Bound Volumes, Hometown History
August 29, 2024
90 YEARS AGO
One hundred years old today, Mrs. Melissa Brooks of 26 State Street, can look back on a century of real progress. She has seen all modes of travel from the ox-cart to the airplane and has used various types of home illumination from dipped candles to electric lights. As a little girl she was carried to school on her father’s back. The telegraph, the telephone and the radio have made communication possible in ways never dreamed of. As a granddaughter of Sergeant Wolcott Bennett of the Continental Army, Mrs. Brooks is an honorary member of the local Chapter of the D.A.R. and is believed to be Oneonta’s only real granddaughter of the American Revolution and the oldest resident of Oneonta. As a birthday remembrance she received from the D.A.R. a basket of 100 roses.
August 1934
50 YEARS AGO
Several classes in the elementary schools in the Oneonta School District have already reached or are approaching the maximum sizes agreed upon by the Oneonta Teacher’s Association and the school district. The maximum size in Kindergarten and first grade is 25; in second through sixth grades the size is limited to 30 per class. Superintendent of Schools Frederick Bardsley announced last week that another second grade class would be added at Center Street if enrollment goes over 60 students. There are currently 58 second graders enrolled. Unregistered students who report for classes that have reached their limits will be reassigned to the school with the smallest enrollment. If a reassigned child lives outside the walking limit, transportation will be provided.
August 1974
30 YEARS AGO
For the first time ever, the annual Mayor’s Cup soccer tournament will be broadcast live to cable television viewers here and to satellite dish viewers along the Atlantic seaboard. Both the collegiate finals and the consolation match on Sunday, September 11, will be produced by the State University College at Oneonta’s Instructional Resource Center in cooperation with SUNYSAT, the State University System’s television network – and Oneonta NewChannels. The event will mark the first time SUCO has used its new mobile production unit, which Dave Geasey, SUCO’s TV producer and director describes as a “television control room on wheels.” SUCO bought the new unit last year as part of a three-phase upgrade in its television technology. The first part of the upgrade was made possible by a $74,200 legislative grant awarded to SUCO last fall. A crew of 15 people—including experienced students from SUCO’s video club—will go on the road to the Wright National Soccer Campus in Oneonta to provide the broadcast using six cameras, instant replay decks, slow-motion effects and computer-generated graphics.
August 1994
20 YEARS AGO
The Oneonta Farmers’ Market will celebrate the harvest Saturday with gardening demonstrations and tastings all day. Shoppers at the Oneonta Farmers’ Market will find gift items, cut flowers and bedding plants as well as a variety of fresh produce, organic eggs, cheese, milk and pasture-raised meats from local farms. At 10 a.m., a representative from Otsego County Cornell Cooperative Extension will provide tips on gardening, including handouts with tips for creating a garden design for herbal teas and edible landscaping. A representative from the Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship will provide free tastings of bruschetta on artisanal breads and roasted vegetables, made with items found at the market. At 11 a.m., the Irish step-dancing group Damsha Beatha will perform traditional and modern dances in Irish costume. At noon there will be a free drawing for a gift basket featuring items donated from various market vendors.
August 2004
