Twenty years ago — 1997

Members of the Chautauqua County Legislature’s Personnel and Governmental Affairs Committee believe the county could overcome a projected $973,000 revenue shortfall if sales tax on clothing were permanently eliminated. The committee voted unanimously to recommend the state remove its four percent share of the tax on clothing permanently to enhance retail sales in Chautauqua County and statewide. As an alternative, committee members suggested the state provide the county the option of removing its own three percent sales tax on clothing at its discretion.

Thirty years ago — 1987

Patrick L. Courts, English professor, is the first recipient of the President’s Award for Teaching Excellence, instituted by Dr. Donald A. MacPhee in his second year as president of Fredonia State University College. The award was established to recognize innovative and effective teaching and evidence of teaching excellence was the sole criterion used to choose the awardee. Dr. Courts was selected by a committee of Distinguished Teaching Professors chaired by Dr. Robert Schweik of the English Department. Dr. Courts has been a teacher at Fredonia State since 1971.

Forty years ago — 1977

Student of the Week is Jody Wolnik, a senior at Brocton Central School. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Wolnik of Mill Street, Brocton, Jody plans to attend D’Youville College of Nursing in Buffalo to pursue a degree in nursing.

Fifty years ago — 1967

Thomas P. Root, a 37-year-old Dunkirk native and an alumnus of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, was recently named director of food services at Princeton University. He had been associate director for the past two years.