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
…The Skaneateles High School Drama Club staged “Something’s Afoot” a whodunit murder mystery musical. The spoof’s characters were comprised of stereotypical British people who were stuck on an island and discovered their mysterious host had been murdered. The ten member cast included many students that had previously performed in the fall production of “The Wizard of Oz.” Some of the cast included Caroline Manring as Lettie, Bradley Benjamin as Hope, and Jonathan Vitale as Nigel. This year, Skaneateles High School will be performing “Crazy For You” as their Spring musical. The musical tells the tale of a man named Bobby who takes a trip to Nevada to save a theater for Polly, the girl he is in love with. The lead male role of Bobby is played by Ben Kringer and the lead female role of Polly is played by Victoria Kellogg. The musical will premiere on Friday, March 6 and play until March 8. There will be one performance on Friday night, two on Saturday, and one final performance on Sunday. Please join us in supporting the talented cast of “Crazy For You” this March!
40 Years Ago
… Fourth and fifth grade students at Skaneateles had participated in a poster making contest that promoted dental care, in recognition of Dental Awareness Week. Many readers probably didn’t even know this occasion existed. Mrs. Gail Murphy, dental hygienist, had gathered with some of the winners of the poster contest to congratulate them. Winners of the contest included Paul Borch, Chris Kiefer, Rochelle Latone, GiGi Dillion, David Fairley, Vicky Ross, Sherry Matsen, and Valentina Albring. Today, Dental Awareness Week has become Dental Awareness Month, which is happening right now. We urge you to try to take better care of your teeth, because some people are not doing as much as they should when it comes to keeping their teeth healthy. According to healthline.com and drpetrillo.com, only 7 out of 10 Americans brush their teeth twice a day, nearly 100% of adults have at least one dental cavity, and about half of Americans don’t floss daily. Not cleaning your teeth properly can lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and can even lead to kidney disease. In honor of Dental Awareness Month, work harder to keep your teeth clean and healthy! For more information on how to properly clean your teeth, go to mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/b/brushing-your-teeth.

60 Years Ago
… The Skaneateles Press published an article advertising an upcoming meeting for the League of Women Voters. It was put in by the Marcellus-Skaneateles Unit and while this particular branch no longer exists, the League of Women Voters, shortened to LWV, is an active organization still today. Founded in 1920 by Carrie Chapman Catt, it is an organization determined to empower voters and defend democracy, all while maintaining a nonpartisan stance. In its beginnings, the organization worked to help women use their newly gained voting ability to fully participate in shaping public policy. Now, in addition, it advocates for topics like immigration, climate change, the census, and health care reform. You can find more information at lwv.org/.
80 Years Ago
… there was an article published about movies and the importance they play in school. The Southern Tier Sound Film Co-operative Association used to loan various movies to the Skaneateles High School. Every Thursday, movies such as cartoons and travelogs were shown during lunch period. Educational movies were also played in many classes such as art, music, science, vocational, human geography, and elementary classrooms. Today movies, youtube videos, and other media types are often played in classrooms in order to reinforce what is learned or help introduce a new topic. Videos are commonly played in social studies, English, health, foreign language, and science classes. There have been many technological advancements overtime. Long gone are the days of rolling in TVs with VCRs. Today classrooms use projectors and smartboards in order to show a video. Chromebooks have also been introduced and many assignments are given on them. These technological advancements have been helpful in the school system and will likely continue on into the future. Who knows what we’ll have in another 80 years?

100 Years Ago
… The Democrat published an article documenting how the loss of the local public transportation company was affecting residents. At this time public transportation was not a bus or a train, but a carriage pulled by a horse. With increasingly complex technology, humans have moved away from “outdated” transportation; however, it is my belief that a horse is far superior to any “modern” form of transportation. A person can form an emotional bond with a horse, a bond that can not be shared by a human and a piece of metal, and a bond that will make even your most mundane grocery run sentimental. Horse travel also cuts down on pollution and traffic, as well as both the frequency and severity of accidents on the road. Who needs a self-driving car when you can have a horse that doesn’t want to crash just as much as you don’t! A horse can also generate offspring, so you can kiss those annoying car buying trips adieu! Evidently, it can be concluded that the Ford Mustang doesn’t hold a candle to its namesake.