Years Ago
This column, contributed by Skaneateles Honors English students from the class of 2022, is written to connect the past to the present by revisiting articles from years ago. The students would like to thank the Skaneateles Historical Society for providing the archives and Eagle Newspapers for publishing their words.
20 Years
… a group of five students and their advisor, Rick Garrett, competed in and won the Envirothon State Championship. After winning states the team consisting of, John Duckett, Dave Klaczko, Matthew Frackleton, Marshall and Elizabeth Thomas, went to nationals in Arcata, California. Rick Garrett still teaches at Skaneateles High School and continues to run the school’s Envirothon team as he has since 1996. Although the team hasn’t gone to Nationals since 1999, they’ve qualified for states every year normally placing second. Envirothon is an annual competition between High Schools around the nation, students are asked questions in five different categories including aquatic ecology, forestry, land use, wildlife and current environmental issues. The environmental club also works every year to improve the school. One of the team’s biggest accomplishments is the building of the High School’s courtyard. This year’s focus, made possible by a large and generous donation by Adam Weitsman, is making recycling easier around campus. Weitsman’s donation is being used to purchase new receptacles, separating trash, paper, and bottles. The group also proposed the idea to have compost in the cafeteria. To learn more about how to help the environment you can go to un.org/en/climatechange/youth-summit.shtml.
40 Years
… the editor of the Skaneateles Press received a letter concerning marijuana users in Skaneateles High School. The person who wrote the letter claimed that students who were known marijuana users in the facility were discriminated against and labeled as troublesome kids by teachers who would use that as an excuse to write them off. The writer considered the teachers close minded and quick to judge those who were caught. However, the problem was so complex that no one could answer simple questions such as, “why do they do it?” and “who is to blame?” In today’s world, the issue of high schoolers juuling or vaping has become equally prominent. According to the Centers for Disease Control, or the CDC, the U.S. has had more than 450 vaping related illnesses, including five deaths. Just as pot users were once discriminated against, some would argue that kids with a history of vaping or juuling are too. However, Skaneateles High School is taking action to educate students and parents about the dangers associated with these drugs. New policies have recently been added to the school’s code of conduct to prevent the use of this illegal substance. Students are being educated about the dangers of vaping through flyers that have been put around the school called Toilet Talk and Table Top Topics. As well as flyers, the school has incorporated these topics into the curriculum and will be addressing this issue with parents during Open House. To find out more about juuling and vaping reach out to online sources such as LiveHelp, where your questions can be answered by trained specialists.
60 Years
If a fire were to break out in your home would you and your family know what to do? Home fires have always been a serious issue. According to the Skaneateles Press, in the year 1959 there were 11,602 lives lost in over 300,000 fires throughout the country that year. In 2017, there were only 3,400 deaths due to fires according to the U.S. Fire Administration, yet there were over a million fires recorded. Since 1959 the most concerning fire precautions have changed to become more applicable provisions. The October 2, 1959 Skaneateles Press included fire prevention tips. The number one prevention was to avoid smoking in bed because of the possibility you might fall asleep and drop it. Today the most recommended prevention is to install smoke alarms. In the past, fire safety technology was just emerging and was not as available as it is today. Shortly after 1959 more mass produced and affordable fire alarms became available. Technology and more knowledge has helped greatly in saving lives as well as money. The fires of 1959 caused a loss of over a billion dollars back then which is equal to over nine billion dollars today. Hopefully this information has helped you realize the importance of taking precautions to make sure you and your loved ones don’t fall victim to a fire.
80 Years
In the Sept. 29, 1939 issue of the Skaneateles Press there was a reminder published letting the girls at Skaneateles High School know that a cheerleading meeting would be held for those who were interested. The cheerleading team was led by upperclassmen Nancy Loss, Margaret Ludington, Teddy Weeks, and Audrey Arthur. Back in the day cheerleading was one of the only sports that girls were allowed to participate in. As time went on and as women gained more equality, with the help of Title IX, girls in high school were able to play many of the sports previously only available to boys. Today, cheerleading lives on in Skaneateles thanks to Gigi Micheal who coordinates a youth cheerleading group for ages K-6. This group attends practice weekly and competes at a competition once a year as well as performs at football games. Girls can now choose what sports they play based on their preference and are able to learn the life lessons taught by athletics that were previously only able to be learned through cheerleading.
100 Years
… an advertisement for stocks in the Syracuse Rubber Company, Inc. was published in The Democrat. It proclaimed that one million dollars’ worth of the company’s seven percent preferred stock had been sold to over 2,800 shareholders in central New York. Today, that would be over fourteen million dollars! The company was so successful in producing rubber for Syra-Cord tires that it had to start turning away other rubber customers just one month after this advertisement was printed (newspaperarchive.com). One of the defining features of the new Syra-Cord tires was their corded tread that guarded against skidding. According to the Accessory and Garage Journal, the factory could produce a maximum of 750 tires and 1000 tubes per day. Unfortunately, there are no available records online stating what happened to the company after 1919. Today, the old Herald Building in which Syracuse Rubber Company Inc. was located is home to Krell Distributing Co., a provider of heating equipment founded in 1972.
