BEST

HERO TURNS 100 — Frank Nicosia celebrated his 100th birthday recently in Brocton. He was drafted into the Army in 1941 and had an incredible contribution to D-Day. As was shared earlier this week, the U.S. military’s DUKW’s or “Ducks” that were being built were not functioning properly. After examining them, Nicosia realized that a compartment for storing wet clothing was unsealed and located over a mechanical compartment. This enabled salt water to leak out of the clothing compartment, drop down, and short the mechanical/electrical unit below. For this discovery, Frank was given two grades in rank and now the Ducks were able to be used to take on the Normandy Invasion that changed the course of the war. Happy birthday Frank Nicosia and thank you for your service to our country.

ACTING NODS — Good luck to both Forestville and Dunkirk. The two schools have been nominated for the annual Western New York Kenny Awards for their musical productions. Dunkirk’s “Little Shop of Horrors” received five nominations while Forestville’s “Disney’s Beauty & the Beast” received three. The winners will be announced May 12 at Shea’s. Good luck to both schools.

ON TARGET — Today is the official start of Gowanda’s new trap team. Trap shooting is a great sport, especially for students who don’t play traditional sports like baseball or basketball. The students have been practicing for weeks. We’re glad this is being offered in Gowanda and hope that participation continues to grow.

WORST

MORE CLOSURES — It was a tough week for businesses in the south end of the county. Heidenhain Corp. announced it was laying off 39 people at its Ellicott optics and electronics business. Also, The Bon-Ton Stores, which operates 260 department stores in the U.S., including one at the Chautauqua Mall in Lakewood, is expected to go out of business. Locally, it means one less place to buy goods and two places of employment that are eliminating jobs.