Years Ago in Skaneateles

Years Ago
This week’s column was researched and written by Cecilia Day and Campbell Loi.
26 Years Ago
In 1992, The Skaneateles Press published a column describing a new YMCA program for before and after school care. According to the article, the program was offered to children in grades Kindergarten through sixth grade, and was held five days a week at Heffernan Elementary School in Marcellus. Activities included play time, quiet time, and arts and crafts in the afternoon. A similar program to this one exists at the Skaneateles YMCA today. According to the YMCA’s website, the program “provides safe, affordable, quality child care for youngsters during the hours when there may be no adult supervision in the home.” Offering swimming, ice skating, games, and snacks, your child will have lots of fun!
50 Years Ago
… the Skaneateles Press published an article about a man who received threats by anonymous callers to burn down his house if he sold his farm to the Town of Skaneateles for use as a landfill. A new state law required the town to end the burning of trash and find a place for a landfill. The dump at the time could not be converted to a landfill because it was made of shale, which could not be dug for a landfill. Today, the Town Refuse Law requires all residents to recycle, as stated on the Town of Skaneateles website. From burning trash to creating landfills to recycling, there have been many changes in the last fifty years regarding how we dispose of trash in Skaneateles. However, it is probably true that today people would not want a dump next door, although it is hoped they would not resort to threats to their neighbors to avoid one.
75 Years Ago
… an article about the health benefits of snap beans was published in The Skaneateles Press. It states that these vegetables are rich in calcium, iron, and phosphorus, as well as vitamins A and C and riboflavin. Nutrients like these are essential to your diet and your health. Currently, discussions about healthy foods remain popular. One food often in today’s news for its health benefits is kale. According to Medical News Today, kale contains a whopping 817 micrograms of vitamin K. The article also mentions the healthy qualities of almonds. Almonds are said to contain lots of magnesium, vitamin E, iron, calcium, fiber, and riboflavin. In addition to being rich in nutrients, almonds also help to maintain cholesterol levels in the body. For the past 75 years, readers have enjoyed learning about the benefits of eating wholesome foods such as snap beans, and more recently, kale and almonds. Readers continue to want to learn how food can benefit their health and improve their quality of life.
100 Years Ago
Over the past century, prices of some everyday items have drastically gone up. One hundred years ago, the Skaneateles Press published an advertisement for children’s clothing available at “The Bee Hive Store.” The prices ranged from as little as 50 cents to as high as 25 dollars. Prices like these are out of the question today. One explanation for the rising prices is the increase in demand due to the growing population. This increase in demand allows for prices to be higher because there is a higher level of competition for goods. On the other hand, certain goods have decreased in price because of new technology making them easier to produce. Readers of the Skaneateles Press from 100 years ago might be surprised at what they could buy at Target today for $25.