Still awaiting word on New Year’s baby
by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor
The identity of the Advance?s New Year’s baby is still a mystery. That’s because the little bundle of joy hasn’t been born yet. The annual contest remains open to a Presque Isle County couple (excluding Onaway Area Community School district), who give birth to the first reported baby of 2011. The stork has paid an official visit to a Millersburg couple, who not only won the ?first baby award? from our sister-publication, the Onaway Outlook, but also had the first baby at Alpena Regional Medical Center in ’11.
Isreal James Quintanilla, the son of Cruz and Cassandra Quintanilla, was born only eight hours and 15 minutes into the New Year. For the Advance, as the hours ticked into days, there still had been no phone calls, e-mails, or text messages from a happy family. To claim the ?first baby award? the rules state that entries need to be submitted to the Advance office within 48 hours after the child?s birth. Some families assign the job of calling the paper to a grandparent, as the young parents are usually quite busy.
Additionally, a written statement by the attending physician, or birth certificate must accompany the exact time of birth. Many area merchants have donated several fine gifts for the newborn?s parents to redeem throughout the year. For now, or at press time Wednesday morning, the wait continues.