Twenty years ago — 1999

While the golden age of Lake Erie shipping has passed with time and changes in transportation, 999 Films Inc. of Dunkirk plans to recapture the era with a documentary entitled, “Lake Erie Legacy — The Maritime Age.” 999 Films principals David Andrews and John Kuzdale explain simply that it is a “story that needs to be told.” The filmmakers characterize the lake as the “most historic and dangerous of the Great Lakes” and explain the lake’s narrow passage between Long Point and Presque Isle has the highest concentration of ship and plane wrecks anywhere in the world — including the Bermuda Triangle.

Thirty years ago — 1989

Gov. Mario Cuomo recently unveiled a plan to charge sales tax on bowling and on cable television service in an attempt to help close what he says could be a $2.6 billion budget deficit next year. The Bowling Proprietors Association has come out against the governor’s idea and has prepared a 15-page position paper to explain why the plan should be thrown in the gutter. Likewise many cable companies have lashed out against the idea, claiming it would add $22 to $50 to each cable customer’s annual bill for cable service.

Forty years ago — 1979

Dunkirk Elks Lodge 922 recently conducted its annual scholarship presentation. Exalted Ruler Frank J. Mackowiak presented the awards to David Klocek, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Klocek, 65 N. Ocelot St., Dunkirk and Karen Kulpa, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Kulpa, 62 N. Jerboa St., Dunkirk. Both were winners in the “Most Valuable Student’ scholarship contest sponsored by the Elks National Foundation and the local Elks lodge. David and Karen are seniors at Cardinal Mindszenty High School.

Fifty years ago — 1969

A major improvement in production facilities at Kraft Foods Dunkirk plant has just been accomplished with the installation of an automatic palletizer. The newly installed palletizer stacks shipping cartons on pallets as they come off the production line. This production modernization is part of Kraft’s continuing effort to improve the facilities of the Dunkirk plant which is the major Kraft jelly and preserve plant. Kraft’s average of 275 employees in the Dunkirk plant represents 1/18th of the population of the Dunkirk-Fredonia area.