25 Years Ago
In 1984, a winter reminiscent of many in the 1930s was being forecast by the National Weather Service, which predicted wet, warm weather in the East and cold temperatures in the West. The 90-day forecast issued called for a return to a pattern not seen in a decade - but which was common a half-century ago - with sharply contrasting temperatures between East and West. "This pattern hasn't been common recently," said Donald L. Gilman, chief of the weather service's Predictions Branch. Similar winters occurred occasionally in the late 1940s and early 1950s, he said, the last one coming in 1974-75.
Bids for the expansion and renovation of Jamestown General Hospital's laboratory, radiology, nuclear medicine and cardiology departments were approved by the hospital board. JGH Assistant Administrator Sandra L. Anderson said that the construction would involve adding a small building to the hospital's east wing between the present laboratory and emergency room. She said that the hospital's laboratory had, over time, become extremely crowded because of new equipment. To make room, the nuclear medicine, radiology and cardiology departments were to be moved into the new area. Then the laboratory was to be renovated.
10 Years Ago
In 1999, students at Randolph Academy Union Free School were increasing the local bluebird population by creating new homes for them. In an effort to conserve the slowly dying population of bluebirds, Charles McGowan, under the auspices of Jamestown's Highland Chapter of the Safari Clubs International, proposed the "Birdhouse" project to the school's technical instructor, John Congdon. "Wow," said Congdon when he learned about the order for 5,000 houses. "We'll try," he concluded. The Safari Club's goal was to revive the bluebird population in Western New York and Northern Pennsylvania. "They're (bluebirds) fussy about size openings and don't want to be in a tree or out in the open," said Congdon. The species of birds that once inhabited the area in abundance no longer found necessary housing, but "we can increase the population after offering specialized housing for them," said Congdon.
A 31-foot blue spruce donated by Mrs. Royal Steubing of 231 E. Virginia Blvd. had been erected on Jamestown City Hall's Tracy Plaza as the community's official Christmas tree for the season. She said of her late husband, "he planted it to replace one that died about 30 to 35 years ago when it was about 2 feet tall. It stayed little for a long time and then it shot up. It's just amazing how they do it. It's kind of in memory of my husband. He used to always decorate that particular tree up until the year before he died (in 1990)," Mrs. Steubing said. "So it's kind of special."