Twenty years ago — 1998

The Rev. Joseph Gatto, recruiting director at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, announced that 10 young men from Colombia are now training at Christ the King Seminary. Rev. Gatto brought the Colombians in this fall and plans a second recruiting visit to South America in February. They are among dozens of foreign-born students recruited to dioceses nationwide to help turn around a 25-year decline in the number of active priests and the number of men entering the seminary. Nationwide, for every 100 men enrolled in Catholic seminaries in 1965, there are 40 today.

Thirty years ago — 1988

Ron Manning, a Sheridan native and a 1980 graduate of Silver Creek High School, has a productive career despite being paralyzed from the chest down. He works at his college alma mater, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, as assistant director for development records and research. Mr. Manning was disabled in 1981 when he suffered a broken neck in a dive into a private swimming pool. He is the son of Joseph and Norma Manning of East Lake Road, Sheridan.

Forty years ago — 1978

A commercial complex featuring a major department store and a supermarket is planned for a 12-acre site along Vineyard Drive in the town of Dunkirk. The site is on the north side of Vineyard Drive between the Vineyard Motel and Main Street Extension in the city of Dunkirk. The property, owned by Anthony Seybold of Bennett Road in the town of Dunkirk, now is covered by a grape vineyard. The proposed development will have 130,000 square feet of commercial space, including 60,000 for a major department store, 35,000 for a supermarket and 35,000 for between 10 and 12 smaller stores. Construction is expected to begin in March. When the complex is fully developed, the stores will employ about 500 people.

Fifty years ago — 1968

Miss Patrina Leone, assistant manager of the Silver Creek office of the Manufacturers and Traders Trust Co., was guest of honor at a 40th anniversary party given by her co-workers at the Revere Inn. Miss Leone started working on Dec. 7, 1928 for the First National Bank, which merged with M & T in November 1957. She is presently a committee member of the New York State Bankers Association, women’s division.