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Times team pulled together during a tough situation
A message from Newsroom Director John Hopkins: Readers may have noticed a slightly different look to the May 31 edition of the Cheektowaga Times. That particular issue marks the first time since July 2001 that I did not edit the pages. I was unavailable because I spent the entire week recovering in a local hospital from a virus that incapacitated me with a 104.3-degree fever.
I am happy to say that the full-time and part-time staff at the Times rallied to assemble the May 31, 2007 edition. Reporter Steve Dlugosz, whose main responsibility includes sports, the police blotters, the Village of Sloan and other duties, stepped up to ensure that an important story was covered during my absence. One day before publication, the Cheektowaga Democratic Party announced its slate of candidates, and Dlugosz was there to provide an eyewitness report on the front page. Dlugosz did a yeoman's job, working long hours to ensure that the Times reached the newsstands on time.
Our Depew correspondent, Michael Petro, also stepped up, taking on a greater responsibility in sports and covering meetings. He did this while fighting an illness himself. Another member of our parttime staff, Darlene Donohue, lent her capable eyes to assist with copy editing and final proofreading. The situation was also a learning experience for our summer college intern, Jennifer Sikora, who observed first-hand how a newsroom has to adjust to a difficult situation.
Although my illness mostly affected the editorial staff, the extra efforts of Publisher's Assistant Colleen Bellere, Production Manager Valerie Suttell, Advertising Manager Kelly Scozzaro and Sales Representative John Denecke did not go unnoticed. Thank-you to all.
After a week of "R&R," I'm back, guiding the newsroom with a new sense of purpose. I would like to personally thank the entire staff of the Times for assembling last week's edition. It was comforting to know that the Times has a professional crew who can step up with little notice to deliver the news to our dedicated readers.
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