BUFFALO, N.Y. — Ten years this ago this week:
The nation in the midst of the Ebola scare after a man from Africa -where there was an epidemic that killed thousands, was discovered to have the virus in a Houston hospital.
The nation's healthcare forces mobilized but out of more than 300 million people in this country, only two came down with it- both nurses treating the original patient- both of whom recovered.
In Buffalo Columbus Day will still celebrated with a ceremony at the Columbus statue at Columbus park. Within a few years, however, the Federation of Italian American Societies which was fearful that the vandals who began desecrating the statue on an annual basis would destroy it entirely, had the statue removed.
The city then removed the name Columbus from the park, and promised there'd be an appropriate memorial to Italian Americans there but as of yet that has not materialized and only the statue's pedestal remains.
20 years ago this week:
George Bush and John Kerry took to the debate stage in that years presidential race in which Bush would be re-elected to a second term.
Buffalo got its first stand alone hummer dealership, call center jobs were really big in these parts, and the Bills put their hopes for the future in a rookie Quarterback named JP Losman who sat out his rookie season after being drafted in the first round following a leg fracture.
There was a proposal to make protective head gear mandatory for youth and school soccer players and a new flu vaccine, administered as a mist was being introduced. It was a flu "mist" later taken off the market after being found to be ineffective.
A new international freight bridge at the north end of what was then called Squaw Island was being proposed near the International Railroad Bridge but was never built.
30 years ago this week:
When we still shopped at Silo and Bob's Stores, Halloween got even more macabre when one of the most sought after costumes was OJ Simpson, who had been arrested and awaited trial for the murders of his wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman.
Store owners reported not being able to keep them in stock.
Others found the whole concept extremely distasteful and one USC professor remarked, "to treat this tragedy as the stuff of Halloween costumers is just awful."
In Cheektowaga the auctioneer's gavel signaled the end of 80 years in business for Winiewicz hardware. The store at 1601 Walden Avenue is today the site of an AutoZone.
As usual, residents of the southern United States were dealing with annual floods from hurricanes and tropical storms.
40 years ago this week:
The movie Amadeus was released with enormous success, and a native Western New Yorker starred in a major supporting role in the film which would go on to win eight Oscars including for best Picture.
The Buffalo born actor who starred as Emperor Joseph II 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.)
Those seeking to get a start on their Christmas shopping often began by perusing the Sears catalog and perhaps ventured to malls in search of gifts between stops at Your Host Restaurants which once dotted the Buffalo landscape before the chain of popular diners went out of business in 1993.