A Charlotte "stimulus" mystery

When Richard Stavrakas went out for his Charlotte Observer this morning, he noticed a plain white envelope also was in his newspaper box. He thought it might be an advertisement for gutter cleaning or some other service. "I was going to heave it," he says.

Instead, he turned the envelope over and noticed two small, typed words: "STIMULUS GRANT." He opened the envelope, unfolded the letter inside, and a $10 bill fell out.

"You were chosen to receive the enclosed $10.00 because you are a responsible and compassionate person, and we need your help," the letter began. "President Obama is trying to stimulate the American economy, but he cannot do it alone; he needs all of us to help get the economy moving again."

The note also said: "We need your help and ask that you either spend the grant in the way you feel will best help stimulate the economy or give the grant to someone else you feel can best use it."

The letter was unsigned. "Have a great day!" it finished.

Says Stavrakas: "I thought, 'Well, that's pretty impressive.' "

And then: "I wondered if the money was real."

It is.

Stavrakas doesn't know who might have put the $10 in his box, but he said there was a man in gray shorts walking down his street this morning. That man was gone by the time The Squeeze drove the neighborhood. We noticed a similar white envelope in a newspaper box two blocks away, but we didn't examine it and no one was home.

Have you received an envelope? Do you know who's delivering them? Tell us about it here. We'll bring you updates - and clues - as we find them.

Meanwhile, savor this small but rich mystery. That's what Richard Stavrakas is doing. "It's great," he says.

So how's he going to stimulate the economy?

He hesitates not a moment.

"I'm going to buy something to eat," he says.

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(Update, 2:43 p.m. - A possible clue: A reader writes that the money could be part of another generous effort. "A few weeks ago a local real estate company owner gave each of his employees $100 in a contest to spend anyway they wanted, it just had to be something that would stimulate the economy."

Know anything about the contest and the company? Tell us here.)

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The full text of the letter:

"You were chosen to receive the enclosed $10.00 because you are a responsible and compassionate person, and we need your help. President Obama is trying to stimulate the American economy, but he cannot do it alone; he needs all of us to help get the economy moving again. The owner of our company decided he wanted to do his part and created his own stimulus incentives, which we are delivering to worthy individuals whom we believe will invest the grant in a responsible way. We need your help and ask that you wither spend the grant in the way you feel will best help stimulate the economy or give the grant to someone else you feel can best use it.

The American economy will improve when all of us decide we are going to do our part and not rely on the government to solve this reession. You were not the cause of this recession, but you are the solution. We recognize this grant is a small token, but it is a start, and hopefully will be an incentive for you to become active in doing your part. We need to do more, but we need to start now. We hope you will tell your friends about your good fortune and encourage them to also get active stimulating the economy.

Have a great day!"