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

… there were two articles published in the Skaneateles Press, one regarding the Dean Brothers, and another featuring Patience Brewster. The Dean Brothers have been a local band for many years, performing downtown, at private parties, charity events, and much more. The members of the band consist of, Holland Gregg and brothers, Peter, Bob, and John Dean. Holland Gregg, is married to another local artist, Patience Brewster. This dynamic duo has been an inspiring part of Skaneateles and still continue to share their talents with our local community today. The 1999 article featuring Brewster praised the artist for her involvement in the annual Library Book sale. Today, Patience Brewster’s artwork is sold at local stores including, Chestnut Cottage, located downtown. Make sure to keep your eye out for any upcoming events involving either of these accomplished artists.

40 Years Ago

… The Press published an article about the Skaneateles Country Club Sailing School. The article described the different levels of classes, from beginner to advanced, and the various boats for each skill level. They had about 100 enrolled participants annually which made the school the largest program in Central New York. The Sailing School is still run during the summer months today, and will start their first session on June 29. The school is open to anyone interested, and prices for a single session range from $350 to $475, depending on membership and skill level. The Skaneateles community is lucky to have such a successful sailing program.

60 Years Ago

… the Skaneateles Press published an article explaining the exciting ability to obtain free maps in order to plan a vacation! This advertisement flaunted the enticing caption, “Map your vacation in historic New York State this year… Year of History.” It prompted readers to send in for free maps and guides pertaining to New York State, which would help people plan a trip and form an agenda for a possible summer vacation getaway. Today, instead of using maps, many people plan their vacations through a quick search on the internet. Websites such as TripAdvisor and Expedia can be extraordinarily helpful in doing so. Moreover, vagabonds today can even use the increasingly-popular website packupgo.com to plan a three-day getaway for themselves. Using this website, the destination remains a surprise until travel day. What’s your dream vacation? This summer may be the perfect time to execute it.

80 Years Ago

… the Skaneateles Press published an article reminding students and parents alike that the Regents Exams were being held the following week. The article had a comedic tone, calling this week “Life’s darkest moments”, while still reminding students of the dates and times for each subject’s exam. Nowadays, the calendar for each Regents Exam is online, available at the school’s website, instead of in the newspaper. The article was not just reminding high school students of the Regents, but 7th and 8th graders who were also required to take exams. Some of the exam subjects were also very different, such as typewriting, bookkeeping, silent reading, and homemaking. As you are reading this, the Regents Exams have already started for local high school students, and are continuing until the 25th of June. Good luck on your exams, students.

100 Years Ago

… The Democrat published an article advertising a Christian Science lecture in Syracuse, provided by the Christian Science Church of Syracuse, NY. This church is still active today, but has lost considerable influence. While there have not been official counts of active members in more than a hundred years (tennessean.com), estimates of membership in 1936 was over 270,000. In 1990, this had more than halved, to less than 100,000, and continues to decline. Christian Science focuses on the rejection of medicine in favor of healing through faith in God – a very controversial viewpoint. The Christian Science Monitor, a newspaper released by the church, has won more than seven Pulitzer prizes (csmonitor.com). As of today, there are two Christian Science churches active in Syracuse (syr-area.com).