Twenty years ago — 1999

Norfolk Southern Corp. is again making a pitch to close railroad crossings in the 4th Ward of Dunkirk, but Mayor Robert Kesicki said the city still opposes the idea. Railroad officials would like to close three or four crossings out of the eight crossings that currently exist. It is the second time in the last two years the railroad company has asked about closing 4th Ward crossings. The mayor said his position is based on concerns from emergency personnel regarding access to the 4th Ward.

Thirty years ago — 1989

Dunkirk Mayor Madylon Kubera said she plans to just “ignore” a resolution passed last week by the Dunkirk Common Council directing the public works department to implement a leaf and branch collection program. What the council instructed the DPW to do was once again begin picking up branches at the homes of city residents at least once a month. The mayor claims that at this time the city has no resources to do that.

Forty years ago — 1979

The largest number of tourists this season came to Niagara Falls to see if Connecticut psychic Pat St. John was right that a retaining wall would collapse at 4:56 p.m. and sink a tour boat filled with deaf children. The 25-minute voyage of the “Maid of the Mist,” which left the docks at 4:45 p.m. was uneventful. No deaf persons were aboard.

Fifty years ago — 1969

Apollo 11’s astronauts, their footprints stamped forever in history, splashed down July 24 in the South Pacific to make good America’s commitment to walk on the moon in the 1960s. President John F. Kennedy set that goal for the nation eight years ago. President Richard M. Nixon headed the welcoming committee for astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edward Aldrin Jr.