MANY WAYS OF EXPRESSING GRATITUDE.

Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY 

Odds and ends from around the Valley:

You have to understand cops, says Detective Mike Oppelt of the Los Angeles Police Department. They don't like to make a big deal out of getting a pat on the back. It makes them nervous.

But this is a big deal - a real big deal - especially to Richard Sullo. He wrote the letter that was read Thursday to the detective bureau at the LAPD's Devonshire Division.

Sullo's sister, Lynda Sullo, 50, of Granada Hills, was murdered in April 2000 - beaten to death by an ex-boyfriend, Martin Zahorik Jr.

Last week, in San Fernando Superior Court, a jury found the 51-year-old Zahorik guilty of first-degree murder.

Sullo watched him being led away in handcuffs, then he sat down and wrote this letter to the LAPD and Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

``Too often, letters are written complaining of your services. This one is not,'' he began.

``My family and I suffered through a great tragedy when Lynda was murdered, and we want you to know that both the investigation of the crime and the subsequent prosecution were exemplary.''

The letter went on to laud lead Detective Sgt. John Flemming, and Deputy District Attorney Carolyn McNary, who prosecuted the case.

Flemming was off Thursday, but his supervisor, Oppelt, who also worked the murder case, finally conceded that a letter like Sullo's does touch a chord.

McNary agreed.

``It is nice and very sweet because usually the letters we get are from people who are mad at us - not the ones wanting to give us a slap on the back,'' she said.

Sullo knows that, which is why he wrote the letter.

``When someone does a good job, no one ever writes,'' he said. ``Well, we should.''

Because don't let 'em fool you. It means something.

In Sunday's column on the incredible odyssey of Maggie Chang, we neglected to tell readers where they could send a donation to help the young Chinese woman to stay in college.

Chang, who was born deaf, came to this country five years ago, broke, with no English skills, and is now only 20 units shy of getting her master's degree from California State University, Northridge.

The only financial aid she has received is a $3,000-a-year grant from the Hong Kong Society for the Deaf, but that ran out last year.

Now, on the verge of an amazing accomplishment, she finds herself broke and being forced to quit before she can complete her degree so she can teach special-education children.

A number of readers sent checks after the column ran, and I've passed them on to Maggie to help her pay her rent and buy food.

If anyone else wants to help this incredible young deaf woman find her dream in this country, you can mail a donation check in Maggie's name to Doyed Williams Bookkeeping Service, 5327 Lemp Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91601.

Los Angeles County Firefighter Stan Horst, a member of the search and rescue team sent to ground zero only hours after the World Trade Center attack, paid a special visit this week to the office of Mickie Ardi Real Estate in Granada Hills.

When it came time for the office staff to decide on the location for the company's annual dinner awards banquet this year, the vote was unanimous. They didn't want to go anywhere.

``We all agreed we didn't need a dinner, we needed to help the families of the firefighters who died at ground zero,'' said office manager Debi Ardi.

The staff presented Horst with a check for $4,500 for the 911 fund. Classy gesture.

And, finally, if you see a few dozen classy Chevys from the mid-'50s driving down the Ventura Freeway toward Los Angeles on Saturday morning, give them a honk.

They're members of the Ventura County Chevys Club, on a mission to help a sick little girl.

Lauryn Wood, the 3-year-old daughter of Cindy and Jeff Wood of Oak Park, was diagnosed with cancer last August. She has been undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments, which diminish the red cells and platelets in her blood.

``Lauryn's had seven blood transfusions to date, and these people have been so wonderful to drive all this way to Childrens Hospital to give blood for her Saturday,'' said Cindy Wood.

If anyone wants to give blood for Lauryn, or any of the other kids at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles who need monthly transfusions, they should contact Kathy Reger, donor recruiter in the hospital's blood donor center, at [phone].