On Aug. 17, community residents are invited to take a journey across the United States with a Dunkirk resident.
Last year, retired Fredonia State music professor De Lang took a cross-country trip by bicycle. He began the trip in San Diego, Calif., and ended at Point Gratiot in Dunkirk on May 22, 2011.
Lang plans to detail his trip - with photos and tales of the various people and places he visited - at the Fredonia Opera House next week at 7 p.m.
Article Photos
Don Lang of Dunkirk started his trip at the Pacific Ocean.
"It took him only 54 days to complete the ride," according to the article provided by the Web site. "Along the way, he met many good and hospitable people, and some not so good nor hospitable people ... it was the latter that proved fodder for the most interesting and humorous stories."
Lang, a Fredonia Rotarian, donated more than $7,000 raised from this ride to Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo. Admission to his presentation on Aug. 17 is a good-will donation, which will benefit the Opera House.
'Good as Gold'
Not only were we excited and proud of Fredonia native Jennifer Suhr's gold medal in the women's pole vault at the Summer Olympics, we also had special pride in producing Tuesday's front page.
Photos sent by the Associated Press, with Suhr beaming as she carried the U.S. flag, were excellent. Staff coverage with quotes from area residents as well as the Stuczynski family added to the excitement of the day.
Web site traffic also showed a spike as more than 9,000 people visited www.observertoday.com on Monday alone to follow our coverage.
One other interesting item from the Web site was in regard to an article "Isinbayeva stands between Jenn and gold" written four years ago by sports editor Craig Harvey. Since Aug. 1, the article has received 2,226 clicks in nine days.
A majority of those clicks - more than 1,800 - have come after Suhr's win.
Victory is definitely sweet.
John D'Agostino is the OBSERVER publisher. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 366-3000, ext. 401.
