Years Ago
This column is a revitalized weekly addition to the paper. The following moments in history are selected, researched, and edited by Skaneateles High School students enrolled in Kate Hardy’s 10th grade Honors English class. For the next school year they hope to celebrate the past and remember the days from years ago. Thank you to the Skaneateles Library and the Historical Society for providing the Press archives.
10 Years
A decade ago, the Skaneateles Press released an article promoting people, after all of the Christmas rush, to do more than just trash their tree. They could actually trade in their Christmas tree in exchange for a sapling. The abundant number of trees traded in were chopped up and turned into mulch to be used in public works. Today, with the green revolution occurring, it is imperative to always search for ways to help the environment. A current option is to buy a living tree with its roots intact and re-plant it after the holidays.
25 Years
Although today smoking advertisements are banned from newspapers, 25 years ago they were very common. Flashy, colorful advertisements took up entire pages boasting their low prices. However, in 1999, smoking companies could no longer advertise their products in newspapers because of restrictions by the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act. Despite these limitations, the average amount tobacco companies spend every year on advertisements has increased. In 1999, the average amount spent was $8.4 billion. Since then it has risen to $9.1 billion. Even with this increase, the percentage of adult smokers has gone down from 24 percent in 1999 to an estimated 15 percent today.
50 Years
Fifty years ago the Skaneateles Press offered a free service to local students. If a student was looking for an after-school job the Skaneateles Press would aid them in the search for one: at no charge the student could write a classified ad in 30 or so words, advertising what they could or wanted to do. Today, out of the 32 students that were polled 14 or 44 percent have year round jobs. Although many do not work during the school year, an overwhelming number of those polled have summer jobs.
75 Years
Seventy five years ago this week, the town of Skaneateles staged a practice blackout due to recent threats concerning World War II. Fearful of possible air raids, residents were required to shut off all lights for a duration of 16 minutes. Patrons from the Skaneateles Police Department and Skaneateles Press served as inspectors during the blackout, monitoring any light infractions. Overall in 1941, the town was well prepared for any threat of an aerial attack and could sustain a blackout. The Press included photos from before and during the blackout.
100 Years
A hundred years ago, the Skaneateles basketball team lost to Savannah’s high school in an astonishingly low final score of 29 – 13. The game was the Lakers’ second game of the season, an away game for Skaneateles, and the first of several matches between the two schools. Today, basketball is much more competitive and certainly a higher scoring sport with this season’s Skaneateles Boys Basketball team averaging 50 points a game through their first four, a schedule that doesn’t face a Savannah squad.
