Bellevue almanac

Good Samaritan honored

Doug Dvorak of Green Bay, who was hit by a car while trying to help another crash victim, has been recognized with the Good Samaritan award by the Bellevue Village Board.

Dvorak, 34, is recovering at Aurora BayCare Hospital from a head injury and broken bones in his leg and arm. He was driving to work on the morning of Nov. 28 when he came upon a crash on Interstate 43 in Bellevue. He was the first person to go to the aid of Josh Jorgensen and his two young children, whose car hit a semi and ended up in a ditch.

Dvorak was hit by a car while trying to return to his own vehicle across the highway.

"What he did is the definition of a Good Samaritan," said Village Administrator Randy Friday.

How to help

Money is being collected for the Dvorak family at any area branch of Associated Bank. Checks should be made payable to "The Good Samaritan" and can be delivered to any of the branches for deposit in the so-called Good Samaritan account set up for the family. Dvorak's co-workers at Point Beach Nuclear Power Plant in Two Creeks also have held fundraisers.

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.