Try a pair of Venus Williams or LaMarr Woodley's shoes on for size

by Corey Mitchell | The Saginaw News

Wednesday November 19, 2008, 10:15 AM

AP PhotoVenus Williams celebrates after beating Serbia's Jelena Jankovic during a semi-final match of the Sony Ericsson Tennis Championship in Doha, Qatar, on Nov. 8.

If you're talking to Cheryl Plettenberg and she can't stop staring at your shoes, don't worry.

You haven't stepped in a pile of dog poop. The co-chair of Saginaw Family Youth Initiative is just daydreaming.

Plettenberg is picturing your feet dashing across a grass court at Wimbledon, rushing a quarterback at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field or dancing across the set of a television talk show.

Used and new footwear from tennis players Venus Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres are on auction next week to raise money for the Family Youth Initiative scholarship next spring.

The "Walk in My Shoes" auction begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at Germania Town & Country Club, 1 Germania Platz. Tickets cost $40.

Charlotte Bobcats guard Jason Richardson, U.S. Senator Carl Levin, Michigan State University basketball coach Tom Izzo and Plettenberg's favorite, Toby Keith, also gave people the chance to walk in their shoes.

Plettenberg plans to bid on the Keith's mud-caked golf cleats. The country music singer shipped them to Saginaw after a round of golf on his personal course near Norman, Ok.

"He's just a great entertainer," Plettenberg said.

Contest-winning photographs prove Saginaw Bay is beautiful place

by Jeff Kart | The Bay City Times

Wednesday November 19, 2008, 10:08 AM

Courtesy photoThe Bay City-based Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy have announced the winners of their annual photo contest. This photo, "Serenity at Daybreak," by Yvonne Pollick, took first place in the 'People & Nature' category.

For the second year, a local land conservancy challenged residents to find beauty in the Saginaw Bay watershed.

The residents found plenty.

"One of the reasons why we wanted to do this in the first place was to kind of show what we have in our area that's worth protecting, worth preserving," said Valerie Roof, executive director of the Bay City-based Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy.

"It's just showing true each year."

The conservancy announced the winners of its photo contest on Thursday at a banquet at the Alice & Jack Wirt Public Library, 500 Center Ave.

There were three winners in each of five categories: Landscapes, Plants and Flowers, People in Nature, Student and Wildlife.