Twenty years ago — 1998

Dunkirk Mayor Robert Kesicki announced his appointment of Terrence Valentine as fiscal affairs officer and Patrick Wawro as the acting director of development. A graduate of St. Bonaventure University, Mr. Valentine has an extensive background in accounting and finance. He spent 14 years as a plant controller at Alumax Extrusions Inc. in Dunkirk. Mr. Wawro is an honors graduate from Brigham Young University with a degree in planning. He has managed the city’s Community Development Block Grant program since 1994 and has extensive experience in grant writing.

Thirty years ago — 1988

Eleven of the Cassadaga Area Jaycees attended the New York State Outstanding New Yorker’s Convention recently in Poughkeepsie. Debbie Yerico, community vice president of the Cassadaga chapter, was named Outstanding Community Vice President for New York State for the third quarter. Ms. Yerico has been a member of the Cassadaga Jaycees for four years and is employed as a reading teacher at the Cassadaga Job Corps, where she also serves as liaison for the Cassadaga Job Corps Jaycees.

Forty years ago — 1978

Kelly Hayes-Raat, a junior at Fredonia Central School, and Deborah Franklin, a student at Forestville Central School, have been named first- and second-place winners, respectively, in the local essay contest, “Discovering American Women.” The contest was sponsored by the Fredonia State history department and the Northern Chautauqua County chapter of the National Organization for Womens. Mrs. Hayes-Raat received a cash award for her essay, “Mothers for Fair Child Support: A Few Women Crying ‘Injustice!'” Ms. Franklin was awarded a prize for her essay, “Mrs. Grace Abbey.”

Fifty years ago — 1968

William A. Reeders, world grand master of the Kung-Fu Karate Federation, shows one of his many trophies to Quai Wong of Toronto, vice president, at a reception given recently at his home in Fredonia to celebrate the opening of his Dunkirk Do-Jo (school). Mr. Reeders is the only man in the world to hold the seventh Dan Red Sash rank in Chinese Karate. He operates schools in Jamestown, Erie and Dunkirk.