Hundreds of businesses in the Lewiston-Auburn area have recently sent mail to Make-A-Wish Foundation in care of Craig Shepard, a young cancer patient whose wish is to be named to the Guinness Book of World Records for amassing the greatest collection of business cards.

Hoaxers have also identified Shepard as Craig Shergold, Craig Sheldon, Craig Sheppard, Craig Shelton and Craig Shelford.

His request for business cards was first made in 1989, when he was 9 years old. According to Make-A-Wish Foundation, his wish was fulfilled in 1990 after he received more than 16 million cards.

Shepard is, according to Make-A-Wish, now a healthy college student who requests that the mail cease.

The cards and letters he has received since 1990 have all been forwarded to a recycling center.

Make-A-Wish, in its desire to distance itself from the Craig Shepard request and other chain letters, has set aside space on its Web site debunking hoax requests circling the world.

Might be worth checking before putting a stamp on a letter. The site is www.wish.org/home/chainletters.htm.

In the meantime, we can all disregard requests on behalf of Craig Shepard. He doesn’t need our help any more.

– Judith Meyer
Speedy delivery’

Jason Tardy’s favorite White House encounter has nothing to do with the president.

The Buckfield juggler, who performed with his brother April 17 at the annual Easter Egg Roll, said he glimpsed the first couple and had several good conversations with Secret Service agents.

Then someone surprised Tardy and his brother, Matthew, in the performer’s tent, introducing him to Mr. McFeely of “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

“He goes, Speedy delivery,’ just for us,” the awestruck juggler said this week. “We talked for 45 minutes. That was the coolest part of the whole thing. He even gave me his e-mail address.”

The performance went well, too.

At security folks’ request, they took only their uncontroversial props.

“We left all the knives and fire and everything at home,” Tardy said. The duo, Two: High Energy Juggling, gave a complete show despite the spring weather.

“We learned that you can juggle in the rain,” Jason Tardy said.

– Daniel Hartill
Cat tales

Maximus and Charlene don’t have to pine for home anymore.

Days after they appeared in the Sun Journal in a story on cats at the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society, Maximus, the attention-seeking gray cat, and Charlene, the sad young mother who lost her kittens, were adopted. The shelter has also seen a lot of other cat adoptions this week.

“It’s been really good,” said Allyson Collins, senior animal technician at the shelter.

But Minnow, the friendly, laid-back black tiger cat whose previous owner went into a nursing home, remains at the shelter. At 8, Minnow is older than most people want. He also doesn’t get along well with children and some other animals.

“He likes to be the king of the house,” Collins said.

Still, the shelter staff remain hopeful. He’s been there since November. He’ll be there until he finds a home.

– Lindsay Tice


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