#americas250

[djkhomes]

Happy 250th birthday to the nation we’re proud to call home! 🇺🇸 As we celebrate Independence Day, our model homes in Downtown Naperville, Stewart Ridge, and Heritage Place will be closed Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4. We’ll reopen with regular business hours on July 5. Wishing you and your family a safe, joyful, and memorable Fourth of July! • •

[ledenews]

Summer Getaways Popular at Oglebay

Summer Starts Here!! Smoky barbecue, live music, fireworks, lakeside adventures, and poolside afternoons—Memorial Day weekend at Oglebay Park Resort is filled with the moments that make summer unforgettable. From the Backyard BBQ Festival to family-friendly fun across the park, there’s something for everyone to enjoy all weekend long. Extend the celebration with an overnight stay and spend even more time together as you welcome the unofficial start of summer. Plan Your Memorial Day Getaway Backyard BBQ Festival Gather for smoked brisket, ribs, and backyard favorites at the Backyard BBQ Festival at Levenson Shelter, where live music, pitmaster demonstrations, beer and bourbon tastings, and family-friendly fun create the perfect Memorial Day atmosphere. Spend the day savoring all-American flavors, enjoying live entertainment, and soaking in the energy of one of Oglebay’s favorite summer traditions. Explore The Festival Fireworks, Music & Summer Memories As the sun sets on Sunday evening, gather together for a fireworks display at dusk—the perfect finale to a weekend of food, music, and celebration. Throughout the holiday weekend, live music performances across the park provide the soundtrack to carefree summer nights filled with good company and lasting memories. Plan Your Weekend Lakeside Days & Poolside Fun Soak up the sunshine with classic summer adventures across the park. Head to Schenk Lake for pedal boats, fishing, kayaking, and scenic waterfront views, or cool off with an afternoon at the outdoor pool. Whether you’re looking for laid-back relaxation or family fun in the fresh air, Memorial Day weekend is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the start of the season. Discover More Stay Close to the Summer Fun Make the most of your visit with an overnight stay. Wake up to scenic views and spend your weekend exploring everything the park has to offer—from Schenk Lake adventures and outdoor pool days to evenings filled with live music and relaxing around the resort. With so much happening across the park, staying overnight means you won’t miss a moment. Book Your Stay

[ledenews]

Summer Getaways Popular at Oglebay

Summer Starts Here!! Smoky barbecue, live music, fireworks, lakeside adventures, and poolside afternoons—Memorial Day weekend at Oglebay Park Resort is filled with the moments that make summer unforgettable. From the Backyard BBQ Festival to family-friendly fun across the park, there’s something for everyone to enjoy all weekend long. Extend the celebration with an overnight stay and spend even more time together as you welcome the unofficial start of summer. Plan Your Memorial Day Getaway Backyard BBQ Festival Gather for smoked brisket, ribs, and backyard favorites at the Backyard BBQ Festival at Levenson Shelter, where live music, pitmaster demonstrations, beer and bourbon tastings, and family-friendly fun create the perfect Memorial Day atmosphere. Spend the day savoring all-American flavors, enjoying live entertainment, and soaking in the energy of one of Oglebay’s favorite summer traditions. Explore The Festival Fireworks, Music & Summer Memories As the sun sets on Sunday evening, gather together for a fireworks display at dusk—the perfect finale to a weekend of food, music, and celebration. Throughout the holiday weekend, live music performances across the park provide the soundtrack to carefree summer nights filled with good company and lasting memories. Plan Your Weekend Lakeside Days & Poolside Fun Soak up the sunshine with classic summer adventures across the park. Head to Schenk Lake for pedal boats, fishing, kayaking, and scenic waterfront views, or cool off with an afternoon at the outdoor pool. Whether you’re looking for laid-back relaxation or family fun in the fresh air, Memorial Day weekend is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the start of the season. Discover More Stay Close to the Summer Fun Make the most of your visit with an overnight stay. Wake up to scenic views and spend your weekend exploring everything the park has to offer—from Schenk Lake adventures and outdoor pool days to evenings filled with live music and relaxing around the resort. With so much happening across the park, staying overnight means you won’t miss a moment. Book Your Stay Read the full article

[ledenews]

Novotney: ‘I Swear Someone Dove Off of the Suspension Bridge on the Fourth of July’

I was 9 in the summer of 1976, fresh off fourth grade at St. Mike’s and ready for our family vacation to Disney World. It was a trip that tricked me and my siblings, though, because there were hours of separation between Florida’s north border and the Land of Mickey Mouse outside of Orlando. There was only the Magic Kingdom back then, too, and it was still fresh from its opening eight years earlier. Cinderella’s Castle, the Carousel of Progress, Space Mountain, The Hall of Presidents, The Haunted Mansion … it sure did feel like a small world after all. But those Disney memories aren’t my favorites from the summer of 1976, and that’s because the United States was celebrating her Bicentennial birthday and it was a very big deal in Wheeling, W.Va. Every storefront in downtown Wheeling was dressed up in red, white, and blue ribbons and flags, veterans were wearing their dress uniforms, patriotism was expected and appreciated, and I swear someone dove off of the Suspension Bridge on the Fourth of July. The Wharf was consistently crowded with cars owned by employees in downtown Wheeling, and by shoppers. The Ohio River was hidden from downtown Wheeling 50 years ago by a giant, steel parking garage known as The Wharf. Those four floors could hold more than 900 cars, and it’s where most downtown employees would park so the street spots were available for customers. On July 4, 1976, every single spot was filled with tailgaters and their kids, and the top, sunny level was the most crowded area. Rock bands were playing across the river at a barge bar called “The Yacht Club” on Wheeling Island, the water was choppy from all of the boat traffic, and everyone was waiting for the fireworks at dusk. But before the first boom was an amazing splash. It was just as the valley got golden with the sun beginning to dip behind Bridgeport when everyone’s attention was directed to the historic bridge. There was a man on a small platform directly in the middle of the span, and he was wearing a 1979-style Speedo. And off he went. Like a needle. It seemed to take a while before the man disappeared, and then the crowd roared the moment he resurfaced. Programming for America 250 Wheeling is supported by the City of Wheeling, Elizabeth Stifel Kline Foundation, First Presbyterian Church, Fort Henry Chapter of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution, Oglebay Institute, Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Wheeling Heritage, and the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra. He raised his arm as if he had reclaimed our freedoms with his brave leap into what was a dumping site of a waterway, and the joy was palpable. We The People were proud, and the fireworks had never been better than they were that night. And here we are today, 50 years later and just seven weeks away from Independence Day, and it’s the country’s Semiquincentennial birthday – or America’s 250th. The City of Wheeling has partnered with Wheeling Heritage and a number of other organizations to develop the celebrations surrounding the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra’s annual “Celebrate America” performance at Heritage Port, and thousands of local residents will gather along the riverfront in downtown Wheeling. As long as the weather cooperates, the valley will get gold again as the sun dips down just before the pyrotechnics begin, and while there isn’t a daring diver on the agenda this year, I still have to wonder what today’s 9-year-olds think about their country and its birthday. Read the full article

[ledenews]

Summer Getaways Popular at Oglebay

Summer Starts Here!! Smoky barbecue, live music, fireworks, lakeside adventures, and poolside afternoons—Memorial Day weekend at Oglebay Park Resort is filled with the moments that make summer unforgettable. From the Backyard BBQ Festival to family-friendly fun across the park, there’s something for everyone to enjoy all weekend long. Extend the celebration with an overnight stay and spend even more time together as you welcome the unofficial start of summer. Plan Your Memorial Day Getaway Backyard BBQ Festival Gather for smoked brisket, ribs, and backyard favorites at the Backyard BBQ Festival at Levenson Shelter, where live music, pitmaster demonstrations, beer and bourbon tastings, and family-friendly fun create the perfect Memorial Day atmosphere. Spend the day savoring all-American flavors, enjoying live entertainment, and soaking in the energy of one of Oglebay’s favorite summer traditions. Explore The Festival Fireworks, Music & Summer Memories As the sun sets on Sunday evening, gather together for a fireworks display at dusk—the perfect finale to a weekend of food, music, and celebration. Throughout the holiday weekend, live music performances across the park provide the soundtrack to carefree summer nights filled with good company and lasting memories. Plan Your Weekend Lakeside Days & Poolside Fun Soak up the sunshine with classic summer adventures across the park. Head to Schenk Lake for pedal boats, fishing, kayaking, and scenic waterfront views, or cool off with an afternoon at the outdoor pool. Whether you’re looking for laid-back relaxation or family fun in the fresh air, Memorial Day weekend is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the start of the season. Discover More Stay Close to the Summer Fun Make the most of your visit with an overnight stay. Wake up to scenic views and spend your weekend exploring everything the park has to offer—from Schenk Lake adventures and outdoor pool days to evenings filled with live music and relaxing around the resort. With so much happening across the park, staying overnight means you won’t miss a moment. Book Your Stay Read the full article