Happy returns
from School 4
Editor, OBSERVER:
On Wednesday, Oct. 24, the students at School 4 sent red and white balloons into the skies to unknown destinations.
The message was to be "drug free" and each balloon had a sticker attached with the name of the school and phone number to call if you discovered the balloon. The balloon launch was part of the School 4 Red Ribbon Week activities.
On Monday, Oct. 29, the school received a call from Lance Brodmerkel, a first-grade teacher from Narrowsburg, N.Y. He discovered the balloon while cleaning out his ditches in preparation for the storm "Sandy." Narrowsburg is approximately 340 miles from Dunkirk. It is between the Catskill Mountains and the Pocono Mountains. It is a very small town in the Delaware River valley with a population of approximately 430.
The school received a call on Thursday, Nov. 1 from Roger Hetrick of Sylvania, Pa. He actually discovered the School 4 balloon on Friday, Oct. 26 while cleaning out his gutters in preparation for "Sandy." Sylvania is also a very small town located in Bradford County, Pa., and has a population of approximately 220.
Hopefully next year's balloons will be found in even greater distances.
JEANNINE PETERSON,
Dunkirk
