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.

20 Years Ago

… an article was published in the Skaneateles Press about Skaneateles Lake remaining pure for the time being. The Tri-County Skaneateles Lake Pure Water Association Inc. was created in 1988 when the water levels were dangerously low. The board of directors worked to maintain the ability to drink the water and use it for recreational use. The impurities were mainly caused by storm run-off. The banks and vegetation that acted as a filter were torn up by homeowners and the increased use of fertilizers and pesticides contributed to the addition of nutrients in the lake. This article was, seemingly, prophetic, as in 2017 and 2018, there were alarming algal blooms. The 2017 scare was caused by a severe storm on the first of July. The erosion of this storm was severe, and it dumped an incredible amount of sediment into the lake. This increased the phosphorus levels in the lake, which allowed for the algae, actually a bacteria known as cyanobacteria, to survive. A gathering was held in the High School Auditorium that included presentations from experts and a panel of these experts that answered the questions people had concerning the bacteria. Robert Warner, a former SUNY ESF professor, blamed climate change for the heavy rainfall, and said it would happen again. Rainfalls have, over the past decades, gotten gradually heavier. Then it reappeared last summer in August. If this continues, it will devastate the ecology of the lake by harming the fish therein. Syracuse, which uses the lake as its water supply, had even found some of the bacteria in the pipes supplying the city, causing them to increase the amount of chlorine used to cleanse the water. But the disruption of the green-blue algae extends into economics. Tourism, one of our town’s biggest sources of income, will go down if the famed “purity” of our lake becomes a thing of the past. This would affect many small businesses, including Mid-Lakes Navigation, which runs the iconic Judge Ben. Furthermore, real estate will become devalued by a polluted lake. This is the future of our lake if serious action is not taken and a candid conversation is not had.

40 Years Ago

The lake has been an important topic in the Skaneateles Press for decades. Not only was an article about the lake featured 20 years ago, but it was also a topic of interest in the 1979 Press. Due to the lake’s importance, the management of water infrastructure has been a point of contention in the past. In 1979, there was a disagreement between the Skaneateles Town Board and the county health department over the allocation of federal funds to install a new water pipeline to replace the old dysfunctional one. In short, the Skaneateles Town Board and county health department disagreed over the importance of following protocol or ensuring water quality. The town managed to find funding elsewhere and maintain its status as one of the cleanest water sources in the state. According to the city of Syracuse, Skaneateles water is so clean that it is one of the few large system surface water supplies in the country that is approved as an unfiltered water supply. This water will continue to support a thriving community.

60 Years Ago

…on this day the grand opening of the Mandana Inn was announced in the Skaneateles Press. The building had been used as a tavern for over 90 years, but in 1955, the Kozlol family purchased it and rebranded the old tavern as the Mandana Inn, according to the Inn’s website. The Mandana Inn has been a local favorite for decades, serving Skaneateles Lake for 60 years. Many locals enjoy its great food, friendly atmosphere, and proximity to the lake, which allows for access by boat. The Inn is currently open Wednesday through Sunday from 4-9 pm, although they remain open until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; however, its hours may vary during the winter months, so check their website, mandanainnskaneateles.com to find out when they’re open. Stop by for some great food!

80 Years Ago

…the Skaneateles Press published an article regarding the School District Modernization Bill, which would help to modernize education in rural areas of New York and allow children living in these locations to have the same opportunities as those in urban areas through the creation of larger district boundaries and more affordable education prices. Currently, the Skaneateles School District is working on Project 2021, which builds upon the values of the School District Modernization Bill.  According to the Skaneateles Central Schools’ home website, this project plans to give Skaneateles students better opportunities and modernize the schools by renovating the middle school gymnasium, the high school and middle school commons area, the high school auditorium, and more! Skaneateles community members are incredibly excited to have the opportunity to improve their school and overall education system.

100 Years Ago

… an article was published in the Skaneateles newspaper telling of a family who discovered gold… inside their dinner. The family of C. C. Taylor in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, had just purchased a 16 month old goose from a local farmer and was preparing it for the oven, when they felt something very hard inside of the bird’s gizzard. Upon cutting open the gizzard, the family discovered that the goose had ingested a $5 gold piece. Today, many animals still have trouble with consuming harmful foreign objects. Plastic pollution has been a large contributor to this issue. According to OceanCrusaders.org, one million seabirds have died as a result of plastic ingestion, and at least two thirds of the world’s fish stocks are suffering from plastic ingestion. There are believed to be 46,000 pieces of plastic in every square mile of ocean. However, changes have been made over the past 100 years to combat this issue. For example, today many restaurants and communities are limiting their use of plastic objects like straws and lids to reduce the amount of pollution that leads to the harming of animals. What will YOU do to reduce plastic pollution?