Twenty years ago — 1998

The new Sears retail store is continuing its grand opening celebration at the D&F Plaza in Dunkirk due to an overwhelming response from the public, according to new owners Dick and Bertha Sneddon. The couple considered opening a store in Bath, N.Y., or even moving south, but according to Mr. Sneddon, “When we visited the Dunkirk-Fredonia area and saw the opportunity for growth and expansion, we made our decision to relocate here and are very pleased with our decision.” The Sneddons work full-time and currently employ five staff members at their store.

Thirty years ago — 1988

Student of the Week is Kent Hamilton, a BOCES student and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Hamilton of 54 Washington St., Westfield. A senior at Westfield Academy and Central School, Kent is completing his second year of the food services program at the LoGuidice Center in Fredonia. His hobbies include downhill skiing and baseball. Following graduation, he would like to continue his education at Alfred State or the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, to major in food management.

Forty years ago — 1978

Miss Karen Jankowski, a sophomore at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., has been selected as one of 15 finalists in the 25th annual Miss Ball State Scholarship Pageant. She is the daughter of City Court Judge and Mrs. August R. Jankowski, 8 Beach Road, Dunkirk.

Fifty years ago — 1968

The large, old gray carriage house which stands towering next to the Boorady Memorial Reading Center, a memorial to Dunkirk’s past, will for a long time to come continue to make history, even after its new face-lift is completed. The building, unused by the center except as a garage, will soon be the bustling hub of activity for the center’s 366 children. A new arts and crafts center will become the newest part of the reading center.