Balloon with Message Lands in Farm

Julie Makarewicz
The Grand Rapids Press
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Kentwood, Michigan (US):
Something a bit mysterious stretches from Grand Rapids to southern Illinois.
A woman in a small farming community called Big Bay, Ill., is hoping someone in Kentwood can help solve it. "My husband found a balloon this summer and inside was a message from someone in Kentwood, Michigan," said Carol Horman.
"I've held on to it all this time. I don't really know why, but I just keep thinking about it and wondering if there is a child somewhere who is wanting to know if anyone found the message." Horman said the message appears to be written by a child and was written in black ink.
She said it was difficult to read, but believes it says, "From: Siam. To: Whoever. If you find this please "rieplei" (sic) Michigan, Kentwood." She ended up at the city's Web page and found an e-mail address for Mayor Richard Root.
Root said he wasn't quite sure how to track down the mystery, but offered to try to get it to the newspaper, where a story could garner attention. Horman said the only other clue is that the note was written on a piece of paper from a note pad with the word "Pegasys" on it from what she believes is the Pegasys drug company. The balloon itself was plain and white.
Nov 24, 2005