[LETTERHEAD]                   EXHIBIT 99(a)

                               May 20, 1996


Dear Shareholder:

You are invited to attend a Special Meeting of Shareholders of Valley Ridge
Financial Corp. at 3:00 p.m. on June 25, 1996, at the Tyrone Township Hall,
43 South Main Street, Kent City, Michigan, to vote on an Agreement and Plan
of Merger under which Community Bank Corporation, the parent company of The
Grant State Bank, would be merged into Valley Ridge.

Complete details of the proposed merger are set forth in the enclosed
materials.  We urge you to read these materials carefully so that you may
be fully informed about the proposed merger.

If the Plan of Merger is approved and the merger occurs, Community would be
merged with and into Valley Ridge, and The Grant State Bank would become a
subsidiary of Valley Ridge.  Each Community shareholder would receive
shares of Valley Ridge Common Stock in exchange for shares of Community
Common Stock.  Valley Ridge Common Stock held by Valley Ridge shareholders
before the merger would remain outstanding after the merger.

The Plan of Merger must be adopted by the holders of a majority of the
outstanding shares of both Valley Ridge and Community, and is contingent
upon regulatory approvals and certain other conditions.

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR SHARES BE REPRESENTED AT THE MEETING.  Please
send in your Proxy even if you intend to be present at the meeting in
person.  You may revoke your Proxy at or prior to the meeting if you wish
to vote in person.  If you specify a choice, the shares represented by your
Proxy will be voted as specified.  If no specification is made, the shares
represented by the Proxy will be voted for approval of the Plan of Merger.

The Board of Directors of Valley Ridge has given full and careful
consideration to the proposed merger, has concluded that it is in the best
interests of Valley Ridge and its shareholders, and has voted unanimously
to adopt the Plan of Merger.

YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE FOR APPROVAL OF THE PLAN
OF MERGER.


                                        Sincerely,


                                        s/ Richard L. Edgar
                                        Richard L. Edgar
                                        President

         PLEASE SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY PROMPTLY.