BUFFALO, N.Y. — 10 Years ago this week:
New trends in culture and technologies proved challenging on some counts.
For example, the NYPD's entered the twitterverse with one of its initial posts encouraged folks to tweet photos of police doing their jobs, only to be trolled by hundreds of photos of cops using force against demonstrators and others.
Among the stories out of Colorado after it became the first state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana was the story of a fourth grader who ran afoul of the law for stealing his grandparents stash and selling it to his young classmates.
Colleges and universities gearing up for graduation ceremonies, found themselves enacting new policies against grads stopping in the middle of their walk across the stage to engage in a new phenomenon called--"taking a selfie".
In North Tonawanda the the Rivera Theater installed its restored 70 year old marquee.
Several members of the Buffalo Jills, the cheerleading squad for the Bills, filed a lawsuit over working conditions. A few days later the management firm that operated squad answered back by suspending operations, and the Jills haven't been seen since this week in 2014.
20 years ago this week:
An arrest warrant was issued for the top pop music star of the era, Michael Jackson, after he was indicted on charges that he had molested a child. More than a year later, and following a four month long trial, Jackson was acquitted of all counts.
The first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant was being demolished and is the subject of this weeks News 2 You Pop Quiz which is: In what state was the first KFC and what stands on the site of the historic restaurant now? (The answer, which can be found at the end of the video attached to this story, may surprise you).
Sizzling celebrities of the day included Paris Hilton and Russian tennis star Anna Kournikova.
The speed limit on the I-990 went up from 55 to 65 miles per hour.
Pat Tillman, the Arizona Cardinals player who gave up his NFL career to join the war on terror and become a US Army Ranger, died in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan this week in 2004.
30 years ago this week:
The nation's 37th President, Richard Milhous Nixon, died four days after suffering a stroke at the age of 81.
Nixon, who was the only US President in history to resign following the Watergate scandal, was remembered fondly despite that...even by democrats who opposed him politically.
"President Nixon did many good things as President," said Congressman John LaFalce. "His contribution in the area of foreign policy was truly outstanding," added NYS Assemblyman Arthur O. Eve, who praised Nixon for ending the Vietnam War.
"He went out of his way to give me his best advice," said President Bill Clinton, who delivered Nixon's eulogy during funeral services in California.
In what was a more forgiving time, Buffalo radio talk show host John Otto opined, "his reconstitution, to me, has been absolutely amazing over the generation since departing under the conditions he did."
40 years ago this week:
As the team embarked on its 25 season, the Buffalo Bills unveiled new red helmets for the team. Part of the reason the color was chosen was because the Bills figured it might give their quarterbacks an advantage in spotting receivers downfield as, at the time, the Bills and all of their rivals in the AFC wore helmets which were predominantly white.
"Because of the people we play in our division and so much white down field and many times a quarterback doesn't see the entire jersey he just sees helmets going through there," explained head coach Kay Stephenson.
The Bills continued to don the red helmet through their Super Bowl glory years before retiring them after the 2010 season and switching back to white ones.
A packed house at Sheas Buffalo Theater enjoyed a performance by noted organist Lyn Larsen as the theater reintroduced its Mighty Wurlitzer, one of only a handful left in existence.
The performance came after a restoration effort which lasted eight years, took 13,000 volunteer hours to complete, and cost more than $100,000.
