BUFFALO, N.Y. — 10 years ago this week in 2013:
Site work began on the $400 million Canadian Motor Speedway with grandstand seating for 65,000 just across the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie, Ont.
However, the project which was part of a grand development proposed to bring $1 billion annually to the economy of Southern Ontario, ran into problems and was never built.
The Buffalo Sabres traded popular team captain Thomas Vanek, and musician Lou Reed died at the age of 71 this week in 2013.
20 years ago this week in 2003:
The TSA began its second year of operation screening passengers at the nation’s airports and reported that in its first year, it had confiscated more than 8 million banned items from travelers.
The Concorde took to the skies for the final time, as the needle-nosed, supersonic passenger plane which flew at twice the speed of sound, headed for retirement following three decades of fast and fancy flights.
Although some have hoped the sleek and speedy aircraft might someday return to the skies, it has not happened.
It was also that week that we lost Rod Roddy, the former Buffalo DJ who went on to become the longest-serving announcer in the history of The Price is Right. Known for his flamboyant threads and trademark phrase “come on down!” (which was engraved on his tombstone) Roddy passed away from cancer at the age of 66 this week in 2003.
30 years ago this week in 1993:
A flamboyant American businesswoman who with her husband built a slew of luxury hotels, but whose reputed tyrannical behavior earned her the nickname the "Queen of Mean", was released from prison, after serving 19 months for tax evasion. She is also the subject of this week’s News 2 You Pop Quiz ( for the answer watch the conclusion of the video attached to this story ).
Buffalo's Columbus Hospital, which was located on Niagara Street on the city’s lower west side, was preparing to become the first hospital in the country to house a needle exchange program."
The New York State Thruway unveiled its EZPass system at the South Grand Island bridges which it would eventually install system-wide two and a half decades later.
Back then, when the circus came to town, an animal parade was held outside the Memorial Auditorium where local celebrities were invited to ride the elephants.
Legendary actor Vincent Price passed away at the age of 82.
40 years ago this week in 1983:
241 US servicemen were killed when a suicide bomber drove a truck with 2,000 pounds of explosives truck into the marine barracks in Beirut Lebanon. It was the largest loss of life in a single day for the Marine Corps since the battle of Iwo Jima in WW II.
Among those killed was Marine Lance Corporal Robert Olson of the Erie County hamlet of Lawtons.
That same week US forces invaded the Caribbean Island nation of Grenada. Resistance was crushed in a matter of days, but not before 19 servicemen died including Army Ranger Mark Rademacher of Aurora.
NBC news anchor Jessica Savitch had her meteoric career cut short at the age of 36 when she was killed in a car accident in Pennsylvania.
