.newssun.com EWS UN NHighlands County’s Hometown-S Newspaper Since 1927 Tanglewoods Liu, Popsen tied in Harder Making sense two Toms Hall Women’s Invitational of money PAGE 2A PAGE 1B PAGE 10B Sunday, January 6, 2013 www.newssun.com Volume 94/Number 3 | 75 cents Forecast Joe Campbell retires, celebrates 38 years of service Mostly cloudy with By SAMANTHA GHOLAR got a job and you stick with it. If Campbell decided to hang up his hat spotty showers [email protected] you worked hard and long enough, and move on to the next chapter in High Low SEBRING – Hugs and cake filled you could retire,” Campbell said. his life’s story. Though his retire- the lobby of the Highlands County After working his first job with ment is well earned, Campbell is Government Center Friday after- the county’s Property Appraiser’s regretfully leaving behind many 80 60 noon as friends, co-workers and Office for 11 years, Campbell friends and co-workers, each of Complete Forecast family members bid farewell to one moved on to the Supervisor of which have a smile on their face PAGE 10A of the county’s most well-known Elections Office in 1996 under the when describing their memories of individuals Joe Campbell. county’s former supervisor, the late Campbell. Online Campbell has been a Sebring res- Jimmy Whitehouse. “I enjoyed working with him. ident since he was a year old. After There, Campbell found his calling He’s a good boss,” said former attending and completing his gradu- and continued working in the posi- Assistant Supervisor of Elections ation requirements through the tion for nearly 30 years. Campbell is Norma Stokes. Highlands County School District, described as a hard working, good Stokes worked alongside News-Sun photo by SAMANTHA GHOLAR Campbell did what most young men man by his many peers and employ- Campbell for 13 years, moving up in Question: Do you Joe Campbell (left) enjoys a fond mem- at the time did – began his long run- ees. His presence in the office made the ranks as a former poll worker ory with County Property Appraiser ning career. the workplace better for everyone before her own retirement as turn your headlights and friend Ed Sager Friday during “I was brought up in a time where around him. on when driving in Campbell’s retirement party at the See AFTER, page 5A Highlands County Government Center. when you graduated, you went and After decades of hard work, fog? Yes Public has 94.9% A family finds itself opportunity to speak out By CHRISTOPHER TUFFLEY No [email protected] By CHRISTOPHER TUFFLEY SEBRING — This story begins [email protected] with a woman who did the best she 5.1% SEBRING — Florida’s could. first regular legislative ses- A mother plagued by demons — sion of 2013 begins March 5. but who never stopped fighting them Senators Bill Galvano and Total votes: 97 — ultimately fulfilling her potential Denise Grimsley and and parenting a child. Representative Cary Pigman Next question: Along the way, however, she left want the public, interested other children behind — children left Are you ready for government and agency rep- to answer their own questions and students and teachers resentatives to be aware the find their own ways in the world. This to return to school Highlands County story is about them. Legislative Delegation will next week? It is a convoluted, emotional tale be meeting from 9-11 a.m. with many players, twists and surpris- Make your voice heard at Friday, Jan. 18 in the board- es. It is a story steeped in love: chil- room at the Government www.newssun.com dren’s love; mother’s love; grandpar- Center, 600 S. Commerce ents’ love; love between brothers and Ave. sisters. Obituaries Discussion of issues Most of all, this story is about dis- regarding local legislation for Fern Eures covering family. the 2013 Legislative Session Age 92, of Sebring Vickie Watson is the News-Sun’s will be held at this time, senior advertising executive. She Claude Ryan Grimsley said through a press knew growing up in Illinois that she Age 89, of Avon Park release. and her older sister were adopted. There is a formal, many- Alena Vecchio They had lived in an orphanage until stepped process in introduc- she was 3 and her sister Patty was 5. Age 86, of Sebring ing legislation. The Jan. 18 Vickie loved her adopted family Courtesy photo meeting is not the first step. Obituaries, Page 6A and felt part of a whole. As far as she Sisters Patty Frye (left) and Vickie Watson shortly after they were adopted in To be considered, a pro- was concerned the only mom in her Illinois. Patty was 5, Vickie 3. Index posed bill must be presented life was the woman who tucked her Arts & Entertainment 5B to the delegation in draft into bed every night. that came with a surprise and a coin- form, and it must be accom- Business 6B Her sister Patty, however, never cidence. panied by a supporting reso- Classifieds 7A felt she fit in. She became restless, First the surprise — Patty and lution from the local govern- Community Briefs 2A leaving home early in search of Vickie were indeed sisters. In fact, ment. In addition, the pro- answers to her past. they were two of eight siblings all Crossword Puzzle 9B posed bill must be delivered The answers, she discovered, were born to the same mother. No one was Dear Abby 9B to Grimsley’s office, at 205 impossible to find due to officially sure if there was more than one father. Editorial & Opinion 4A sealed records. Faced with disap- Now the coincidence — Patty’s See PUBLIC, page 5A Horoscope 9B pointment, Patty lived her life feeling daughter lives on the same block as Lottery Numbers 2A incomplete and unhappy. Patty’s biological sister Connie, and News from the Watershed 8B Vickie had none of this curiosity or Patty works with Connie’s father-in- Movie Times 9B regret. “It never really bothered me, law. Pause and Consider 9B not knowing my birth parents,” Patty discovered she had two older Watson said, “except for not knowing sisters, one older brother, two younger Sports On TV 2B my medical history.” brothers and one younger sister (in As the years passed, Patty gave up addition to Vickie). In birth order the Follow the hope. “I tried all my life and couldn’t brothers and sisters are: Cathy, News-Sun on get anywhere. Because of the sealed Connie, Garry, Patty, Vickie, Rusty, records, it was always a dead end,” Terrie and Danny. she told the News-Sun. Some of Patty’s questions have The situation changed in November been answered, although some of the www.twitter.com/thenewssun 2011 when Illinois unsealed adoption answers were painful to hear. and records. Patty immediately began Only Cathy, the eldest, could looking for her birth mother, but remember Patty or Vickie at all. again, had difficulties finding any- One day, Cathy told them, she came Courtesy photo thing concrete. With her daughter home from school to find a baby in a Vickie Watson, ‘News-Sun’ senior News-Sun photo by www.facebook.com/newssun helping, Patty finally turned to some- crib at the end of her bed. advertising representative, knew she KATARA SIMMONS one with experience. A few days later when Cathy came was adopted, but was not sure she Senator Denise Grimsley The results were quick. After years home from school the baby and the wanted to learn more, then her sister waves during Sebring’s Patty’s many year search brought a Centennial parade in of disappointment, Patty found See SISTERS, page 3A new/old family into her life. October. 0990994 01007 answers within two days — answers Phone ... 385-6155 Fax ... 385-2453 Online: www.newssun.com C M Y K Page 2A News-Sun ࡗ Sunday, January 6, 2013 www.newssun.com Tanglewood’s Toms help Report finds early steering of issues in St. Lucie Residents’ Cancer Benefit election process SEBRING – The cancer financially and hopes 14th annual Tanglewood that whatever little he and Ele By MATT SEDENSKY That final tally Residents’ Cancer Benefit can contribute will eventually Associated Press ultimately improved will host a series of fundrais- lead to a cure for this dreaded WEST PALM BEACH Murphy’s margin of ing events between Jan. disease. Thrilled that the — Election staff inexperi- victory, in a final 22 and Feb. 19. The Cancer Tanglewood Residents’ ence and inadequate proce- Benefit dates back to 2000 Cancer Benefit has raised dures fueled vote-counting flash of problems, St. when Tanglewood residents awareness as well as large problems in one of the Lucie County failed Myron and Linda Pickering sums of money for research, country’s most-watched to meet the state got together with local D.J. Tom’s involvement has had congressional races, a state deadline for reporting Bob Weed and other residents other rewards. It has resulted report released Friday the numbers. of the RV section of in many new friendships and found. Tanglewood to plan a gather- the satisfaction of working St. Lucie County was the ing of friends to welcome with hundreds of hard work- epicenter of issues in the back Bill Stottlemyer, a ing, dedicated volunteers. hard-fought race between multi-card ballots. friend suffering from cancer. Now that he has shed most Allen West and Patrick St. Lucie agreed to That first picnic netted $350 of his cancer benefit respon- Murphy. The razor-thin recount some early ballots for cancer research and sibilities, Tom spends much contest gave way to two in the District 18 race after Tanglewood’s annual of his time volunteering at weeks of recounts, court an outcry from West sup- Residents’ Cancer Benefit the Sebring Seniors’ Center fights and allegations that porters who claimed took flight.