Years Ago

This week’s column was researched and written by Nate Azzam, Owen Curtis and Joe Norris.

10 Years Ago

… an article was released in the Skaneateles Press sharing the information of a canoe tour run by Beaver Lake Nature Center. They planned to leave the docks at 7:30 a.m. on a Saturday and canoe across the lake. The price for adults was $5 and the price for children under the age of 12 was $3; in addition, it cost $8 to rent a canoe. While canoeing, great blue herons were expected to be spotted along with other wildlife. Once participants reached the other side of the lake, they intended to have a campfire breakfast, consisting of pancakes. After the breakfast, they finished the tour and returned back to the docks. Family activities like this expose children to wildlife and help them to comprehend what nature has to offer. A simple canoe ride and campfire can open one’s eyes to a whole new world. Check out Beaver Lake’s website to discover outdoor events happening this August.

26 Years Ago

… The Skaneateles Press printed a small number of short paragraphs that talked about the signing of a bill in 1992 by Governor Mario Cuomo that placed harsher penalties on individuals convicted of stalking: “…the act of maliciously following someone in such a way as to cause fear for one’s life…” It made the sentence for stalking with no intent of harm three months, stalking while armed or with injurious motives six months to a year in jail. A criminal will be sent to prison for one to four years if they are found guilty of stalking a second time within ten years of the first. This bill, while valiant and justified in its efforts, is slowly becoming outdated with each passing year. This bill was passed before social media had carved itself into our daily lives. Now that social media is accessible to almost anyone, there has been a rise in cyber-stalking, and online harassment. Of course, there are laws against making threats online or harassing someone on the internet, but these laws can be much more difficult to enforce, due to the fact that the identity of these stalkers can be disguised or hidden with much ease. This small article published more than a quarter of a century ago, though rendered less powerful by the inevitable progress of mass-media, still highlights a need for a more efficient, concrete way of mitigating the damages caused by acts that become more and more prevalent in our society today, and therefore remains relevant for the new generation, and perhaps, if its message is not taken to heart, many more generations to come.

50 Years Ago

… the kids of the day still managed to find some trouble. The Skaneateles Press released an article titled “School Rock” about how a kid threw a hockey puck sized rock through a window causing several hundred dollars of damage. The scoundrel was never apprehended. While sinister, the act couldn’t be repeated, without precaution, today due to increased security in schools. Many schools now have increased security measures and surveillance. Even though according to the International Foundation for Protection Officers, it helps to decrease vandalism and property theft, the moral implications have divided the school community. With the growing danger in our schools, we hope as a community to keep our posterity safe.

75 Years Ago

… The Skaneateles Press published a small paragraph, not more than three sentences. It stated, “Every generation through the centuries has had its ‘youth problem.’” It concludes with “If we bear in mind that children are children, and not grown-ups, the perhaps the situation won’t be so complicated.” This small square of text poses many vital questions; Is it true that the young of each generation has faced a fundamental, collective issue? If so, then what was the “youth problem” of the 1940’s? Perhaps the young people of that decade had become angered by war—it had taken from them close family and friends, and had brought about various stamps that placed restrictions on several commodities, such as certain foods or gasoline. Or maybe the youth problem was merely perceived by conservative adults of the time. However, the evermore important implication raised by the little sting of prose is that, if there is a “youth problem” that clings to every generation, what is the youth problem of today? Is it the desensitization of mass-media? A growing drought of existential thought? Or is it a lack of empathy that has augmented among adolescents? The writer of the provocative paragraph posits that children are simply being children.  But, as a member of this age’s youth, I believe that these problems do exist, and, though I can offer no solution, that there is a problem among us individually and institutionally, one that could carry on to posterity, if a sincere conversation is not had

100 Years Ago

… sugar rations were administered to the American population towards the end of World War I. In an article the author mentions that the average consumption of sugar per person in England was 93.5 pounds every year! That sounds like a lot of sugar, but it seems small to the amount of sugar that Americans consume today! According to the Natural Society, in 2009 on average, Americans consumed 180 pounds of sugar annually! Now, that’s a lot of sugar!