Years Ago
This column, contributed by Skaneateles Honors English students from the class of 2022, is written to connect the past to the present by revisiting articles from years ago. The students would like to thank the Skaneateles Historical Society for providing the archives and Eagle Newspapers for publishing their words.
20 Years Ago
…there was an advertisement for a Winter Solstice Millenium Music Celebration of 1999 in the Skaneateles Press. This concert took place at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 9, 10, and 11. This concert featured 50 top musicians including vocalists Ronnie Leigh and Cookie Coogan. The music performed ranged from “dark and brooding to jazzy and joyous”. This year the Turning Stone Casino and Resort seems to be the go-to venue for musical entertainment. Starting on Dec. 13 many artists will be featured including Lee Brice, Pentatonix, Earth Wind and Fire, and X Ambassadors. The styles of music being played range from country to R&B to rock. These concerts range from the 13 to the 28 of December. For more information on tickets visit turningstone.com and look under the events and entertainment column.
40 Years Ago
… the Skaneateles Press published an article detailing the deaths of two construction workers working in Skaneateles for a Sennett Cement Company. The two men were unfortunately killed in a cement mixer on Dec. 6, 1979. SAVES (Skaneateles Ambulance Volunteer Emergency Services) brought the two workers to the hospital, but they were pronounced dead upon arrival. Despite being unable to save the men, the volunteers still left a mark of their intrepidity on Skaneateles, which is why this brave ambulance line still exists today and persistently continues to save many lives. During 1980-1997, 103,945 civilian workers in the United States died from occupational injuries, which explicates how important Emergency Service workers are. Due to increased safety measures and more medical healthlines, worker deaths in America are down on average, from about 38 worker deaths a day in 1970 to 14 a day in 2017. This is good progress; however, we all need to continue to be careful not only for ourselves, but for all of those it could affect, including rescue workers.
60 Years Ago
……the author claimed, “Africa’s Wildlife Threatened By Poachers, Cattle” where the author wrote that 90% of the original wildlife population in Africa had been exterminated by man’s activities. When Europeans migrated to Africa for trade, they brought with them domestic animals, which added to waste and overgrazing with little room left for wildlife. Today, the topic of global warming dominates the news. According to NASA, “The current warming trend is of particular significance because most of it is extremely likely (greater than 90% possibility) to be the result of human activity since the mid 20th century and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented over decades to millennia.” Greenhouse gas emissions play a huge role in global warming; however, if the Earth was only affected by greenhouse gas emissions, then we would see a third more warming than what has actually occurred. The effect of these emissions on wildlife can be connected to acid rain. Gases such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are released by cars and power plants into the atmosphere where they later move to the surface during rainfall. They pollute the already scarce water sources in Africa, and lead to complications for the health of animals. For more information, visit: carbonbrief.org, climate.nasa.gov, or sciencing.com/greenhouse-effects.
80 Years Ago
… Since it’s peak in 1923, the coal industry has been on a steady decline. In 1939, 454,000 Americans held jobs working in coal; however, by the end of 2016, only 50,000 Americans were employed in this industry. As the Earth’s supply of fossil fuels declines and the effects of global warming continue to affect the world’s population, the need for utilizing renewable energy is very apparent. According to some studies, fossil fuels could run out in the next 150 years. In 2018, only 17% of the energy America used was renewable. However, even with this low percentage, renewable energy fields provided 3.3 million Americans with jobs. Not only would a greater shift to renewable energy benefit our planet, but it would also open further employment opportunities for Americans. The Solar Foundation is a clean energy company committed to create jobs and technology to benefit our planet. To support initiatives in clean energy, an opportunity for donation is available at TheSolarFoundation.org/donate/.
100 Years Ago
… The Democrat featured many advertisements for cigarette brands. The brands Camel and Prince Albert both had large, nearly half-page ads in the paper promoting their cigarettes. Both brands were founded and owned by R.J. Reynolds, who died in 1918 from pancreatic cancer (which can be caused by smoking tobacco). On Camel’s 100th anniversary, a professor at Stanford University told an editor for the LA Times that over the last century Camel had sold over 4 trillion cigarettes and probably caused around 4 million deaths. Over the last century, statistics like those spoken of by this professor started to become more prominent in media and people became more wary of smoking tobacco. Organizations like Truth and CDC, who are spreading awareness of the dangers of tobacco, are often featured on television. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) organization has a campaign in which they bring in former smokers to film an ad in which they talk about the consequences of smoking and how it has negatively impacted their lives. While the advertisement 100 years ago said, “The more Camels you smoke, the greater your delight,” we now know that that delight comes with danger, and organizations like Truth and the CDC are looking to end tobacco use for generations to come.
