35 Years Ago – October 1971 The Headstart program in Richfield Springs has started the fall season with 17 children enrolled. The parents held a meeting on September 15 and voted to use some of the money they raised to purchase a swing set for the children. The father of two of the children set the swing in concrete that the Bruce Hall Corporation had donated for the purpose. The children are learning about community helpers and will be visiting the fire house, the post office and the school crossing guard. Teaching this year is Miss Sharon Delaney. Mrs. Barbara Elliott is working as full-time teacher aide and Miss Elaine Straight is part-time mother aide. Betsy Day is nurse and social worker. The children have enjoyed corn, fruits and other vegetables donated by Murray Ames. 40 Years Ago – October 1966 It was announced Tuesday by leaders who tried to organize the Girl Scout program in Richfield Springs that the effort did not meet with sufficient support and cooperation to warrant continuing Girl Scouts in this area. The decision was made to abandon the program. Lack of leaders resulted in the decision. At a recent organizational meeting several volunteers came forward to assist with specific projects, but this does not take the place of regular troop leaders who must be willing to give one hour a week at a troop meeting. If anyone is really interested in keeping the Girl Scouts alive in Richfield, call one of these numbers: 858-1815; 858-0193; or 858-1288.
50 Years Ago – October 1956 First Lieutenant Edward Barron, commanding officer of the National Guard unit in Richfield Springs, told the Richfield Springs Rotary Club he sincerely believed that ground would be broken for the new armory here next spring and be completed some time in 1958. As of last week, 48 men had joined the new guard unit and between 30 and 40 others are soon to be transferred from neighboring units. After that, it is planned to put on an intensive campaign to recruit the company to full strength, 117 men. Already, much equipment has been assigned the Richfield unit, including anti-aircraft pieces of various calibers. Lt. Barron said the sum apportioned to build the local armory in Spring Park had been upped to $425,000. Richfield Springs is one of the smallest villages in the nation to have a National Guard unit.
60 Years Ago – October 1946 Women are drinking more now than ever before. And the percentage of alcoholics among them is increasing even more rapidly than it is among men. The problem of eventual alcoholism is liable to become acute, especially among older women, according to an article titled “Why Some Women Should Not Drink” by Maxine Davis, noted medical reporter, in the September issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine. Two years ago, the Yale Plan Clinics (for alcoholics) reported that the percentage of men to women among their patients was five to one. FBI figures from 1932 to 1944 show drunken driving by women increased 226 percent. Alcoholic women remain married only half as long, are separated six times as frequently and their divorce rate is 32 times that of comparable non-alcoholic women.
75 Years Ago – October 1931 The Lakeview Cemetery commissioners have sold to St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery Association a strip of land in Lakeview Cemetery twelve feet wide and about 250 feet long, leading from the east circle drive to the Catholic cemetery. The Catholic Association will use the main entrance of Lakeview and then enter their cemetery by way of this recently purchased strip. They have been driving over the land for several years by courtesy of the village cemetery commissioners.
100 Years Ago – October 1906 On Monday, October 1, the provisions of the Compulsory Education Law went into operation. In accordance with the provisions of this law, all parents are required to see that their children between eight and fourteen years of age are in school every day unless they are regularly and lawfully employed, in which case, every such child must secure an attendance certificate from the principal of the school certifying that he was in attendance for 130 days during the year previous to his fourteenth birthday, or during the twelve months previous to his application. Until such a certificate is obtained, no one has a legal right to employ a child under sixteen years of age.
Resources for this column have been provided courtesy of the New York State Historical Association Library.
|