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

Doug’s Fish Fry published an ad in the Skaneateles Press explaining the high quantities of their famous condiments and side dishes that they make on Frydays. In 1999, this included 6-8 gallons of cocktail sauce, 30-35 gallons of coleslaw, and 15-18 gallons of Doug’s secret recipe tartar sauce. Many of the employees at Doug’s had been working there for all or most of the 17 years that Doug’s had been open, and many current employees have worked there for a long time due to the positive environment and friendly employee treatment. Doug’s provides a charismatic atmosphere and not only has good people, but good food. It was recently crowned as Central New York’s best fish fry by both judges and fans, according to syracuse.com. If you’re looking to eat some delicious fish fry or some great ice cream, Doug’s is open seven days a week: 11 AM to 9 PM!

40 Years Ago

… an article about a woman calling for a later start time for the elementary school in Marcellus was published. Mrs. Carol Oblas was concerned about the dangers of younger children waiting alone in the dark early mornings for their school bus. Fortunately, Marcellus’ elementary school, K.C. Heffernan Elementary, now starts at nine. However, high schools and middle schools in Skaneateles begin at 7:50, much earlier than that. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that middle and high schools start at 8:30 or later so that students can get the sleep they need, which, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, is between eight and ten hours. Moreover, a recent survey conducted at Skaneateles High School showed that over 48% of students feel tired all the time, and that only 25% of students get the recommended amount of sleep. According to the Center for Disease Control, not getting enough sleep is associated with health risks such as being overweight, drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, using drugs, and poor academic performance. In order to preserve student health, we strongly urge Skaneateles Central Schools to consider having later start times in both the High School and Middle School.

60 Years Ago

… the Skaneateles Press published an ad for Masters’ Greenhouse, which was a local business where people could purchase flowers. The ad promotes the greenhouse’s wide variety of flowers that could be purchased for birthdays, anniversaries, or just for fun. The flowers could be delivered or picked up at the store. Although this business has closed, there are still many florists that are open today. A well-known florist and garden center is Dickman Farms, located in Owasco, which offers the same services at Masters’ Greenhouse and more. Along with delivery of flowers, Dickman’s offers garden shows and workshops for new gardeners to learn how to pot plants. Dickman’s Garden Center has recently reopened for the season. Visit their webpage for information on hours and events occurring this season.

80 Years Ago

… The Skaneateles Press published an advertisement for ice cream at the Village Pharmacy. It advertised a pint of sherbet for free when shoppers purchased a quart of ice cream for a price of 49 cents. According to an online inflation calculator that equals $8.91 today: apparently sherbet was a treat for very special occasions! While the flavors of sherbet offered in the 1939 advertisement were orange, lemon or lime, according to m.ranker.com, rainbow sherbet tends to be the most popular today as it incorporates multiple flavors together.

100 Years Ago

… the Democrat informed its readers that parchment deeds using a typewriter were not reliable. Although a very popular form of documentation, the article criticized the method’s durability, claiming that deeds that were deposited decently had many lines that had disappeared or that were illegible. Today new forms of documentation, specifically the computer, have become a reliable way of keeping information safe and available for future use. However prices for these more advanced way of documentation are becoming increasingly expensive. According to Collectors Weekly, a typewriter’s average cost was between 60 and 100 dollars, while the price of a Macbook Air reaches up to 1400 dollars today (Apple.com). Despite the high price, portable computers have become a part of most people’s daily lives and have a vital role in holding important information as well as preserving history.