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Wednesday, January 14, 2009 6:07 PM EST
Olean man wins tickets to witness history
By Rick Miller
Olean Times Herald
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| Michael and Allison Kinter of Olean won tickets to President Barack Obama's inauguration through a lottery held by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer. Photo by Rick Miller |
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OLEAN - An Olean man who entered a random drawing for tickets to the inauguration of President Barack Obama found himself last week with front-row seats to history.
Michael Kintner, president of CNerd Inc., an Olean computer consulting company, heard about the contest for inauguration tickets sponsored by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, and e-mailed his request to the senator’s Washington office.
He was one of about 250 lucky entrants in Sen. Schumer’s lottery for tickets to the inauguration. There were more than 150,000 entries.
“I wrote an essay and submitted it,” Mr. Kintner said in an interview Monday. “I didn’t hear anything after the first drawing in December. I thought it was a good attempt. Then, a week ago, I got an e-mail congratulating me for being selected. I thought it was a hoax at first. Then I saw the e-mail address was from Sen. Schumer’s office.”
He said, “I’m no Joe the Plumber, but as Mike the computer nerd, I’m honored to accept the invitation,” which he plans to pick up at Sen. Schumer’s Buffalo office later in the week.
Mr. Kintner’s mother, Rebecca Kintner, was also excited for her son. Fifty years ago, when she was in the U.S. Navy, she had the opportunity to march in another historical inauguration, that of President John F. Kennedy.
On Sunday, Mr. Kintner and his wife, Allison, plan to go to Washington “ along with a few million other people. When Ms. Kintner learned her husband had won the tickets, she was shocked, but said, “If you want to go, let’s do it.”
“I’ve been struggling to find a hotel down there,” Mr. Kintner said. “Rooms that normally go for $100 a night, are going for $500. I contacted AAA and they found me a place 6 miles from the Capitol at $180 a night.”
“We’re in an area that is 20 to 30 yards from where President Obama will be taking the oath,” Mr. Kintner said. “I never thought I’d be able to take part in such an historical event. It will be exciting. Never in a million years did I expect to win.”
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