Thirty years ago — 1994

The city of Dunkirk’s new handicapped accessible crosstown bus is in full operation. Purchased by the city, with aid from the state Department of Transportation and federal government grants, the 20-seat bus cost about $28,000. Shown with the bus in an OBSERVER photo are Public Works Director Randy Woodbury and Thomas Tucker, the city’s main dispatcher.

Forty years ago — 1984

A recent report by the state’s Job Development Authority shows that, in its first seven years of existence, the AL Tech Trust Fund appears to have been an unqualified success. In addition to helping save more than 2,000 jobs at AL Tech Specialty Steel’s two plants in Dunkirk and Watervliet, the report shows that the fund has been used to help over 60 firms in Chautauqua and Albany counties in ways that have allowed them to retain 3,728 existing jobs and create 1,496 new ones.

Fifty years ago — 1974

Mayor Leon Damian’s Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) will meet for the first time and review initial findings of a governmental management study being conducted for the city of Dunkirk.