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Retrospective

Twenty years ago — 1998

Sports columnist Jim Rush reports that Buffalo Bills owner finally got what he wanted from this whole lease deal — Ralph Wilson Stadium. Wilson was adamant about not selling the naming rights to the stadium in Orchard Park. There might have been a hint of nobility in what he said, but there was always an underlying theme to this — he wanted that expensive playpen in Orchard Park named after him. New York Gov. George Pataki and Wilson got together and signed the lease that will keep the Bills in Western New York for at least five years.

Thirty years ago — 1988

Holly M. Snyder of South Dayton is representing New York in the Food Nutrition program competition at the 67th National 4-H Congress being held in Chicago. Holly has already won county and statewide awards in 4-H food nutrition competition. The 16-year-old Pine Valley junior has joined more than 1,700 other 4-H winners from across the country seeking $284,000 in national scholarships in 30 program categories. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dale Snyder of South Dayton and a member of the Cherry Creek Puckrum Pushers 4-H Club.

Forty years ago — 1978

A fire of very suspicious origin early this morning damaged the Pizza Wings and Things Restaurant and several vacant apartments above, located at 36 West Main St. in Fredonia. It was the second major fire to ravage the village business district in 33 days. It took 75 firemen just over an hour to control the blaze, fought in temperatures in the high teens.

Fifty years ago — 1968

Engineers found contamination in an Apollo 8 oxygen tank today in the first potentially serious hitch in the final hours of the countdown for the Dec. 21 launch of three men into orbit around the moon. A space agency spokesman said the tank will have to be drained, purged and refilled with liquid oxygen, but they expected this could be done during an afternoon rest period without disrupting the launch schedule. Astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders are scheduled to begin their $310 million adventure at 7:51 a.m. Dec. 21.

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