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
Ten years ago, renowned Sudanese Lost Boy John Dau arrived in Skaneateles, as reported by National Geographic, and housed in a collaborative effort by the Skaneateles Presbyterian and St. James churches to take in victims of the Sudanese civil war. Dau and the countless other boys walked barefoot to faraway Kenyan refugee camps, learning English and hoping to someday reach the US. After several years, John Dau made it to America. Today, he is a celebrated figure of that crisis, especially in the local community, and spoke to Skaneateles High School students only a few years ago. He discussed his journey to America with the students, his successful book-turned-movie about his struggle, and inspired the entire school.
25 Years
25 years ago, the Skaneateles Press published an article documenting the achievements of the Skaneateles Ambulance Volunteer Emergency Service (SAVES). In the previous year, 1991, SAVES took its 10,000th call and responded to a record of 521 calls that year. SAVES has worked its magic for an impressive 49 years and continues to serve the community to this day. There is at least one ALS ambulance staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. What a lucky town we are to have such charitable people.
50 Years
In 1967, advertisements in the newspaper promoted the recent hit film “The Sound of Music.” Soon after its release in 1965, “The Sound of Music” won numerous awards including 5 Academy Awards, 2 Golden Globes, and awards for Best Foreign Actress, Outstanding Directing Film Feature, and Best Written Musical. This classic family film made an impressive $286 million in profits at worldwide box offices 50 years ago. This year, the most popular movie was Captain America: Civil War which made a remarkable $1.15 billion worldwide. With the recent New Year, we can expect many new movies to be hitting theaters soon.
75 Years
75 years ago, rationing began throughout the nation and Skaneateles was no exception. As a war time measure, sugar and tires were rationed and tuna was in short supply. The Press informed citizens of Skaneateles that for the week of Jan. 9, sugar was restricted to five pounds per customer to prevent hoarding. Loaf and cube sugar were nonexistent for the week. The purchases of tires were also limited for certain types of cars. Having just celebrated the holidays most people likely recognized how fortunate we are today in all that we have. Let’s keep this spirit of appreciation going beyond the holiday season.
100 Years
One Hundred years ago ice cream was beginning its ascent to the position as one of the most popular desserts. In 1916 approximately 300 million dollars were spent on ice cream in the United States. The top three flavors of that time included: Chocolate, Vanilla, and Tutti Frutti. According to Statista, two of the most popular flavors today remain Chocolate and Vanilla; however, Tutti Frutti has been replaced by Cookies & Cream for third. Additionally, this year Americans have spent a total of 20 billion dollars on ice cream (Iowa State Daily)!
